If you were one in the receiver market via the waiver wire a week ago, you were in luck. For everything else, outside of a streaming quarterback, you weren’t in luck. Four of our receiver suggestions from a week ago topped double-digit fantasy points as Cedric Tillman (baring the results of Monday Night Football) finished the week as the WR3. We have officially crossed the half-way point of the Fantasy Football season and now is not the time to become complacent with your teams. Keep playing that waiver wire. Let’s see what Week 9 has to offer us!
Each week, I will develop a list of must add targets for fantasy football leagues. My goal is to keep each suggestion under 40-percent owned in Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues. At least one of my suggestions will be owned in less than 10-percent of Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues. I will also strive to have at least one player per position (QB, WR, RB and TE.)
Tillman finished the week at the WR3 in all of fantasy football. He caught seven-of-nine targets for 99 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns’ upset of the Baltimore Ravens. Keon Coleman continued to emerge for the Buffalo Bills following the Amari Cooper acquisition, catching five-of-seven targets for 70 yards and a score. Ricky Pearsall caught all four of his targets for 38 yards and added a 39 yard run in his second game of the season. Romeo Doubs caught three-of-six targets for 72 yards as well. Additionally, in his first start since 2022, Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns to propel the Browns over the Ravens.
Week 8 Results
Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins) - 14.7 Points
Jameis Winston (Cleveland Browns) - 23.6 Points
Drake Maye (New England Patriots) - 11.5 Points
Kimani Vidal (Los Angeles Chargers) - 1.6 Points
Tyler Allgeier (Atlanta Falcons) - 3.3 Points
Roschon Johnson (Chicago Bears) - 6.6 Points
D’Ernest Johnson (Jacksonville Jaguars) - 3.3 Points
Justice Hill (Baltimore Ravens) - 2.9 Points
Tyler Goodson (Indianapolis Colts) - 0 Points
Romeo Doubs (Green Bay Packers) - 10.2 Points
Jauan Jennings (San Francisco 49ers) - 0 Points
Cedric Tillman (Cleveland Browns) - 28.9 Points
Keon Coleman (Buffalo Bills) - 18 Points
Ricky Pearsall (San Francisco 49ers) - 11.7 Points
Troy Franklin (Denver Broncos) - 1.9 Points
Dontayvion Wicks (Green Bay Packers) - 3.1 Points
Hunter Henry (New England Patriots) - 9.5 Points
Ja’Tavion Sanders (Carolina Panthers) - 1.7 Points
Quarterback
Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) - Owned in 25% of Yahoo and 36.7% of ESPN Leagues
Nix has emerged as a consistent fantasy option. His rushing upside is exactly what we are looking for when it comes to fantasy quarterbacks. He’s scored at least 20.74 fantasy points in three-of-his-last four games. He’s fresh off his best performance of his career as he threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for a touchdown. He’s scored four rushing touchdowns this season and across weeks 6 and 7, he ran the ball 16 times for 136 yards. He also has a very favorable schedule ahead of him. He gets the Ravens in Week 9 who have allowed the third most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. He then gets the Chiefs (13th most,) Falcons (11th most,) Raiders (12th most,) Browns (18th most) and Colts (tenth most) through Week 15.
Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams) - Owned in 39% of Yahoo and 18.5% of ESPN Leagues
In his first game with both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua since Week 1, Stafford has his best performance of the season in Week 8. He threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football. Stafford doesn’t have the greatest rest-of-the-season schedule ahead of him as he gets the Seahawks who have allowed the 18th fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. He then gets the Dolphins (the fewest,) Patriots (11th fewest,) Eagles (tenth fewest,) Saints (seventh fewest,) Bills (eighth fewest,) 49ers (12th fewest) and the Jets (fifth fewest) to finish the season.
Jameis Winston (Cleveland Browns) - Owned in 6% of Yahoo and 3.3% of ESPN Leagues
In his first start since Week 3 of 2022, Winston balled out. He threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Browns over the Ravens. However, tread with caution as Winston has one of the toughest rest-of-the-season schedules for any quarterbacks. He gets the Chargers next week who have allowed the ninth fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Following the bye week he gets the Saints (seventh fewest,) Steelers (fourth fewest,) Broncos (third fewest) and Steelers (fourth fewest) through week 14.
Runningbacks
Braelon Allen (New York Jets) - Owned in 37% of Yahoo and 24.7% of ESPN Leagues
Remember the early season waiver wire darling that everyone thought was the next big thing? Well, we’re back talking about Allen. Following his two touchdown performance in Week 2, Allen was the hottest thing out there. However, over the past two weeks, he’s seen at most five opportunities for the Jets. He bounced back last week, seeing 12 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown. The only thing I can point at moving forward is that the Jets’ running backs have arguably the most favorable schedule for the rest-of-the-season following their Week 12 bye.
Dalvin Cook (Dallas Cowboys) - Owned in 23% of Yahoo and 7.9% of ESPN Leagues
At this point of the season, the running back waiver wire market is so scarce. Hence, why we’re talking about Cook here. In his first game action of the 2024 season, he carried the ball six times for 12 yards against the 49ers. The schedule doesn’t get easier for him as the Cowboys face the Cardinals who have allowed the fifth fewest points to opposing running backs, the Eagles (sixth fewest) and the Texas (fourth fewest.) The schedule levels out for weeks 12 through 16 however. Either way, this Cowboys’ rushing attack is the worst in the league so they need to find ways to get it going so Cook may get his chances moving forward.
Roschon Johnson (Chicago Bears) - Owned in 14% of Yahoo and 12% of ESPN Leagues
Johnson saw just two carries in Week 8 but did score a touchdown. That was by far the lowest volume he’s seen this season as he’s seen at least seven opportunities in his four other games he’s played. Either way, it was promising that he got a goalline chance for the Bears against the Commanders and gets a fair schedule the next three weeks. He’ll see the Cardinals (12th most fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs,) the Patriots (third most) and the Packers (16th most.)
Ray Davis (Buffalo Bills) - Owned in 26% of Yahoo and 16.8% of ESPN Leagues
Ray Davis does not really hold any standalone value as James Cook has been one of the best running backs in the league this season. However, in the event Cook is to miss some time, Davis has proven to be a capable fill-in. In Week six without Cook, Davis ran the ball 20 times for 97 yards while catching three passes for 55 yards against a very good Jets’ defense. He followed that up with five carries for 41 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. He ran the ball six times for 29 yards last week.
Isaac Guerendo (San Francisco 49ers) - Owned in 8% of Yahoo and 3.6% of ESPN Leagues
Guerendo took over for Jordan Mason midway through the 49ers’ Sunday Night Football game against the Cowboys. He exploded for 85 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. He added three receptions on four targets for 17 yards. Mason left with a shoulder injury and did not return. The 49ers’ enter their bye week in Week 9 and there are rumblings that Christian McCaffrey could return in Week 10. The 49ers will look to have both McCaffrey and Mason healthy for Week 10, giving Guerendo little to no value unless their returns are delayed.
Khalil Herbert (Chicago Bears) - Owned in 7% of Yahoo and 4.2% of ESPN Leagues
Herbert can’t sniff the field for the Bears and has been a popular trade rumor guy circling around. There are plenty of running back needy teams that will look to bring someone in at the deadline and Herbert is the ideal candidate. Stash him now.
Wide Receivers
Cedric Tillman (Cleveland Browns) - Owned in 19% of Yahoo and 16% of ESPN Leagues
For the second straight week, Tillman finds himself in this series, and that’s for good reason. He’s quickly become Winston’s go-to-guy in the absence of Amari Cooper. Tillman is fresh off a seven reception for 99 yards and two touchdown performance against the Ravens in Week 8. The week prior, he caught eight-of-12 targets for 81 yards. Just as we talked about when talking about Winston, the rest-of-the-season schedule is not ideal matchup wise for Tillman.
Rashod Bateman (Baltimore Ravens) - Owned in 45% of Yahoo and 23.3% of ESPN Leagues
Bateman came back to earth in Week 8 after his big Week 7. Looking back to his Week 7 performance, he caught four targets for 121 yards and a score. In Week 5 he caught four-of-eight targets for 58 yards and a score. He caught all four of his targets for 71 yards in Week 6. Bateman is a boom-or-bust type of player, just as his last two weeks have proven. His next four weeks on the schedule too are not ideal as he gets the Broncos who have allowed the second fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. He then gets the Bengals (16th fewest) and the Chargers (third fewest.)
Michael Wilson (Arizona Cardinals) - Owned in 16% of Yahoo and 12.5% of ESPN Leagues
This Cardinals’ offense is clicking. Against the Dolphins in Week 8, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, Wilson caught five-of-six targets for 31 yards and a touchdown. Outside of Week 7, Wilson has now seen at least four targets in five-of-his-last-six games and at least six in four of them. He’ll get two straight tough matchups coming up but after the Cardinals’ Week 11 bye week, will have a favorable end-of-the-season schedule.
Ricky Pearsall (San Francisco 49ers) - Owned in 37% of Yahoo and 22.4% of ESPN Leagues
In his first two games of his career and returning from a gunshot injury, Pearsall has seen nine targets for the 49ers. He caught all four of his Week 8 targets for 38 yards and added a 39 yard rush. Brandon Aiyuk is done for the season, which has opened up opportunity for Pearsall but Jauan Jennings will return to action following the 49ers’ Week 9 bye. However, the 49ers have proven that they want to get Pearsall involved early and often so I don’t see his role reducing anytime soon.
Jalen Tolbert (Dallas Cowboys) - Owned in 23% of Yahoo and 27.6% of ESPN Leagues
Tolbert, slotted in as the WR2 in Dallas, caught all three of his targets for 44 yards in the Cowboys’ Sunday Night Football loss to the 49ers. He had a deep ball in the fourth that hit off his hands that would have put him into double digit fantasy points if he had converted. Either way, he has topped 11.2 fantasy points in three-of-his-last-six games. Additionally, he gets a very friendly schedule ahead of him. In Week 9, he gets the Falcons who have allowed the 11th most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. He then gets the Eagles (ninth most,) Texans (tenth most,) Commanders (eighth most,) Giants (19th most,) Bengals (17th most,) Panthers (12th most,) Buccaneers (sixth most) and Eagles (ninth most,) to finish his season.
Darius Slayton (New York Giants) - Owned in 13% of Yahoo and 9.2% of ESPN Leagues
We have yet to see Slayton and the New York Giants in Week 8 as they play on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Either way, Slayton has run 39.3 routes-per-game over the last four games with a 19.1-percent targets-per-route. We talk about it often, volume is key when it comes to fantasy football and Slayton is offering that. He is also going to see a very friendly rest-of-the-season schedule.
Parker Washington (Jacksonville Jaguars) - Owned in 0% of Yahoo and 0.1% of ESPN Leagues
For those in really deep leagues (or even dynasty leagues) looking at the waiver wire, Washington may be the guy to offer some Week 9 value. Gabe Davis (Shoulder,) Christian Kirk (shoulder) and Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) each suffered injuries for the Jaguars in Week 8. If Washington is to see a boost in volume due to any (or multiple) of the names listed above, he gets a great matchup in each of the next three weeks. He’ll see the Eagles in Week 9 who have allowed the ninth most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and then the Vikings (allowing the most,) and the Lions (third) most.
Tight Ends
Mike Gesicki (Cincinnati Bengals) - Owned in 8% of Yahoo and 10.4% of ESPN Leagues
My favorite waiver wire tight end from the start of the season is back. After missing a game in Week 6 and seeing just one target in Week 7, Gesicki bounced back in Week 8 by catching seven-of-eight targets for 73 yards. Following a tough matchup in Week 9 with the Raiders, He’ll see a favorable stretch of games between Week 10 and Week 14 as well.
Jonnu Smith (Miami Dolphins) - Owned in 6% of Yahoo and 7.4% of ESPN Leagues
We talk about volume when it comes to fantasy football often, especially for the tight end position. Smith has seen at least six targets across his last three games. In Week 7 against the Colts he caught all seven of his targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. He also holds a 21.6-percent team target share over those same three games. Now, only one included Tua so don’t take those numbers to their full value but even so, these numbers can’t be ignored for a tight end.
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