Rizzla discusses the hottest pickups for week nine.
With week nine barreling down on us and an eventful trade deadline there is no better time to get busy submitting our waiver wire bids. This looks like it may be the week to blow most of your remaining FAAB dollars so if you are lucky enough to have any of the names below available on your leagues wires be prepared to bid accordingly.
Courtland Sutton time is upon us. Demaryius Thomas has been traded and the new fantasy WR2 is available in 90 percent of yahoo leagues. Make the free agent bid where available. Now.
Its DJ Moore time. Our favorite rookie receiver as far as explosiveness is concerned showed exactly that in week eight to the tune of 90 receiving yards off of five receptions and two explosive, highlight reel runs of 11 and 28 yards. Available in 85 percent of yahoo leagues despite Torrey Smith being ruled out well before game time Moore should be added, in every, single, league. Moore is the only player on the Panthers roster who profiles as a true number one receiver and with Norv Turner heading the offense we can be sure he will continue to use his playmaking rookie in creative ways. This is one of the potential final ‘blow your FAAB wad’ moments this season so owners in need should submit their bids accordingly.
Available in 70 percent of yahoo leagues, Christian Kirk should see better days ahead with Larry Fitzgerald finally back to his old self with former QB Byron Leftwich now calling the plays in the desert. Kirk saw seven targets to Larry’s 12 but the key here is opposing defenses will now be forced to roll coverage to stop Fitz leaving Kirk to dominate single coverage snap after snap. Rosen has already shown a strong rapport with Kirk and his fantasy upside should increase with a more aggressive play caller in tow for the Arizona Cardinals.
Josh Adams had a solid day for the Philadelphia Eagles racking up 61 rushing yards on nine carries and more importantly seeing as many targets as supposed number two Corey Clement. With the Eagles failing to add a running back at the trade deadline Adams may very well get the opportunity to be the lead back for the Eagles. Available in 99 percent of yahoo leagues Adams is as strong of a speculative add as you can likely make at this point of the season.
Donte Moncrief has finally emerged as the Jacksonville Jaguars number one receiver and while it’s not a high leverage role, all number ones should be owned in competitive formats. Available in 87 percent of Yahoo leagues Moncrief, excluding the meltdown in Dallas, sports a 21 percent target share and is tenth in the NFL in air yards from weeks four to eight. Add Moncrief wherever possible.
While Aaron Jones is the big winner of the Ty Montgomery dump to Baltimore, don’t sleep on what this news means for fellow sophomore running back Jamaal Williams. Montgomery’s jettisoning opens up a ton of backfield snaps as he was seeing over 32 percent of the for the Green Bay Packers. Jones will hopefully receive the lion share of them but the reality is that until Jones improves both in pass pro and as a receiver that Williams will remain heavily involved. The more likely scenario here is a 50-50 time is split between the two running backs, boosting both of their fantasy values but limiting Jones’ upside. Available in 77 percent of Yahoo leagues Williams is a sneaky high upside add.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling still saw five targets and a touchdown in week eight despite the returns of both Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison and is now officially pushing for a starting role. Cobb was not dealt at the trade deadline clearing the way for the talented rookie but we could still be witnessing a changing of the guard here. MVS saw 31 snaps in week eight compared to 24 for Cobb and 30 for Allison (Davante Adams played a team high 40). MVS remains one of the highest upside stashes and proved this week that he can still function as bye week filler even when he is ‘officially’ the number four receiver (ran 22 pass routes to Cobb’s 17).
Devante Parker finally broke out. Four years later. With the Dolphins dealing with injuries to Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills they were literally forced to play the receiver they have made a healthy scratch five times this season. How did Parker respond? With a career day that saw him post 134 receiving yards off of six receptions. Parker finally flashed the upside that had the fantasy community so smitten with him for years but unfortunately did it after 87 percent of fantasy owners had given up on him. The Dolphins failed to trade the sought after Parker at the trade deadline suggesting 86 percent available Parker will have a meaningful role for the rest of the season.
Rookie David Moore came on strong again in week eight, this time leading the Seattle Seahawks in receptions and receiving yards. Moore welcomed himself back to fantasy relevance after a brief bye week hiatus with a career high 4-97-1 day and should be strongly considered in the leagues he was dropped in. Available in 97 percent of yahoo leagues, Moore continues to display a strong rapport with Russell Wilson and is a strong add in both ppr and standard formats.
At 86 percent availability Antonio Callaway looks like a solid add ahead of the Cleveland Browns week nine date with the Kansas City Chiefs. We have all witnessed the rookie’s fantasy floor but fresh off of finding the end zone for the second time this season Callaway sports significant bye week filler appeal in a plus matchup versus the Chiefs. Callaway was second on the Browns in targets in week eight and should be added where needed.
Mike Williams has seen a lot of his shine wear off but still belongs on this list due to his WR1 level talent. Williams will continue to function as more of a goal line receiver with Tyrell Williams taking over the number two role, which means Williams has more value in standard leagues than in ppr. Williams has seen quite the fall from grace after averaging a touchdown and 63 yards per game over his first three contests (eleven receptions, 189 yards total) to six receptions and 119 total yards (39.6 yards per game) with one total touchdown over his last four. Available in 53 percent of yahoo leagues Williams usually would not qualify for this column but warrants a mention due to his fantasy upside as well as his fantasy floor.
Willie Snead somehow saw his ownership percentage drop nine points over the last week and responded by leading the Ravens in receptions, receiving yards and targets in week eight. Snead needs to be on rosters in ppr leagues even if it is just as a bye week filler. It is true that managers still wallowing in the comfort of eight and ten team leagues need not apply here, but every 12 team fantasy manager should be checking their leagues waiver wire for the 67 percent available veteran receiver. Right. About. Now.
With Will Fuller lost for the season with a torn ACL Keke Coutee gets a fantasy value bump. Coutee is currently sidelined dealing with an hamstring injury but is expected to suit up for week nine after getting in two practices last week. Coutee is locked in as the Texans number three receiver following the acquisition of Demaryius Thomas and should be a flex2 at worst during the bye weeks, with flex upside in ppr leagues. Available in 80 percent of yahoo leagues Coutee is still a strong add who can generate solid bye week production. Tab Coutee where possible.
Available in 69 percent of yahoo leagues Tyrell Williams only saw a 15 percent increase ownership since we recommended his last week, likely due to his team being on a bye. Fresh off back to back 118 yard performances, the boom or bust receiver needs to be owned in competitive leagues. The FAAB bid will not have to be as high as it would last week as he will not be at the top of rival owners minds, so submit your bids accordingly. Add Tyrell wherever available.
Elijah McGuire is eligible to return this week and with Isaiah Cannon just a guy, could gain an immediate fantasy relevant role as the receiving specialist out of the New York Jets backfield. McGuire is talented enough that Bilal Powell had lost any semblance of 2018 fantasy value prior to McGuire’s injury and bids should be submitted accordingly. Available in 94 percent of yahoo leagues McGuire could quickly become Sam Darnold’s target of choice considering his weekly yards per attempt. McGuire is a solid high upside add in ppr leagues and should be added where available.
Dropped back to the waiver wire in 69 percent of yahoo leagues Nyheim Hines managed to see only two targets to Marlon Mack’s four in week eight. With that said however Hines had a career day on the ground to the tune of 78 yards on 11 carries. Hines remains the backup here but as part as an explosive offense manned by the surging Andrew Luck, Hines should be owned in at least 50 percent of leagues. Hines is roster worthy as a bye week filler and matchup based play. Add Hines where needed.
TJ Jones looks to be the next man up in Detroit following the Golden Tate trade. Available in 99 percent of Yahoo leagues Jones has flashed in the NFL but was buried due to the talent in front of him on the depth chart. Jones profiles as a solid number three and slot receiver and could be a sneaky addition in the deeper custom leagues.
Both Daesean Hamilton and Tim Patrick are more deep league specials than players we would usually touch on here but they warrant a mention as Sutton kept himself fantasy relevant as the number three in Denver. Tim Patrick is a 6’4 undrafted receiver that boasts decent speed for his size who can operate both deep and underneath and could play in the same vein Sutton did as the number three when he is on the field. Patrick slipped in the draft due to a lengthy injury history but has a large catch radius and offers upside as a 50/50 ball receiver. Daesean Hamilton on the other hand profiles more as a slot receiver and could be the more valuable ppr asset as he is expected to see snaps in the slot when Sanders kicks to the outside. Both players are available in 99 percent of yahoo leagues and should be added in the deepest of formats, where needed.
Deep league specials: Jordan Matthews led the Eagles with 93 receiving yards in week eight and was a solid super deep league add in the 99 percent of leagues he is still available in even after the Demaryius acquisition; also 99 percent available Adam Humphries saw seven receptions and ten targets in week eight and remains a solid deep league bye week filler; 93 percent available Josh Doctson led Washington in receiving yards in week eight; 99 percent available Kendrick Bourne led the 49ers in receptions, targets and receiving yards in week eight but is worth a look only in the absolute deepest of leagues; to say Tre’Quan Smith has been a disappointment since Ted Ginn landed on IR would be an understatement but he remains in a high leverage role and is solid roster depth in the 69 percent of leagues he is still available in; available in 91 percent of leagues Anthony Miller has disappointed two weeks in a row but should see a steady role as long as Allen Robinson is hobbled by his balky hammy; available in 94 percent of yahoo leagues Jermaine Kearse is a good add on paper; the 78 percent available Frank Gore remains the Dolphins lead runner but it is Kenyan Drake who is the lead back and garnering more touches.
