Week 9 was an absolutely wild one. The Bills lost to the Jaguars, the Cowboys lost to Denver, Matt Stafford came back down to earth, and Patrick Mahomes isn’t playing as he should be. We didn’t see too many crazy injuries, but we did get a lot of wild rankings, let by a stack attack favorite Elijah Moore as the number one overall wide receiver! Let’s break down the waivers on a wild week. This list is compiled with ESPN’s rostered percentage, and I try to keep the players under 50% rostered.
Running Backs
Ty Johnson, New York Jets, 21% rostered, 12 team priority
Michael Carter is the back to the roster in New York (or New Jersey if you live there), but Ty Johnson has been putting up some real fantasy value as of late. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in four consecutive games. This past Thursday night, he rushed four times for 21 yards but caught two of three targets for 40 yards and a touchdown. If you lost Derrick Henry, Johnson is a sneaky waiver add.
Mark Ingram II, New Orleans Saints, 23% rostered, 12 team priority
Since joining the Saints, Mark Ingram has been looking a lot better in the offense. He took nine carries for 43 yards and caught all five of his targets for 21 yards. It isn’t league-winning numbers, but if you’re hurting at the position, Ingram is a nice fall-back option as a low-end RB2/Flex depending on how much injuries have affected you. He is back in his old role in New Orleans.
Jordan Howard, Philadelphia Eagles, 9% rostered, 12 team priority
Kenneth Gainwell was the popular add a couple of weeks ago, then it was Boston Scott, now it’s Jordan Howard. Howard had another big week rushing the ball 17 times for 71 yards and a touchdown. Boston Scott rushed ten times, but neither back saw any targets out of the backfield. It seems like a true split until Miles Sanders returns, but Jordan Howard seems to have the edge right now.
Phillip Lindsay, Houston Texans, 13% rostered, 12-14 team priority
David Johnson was the name to roster with the Mark Ingram trade, but Phillip Lindsay had the best day of the bunch this time. Why is this relevant? Tyrod Taylor made his start in this one. Lindsay saw the most carries in the backfield, taking eight for 28 yards. It’s nothing flashy, but if you need a back, he could be the one to add out of the backfield.
Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots, 7% rostered, 14 team priority
Filling in the James White role, Brandon Bolden caught both of his targets for 27 yards, and also rushed eight times for 54 yards. With Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris doing the goal-to-go downs, Bolden should ideally slide into the pass catcher role.
Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals, 0% rostered, 14 team-Dynasty priority
With Chase Edmonds now heading to IR, James Conner is looking like a league winner. He absolutely crushed it this Sunday against the 49ers, Eno Benjamin now will fill the RB2 role. Benjamin carried the ball nine times for 39 yards and a touchdown. In deep leagues, Benjamin is a good add-in to a great offense.
D’Onta Foreman, Tennessee Titans, 1% rostered, Deep dynasty priority
D’Onta Foreman was hyped on the Texans as a possible up-and-coming running back, but it never happened. He came to the Titans and made his debut against the Rams rushing five times for 29 yards. With Adrian Peterson not having a great outing, and Jeremy McNichols being the pass-catching back, I can see a path for Foreman to get more carries as the season goes on.
Wide Receivers
Elijah Moore, New York Jets, 15% rostered, 12 team priority
The breakout is finally happening, Elijah Moore showed why he was highly talked up all offseason. He did it with two backup quarterbacks as well. Moore caught seven of eight targets for 84 yards and two touchdowns. The week prior he caught all six of his targets. It’s clear the Jets want to get their playmaker the ball, and Moore is starting to showcase his skills.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens, 25% rostered, 12 team priority
The Rashod Bateman buy-low window is closing real soon. He caught five of eight targets for 52 yards on Sunday. He has seen six or more targets in each of his three games and has seen double-digit fantasy points now in back-to-back games. Grab him while he’s rostered low.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers, 46% rostered, 10-12 team priority
Check your waiver wire for frustrated managers dropping Brandon Aiyuk. He is starting to get better each week. He caught six of eight targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. The week prior he saw seven targets. It seems to be getting better for Aiyuk, and there is a good chance he may be on your waiver wire.
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons, 16% rostered, 12-14 team priority
Last week, Russell Gage had no catches or targets. This week he caught seven of eight targets for 64 yards. Excluding last week, he has put up double-digit fantasy points in two games and now acts as the WR1 outside of Kyle Pitts.
Desean Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders, 2% rostered, 12-14 team priority
Desean Jackson was granted his release from the Rams this past week and was signed by the Raiders. Jackson comes in and fills an immediate hole in the roster, and may have a decent shot to put up relevant fantasy points. He’s someone that should be looked at in deeper leagues.
Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos, 24% rostered, 12-14 team priority
With Jerry Jeudy coming back, the thought was Tim Patrick’s role would decrease. It slightly has, as he has seen three and five targets in the two games since Jeudy’s return, but he caught four of five targets this Sunday for 85 yards and a touchdown. In deeper leagues, he’s worth a look.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns, 6% rostered, 14 team priority
With the departure of Odell Beckham, the question is, who will fill the role? Donovan Peoples-Jones had a nice game Sunday catching two of three targets for 86 yards and a touchdown. Peoples-Jones has shown the playmaking ability this year, and with more playing time and targets, he could be on the verge of breaking out.
Deonte Harris, New Orleans Saints, 2% rostered, 14 team-Dynasty priority
With Michael Thomas now out for the year, and the Saints seeming to not be in on Odell Beckham, they need wide receiver help. Deonte Harris has filled in nicely this year with four different double-digit fantasy performances. He caught six of eight targets for 52 yards on Sunday. Last week he saw seven targets to go with eight this past Sunday. Keep an eye on Harris as his role grows.
Tight Ends
Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings, 48% rostered, 10-12 team priority
Tyler Conkin has not put up the best fantasy numbers out there, but those in need of a tight-end replacement could do pretty well with this add. On Sunday, he caught five of seven targets for 45 yards. He just missed a double-digit fantasy performance but has seen those three other times this season.
Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars, 17% rostered, 12-14 team priority
Dan Arnold is becoming more and more involved in the Jaguar's offense. He caught four of seven targets for 60 yards on Sunday against the Bills. He was coming off of a 10-target game and followed it up with a seven-target game. If you need to fill in a tight end, Arnold is a good option.
Quarterbacks
Trevor Siemian, New Orleans Saints, 4% rostered, Superflex Priority
Trevor Siemian got the nod again this week for the Saints and threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Taysom Hill got in the mix, but Siemian was the one behind the centermost of the game. In a Superflex format, Siemian may be a nice flier for a bye week replacement,
For more options, or questions about these, you can reach me on Twitter @NMimi. Otherwise, you can always check me out on the Stack Attack Fantasy Podcast.