Here are some players to consider picking up this week, if available, to get ahead of the other managers in your league. These players include potential bye-week fill-ins, players who are returning from injury, and defenses to look at in advance.
Week 9 Byes: San Francisco and Pittsburgh
Beat the Waiver Wire: No-Brainers
In most leagues, these guys aren't available. But if you're fortunate enough to see them on the waiver wire, grab them.
QB Matthew Stafford, LA Rams (51% rostered on Sleeper)
The return of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, mixed with a tight race in the NFC West, puts Stafford back in the conversation. Stafford had a four-touchdown outing last week, which you know will not come every week, but with his weapons back, you can expect a solid floor. In addition, the Rams have already had their bye, so you know he will be available for the rest of the season, barring injury.
WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco (62% rostered on Sleeper)
Once Jennings was marked out for the Sunday night game, coupled with the Niners' upcoming bye week, it might have caused managers to drop him due to the size of their bench. If that is the case, grab him. Aiyuk is still out for the year, and Deebo looks to be battling a rib injury. When San Francisco returns in Week 10, Jennings will return to his key role in the offense.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Quarterbacks
Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers (7% rostered on Sleeper)
Andy Dalton will miss another week due to a thumb injury from his car accident, but seeing how Bryce Young fared last week when Dalton is available, the team will probably slide him right back in. Dalton is a deep add, but the Panthers have one of the best schedules for quarterbacks during the fantasy playoffs. They play Dallas, Arizona, and Tampa Bay, all teams with passing EPA per play over expectation.
Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts (19% rostered on Sleeper)
With the news of the 44% completion percentage of Anthony Richardson being benched this week, here comes Joe Flacco to save the day. The Colts are still in the hunt for the AFC South, and in the three games Flacco started this year, he had seven passing touchdowns. The Colts don’t have perfect matchups in the next few weeks, but in Week 12, where six teams are on a bye, they face the Detroit Lions, who are a delightfully pass funnel defense.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (17% rostered on Sleeper)
Bear with me. Here is another deep cut, and this one is scary. Jones has finished as a QB1 in good matchups, doing so against Washington, Cleveland, and Seattle, but has struggled in more challenging matchups. However, the Giants get Carolina in Week 10, and after their bye week, New York has a six-week run of prime quarterback matchups.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Running Backs
Braelon Allen, NY Jets (44% rostered on Sleeper)
With the loss to New England last week (and despite their Week 9 win last night), who knows what direction the Jets will move in? However, there is more than a zero percent chance that if they start to see they are out of the playoff picture, they will start to give rookie Allen more time. Allen has been decent in his own right as a backup running back, averaging just over six fantasy points per game this season and managing a 30% rushing share. Last week against the Patriots, he pulled a 43% rushing share, the second-highest of the season. Even if the Jets don’t put up the white flag on the season, Allen is a must-own handcuff for Breece Hall.
Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco (16% rostered on Sleeper)
On a typical week, managers might rush to the wire to grab Guerendo, who had a solid fantasy showing in relief of a once again injured Jordan Mason. But two things - the Niners are on a bye next week, and allegedly, CMC will return the week after. This provides some opportunity for managers who are thinking ahead. If you can hold Guerendo over the bye, do it. There is no guarantee CMC will return - Kyle Shanahan has lied to us before - and the extent of Mason’s injury is uncertain. When Guerendo entered the game, the difference in his explosiveness was visible to the naked eye. Again, he is someone with value as a handcuff but is also startable when an injury occurs above him.
Blake Corum, LA Rams (23% rostered on Sleeper)
With the waiver wire being subpar this week regarding running backs, managers should continue to target backups who stand to have a great opportunity if the starter on their team goes down. Corum is the exact type of player to target, with Kyren Williams running hard and running often and the Rams offense seeing a resurgence. We have seen Corum’s usage increase over the last two weeks, and the Rams have one of the best running back schedules moving forward.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Wide Receivers
Jalen Coker, Carolina (6% rostered on Sleeper)
Diontae Johnson has been shipped out of town, and with Xavier Legette becoming the defacto WR1 (possibly?), the WR2 spot is up for grabs, at least until Adam Thielen returns to full strength. It is not a prolific offense, but rookie Coker caught four out of his six targets last week for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Xavier Hutchinson, Houston (6% rostered on Sleeper)
The Houston Texans are next man up, with Nico Collins still on IR and Stefon Diggs tearing his ACL. We could easily see them grab someone before the trade deadline, but until then, they are playing with the cards they have been dealt. Hutchinson has the opportunity to step up in a Texans offense with a great matchup against Detroit in Week 10.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Tight Ends
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee (7% rostered on Sleeper)
With Hopkins now in Kansas City, few options remain in Tennessee, one being Okonkwo. The Titans have an incredible playoff schedule for Okonkwo, playing the Bengals, Colts, and Jaguars, who have all given up more than 1.5 fantasy points over expectation to opposing tight ends.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville (4% rostered on Sleeper)
The Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver room was wiped out in one afternoon with injuries hitting Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, and Christian Kirk all went down. Parker Washington (15% rostered on Sleeper) was the big pickup this week and is a good option, but Strange might also see additional targets. Strange held his own when Evan Engram was sidelined - he was a top-ten tight end in three of the four weeks Engram missed. Now, without several wide receivers, we can expect Jacksonville to use two-tight-end sets more than usual. In the ever-changing tight-end landscape, Strange is worth a glance. Carolina has a couple of great matchups for tight ends in Weeks 12 and 13.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Defense/Special Teams
Washington Commanders (41% rostered on Sleeper)
I mentioned Washington last week, and they are still worth a target. The Commanders defense continues to improve every week, and they have now allowed opponents the tenth fewest points. The Commanders have generated the 2nd-highest pressure-to-sack conversion rate in the NFL this season (26.6%). The schedule is great for the Washington defense moving forward; just be aware they have their bye in Week 14.
New York Giants (6% rostered on Sleeper)
The Giants defense is good. They are tied for second with the most quarterback pressures with goal to go, and in all situations, their defense allows quarterbacks the sixth shortest time to throw. According to NFL+, Dexter Lawrence II has recorded the 5th-highest pressure rate among defensive tackles (12.9%) with at least 100 pass rushes despite being double-teamed on a league-high 64.7% of his pass rush snaps. Sexy Dexy is having a season. Oh, and they play Carolina in Week 10, not to mention a couple of other good matchups heading into the fantasy playoffs.
To follow Julia Papworth and learn more than just waiver wire stashes, follow her on Twitter/X!