Waiver Wire Rankings: Expert Pickups for Week 9

Brandon LaFell is making the most of his opportunity with Tom Brady and the Patriots

The halfway point of the season is here and with the NFL Trade Deadline looming (10/28), there may be some interesting pickups available to take advantage of. One big name is Charles Sims (TB’s 3rd round draft pick) who is returning off an injury and could possibly see extended play should Doug Martin be moved (or demoted). Of course this is just speculation, but it shouldn’t be overlooked depending on your league configuration and whether you are looking for long-term adds versus immediate short-term production. The injury bug has also reared its ugly head again during Week 8 with Brian Quick (shoulder) likely done for the season.

Regardless the reason, the waiver wire is open for claims and we’ve asked our featured experts to once again rank this week’s top readily available players (rest of season value). Read on to view the pundits’ consensus advice as well as their top D/ST rentals for Week 9.

Featured Pros

Addison Witt (Fantasy Team Advice)
Greg Smith (The Fake Football)
Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)
Nick Raducanu (ProjectRoto)
Sean Koerner (Bloomberg Sports)

Waiver Wire Rankings (STD Scoring)

Week 9 Waiver Wire Advice

Each expert was asked to share advice about a target or two they like this week along with any other waiver wire suggestions they have. Here’s what the experts had to say.
 
Q1: Give us your thoughts on a waiver wire target (or two) you especially like as a pickup.

Kevin Roberts – Breaking Football
I want to get part of the revival in New England if I can, and right now that probably means snatching up Brandon LaFell and/or Tim Wright. LaFell certainly is starting to seem like the real deal and Wright is going to be involved enough to carry TE1 upside in any given week. Both need to be rostered right now. Jonas Gray is worth an add, too, but Shane Vereen is largely the running back to own, somewhat curbing Gray’s upside and overall waiver wire appeal. Jonathan Stewart also heads my personal waiver ranks, simply based off of role and potential, while Charles Sims is a nice stash add in case the Buccaneers trade/demote Doug Martin.

There are no guarantees with Sims, but the potential is through the roof. Tampa Bay was already enamored with their rookie before the season, while only an injury kept him from stealing a third down role. Due back in Week 9, Sims could quickly vie for an even bigger role with no one else effectively taking over the Bucs’ backfield. Adam Schefter has even speculated that Doug Martin could be traded, which would even further enhance Sims’ upside. He needs to be stashed in all leagues if you can afford the space.

Sean Koerner – Bloomberg Sports
Charles Sims is a very sneaky add and is likely not going to cost you a #1 waiver or the rest of your FAAB budget. The Bucs are very likely going to use the rest of this season to evaluate their young talent (i.e. Charles Sims) so he could provide value for your team down the stretch if you are thin at RB. Jonas Gray has seemingly inherited the Stevan Ridley role in the Patriots offense which makes him a must-own right now, but make sure your medicine cabinet is fully stocked with Aspirin because owning a Belichick running back usually causes severe headaches, muscle pain, and anger. Brian Quick suffering a season ending injury yesterday makes Kenny Britt an interesting add since he is surely going to see an increase in targets going forward.

Addison Witt – Fantasy Team Advice
I’m a big fan of Allen Robinson of the Jaguars. Blake Bortles has certainly had a bumpy rookie season, but the Jags offense has found a little bit of life lately. Since Bortles took over the starting job, Robinson has seen at least 7 targets in every game, and has averaged 5.7 catches for 63 yards, with a touchdown in each of his last two games. Robinson is by far the most trustworthy Jaguars receiver. Cecil Shorts and Marqise Lee have been plagued with injuries, and Allen Hurns appears to have been a one week wonder.

Martavis Bryant, welcome to the NFL. The rookie has totaled 7 receptions for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first two games. At 6’4″, he will certainly continue to be a popular redzone target for Big Ben. The Steelers have scored 81 points in the two games Bryant has played, and they are facing a few more subpar defenses in the next few weeks as well (Jets, Titans, and Saints). Look for Bryant to officially surpass Markus Wheaton as the top wideout behind Antonio Brown.

Greg Smith – The Fake Football
Heading into waivers for Week 9, beware the plethora of committee running backs available and make Allen Robinson your top target. This rookie receiver is starting every week for the Jags and continues to be a focal point of their offense. Since Week 2, Robinson has been targeted at least 6 times and caught at least 4 passes in every game. Over that span, he is averaging 8.2 fantasy points per game in standard leagues and 13.6 FPPG in PPR. Long story short, the volume is there for Robinson and it should remain steady going forward thanks to Jacksonville’s porous defense. You can’t guarantee the same for this week’s crop of waiver wire rushers, so make Allen Robinson your #1 priority.

Nick Raducanu – ProjectRoto
Remember when everyone looked at Aaron Dobson’s 2013 season (37 receptions, 519 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns) and salivated about his upside in the Patriots offense? Well, he might be four years older than Dobson, but Brandon LaFell is living up to that aforementioned upside in the same Patriots offense. Through eight games, LaFell has 30 receptions, 461 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns (good for WR19 in standard leagues and WR22 in PPR leagues). He’ll never get the number of targets from Tom Brady that Rob Gronkowski does, but LaFell has established himself as a solid week-to-week flex option.

 
Q2: For owners looking to rent a D/ST in Week 9, what readily available option should they target first?

Greg Smith – The Fake Football
The Cleveland Browns are my favorite of the defenses owned in less than 50% of leagues, but they are coming off a string of great matchups and are likely owned if your league is competitive. Digging a little deeper, another readily available defense I like this week is Minnesota. The Vikes have been terrorizing quarterbacks lately, averaging 5 sacks per game over the past three weeks with 2 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries in that span. Their Week 9 opponent, Washington, is allowing the 7th-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses, a trend that will continue until they find consistency from the quarterback position. I don’t foresee that happening this weekend, so pick up and start the Vikings defense with confidence.

Sean Koerner – Bloomberg Sports
The Browns are this week’s top rental defense that is still owned in less than half of leagues. This really makes them a 2-week rental considering they faced the Raiders last week. They get the Buccaneers this week who could very likely be shipping off Vincent Jackson at the trade deadline as well as starting a rookie running back. If a savvy manager already snagged them last week, another defense to consider would be the Vikings against the Redskins. RGIII will likely be back under center and very rusty which could lead to a couple turnovers.

Addison Witt – Fantasy Team Advice
Minnesota is a D/ST streamer that is worth a look for Week 9. The Vikings play at home against the Redskins. Over the past two games, the Vikings’ D/ST has 11 sacks, 2 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, and 1 defensive touchdown. They have held their last three opponents to 17 points or less. Through the first seven weeks, the Redskins have given up the 5th most points to Team Defenses, and their quarterback situation is a headache right now. Look for the Vikings’ D/ST to make it three stellar outings in a row.

Nick Raducanu – ProjectRoto
Which D/ST is averaging 9.5 fantasy points over their last two games and gets a date with the scuffling Buccaneers next weekend? The Cleveland Browns, that’s who. While I’m not sure I will ever fully trust the Browns, they’ve been able to put up decent back-to-back scores against two bad teams (Jacksonville and Oakland) and Tampa Bay is just as bad. With Doug Martin/Vincent Jackson/Everyone on Tampa Bay involved in the swirling trade rumors, the Bucs may very well be fielding a 1-AA lineup on offense next week and the Browns are available in over 75% of waiver wires right now.

Kevin Roberts – Breaking Football
The Cleveland Browns are one of the better streaming options for Week 9. Mostly to do with matchup, Cleveland is available in over 50% of leagues and faces a shaky Buccaneers offense this week. Cleveland has mostly taken advantage of two straight plus matchups recently and is a solid bet again in Week 9. The Baltimore Ravens are available in roughly 49% of leagues and would be the safer add this week, if you can get them of course.

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Thanks to this week’s Featured Pros for sharing their advice! You can check out more picks from the pundits as their weekly rankings are unveiled soon.