Waiver Wire Roto Wizard Waiver Wire Free Agents week 9 2022

Happy Halloween to all! With Week 8 now in the books, we have officially reached the halfway point of the 2022 Fantasy Football season - I can't believe how fast it is flying by. The "week that was" can best be summarized by mammoth performances from the running back position that hopefully carried you to a victory. Thankfully there were few major injuries, which is a breath of fresh air.

Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, D'Onta Foreman and Tony Pollard all went absolutely ballistic at the running back position, with each player totaling more than 100 all-purpose yards and scoring multiple touchdowns along the way.

McCaffrey completed the "Triple Crown" achievement, as he caught a touchdown, rushed for one and even passed for one. He has settled into San Francisco's offense nicely after just 9 days, and has fast become the focal point for the team. A bye week next Sunday is the only thing holding him back from another epic performance.

Henry rushed for over 200 yards against the Houston Texans in an all-too-familiar script. With Ryan Tannehill shelved due to an illness and injury, Tennessee chose to give King Henry 32 carries - he essentially was the team's entire offense. Rookie quarterback Malik Willis, who some touted as a streaming option due to his rushing capability, fell flat instead. Willis passed for just 55 yards while throwing a pick, and added only 12 yards on scramble attempts. This marks the fourth consecutive game that Henry has broken the century mark on the ground, and during that time span he has five rushing scores.

In a lopsided effort against the hapless Las Vegas Raiders, Kamara reverted to his 2019 form, leading the New Orleans Saints in targets (10), receiving yards (96) and total touches. Las Vegas offered little resistance and missed several tackles in the red zone that led to a huge day for Kamara. News surfaced earlier in the day that the Buffalo Bills reached out to New Orleans in an effort to trade for Kamara, but that their efforts were rebuked. Even though the Saints have a negative record at 3-5, they are still in the thick of the NFC South title hunt, as no team in the division has a positive record.

Tony Pollard was heavily started in DFS leagues as an upside play without the presence of Ezekiel Elliott, and he certainly fulfilled all expectations. Pollard was phenomenal when given the ball, rushing for 131 yards on 14 carries for three touchdowns. Rookie Malik Davis was used as a change-of-pace option to spell Pollard occasionally, and perhaps prevented him from being the top-scoring option on the week. It is baffling how everyone other than Dallas management knows that Pollard is the superior talent to Elliott, and that after the team returns from bye next week that Pollard will again be the Robin to Zeke's Batman. Hopefully after this season concludes, Pollard will be given the opportunity to shine as the top option for the team - Zeke's bloated contract is the only reason he's in this situation.

Similar to Pollard, Foreman found the end zone three times in a losing effort against the Atlanta Falcons, where a bone-headed personal foul against D.J. Moore on a celebration cost the team a victory. Foreman showed plenty of power and punished Falcons defenders all afternoon, rushing for 118 yards on 26 carries. The return of Chuba Hubbard next week will damper his short-term production, but Foreman has proven that he should be the RB1 option in this time split for Carolina. The Panthers upcoming schedule against Cincinnati, Atlanta and Baltimore will keep him entrenched as a RB2 most weeks for Fantasy purposes.

Onto the pickups!
 

Quarterbacks

Players on bye in Week 9: Jacoby Brissett, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Daniel Jones, Kenny Pickett, Jimmy Garoppolo

Justin Fields (26 percent rostered) - Fields is fresh off of multiple strong performances against the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, and it seems that Chicago has finally decided to open up the offense to the sophomore quarterback. Even though he won't have the same gaudy passing totals as other options (he has yet to attempt more than 27 passes in any game, despite constantly playing from behind), Fields more than makes up for that shortcoming with an elite rushing floor. He has scored rushing touchdowns in consecutive weeks, and the Bears upcoming schedule against Miami, Detroit, Atlanta, the New York Jets and Green Bay is enticing. With so many options on bye in Week 9 he should be treated as a low-end QB1 who is finally coming into his own.

Recommendation: In shallower leagues where he is available, toss $10 towards Fields as a streamer over the next month. His rushing floor makes him an option that will not tank your week, and he isn't passing-yards reliant like a Tom Brady or Matthew Stafford. Invest.

Andy Dalton (20 percent rostered) - We're stepping into a time machine for this one, folks. Dalton has surpassed Jameis Winston as the de-facto starter for New Orleans, largely in part due to his willingness to check the ball down to Alvin Kamara early and often. Even absent Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, Dalton has multiple strong performances for the Saints, and the team appears content on sticking with him over the short-term. New Orleans faces Baltimore and Pittsburgh over the next two weeks, two of the three worst teams against the pass for the 2022 season. If Thomas or Landry return, things could only improve. The Red Rifle has returned.

Recommendation: Dalton isn't the sexiest name to roster, but in a pinch he can be started for teams struggling with bye-week or injury issues. I wouldn't consider him as an add in anything smaller than a 14-team format currently, and he can be acquired for a small $3-$5 bid.

Running Backs

Players on bye in Week 9: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Tony Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, Latavius Murray, Saquon Barkley, Najee Harris, Christian McCaffrey

Kyren Williams (14 percent rostered) - This likely marks the last opportunity to make a claim for Williams, if you have not already. Designated to return from the IR last Wednesday by the Los Angeles Rams, the team formally opened his 21-day window. Although he wasn't ready to contribute on a short week, beat reporters noted that he looked phenomenal on the field for the team prior to the start of the game. It therefore stands to reason that there is a good chance of him returning ahead of next weekend's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Multiple endorsements, both from national pundits like Adam Schefter and others, have suggested that the team remains incredibly high on Williams. If they opt to not make a trade prior to the deadline on Tuesday, he could be the presumptive starter for the team for the remainder of the season. Ronnie Rivers and Darrell Henderson did absolutely nothing on the field in Week 8, and the coaching staff is scrambling for answers.

Recommendation: Williams should be stashed in all 12-team formats or larger in anticipation of his activation. Once he touches the field his cost will dramatically increase, so I'll urge folks for the last time to buy-low while you still can. Spend $5-$10 to acquire him, with the expectation of being a FLEX in a PPR format.

D'Ernest Johnson (2 percent rostered) - I'm fully willing to admit that this is a pure speculation move, and nothing else. It isn't a major secret that the Cleveland Browns are looking to move on from Kareem Hunt, and nearly all national reporters have begun to publish stories that the team is willing to part with his services. Hunt has disappointed his managers this season (other than a strong performance in Week 1) due to middling usage on a team that has struggled to move the ball on offense. Something to keep an eye on - see how Cleveland uses him on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. If they either bench him outright or feature him as a showcase (polar extremes, I know), then he could be on the move. The team is reportedly looking for a fourth-round pick as compensation. Johnson would immediately inherit the backup role for Cleveland, a valuable commodity all things considered. In multiple spot starts over the past few seasons, Johnson has shown the ability to put up elite (not just above-average) statistics. Normally I'm gun-shy about making endorsements as a result of trade rumors, but Johnson's potential upside is immense.

Recommendation: In 14-team leagues or larger, I'm willing to burn a bench spot on a potential stash. Johnson is universally unowned an offers FLEX potential in a week that is very quiet for pickups at the position. Keep an eye on social media to verify rumors and reports surrounding Hunt's usage on Monday Night. Spend $3-$5 to add him.

Wide Receivers

Players on bye in Week 9: Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Wan'Dale Robinson, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk

Terrace Marshall Jr. (1 percent rostered) - You can see from the players mentioned above that this is going to be an utterly crippling week at the receiver position due to byes. Unfortunately, there is no "must add" candidate per se, but Marshall is someone who has certainly caught my eye of late. Following the trade of Robby Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals, Marshall has performed admirably on a team that is bereft of talent. This past weekend against Atlanta he set career-highs with a 4/87 performance on 9 targets, and has firmly entrenched himself as the WR2 for Carolina opposite D.J. Moore. The Panthers face some stiff competition over the next several weeks, and I fully anticipate them playing from behind in catchup mode often. With P.J. Walker under center, the Panthers seem willing to push the ball downfield when necessary. Marshall's large frame presents a major target to exploit around the end zone, and he saw multiple fade passes on scoring attempts.

Recommendation: Marshall might not crack your lineup initially, but he offers upside and insurance at a position that is slammed with bye-week woes. He's an ascending talent, but can likely be added for a minimal amount in deeper formats since he hasn't truly broken out yet, per se. Worth a $3-$5 bid.

Alec Pierce (28 percent rostered) - Pierce has fallen below the 30 percent roster threshold that I like to use as a barometer, and I believe that is a mistake. I can understand the reasoning, as his totals have been relatively quiet over the last two weeks and the Indianapolis Colts made the decision to shift quarterbacks. Pierce has also been forced to contend with the rise of Parris Campbell, who has siphoned away some targets. That said, I believe that Pierce actually benefits from Sam Ehlinger under center, and don't view that move as a detriment. Ehlinger has a much stronger arm than Matt Ryan, and that should allow Pierce to be used as the primary deep threat for a Colts team that will be playing from behind often. His elite combination of size and speed is precisely the reason why this team drafted him in the first place. He won't be a volume-based play like his counterparts, but he is certainly worth holding onto in 12-team leagues or larger as a dart throw.

Recommendation: I didn't expect Pierce's ownership to plummet quite so drastically, yet here we are. I'd recommend stashing him in deeper formats (especially in Non-PPR leagues) as a dart-throw during the bye weeks. As Sam Ehlinger becomes more comfortable with this offense, I anticipate Pierce to leapfrog over Campbell as the WR2 for this team. Add him for a $5 bid.

Tight Ends

Players on bye in Week 9: David Njoku, Dalton Schultz, Greg Dulcich, Pat Freiermuth, George Kittle

Isaiah Likely (2 percent rostered) - Likely was drafted in many formats after a phenomenal preseason, but has been an afterthought for the Baltimore Ravens to start the year. Playing a smattering of snaps behind Mark Andrews, Likely was released in all but the deepest of formats by impatient managers. Now thrust back into the limelight thanks to a shoulder injury sustained by Andrews, Likely would be a mid-range TE1 for Week 9 against New Orleans if given the start. It makes sense that the team would allow Andrews to rest up and heal, given the Ravens bye in Week 10. The Saints are by no means an easy matchup (just look at what they did to Las Vegas this past week), but at a very thin position, beggars cannot be choosers. As his relevance is directly tied to another player, keep a close eye on practice reports and beat writer snippets from the team.

Recommendation: With several TE1s on bye in Week 9, Likely enters the conversation as a streaming option worth considering. Lamar Jackson loves to throw to his tight ends, and if the team opts to sit Andrews, Likely should feast. Worth a speculative $3-$5 bid.

Tyler Conklin (16 percent rostered) - After starting off the season incredibly strong with Joe Flacco under center, Conklin's usage and relevance faded with the return of Zach Wilson. Single-digit performances from Week 4-7 made him a prime drop candidate, which is why his 6/79/2 performance came as such a surprise on Sunday. Leading the New York Jets with 10 targets, a pass-heavy game script forced Conklin to be leaned upon, and he is currently the week's top-scorer at the position. The Jets square off against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, and one has to assume that Gang Green will be playing from behind the entire game. Expect Conklin to get his fair share of looks in that matchup.

Recommendation: Treat Conklin as the Kyler Murray of tight ends - you don't necessarily want to WATCH the game, just look at the statistics at the conclusion. Even with a turnover-prone Zach Wilson under center, Conklin is a nice streaming option for Week 9 and should put up garbage time production. He can be acquired for a minimum bid.