Week 9 is here, and with the Browns, Buccaneers, Eagles, and Jets all on bye, fantasy managers everywhere are scrambling to fill some pretty big holes in their lineups after making it through Bye-Mageddon. Between the likes of Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Breece Hall, Baker Mayfield, and Quinshon Judkins taking the week off, your roster might look like it just got hit by a truck. But don’t panic, because the Week 9 waiver wire isn’t a wasteland. In fact, it’s surprisingly decent, with a few players who could turn into legitimate stretch-run heroes if things break their way.
Whether you’re looking for a spark like Tyrone Tracy Jr. stepping into the Giants’ lead-back role, Tyjae Spears heating up in Tennessee, or Kayshon Boutte emerging as Drake Maye’s go-to deep threat, there’s real upside to chase. Add in potential breakouts like Troy Franklin, Christian Watson, and rookie tight end Colston Loveland, and suddenly Week 9 looks more like an opportunity than a disaster.
So, let’s find some league-winning waiver wire pickups before your leaguemates wake up.
HEADS UP: Each player featured is rostered in 50% or fewer leagues on Yahoo! at the time of publication.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 9 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
QUARTERBACKS
SAM DARNOLD, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (36% ROSTERED)
Sam Darnold barely survived Monday Night Football against the Texans. The Seahawks QB completed 17 of 31 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and a pick in the win over Houston, while also losing a fumble. It wasn’t Darnold’s cleanest outing, posting his lowest completion rate of the season (54.8%), but after taking the week off, he should be in for a bounce-back.
Darnold’s been solid overall this season, and fantasy managers shouldn’t panic. The Texans’ defense makes plenty of QBs look mortal, and the Seahawks’ bye should give him a chance to reset. When Seattle returns in Week 9, Darnold gets a beautiful bounce-back spot against the Commanders’ secondary, which is one of the most generous units in the league to opposing quarterbacks. He’s not going to win you your league, but if you need a streamer who won’t ruin your Sunday, Darnold’s a fine option.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Justin Fields, Jets (52%); Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars (48%); JJ McCarthy, Vikings (23%); Mac Jones, 49ers (11%); Shedeur Sanders, Browns (1%); Max Brosmer, Vikings (0%)
RUNNING BACKS
TYRONE TRACY, NY GIANTS (49% ROSTERED)
We never like to see injuries, especially one as nasty as Cam Skattebo’s ankle. But, with Skattebo likely done for the year, Tyrone Tracy Jr. gets his old job back as the Giants’ lead back. He wasn’t lighting up the box score in Week 8 (10 carries for 39 yards, two catches for 14), but opportunity is king in fantasy football, and Tracy’s wearing the RB1 crown again.
Tracy’s proven he can handle the gig, topping 100 rushing yards three times last season. Sure, Devin Singletary will pop up to annoy us all with random carries, but this is Tracy’s backfield for now. He’s not about to win your league, but if you’re desperate for a warm body with volume heading into Week 9 against the 49ers, Tracy’s your guy. Plug him in as a low-end RB2 or flex and pray the Giants don’t fall behind by halftime again.
TYJAE SPEARS, TENNESSEE TITANS (31% ROSTERED)
Tyjae Spears finally found the end zone in Week 8, giving fantasy managers a long-awaited reason to smile. The speedy second-year back turned nine carries into 59 yards and a touchdown while snagging all three of his targets for 23 yards in the Titans’ blowout loss to the Colts. Sure, Tony Pollard technically led the team in carries (11), but Spears looked like the better back all day, and the numbers back it up.
At 1-7, the Titans might as well see what they have in Spears down the stretch, and fantasy managers should be paying attention. His explosiveness has always popped, and if he starts stealing more work from Pollard, Spears could turn into a sneaky stretch run hero. For now, he’s still part of an annoying timeshare heading into Week 9 against the Chargers, but he’s clearly trending up while Pollard keeps spinning his wheels.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Tank Bigsby, Eagles (17%); Ollie Gordon, Dolphins (11%); Dylan Sampson, Browns (13%); Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (1%)
WIDE RECEIVERS
TROY FRANKLIN, DENVER BRONCOS (37% ROSTERED)
If you’ve been following our waiver wire or last-minute stashes articles (and if you haven’t… shame on you), Troy Franklin has already been rostered on your squad and waiting for his moment. Well, that moment came in Week 8 when he torched the Cowboys for six catches, 89 yards, and two touchdowns. The second-year deep threat has officially gone mainstream, proving he’s more than just a one-trick vertical burner because he’s evolving into a legit weapon for the Broncos.
Now, before you start carving his name into your starting lineup, let’s pump the brakes a bit. Franklin’s had some real disappearing acts this season, finishing under 20 yards in three of his last five games before this explosion. He’s still a boom-or-bust option, especially heading into a tougher matchup with the Texans next week. But if you’ve got room for a high-upside flex who can win you a week with one or two big plays, Franklin’s your guy. It feels good to finally say “we told you so.”
CHRISTIAN WATSON, GREEN BAY PACKERS (16% ROSTERED)
Christian Watson must’ve gotten his hands on some premium-grade knee magic because he looked fantastic in his first game back from that Week 18 ACL tear. The Packers speedster didn’t miss a beat, catching all four of his targets for 85 yards in Sunday night’s win over the Steelers. It was vintage Watson: smooth routes, explosive cuts, and that signature big-play flair that makes Jordan Love’s deep ball so much fun to watch.
Watson immediately looked like his old self, sliding right back into a top target role alongside Tucker Kraft (who went nuclear on National TE Day with 143 yards and two scores). The fact that Watson showed zero rust should have fantasy managers fired up, because he’s back to stretching defenses and unlocking the Packers’ offense. With a juicy Week 9 matchup against the Panthers on deck, Watson’s right back in the flex mix and could easily flirt with WR2 numbers if his snap share climbs.
KAYSHON BOUTTE, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (40% ROSTERED)
At this point, it’s honestly wild that Kayshon Boutte is still hanging out on 60% of waiver wires. If you’ve been reading these articles weekly, you know we’ve been banging the Boutte drum for a while now, and he just keeps giving us reasons to keep it going. The second-year wideout caught three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in Week 8, marking his fourth score in the past three games. He’s quickly become one of Drake Maye’s go-to guys, especially on those deep shots where his LSU swagger really shines through.
This isn’t some fluky touchdown streak either. Boutte’s showing real chemistry with Maye, and the Patriots’ offense looks miles better with him involved. Sure, Mack Hollins popped up with a random stat line this week, but Boutte’s the one who keeps finding the end zone, and consistency like that is gold. He should be rostered everywhere at this point, especially in 12-team leagues, and even 10-team managers might want to stop pretending this breakout isn’t real.
Week 9 against Atlanta? Yeah, fire him up again if you have an opening at receiver.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Chimere Dike, Titans (8%); Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers (41%); Chimere Dike, Titans (8%); Xavier Hutchinson, Texans (1%); Jayden Higgins, Texans (27%); Jaylin Noel, Texans (9%); Jayden Reed, Packers (35%); Kendrick Bourne, 49ers (28%)
TIGHT ENDS
COLSTON LOVELAND, CHICAGO BEARS (22% ROSTERED)
Colston Loveland got his first career start on Sunday with Cole Kmet sidelined. Although it didn’t exactly turn into a Hollywood debut, the rookie tight end showed flashes of why Bears fans and fantasy managers are so excited about him. Loveland caught three of five targets for 38 yards, including an 18-yard grab on Caleb Williams’ very first pass of the game that had us thinking, “Okay, here we go!” Unfortunately, the Bears’ offense sputtered after that, leaving Loveland’s breakout on ice for at least another week.
Still, don’t lose hope. Kmet’s back issue isn’t expected to linger. But, if he misses another game, Loveland could be a sneaky streaming option in Week 9 against a Bengals defense that’s allergic to covering tight ends. He’s athletic, he’s got great hands, and he’s improving his chemistry with Caleb. Even if the big breakout hasn’t hit yet, Loveland remains one of the most intriguing rookie stash plays at the position, and he’s got the talent to make us all look smart for hanging on.
OTHERS TO TARGET: Mason Taylor, Jets (29%); Theo Johnson, Giants (24%); Gunner Helm, Titans (0%); AJ Barner, Seahawks (7%)
