The Week 9 waiver wire will be ripe with wide receivers if this week's watch list is any indication. There are a lot of potential pickups who've stepped into bigger roles and are on the verge of breaking out -- Kenny Stills, Anthony Miller, A.J. Brown, and DaeSean Hamilton come to mind. There are a few guys like that at running back, too, with Mark Walton, J.D. McKissic and even Gus Edwards potentially ready to seize jobs or at least fight for them. And of course we're on Cam Newton watch another week.
These guys won't all break out, of course. But if you have an open roster spot, they could be worth adds now as you try to beat your leaguemates to the waiver wire. That's what our watch list is for!
WEEK 9 WAIVER WIRE: Top pickups
Last week, we had Latavius Murray on the watch list, and his time to shine came sooner than expected, so maybe you grabbed him in time. We also had Mark Walton on the list (he's back this week), and his ownership continues to rise. Allen Lazard proved more legit than even I expected when he was on the watch list a week ago, as his playing time suggests future value, too. A handful of our TE suggestions rose in ownership, too.
This week's lookahead has some common themes. The Jets have a good future schedule, so Sam Darnold and company are here. The Titans' passing attack looks revitalized, so welcome Ryan Tannehill and friends. We're also approaching the Oct. 29 NFL trade deadline, so a few players have or could have increased value due to deals.
If you're new here, we're just trying to uncover better uses of your fantasy bench spots than guys you're never going to play again. By looking ahead toward future matchups or value increases, the watch list can help you do that.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watch List
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 8, looking forward to the players that could be waiver-wire targets in Week 9. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are options you could pick up early to beat the waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50-percent ownership on Yahoo unless otherwise specified.
WEEK 9 WAIVER WIRE: Top pickups
Week 9 Waiver Wire Watch List: Quarterback
Notable quarterbacks on a Week 9 bye: Matt Ryan, Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater/Drew Brees, Andy Dalton
Cam Newton, Panthers (43 percent ownership)
Kyle Allen is getting the Week 8 start, but Newton (foot) is back at practice. Eventually, it feels like the Panthers' job will be his again. If he's able to run around more freely than at the beginning of the season, he can still be a solid fantasy quarterback.
Sam Darnold, Jets (27)
The Jets' schedule from Week 9 onward is golden, and it all starts with the Dolphins. No one will want to touch Darnold after the Patriots had him "seeing ghosts," so you can take advantage and have good matchups coming down the chute.
Ryan Tannehill, Titans (12)
Odds are, Tannehill will reveal himself to be the same old Tannehill. But maybe he's improved as a passer, and the Titans' offense isn't devoid of weapons.
Week 9 Waiver Wire Watch List: RB
Notable running backs on a Week 9 bye: Devonta Freeman, Todd Gurley, Alvin Kamara/Latavius Murray, Joe Mixon
Alexander Mattison, Vikings (24)
The Vikings play a weak Chiefs' run defense in Week 9, so if Mattison can keep getting secondary work behind Dalvin Cook, he could have a good game. And if Cook were to ever get hurt, Mattison would be at the top of every waiver list.
Mark Walton, Dolphins (20)
Walton exceeded Kenyan Drake's workload for the first time in Week 7, and so it seems that whether Drake is traded, the Dolphins' backfield might be Walton's. A starting RB deserves more than 20 percent ownership, even on Miami.
J.D. McKissic, Lions (16)
Ty Johnson will get the first crack at replacing Kerryon Johnson, with McKissic chipping in as a change-of-pace guy. But we could also see a game or two where the Lions decide McKissic is the way to go, as the rookie Johnson hasn't really proven himself yet.
Giovani Bernard, Bengals (6)
Joe Mixon has run for 12 yards on his last 18 carries across the last two weeks, and the Bengals have been working Bernard onto the field more, especially as they trail. Gio would be a popular pickup if Cincinnati ever came out and said that he would be getting more work or if Mixon continues to struggle.
Gus Edwards, Ravens (4)
Mark Ingram's playing time has been falling off, and while Edwards probably won't seize the job outright, he gets touches every week and can provide a decent floor off a fantasy bench.
Week 9 Waiver Wire Watch List: WR
Notable wide receivers on a Week 9 bye: Julio Jones/Calvin Ridley, Brandin Cooks/Cooper Kupp/Robert Woods, Tyler Boyd/Auden Tate, Michael Thomas
Kenny Stills, Texans (42)/Keke Coutee, Texans (17)
Will Fuller V (hamstring) is out, which means both of these guys could have fantasy value. Stills basically becomes Fuller, while Coutee really maintains his slot role but could see an extra target or two each week. Stills is the preferred option, but if only Coutee is available, he might be worth a flier, too (although I'd pick up the next three guys ahead of him).
Allen Lazard, Packers (22)
Lazard led the Packers in Week 7 snaps, and while everything changes when Davante Adams (toe) returns, that's still a mystery right now. If Lazard continues to play so frequently with Aaron Rodgers as his QB, he'll have fantasy value.
A.J. Brown, Titans (19)
Ryan Tannehill might have given this offense life, and deep-threat Brown had eight targets in Week 7. If Tannehill maintains a decent level of performance, Brown will be more valuable than his early-season numbers with Marcus Mariota indicated.
Anthony Miller, Bears (12)
Miller caught seven touchdowns as a rookie, but his 2019 got off to a slow start. He was finally the Bears' No. 2 receiver in Week 7 and caught five-of-nine targets, so it might be time to get the preseason sleeper on your fantasy roster.
DaeSean Hamilton, Broncos (6)
With Emmanuel Sanders traded to San Francisco, Hamilton steps into a role as Denver's No. 2 wide receiver. He had 6.3 catches per game in the final four games of 2018 when Sanders was out, so his role could be fruitful for PPR owners.
Zay Jones, Raiders (4)
One more week of watching to see if Jones actually has a role in Oakland after he was inactive in his first week with the Raiders. It still feels like he should wind up the starter opposite Tyrell Williams.
Alex Erickson, Bengals (3)
Where did those eight catches and 137 yards come from? The world may never know. But if it happened again, Erickson would be a popular waiver target, and there's no harm in being early to the party.
Week 9 Waiver Wire Watch List: TE
Notable tight ends on a Week 9 bye: Austin Hooper, Gerald Everett, Tyler Eifert, Jared Cook
Chris Herndon, Jets (29)
New York plays Miami in Week 9, and that starts a great stretch of schedule. If Herndon can get healthy in time, he'll be a top-12 TE in our rankings most of those weeks.
Dallas Goedert, Eagles (15)
Goedert continues to eat into Zach Ertz's production, and he caught a Week 7 touchdown. He's hard to start in standard leagues while Ertz is healthy, but he'd be a top-eight tight end if Ertz went down. He's not a terrible option in weeks where you're in a bind at TE.
Ricky Seals-Jones, Browns (4)
Seals-Jones will probably be quiet against the Pats in Week 8, but as long as his playing time follows the trend of pre-Cleveland's bye, he's worth grabbing.
Jonnu Smith, Titans (3)
Delanie Walker's playing time was already in decline, and then he got hurt. Add in Tannehill stepping in at QB for the Titans, and the athletic Smith could be in for a sizable growth in value in very short order.
Irv Smith Jr., Vikings (1)
This is the TE to own in Minnesota, not Kyle Rudolph, and we saw when Adam Thielen (hamstring) went down that Smith's role grows. He's not a bad week-to-week start, and one injury to another pass-catcher in Minnesota could boost his value further.
Week 9 defense streamers and sleepers
Defenses with a Week 9 bye: Falcons, Saints, Rams, Bengals
Seattle Seahawks (48) | Week 9 opponent: Buccaneers
Philadelphia Eagles (40) | Week 9 opponent: Bears
Dallas Cowboys (37) | Week 9 opponent: Giants
New York Jets (9) | Week 9 opponent: Dolphins
The Jets defense is finally getting healthy, so although they haven't been good this year, they should be ready to dominate the Dolphins in Week 9. The other three are all average units who should benefit from inefficient, turnover-prone opponents.