Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups: Best Fantasy Sleepers to Target After Box Score Review
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Buccaneers WR Jalen McMillan Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We’ve reached a pivotal point in the fantasy football season, as the NFL campaign will be halfway over by Tuesday morning.
While the NFL playoffs are still more than two months away, fantasy managers are now counting the weeks to the fantasy postseason. Every win from here on out will be critical, and managers are losing top options by the week.
Last Monday, for example, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin suffered a season-ending ankle injury. On Sunday, Houston Texans wideout Stefon Diggs suffered a torn ACL.
Many managers will need reinforcements for the stretch run. With the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers on bye this week, some may need immediate help.
With this in mind, let’s dive into the top sleepers who may still be available on the waiver wire late in Week 9.
All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
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Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
Quarterback injuries shouldn’t be a major issue in Week 9, though the status of Green Bay Packers signal-caller Jordan Love bears watching. Love has been out of practice with a groin injury, though he may still face the Detroit Lions this week.
“I think it’s realistic,” Love said, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
Bye weeks could be more of a problem moving forward, and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is starting to show that he can perform in favorable matchups. Against the Carolina Panthers this past week, he threw for 284 and three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth score.
This week, the Broncos will face the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Denver’s next four games will be against the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns.
Of that group, the Browns have had the “best” defense against quarterbacks in fantasy, and they’ve allowed the 17th-most points to the position. Nix is rostered in 52 percent of ESPN leagues and only 37 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
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Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
Unfortunately, managers in need of running back help aren’t going to find many options this late in the week. It’s worth checking on the likes of Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier and Seattle Seahawks back Zach Charbonnet, but both are hovering around a 50-percent roster rate.
Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum is available in more than 80 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues. The rookie has a limited floor because L.A. relies heavily on Kyren Williams. However, Corum could be moving toward a more prominent offensive role.
After logging just eight touchdowns over the first four weeks of the season, the Michigan product has tallied 12 carries and two receptions over the last three. After seeing just eight offensive snaps over the first month, he’s played at least 11 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the last three games.
Obviously, Corum isn’t worth starting yet. However, he could get to that point if the Rams look to preserve Williams for a possible postseason run—Williams landed on injured reserve in each of the past two seasons and has already logged 168 touches this year.
Corum should be viewed as a top handcuff with low-end sleeper value moving forward.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Godwin is done for the season, and fellow Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans is dealing with a hamstring injury. This has led to a big boost in the fantasy stock of Tampa tight end Cade Otton, who caught nine passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns in Week 8.
Rookie receiver Jalen McMillan didn’t see a similar jump in production, finishing last week with four catches for 35 yards on seven targets. However, the rookie did play a season-high 59 offensive snaps.
McMillan played more offensive snaps than any other Buccaneers receiver in Week 8.
While McMillan doesn’t have an ideal matchup this week—the Kansas City Chiefs have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to WRs—he has better matchups on the horizon.
After Kansas City, Tampa’s schedule includes the San Francisco 49ers, a Week 11 bye, the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers. The 49ers, Giants and Panthers have allowed the 17th-, 16th-, and 15th-most fantasy points to opposing WRs, respectively.
McMillan is still available in roughly 60 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
Noah Fant, TE, Seattle Seahawks
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Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant has been limited with a groin injury in practice this week, and his situation must be monitored. If Fant can go this week, however, he’s a strong fill-in option for Pat Freiermuth and George Kittle managers.
Fant has seen no fewer than four targets in each of his last three games. While he only caught three passes for 27 yards in Week 8, he had at least four catches and over 60 yards in each of the previous two.
This week, Seattle will host the rival Rams, who have been vulnerable to tight ends in 2024. Only the Panthers and Chiefs have allowed more fantasy points to the position this season. The potential return of receiver DK Metcalf could impact Fant’s ceiling some, but his floor should remain strong given the matchup.
Fant should be viewed as a one-week option with limited depth value moving forward. Seattle will be on bye in Week 10 before facing the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11—San Francisco has allowed the 10th-fewst fantasy points to TEs.
This week, though, Fant is worth starting consideration. He’s still available in more than 60 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
*Fantasy scoring and roster information via FantasyPros.
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