Fantasy Football: Top five waiver wire targets to add plus early Week 9 rankings at every position

Week 8 wasn't my best week, I'll admit. I had my first losing week of the season across my 14 managed leagues, going 6-8 -- though I was 4 yards away (or one more Tee Higgins catch) from salvaging a .500 record. I sure wish I had been more aggressive about ranking and acquiring D'Onta Foreman, at least for one week.

I'm still at 65-47 over 14 leagues, with only one league where I'm truly out of it -- a SuperFlex league where I'm at 1-7 and really don't have any hope of turning things around unless Lamar Jackson and Derek Carr really figure things out quickly. There's an urgency with my three 3-5 teams, to be sure, but all in all, I'm above .500 in eight of my 14 leagues, and I'll definitely take that.

I wish I could tell you there was some big unifying thread across the good teams that made me look like a genius, but I'm not sure there is. I've got a Christian McCaffrey-Alvin Kamara combination on two of my eight winning teams, but I've also got one where my No. 2 RB is either Antonio Gibson or David Montgomery right now. I'm doing well where I drafted Josh Allen early, as, on one of the 7-1 teams, I have, but I'm playing matchups with Kirk Cousins and Tom Brady in the other 7-1 squad. On two of the three 6-2 teams, I'm starting Joe Burrow; on the third, I had Andy Dalton in for Aaron Rodgers.

And, of course, none of that matters if I don't keep the winning teams rolling, and right now, that looks like it could be a struggle for those Burrow teams after watching him struggle mightily against a terrible Browns defense Monday night. I went from thinking I was set at QB to potentially looking for help on the waiver wire, at least as long as Ja'Marr Chase is sidelined. And, it might be Justin Fields-or-bust out on the wire this week, which isn't great. Things can change in a hurry in Fantasy Football, is what I'm saying.

But I'm here to ride the waves with you. In today's newsletter, you'll find Jamey Eisenberg's top waiver-wire targets for Week 9 along with my initial rankings for each position. And, for more help with injuries and waiver claims, make sure you tune in to Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports HQ at noon ET today as we talk about the latest injuries and storylines. And for more help locking in your waiver-wire claims make sure you're subscribed to the FFT YouTube channel, where we'll be taking your questions live for an hour starting at 8 p.m.

Tomorrow, we'll have Heath Cummings' previews for each position plus some trade advice coming out of Week 8 -- email your trade questions to Chris.Towers@ViacomCBS.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" to be included. And here's what else we've got on tap in today's newsletter:

➕Top Week 9 Waiver Wire Targets
📈Week 9 Rankings First Look📉

➕Top Week 9 Waiver Wire Targets

Oct 2, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) runs against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. USA TODAY Sports

There aren't a ton of moving parts when it comes to the Week 9 waiver wire, but there is one situation that I'll be keeping a close eye on Tuesday before waivers run: Mark Andrews' health. Andrews left last week's game with a shoulder injury, and while initial reports indicated that it wasn't a serious issue, the Ravens don't play until Monday this week, and then they have a bye in Week 10, so there's a lot of uncertainty as of now.

Andrews could be cleared to play, of course, and hopefully, we'll find out about that before we have to make any lineup decisions for Sunday. Ideally, we'd have a good sense of his chances to play by tonight, because if he doesn't play, Isaiah Likely might just be ranked as a top-five tight end for me, and might just be the top waiver-wire target for anyone who needs a tight end -- that's most of you, by the way. Likely stepped up in a big way in Andrews' absence last week, putting up six catches on seven targets for 77 yards and a touchdown, and I think something like that isn't an unrealistic expectation if Andrews was out this week. He's a really talented player in an offense that leans on its tight ends.

So, let's hope we get some updates today. Even if we don't, I'm adding Likely where I need TE help just in case. Here are the rest of Jamey Eisenberg's top targets on waivers for Week 9:

Jamey Eisenberg's top targets

Rondale Moore, WR, Cardinals (56%) -- The Cardinals used Moore almost exclusively on the outside of the formation in Week 7 and he was a total non-factor; they moved him back into the slot for the majority of his routes in Week 8 and he had seven catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. He's had eight targets or more in three of his past four games and is ranked as a top-24 WR for me this week.
Josh Palmer, WR, Chargers (30%) -- Keenan Allen should be fully recovered from the hamstring injury that has limited him for nearly the entire season, but Mike Williams' status for Week 9 is very much in doubt due to the ankle injury he suffered before the bye. Palmer had 12 targets in Week 7 and should see a solid target share for as long as Williams is out. He's not a must-start WR, but Palmer has shown enough upside -- including his six-catch, 99-yard effort in Week 3 -- that he should be pretty useful with Williams out.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears (58%) -- The Bears offense has been a lot more functional of late, and while Mooney's weekly target totals are still a bit underwhelming-- he has just one game this season with more than six -- he and Justin Fields have had some nice chemistry on deep balls of late. Mooney isn't the WR2 you thought he was back in the draft season, but he's got solid upside as a WR3 or WR4.
Justin Fields, QB, Bears (49%) -- Fields now has four straight top-12 finishes, as he's managed to combine his high-end rushing upside with much-improved play as a passer lately. He still hasn't thrown more than 27 times in a game this season, however, he's looked legitimately better as a passer of late, especially down the field, and the rushing production makes the bar a lot lower for him as a passer. He's clearing it lately.
Kenyan Drake, RB, Ravens (46%) -- If Gus Edwards' hamstring injury forces him out for Week 9, Drake is a viable starting option if he gets even 10 carries.

📈Week 9 Rankings📉

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 02: Josh Jacobs #28 of the Las Vegas Raiders runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium on October 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. USATSI

Here are my initial rankings for Week 9 at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. And those will be updated throughout the week, so make sure you keep them handy for when you're setting your lineups. These are all for PPR leagues: