Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire: Time to head West

Week 9 Rankings: Standard | PPR

This is an awful week for running backs in Week 9. Between the guys on bye and injuries, you might want to vomit with the options who could be in your starting lineup.

Here are the guys on bye this week: David Johnson, Jordan Howard, Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill, Rob Kelley, LeGarrette Blount, James White and Lamar Miller.

And here are the guys dealing with injuries this week: Spencer Ware (concussion), Jacquizz Rodgers (foot), Doug Martin (hamstring), DeMarco Murray (toe), Devontae Booker (shouler), LeSean McCoy (hamstring), Tevin Coleman (hamstring), Carlos Hyde (shoulder), Jerick McKinnon (ankle) and Jamaal Charles (knee).

You might be able to find someone like Darren Sproles (71 percent ownership on CBS Sports) or Duke Johnson (71 percent) on your Waiver Wire, but the main guys you're looking at this week include Charcandrick West (10 percent), Tim Hightower (8 percent) and Antone Smith (0 percent). Yes, these are your best options.

West will start for the Chiefs if Ware and Charles are out, Hightower is expected to share carries or start over Mark Ingram, and Smith will start for Tampa Bay if Rodgers and Martin are out. Smith could share carries with Peyton Barber (43 percent), but these guys could all let you down -- or be awesome.

You might be stuck this week having to depend on these running backs, and we hope they come through. And there are plenty of stash candidates at running back with Kelley (63 percent), Derick Henry (61 percent), Dion Lewis (52 percent), Paul Perkins (11 percent), Damien Williams (3 percent), Kenneth Dixon (36 percent), Kapri Bibbs (20 percent), C.J. Prosise (27 percent), James Starks (24 percent), Bilal Powell (43 percent) and Terron Ward (4 percent). We'll get more into these guys below.

At quarterback, some good streaming options this week are Ryan Tannehill (35 percent), Josh McCown (8 percent), Ryan Fitzpatrick (35 percent) and Colin Kaepernick (17 percent). At tight end, you can look at Cameron Brate (64 percent), Eric Ebron (38 percent), Antonio Gates (65 percent), Dennis Pitta (50 percent) and Austin Hooper (1 percent) for this week. C.J. Fiedorowicz (32 percent) is worth adding now if he's available even on a bye, and Ladarius Green (12 percent) could return this week.

For receiver, Quincy Enunwa (77 percent) should be added where available, but the options this week aren't great. Corey Coleman (47 percent) could return this week from his hand injury, and Mohamed Sanu (42 percent) is also worth adding. Long-term, I'd add Jamison Crowder (58 percent), J.J. Nelson (4 percent) and Chris Hogan (42 percent), but there are other options below we'll talk about.

But the priority this week is running back, and hopefully you get the guy or guys you need if you're stuck.

Quarterbacks

Names of note on bye: Carson Palmer, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton, Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady and Brock Osweiler

Injuries of note: Alex Smith (concussion) and Ben Roethlisberger (knee)

Priority list

* - Add these players in this order, and they are owned in 65 percent of leagues or less on CBS Sports.

Ryan Tannehill

TEN • QB • #17

Week 7 stats vs. BUF (on bye in Week 8)

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35 percent ownership

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Tannehill hasn't been a good Fantasy quarterback this year, but the hope is he takes advantage of this matchup against the Jets in Week 9. Three of the past five quarterbacks against the Jets have passed for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns, including McCown last week. Tannehill had five touchdowns against the Jets in two games last year, and he's averaging 18 Fantasy points in a standard league in his past two games coming off a bye. Like all the quarterbacks listed here, Tannehill is only a starting option by default given the teams on bye.

Josh McCown (8 percent): He's not guaranteed to start with Cody Kessler (concussion) slated to return, but whoever is the starter for the Browns this week has streaming appeal. Dallas is down two starters in the secondary with Morris Claiborne (groin) and Barry Church (arm) hurt, and Coleman could return to bolster this receiving corps. We'd rather have McCown start instead of Kessler.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (35 percent): The Dolphins have allowed just two quarterbacks to throw multiple touchdowns against them, and only one since Week 2, which was Marcus Mariota. But Fitzpatrick had five touchdowns in two meetings with Miami last year, and this secondary is beatable, especially if Brandon Marshall and Enunwa get a healthy amount of targets. Fitzpatrick is a great option in two-quarterback leagues.
Colin Kaepernick (17 percent): We hope Kaepernick improves coming off his bye week because he averaged just 16 Fantasy points in a standard league in two starts prior to Week 8. His running is great with at least 66 yards in each game, but he hasn't passed for 200 yards or thrown multiple touchdowns yet. The nice thing is he faces the Saints this week, and they have allowed five of seven quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points in a standard league. He's good in two-quarterback leagues.
Nick Foles (0 percent): We'll see if Smith is able to play after suffering a concussion in Week 8 at the Colts, but Foles looked great in relief with 223 passing yards and two touchdowns. He's a good streaming option in two-quarterback leagues if Smith is out with a home matchup against the Jaguars.

Drop list

* - If you need to make a move, these are players you can drop for this week.

Carson Palmer (92 percent): He has one game with more than 13 Fantasy points in his past five outings and isn't worth stashing during his bye week. He does, however, face the 49ers in Week 10, which hopefully will be one of his better outings.
Tyrod Taylor (72 percent): You're not starting him this week at Seattle, and then he has a bye in Week 10. He also has three games with at least 21 Fantasy points and five games with 17 points or less.

Running backs

Names of note on bye: David Johnson, Jordan Howard, Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill, Rob Kelley, LeGarrette Blount, James White and Lamar Miller

Injuries of note: Spencer Ware (concussion), Jacquizz Rodgers (foot), Doug Martin (hamstring), DeMarco Murray (toe), Devontae Booker (shoulder), LeSean McCoy (hamstring), Tevin Coleman (hamstring), Carlos Hyde (shoulder), Jerick McKinnon (ankle) and Jamaal Charles (knee)

Priority list

* - Add these players in this order, and they are owned in 65 percent of leagues or less on CBS Sports.

Charcandrick West

IND • RB • #36

Week 8 stats at IND

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10 percent ownership

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West could start this week if Ware is out, and we don't expect Charles to return any time soon. You can proceed with West as the handcuff in Kansas City, but he could be a must-start running back in all leagues this week if Ware is out against the Jaguars, who have allowed five running backs to score double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league this year. Last season, West had four games with at least 16 touches, and he scored at least 13 Fantasy points in a standard league in each outing. He could be a tremendous difference maker in Week 9 if he starts in place of Ware, and he's worth at least 15 percent of your FAAB budget. It helps his case to start this week that Kansas City added Bishop Sankey, which is a sign Ware and Charles will be out.

Tim Hightower (8 percent): He's slated to earn a bigger role this week after the Saints benched Mark Ingram in Week 8 against the Seahawks after a fumble. Hightower came on in relief and finished with 26 carries for 102 yards, but we don't know how coach Sean Payton will split the workload this week in a dream matchup at San Francisco. We still like Ingram better if you had to decide between the two, but if Hightower steals the job then he could become a No. 2 Fantasy running back in the majority of leagues.
Antone Smith (0 percent): He's expected to start and see more work than Peyton Barber (43 percent) with Rodgers and Martin still out, and this week he's a potential starter in the majority of leagues. The Falcons have allowed four running backs to score double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league, and Smith could get a heavy workload since Rodgers had at least 20 touches in three games in a row.
Rob Kelley (63 percent): He's on a bye this week, and there's no guarantee he stays the starter if Matt Jones (knee) is healthy. But Kelley did a great job in Week 8 against the Bengals with 21 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown in London. We hope Washington keeps Kelley as the starter, and he's worth adding and stashing in leagues where he's still available.
Derick Henry (61 percent): Henry would jump to No. 1 on this list if we find out Murray can't play with his toe injury, so keep that in mind when making your waiver claims. Henry also is one of the top handcuff options since he plays in such a run-dominated offense for the Titans. He just had his best game of the season with 15 Fantasy points against Jacksonville, and he would be a must-start in all formats if he ever had to start in place of an injured Murray.
Dion Lewis (52 percent): He could return from his knee injury in Week 10 when the Patriots come off their bye week, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him supplant James White as the receiver out of the backfield. Last year, Lewis had five games with double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league in the seven games he played, so there's plenty of upside once he's back on the field.
James Starks (24 percent): The Packers released Knile Davis and will likely use Aaron Ripkowski (0 percent) and Don Jackson (11 percent), along with their receivers in the backfield, until Starks is back. And it's worth it to stash him now. Green Bay needs help at running back, and the move to release Davis could suggest Starks is near a return. Like Lewis, he's a great stash candidate.
DuJuan Harris (0 percent): We hope Hyde is back this week, and he would be a must-start running back in all leagues against the Saints. But if he's out then we should see a committee again for the 49ers with Harris, Mike Davis (20 percent) and Shaun Draughn (5 percent). That was the case in Week 7 against Tampa Bay when Harris had 11 carries for 39 yards and two catches for 18 yards. Davis had seven carries for 21 yards and a touchdown and Draughn had one carry for 16 yards and five catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Harris got the most work and is worth a flier in standard leagues this week if Hyde is out. Draughn is worth a look in PPR leagues.
Paul Perkins (11 percent): The Giants remain committed to Rashad Jennings as their starter, but Perkins is a good stash candidate. We'd like to see the Giants give Perkins more work coming off the bye week because he could be a spark in their backfield, which would help Fantasy owners as well.
Damien Williams (3 percent): We all love the way Jay Ajayi has run the past two games. And we keep raving about Miami's offensive line. Well, if Ajayi ever got hurt, Williams appears to be next in line on the depth chart with Arian Foster now retired. I plan to stash Williams in plenty of leagues as a lottery ticket.
Kenneth Dixon (36 percent): We'll see if the Ravens decide to give Dixon more work coming off their bye week, but Terrance West remains the starter. Like Perkins, Dixon is a good stash candidate if you have an open roster spot in case Baltimore ever gives him increased touches.
Kapri Bibbs (20 percent): He's the handcuff for Booker, and he's worth stashing in deeper leagues, especially since Booker banged up his shoulder in Week 8 against San Diego. If Bibbs got a chance at increased touches he would become a potential starter in all leagues.
C.J. Prosise (27 percent): He played well in Week 8 at New Orleans with four carries for 23 yards and four catches for 80 yards, but we doubt he gets a heavy workload as long as Christine Michael is healthy. And Thomas Rawls (leg) should return this month, which would mean another mouth to feed in this backfield. Still, Prosise will be the pass-catching back for Seattle, and he's worth adding in PPR leagues now if he has the chance for four receptions on a weekly basis.
Bilal Powell (43 percent): He will only be a starter in the majority of leagues if Matt Forte gets hurt, but he's still a potential stash candidate given Forte's age (30) and workload (on pace for 314 carries and 354 touches). Powell also will pop up with the occasional big game in a reserve role like we saw in Week 8 at Cleveland with 79 total yards and a touchdown.
Terron Ward (4 percent): We hope Coleman will return soon for the Falcons, but Ward will continue to work as the No. 2 running back behind Devonta Freeman. And Freeman is dealing with a hip pointer that he played through in Week 8 against Green Bay. If Freeman goes down while Coleman is out, then Ward will be popular off waivers if you want to stash him now.

Drop list

* - If you need to make a move, these are players you can drop for this week.

Matt Jones (91 percent): He's hurt and on a bye, and he might have lost his job to Kelley. There's no reason to stash him now.
Jerick McKinnon (85 percent): The Vikings offensive line is awful, and we don't know how long he's out with his ankle injury. He's not worth holding onto in shallow leagues, and even owners in 12-team leagues might be ready to move on.
DeAngelo Williams (78 percent): He's still the preferred handcuff option for Le'Veon Bell, but he's dealing with a knee injury and could continue to miss extended action. The Bell owner should stash Williams, but that's about it.
Knile Davis (76 percent): We'll see if another team picks him up after he was cut by the Packers, and maybe a return to the Chiefs makes sense with all their injuries in the backfield. But he's not worth holding onto now after Green Bay sent him packing after just two games.
Jeremy Langford (59 percent): The Bears are on a bye in Week 9, and it's clear they are going with Jordan Howard as their starter after he dominated the Vikings on Monday night in Week 8. Ka'Deem Carey is also in the mix as a backup for Howard, and there's little upside to stashing Langford right now.

Wide receivers

Names of note on bye: Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, Alshon Jeffery, A.J. Green, DeSean Jackson, Jamison Crowder, Julian Edelman and DeAndre Hopkins

Injuries of note: Randall Cobb (hamstring), Ty Montgomery (illness), Russell Shepard (hip) and Travis Benjamin (knee)

Priority list

* - Add these players in this order, and they are owned in 65 percent of leagues or less on CBS Sports.

Corey Coleman

KC • WR • #19

Week 2 stats vs. BAL (missed 6 games with broken hand)

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47 percent ownership

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Coleman is expected to return this week from a six-game absence from a broken hand, and we hope he picks up where he left off in Week 2 when he scored 22 Fantasy points in standard league. He would be the No. 2 receiver behind Terrelle Pryor at this point, but both receivers should see a hefty amount of targets in this offense. We don't see Coleman as anything more than a No. 3 Fantasy receiver until he proves otherwise, but given the players on bye this week and the matchup with Dallas, he could be a welcome addition in all leagues.

Mohamed Sanu (42 percent): He now has two games in his past three outings with 10 targets, and he's scored double digits in Fantasy points both times. We hope Matt Ryan continues to feed him, and this is a great matchup in Week 9 at Tampa Bay on Thursday night. Sanu had five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers in Week 1, and Tampa Bay just allowed three Oakland receivers to score at least 10 Fantasy points in Week 8. Sanu is a potential starter in all leagues this week.
Jamison Crowder (58 percent): Crowder has been Washington's best receiver this year, and he's worth adding even with the Redskins on a bye. Jackson is dealing with a shoulder injury and has struggled, and Crowder has three games in a row with at least 10 Fantasy points in a standard league.
J.J. Nelson (4 percent): The Cardinals named him a starter ahead of Michael Floyd, and he's coming off a tremendous game in Week 8 at Carolina with eight catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets. He's still third on the depth chart behind Fitzgerald and Brown, but Nelson could be a solid No. 3 Fantasy receiver moving forward in favorable matchups after Arizona's bye in Week 9.
Chris Hogan (42 percent): Hogan had the revenge game we expected in Week 8 at Buffalo with four catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on four targets against his former team. He'll be inconsistent, but he's a primary target for Brady and will have games like this every now and then. It will be frustrating trying to figure out when that is, but in two of four games with Brady under center he has at least 11 Fantasy points in a standard league. He's worth stashing as a No. 4 receiver with upside.
Kenny Britt (60 percent): Britt has a great matchup in Week 9 against the Panthers, who have allowed the most Fantasy points to opposing receivers this year. He's done a nice job with the Rams with at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in four of his past six games, but hopefully Case Keenum will remain the starter ahead of rookie Jared Goff. If Goff starts, I don't love Britt, even against the Panthers. But we expect Keenum back under center, which is good for Britt.
Kendall Wright (30 percent): We hope Wright can start playing on a consistent level because he's been good in two of the past three games with at least 15 Fantasy points, but he scored one point in his other outing and has just six total targets in his past two games combined. He should be the best receiver for the Titans for the rest of the season, and he's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week at San Diego.
Kenny Stills (23 percent): The Dolphins have an amazing matchup this week against the Jets, and Stills and DeVante Parker (62 percent) are worth considering as No. 3 Fantasy receivers. Stills has more upside given his recent production with touchdowns in two of his past four games, and he has the better chance to beat the Jets secondary down the field for a big play.
Jeff Janis (1 percent): We hope the Packers get Cobb and Montgomery back this week, but we saw in Week 8 that Aaron Rodgers will lean on Janis, Trevor Davis (0 percent) and Geronimo Allison (0 percent), with all three scoring touchdowns against the Falcons. Janis is worth adding in deeper leagues even if Cobb and Montgomery return this week because his playing time continues to increase each week. But none of these guys would be worth starting if Green Bay is healthy.
Dontrelle Inman (7 percent): Inman could be a popular player to add this week if Benjamin has to miss any time with his knee injury. Tyrell Williams would be the No. 1 receiver for the Chargers in that scenario, but Inman would be No. 2, with the chance to see an increase in production. He only has one touchdown on the season, which was Week 4 against New Orleans, but he had four catches for 72 yards on five targets against Denver in Week 8 and has the chance to be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver if his role were to ever increase.
Sammy Watkins (34 percent): There was a report that Watkins is out of his walking boot, and he could return from his foot injury in Week 12. If that's the case and you have an open roster spot then consider stashing him now. He could end up as a difference maker down the stretch.
Tyreek Hill (3 percent): Hill has scored in the past two games, and he was stellar in Week 8 at the Colts with five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Twice this season he has at least six targets, and he scored in both games, so it would be nice the see the Chiefs feature him more. But this passing game is too inconsistent, no matter the quarterback, and Hill is only worth looking at in deeper leagues.

Drop list

* - If you need to make a move, these are players you can drop for this week.

Will Fuller (96 percent): He's going into his bye week, and he's once again hurt with a leg injury, which he sustained in Week 8 against the Lions. He could be great the rest of the year, but he's also going to be inconsistent. I'm not stashing him while he's on a bye.
DeSean Jackson (85 percent): Jackson has been awful, and his shoulder injury continues to hinder his production. He's gone five games in a row with five Fantasy points or less, and he only has one touchdown on the season. Crowder is the only Redskins receiver to own at this point.
Michael Floyd (69 percent): Floyd has been benched in favor of Nelson, which is the right move to make for the Cardinals. Nelson has been better, especially of late, and Floyd has been one of the biggest disappointments this season at any position for Fantasy owners. It's time to move on.
Cameron Meredith (58 percent): We hope Jay Cutler can keep Meredith's Fantasy value afloat, but the one-game sample size against Minnesota in Week 8 was not encouraging. Meredith only had one catch for 24 yards on two targets, and he's not worth stashing during the bye weeks.
Anquan Boldin (48 percent): It was a bad sign that Ebron returned for the Lions in Week 8, and Boldin finished with one catch for 4 yards on three targets. Prior to that, he had scored in each of his previous two games, with Ebron out. We'll see if the two can co-exist moving forward, but Boldin is not worth keeping on your roster right now with Ebron healthy.
Brandon LaFell (48 percent)

Tight ends

Names of note on bye: Zach Miller, Tyler Eifert, Jordan Reed, Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett and C.J. Fiedorowicz

Injuries of note: Jacob Tamme (shoulder)

Priority list

* - Add these players in this order, and they are owned in 65 percent of leagues or less on CBS Sports.

Cameron Brate

TB • TE • #84

Week 8 stats vs. OAK

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64 percent ownership

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Brate didn't have a monster performance against the Raiders in Week 8, but he scored eight Fantasy points, which was his best game since Week 3. But this is a good week to trust him against the Falcons, and in Week 1 we saw Jameis Winston throw two touchdowns to his tight ends (Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Brandon Myers) in Atlanta. The Falcons have allowed five touchdowns to opposing tight ends and five to score at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league. Brate has a chance to hit that number once again in this matchup.

Eric Ebron (38 percent): He returned from a three-game absence with a knee injury in Week 8 at Houston and had seven catches for 79 yards on 10 targets, which was the most targets he had all year. He faces the Vikings this week, and Minnesota just allowed Miller to have seven catches for 88 yards. Ebron should be started in PPR leagues this week, and he's a low-end starting option in standard formats.
C.J. Fiedorowicz (32 percent): He is worth adding or even stashing this week on a bye based on his recent level of play. He's scored in three of his past five games and has at least seven targets in four of those outings. Osweiler is leaning on him, and he has a favorable schedule after the bye with Jacksonville in Week 10 and Oakland in Week 11. Fiedorowicz could be a must-start tight end for the rest of the season.
Antonio Gates (65 percent): We thought Gates was getting pushed aside for Hunter Henry, but Philip Rivers isn't letting that happen just yet. He has 19 targets in his past two games, and he scored in Week 8 at Denver with four catches for 33 yards. This week, he faces the Titans at home, and Tennessee has allowed a tight end to score in each of the past two games. Henry might be the future, but Gates is still worth starting in most Fantasy leagues now.
Dennis Pitta (50 percent): Pitta is still looking for his first touchdown, and hopefully it will come this week against the Steelers, who have allowed a tight end to score at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in three of the past four games. Pitta has been good for PPR owners with at least six catches in four of seven games this year.
Austin Hooper (1 percent): With Tamme out, we should see Hooper get a significant boost in targets, and this is a decent matchup against Tampa Bay on Thursday night. Hooper had five targets in Week 8 against Green Bay and finished with five catches for 41 yards. The Buccaneers have allowed a tight end to score at least nine Fantasy points in a standard league in two of the past three games, and Hooper is worth streaming in deeper leagues.
Ladarius Green (12 percent): If we find out that Green is guaranteed to return in Week 9 from the PUP list, then he would be among the top adds at tight end this week. He would be even better if Roethlisberger is healthy, but if you have an open roster space then speculate on Green now. He could emerge as a must-start tight end down the stretch if he can stay healthy.

Drop list

* - If you need to make a move, these are players you can drop for this week.

Martellus Bennett (95 percent): His production has tailed off the past three games with seven Fantasy points combined against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Meanwhile, Gronkowski is back to being a statistical monster. Bennett only has one game with a touchdown in his past six outings, and he's not worth stashing during the bye week.
Zach Ertz (58 percent): Ertz has been awful the past four games with seven Fantasy points combined. He's still looking for his first touchdown, and he only has 13 targets since Week 4. He also hasn't topped 40 receiving yards over that span, and he needs to prove a lot before Fantasy owners can trust him.