Waiver Hub – Week 9
Happy November and welcome back to my weekly Waiver HUB! It’s Tuesday which means it is time to hit the waiver wire and do what you can to improve your team moving forward.
Mike Hubbard here, you can follow me on Twitter (@FantasyHubbard) for all things fantasy football throughout the season. Feel free to tweet me or message me with any comments or questions you might have regarding fantasy football.
Week 8 is in the books following the MNF game last night where the Browns took care of the Bengals handily by a score of 32-13. Bengals were favored but didn’t play like it. Chubb ran for 100+ yards with 2 TDs and Cooper had 131 receiving yards and a TD. The Browns played well against the Bengals which isn’t too shocking given the Browns have beat the Bengals 8 out of their last 9 matchups dating back to 2018. Prior to 2018 the Bengals had won 7 straight over the Browns so tides have clearly turned. The 4-4 Bengals take on the Panthers this Sunday looking to bounce back while the 3-5 Browns will travel to Miami in a game they are sure to be underdogs yet again. Week 9 kicks off Thursday with a lopsided matchup between the undefeated 7-0 Philadelphia Eagles and the 1-5-1 Houston Texans. This game has Miles Sanders written all over it. The Eagles have been lethal on offense so expect them to dominate up front and try to run all over Houston. That should open plenty of shots for Hurts who might run wild as well. Eagles have the largest spread of week 9 being a 13-point favorite. The over/under is set at 44. I like the Eagles to win 27-16.
Fantasy football is approaching the halfway point for many leagues. Regardless of your record you should always be ready to add and drop and be aware of waiver opportunities. Another week gone, another opportunity to make your team stronger and inch your way to that league trophy and an offseason of bragging rights.
Below are my top waiver wire priorities this week. Go get those hopefully available players to help your chances at a championship run. Good luck this week and remember to check back every week to stay informed on who you could target off waivers.
TOP PRIORITY OF THE WEEK
Justin Fields – Chicago Bears
Justin Fields is just outside of the top 10 fantasy QB points through week 8. Fields has 424 rushing yards which averages to over 50 rushing yards each game. Fields is also tied for 3rd in the NFL with 3 QB rushing TDs behind only Jalen Hurts and Taysom Hill. Justin has continuously increased his fantasy points each week since week 5 which speaks volumes given in those 4 games, he never attempted over 27 passes, and the Bears only won 1 of those games. He has a TD pass in each of his last 4 and that’s while maintaining his rushing stats. Chicago gets to take on the Dolphins, Lions, and Falcons the next 3 weeks giving Fields a great chance to continue his streak of great fantasy play.
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields – Chicago Bears
SEE TOP PRIORITY OF THE WEEK ABOVE
Running Backs
Khalil Herbert – Chicago Bears
Herbert has impressed me this season. He is a backup RB on the Bears to David Montgomery and has a mobile QB in Justin Fields. Montgomery has the most carries with 92, followed by Herbert with 91, and Fields with 76. Herbert may have only 1 less carry than Montgomery, but he has taken advantage of his available volume by outrushing all Bears with 653 rushing yards. Fields has 424 and Montgomery has 361. Herbert averages over 6 yards per carry this season while Montgomery averages just under 4. Herbert has done plenty to keep the Bears invested in him and giving him good playing time and opportunity.
Isiah Pacheco – Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco is a rookie RB drafted in the 7th round of the NFL draft out of Rutgers. The first year RB has continued to impress his team to the point where he is #1 on the depth chart. In Pacheco’s first start in week 7 he rushed 8 times for 43 yards which led the team in both categories. He also is a kick returner if your league gives you point for return yards. 5 different players rushed the ball in week 7 (Pacheco, CEH, Henne, Hardman, and McKinnon) so it’s clear this isn’t an RB1 situation where he takes a huge chunk of the carries. Feels very much like a RB by committee which no one ever likes and for good reason. Pacheco could remain RB1 in KC but tread lightly moving forward as they will continue to feel for the hot hand. The good news is KC is fresh off a BYE week and should be overprepared to face the Titans on Sunday.
Jaylen Warren – Pittsburgh Steelers
Warren is an undrafted rookie RB out of Oklahoma State. He set career highs in rushing attempts and rushing yards rushing for 50 yards on 6 carries including a nice 19-yard gain. He also has contributed to the pass game this season. In his last 4 games he has caught 9 of his 10 targets for 81 receiving yards with a double-digit receiving play in 3 of those 4 games. Najee Harris has been pedestrian at best this season averaging 45 yards per game. Jaylen has cut into Najee’s playing time which could be a trend that is continuous. A lot of people are calling for a change at RB in Pittsburgh which would benefit Warren immensely while Harris is continued to be benched by fantasy owners. Steelers are on a BYE this week so they should be rested up for their week 10 matchup with the Saints.
Wide Receivers
Terrace Marshall Jr – Carolina Panthers
Marshall caught 4 of his 9 targets last weekend for 87 receiving yards. Marshall seems to have solidified WR2 in Carolina behind DJ Moore since the Robbie Anderson trade. With CMC off to San Francisco, it opens more targets for DJ and Terrance. Panthers take on the Bengals in week 9 who just yesterday let Amari Cooper catch 5 passes for 131 yards and a TD. Being a WR2 on the Panthers isn’t exactly the best position to be in for fantasy, but he is a rookie who has potential to half a great 2nd half of the season.
Rondale Moore – Arizona Cardinals
Moore had the best game of his season thus far in week 8 when he caught 7 of his 8 targets resulting in 92 yards and his first TD of the season. Moore should be added to your team if you need a WR/FLEX spot. DeAndre Hopkins may be back and playing great, but Marquise Brown is on IR opening up WR2 in Arizona for Moore who is great in the slot. Rondale has 8+ targets and 6+ receptions in 3 of his last 4 games. Kyler Murray can’t rely on the ground game due to injuries and inconsistency so Moore should continue to be targeted as song as this week when the Cardinals take on the Seahawks. Hopkins demand a lot of attention so Moore can take advantage of that to get open more frequently.
Kadarius Toney – Kansas City Chiefs
Toney was traded from the Giants to the Chiefs. Toney has done basically nothing whatsoever this season, but we have seen glimpses of his abilities last season. Kadarius is clearly injury prone so if he can stay healthy, he has a great chance to produce with Patrick Mahomes throwing to him. Although he could fall into the many pass catching options in KC, Andy Reid must like him enough to trade for him, so he is bound to make a splash. Might have to be patient at first but Toney’s stock has risen since his trade.
Tight Ends
Greg Dulcich – Denver Broncos
Mr. Dulcich emerged on the scene 3 weeks ago and has been a name to remember ever since. Albert O was not what everyone was hoping for at TE in Denver, but luckily the rookie 3rd rounder out of UCLA has picked up the slack. Greg has caught 12 of his 17 targets for 182 receiving yards and a TD since his rookie campaign began in week 6. Courtland Sutton has just 6 receptions in his last 3 games, so the Broncos are clearly enjoying both Jerry Jeudy and Dulcich at the moment. Dulcich has seen his receiving yards increase every week and is getting a good amount of playing time. In fantasy it is difficult to find a reliable TE outside the top 5 so Greg is an interesting addition that could help you at TE spot.
Tyler Conklin – New York Jets
Conklin is back on people’s radars after a 10-target game that led to 6 receptions for 79 yards and 2 TDs. Conklin accounted for 14 of his teams 17 points. Game flow will surely dictate whether he can maintain these kinds of games. Unfortunately, the Jets play the Bills in week 9 which is never ideal, but like I said above the TE position can be scarce so jump on the opportunity if you have the room and no better options.
