Roman Bruno
Content Contributor
Week 8 of the NFL season was full of fantasy football excitement, disappointment, and everything in between. There were also plenty of injuries, and fantasy teams are certainly looking to either find replacements or just upside bench depth. Here are 5 players on the fantasy radar as waiver wire pickups for Week 9 (percentages according to ESPN):
WR Kadarius Toney (KC) – 54% Rostered
The Kansas City Chiefs recently traded a 2023 third-round comp. pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick for former first-round WR Kadarius Toney. The sophomore WR has only played in two games this season with a lingering hamstring injury. However, he seems healthy enough to play in KC with a much better team, especially at QB. This trade is great for Toney so he can get a fresh start. This is also great for fantasy because of the opportunity he has with the Chiefs to flourish. Toney makes a great waiver wire pickup. He will not pay off in the next couple weeks, but he will be a solid asset later on in the season. He is a high upside stash right now. Current Toney owners should be excited.
WR Romeo Doubs (GB) – 47% Rostered
Doubs had a solid game in Green Bay’s Sunday night loss against the Bills. The rookie caught four balls for 62 yards and an acrobatic touchdown, which put a smile on Aaron Rodgers’s face. These two have been steadily forming a connection over the season. Doubs is the best receiver on the team at the moment. The young buck will get more targets and opportunities if he keeps it up. The fantasy community has already been hyping up Doubs, but it needs to be reiterated. It is possible, however, that the Packers may trade for a WR at the deadline, which would impact Doubs. In the meantime, go grab Doubs as another high upside guy that can pay off down the stretch. He is still available in most leagues.
WR Terrace Marshall (CAR) – 0.7% Rostered
Marshall had a career-high in targets (9) on Sunday along with a career-high in receiving yards (87). These are positive strides for the sophomore, who will be tasked with filling the void left by Robbie Anderson. QB P.J. Walker has actually been playing serviceable football, so he can support the Panthers WRs on the field and in fantasy. Marshall is a big, athletic guy, and he will benefit greatly from having a bigger role in the offense. Fantasy managers are not rushing to claim this guy on waivers. However, he can be a guy that progresses onto the fantasy radar once he is settled in. If D.J. Moore were to get traded or injured, Marshall would benefit further.
TE Isaiah Likely (BAL) – 1.7% Rostered
Likely had a fantastic performance as the understudy to Mark Andrews. Andrews injured his shoulder early into Baltimore’s Thursday night game against Tampa Bay and did not return. Likely finished the game with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. While the injury to Andrews is considered not serious, they may choose to be precautionary with him. Likely would fill in as a nice streaming option for fantasy. He has more upside than a lot of TEs on the waiver wire, and I would consider him the top pickup overall this week. Andrews not missing any time would deflate the Likely hype, but during these bye weeks, better to have Likely than not.
TOUCHDOWN @DaGorilla4!!!!
WE’RE UP 17-10!!!
Tune in on @NFLonPrime. pic.twitter.com/8VIPYLq4CO
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 28, 2022
TE Hayden Hurst (CIN) – 61% Rostered
Another TE that makes the top waiver wire pickups is Hayden Hurst. He has caught 5+ passes in four games this season, inserting himself in the conversation for good PPR TEs. He has been producing in fantasy without touchdowns, which is rare to find at his position. The Bengals offense has been progressing to the level they were in 2021, in part to the offseason addition of Hurst. He will get plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks, especially in the absence of Ja’Marr Chase. Hurst is a TE1 just sitting there on the waiver wire, so snag him while you can. He is a start against Carolina in Week 9.
Honorable Waiver Wire Pickups: RB Khalil Herbert (CHI), TE James Mitchell (DET)
Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
