Week 9 fantasy waiver wire targets: Identifying top waiver wire pickups this week

We’re officially past the halfway point of the 2024 NFL season and while the fantasy football waiver wire hasn’t provided as many gems as last season, there’s plenty of value to be had. Before diving into our Week 9 fantasy waiver wire targets, we’ll highlight the fact that it’s short on running backs this week.

For those fo you eyeing San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo, keep in mind the 49ers are on a bye in Week 9 with Christian McCaffrey returning in Week 10. With that out of the way, let’s dive into our fantasy waiver wire pickups this week.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams

In two games with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford boasts a 5-2 TD-INT line with 596 passing yards and a 71. percent completion rate. Meanwhile, the upcoming Rams schedule includes matchups against the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. All of this bodes very well for Stafford to be a top-10 fantasy QB in November.

Related: Week 9 fantasy rankings

Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns

In his first game as the starting quarterback, Jameis Winston led the Cleveland Browns to their first 20-point performance of the season. He also posted 334 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, attacking the Baltimore Ravens secondary with ease. There is new life in Cleveland and Winston is more than willing to play aggressively with the football. While the upcoming Browns schedule (vs Chargers, at Saints, vs Steelers, at Broncos) is rough, Winston is a gambler who could provide Superflex/QB2 value.

Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets

We’ll at least mix in one running back in our Week 9 fantasy waiver wire targets. Braelon Allen found the end zone this past Sunday and received a season-high 11 carries. While the New York Jets have largely stopped using him as a pass-catching threat (1 reception in the last three games), Allen is at least involved in the run game. Just know if you add him, he’s a bench stash right now.

Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns

What a difference a quarterback change and a trade can make. Cedric Tillman had just 9 receiving yards entering late October. In the last two games, following the Amari Cooper trade, he’s drawn 21 targets and turned them into 15 receptions, 180 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The chemistry with Jameis Winston is evident and even with some tough matches, Tillman offers FLEX value in PPR.

Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills

The Amari Cooper trade didn’t just benefit Cedric Tillman and Josh Allen, it also helped out Keon Coleman. Since Cooper joined the Buffalo Bills offense, Coleman has 195 receiving yards on 14 targets in two games. He’s a big play waiting to happen and with opponents now having to focus more attention on Cooper, the explosive plays for Coleman will become more frequent. Consider him a risk-reward WR3 moving forward.

Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers

While we don’t ordinarily prioritize fantasy waiver wire targets from teams entering the bye, we’ll make an exception here. In part, because other fantasy managers will overlook Jauan Jennings. The San Francisco 49ers missed the last two games, but the Week 9 bye gives him the extra rest he needs to return. Ricky Pearsall didn’t make the most of his chances this past Sunday, which will push Jennings back into the No. 2 receiver role when he’s healthy. From Weeks 1-4, he averaged 91 receiving yards per game with 3 touchdowns and 17.3 yards per reception.

Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki is being highlighted as one of the top fantasy waiver wire pickups for Week 9. We certainly get it following his 73-yard performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. We’ll also remind interest fantasy managers, though, that Gesicki had just 24 receiving yards on 4 targets from Weeks 4-7. He is a matchup-dependent play and we’d highlight him more as a start in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Tyler Conklin, TE, New York Jets

While the New York Jets have been laughably bad this season, Tyler Conklin is at least making a name for himself. Since the Davante Adams trade, the Jets tight end has scored a touchdown in consecutive games. He’s also drawn a respectable 5.6 targets per game in the last five weeks. While we don’t consider him a top-12 fantasy tight end, he’s a solid bench option who can be a fill-in starter or a matchup-dependent play.

Washington Commandes D/ST

As always, we wrap up our fantasy waiver wire targets with a streaming defense. We just never expected it would be the Washington Commanders. While this might seem outlandish, there are some NFL stats to consider. In the last four games, opponents are averaging just a 76.1 QB rating with a 2-3 TD-INT line, 13 sacks taken and 153 passing yards per game against this Commanders’ defense. Meanwhile, the New York Giants’ offense averages just 3.71 yards per play (last in NFL) with 0 passing touchdowns at home this season. Don’t sleep on Washington’s D/ST in Week 9.