Many a fantasy football championship has been won with the waiver wire. Following Week 9 action, these are the names that should be on owners' radars going forward. And fear not if your waiver priority is low -- we have some sneaky pickups for you as well.
Ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo.
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Quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota, Titans (42% Owned): Mariota struggled badly against the undefeated Panthers, but that’s a brutal matchup, especially for a rookie working with a limited supporting cast. This week he gets the Jaguars, who are brutal against the pass and are coming off an emotionally draining road win at Baltimore. Returning to the field for a Thursday night game opens them up to getting gashed by Mariota.
Alex Smith, Chiefs (24% Owned): Smith did solid work against the NFL’s best defense last week, throwing for 204 yards and a score without getting picked off, while also picking up 33 rushing yards. This week, he gets a weak Chargers defense that is bad all around. Smith’s yards will rise, and he’ll avoid shooting himself in the foot with turnovers. Smith is a perfect bye week QB.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets (23% Owned) : Fitzpatrick took a step back last week, getting picked off twice vs. the Bills, but he should get right back on track this week when he faces a pathetic Texans defense. As long as the Jets send enough blockers to keep J.J. Watt from slaughtering him, Fitz will have a big game.
Running Back
Matt Jones, Redskins (46% Owned): This was the breakout fantasy owners have been waiting for. Jones exploded for 131 yards receiving and a score to go with 46 rushing yards. Washington’s run game has been shockingly ineffective, and that wasn’t much different in this game. Jones, however, is a weapon in the passing game and he’s a monster in the open field. He will be hit-or-miss rest of season, but his weekly ceiling is very high.
Alfred Blue, Texans (43% Owned): Blue’s not good, but he is going to be Houston’s workhorse back. That doesn’t guarantee a high level of production, but it means few running backs in football will get as many opportunities to produce as Blue, and his floor each week is FLEX.
DEEP OPTION: Dexter McCluster, Titans (16% Owned): The drum will continue to be banged for McCluster, who is clearly the best running back in Tennessee’s backfield. McCluster found the end zone last week, while Antonio Andrews was completely ineffective. McCluster rushed three times and saw five targets in the passing game, and once again did good work with his eight looks.
DEEP OPTION: Jay Ajayi, Dolphins (18% Owned): Don’t get hopes too high with Ajayi because Lamar Miller remains productive and is the man in Miami. Ajayi is explosive as hell though, and much like McCluster, could make big plays with his limited work.
Wide Receivers
Danny Amendola, Patriots (29% Owned): Julian Edelman broke his foot on Sunday, and it opened the door for Amendola to actually become him. Amendola was targeted 11 times, reeling in 10 for 79 yards. Edelman could miss the rest of the season, so moving forward Amendola is a low-end WR1. It sounds crazy, but Tom Brady’s just playing too well to treat Amendola as anything less. Blow the rest of your FAAB budget.
Doug Baldwin, Seahawks (24% Owned): Baldwin’s very inconsistent, but it’s his offense’s fault. When the Seahawks force feed Baldwin the ball, he produces. He’s excellent after the catch and he runs great routes. Seattle is a confused team with a bad offensive line, but they must do a better job of getting the ball to Baldwin and TE Jimmy Graham.
DEEP OPTION: Jamison Crowder, Redskins (9% Owned): Right now DeSean Jackson is the best Redskins WR to own because of his big play ability, but Crowder is the most consistent. Pierre Garcon should mean nothing to fantasy owners. He hasn’t been a meaningful contributor in 2015, and Crowder has drawn looks more consistently. He won’t score much, but you know what to expect week in and week out.
Tight Ends
Richard Rodgers, Packers (44% Owned): Green Bay’s receivers can’t get open for Aaron Rodgers, so Richard Rodgers has drawn increased attention. He scored for the second straight game on Sunday, and even though he doesn’t put up much in the way of yardage, he has the best QB in football throwing it to him in the red zone.
DEEP OPTION: Crockett Gillmore, Ravens (23% Owned): Gillmore saw four targets for the second straight game, and caught a touchdown for the second straight game. Gillmore is a huge target, and a purebred red zone threat. There is potential each week for him to score zero points, but he can just as easily notch three scores.
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