Top Players to Add in Week 9
A great draft can make a great team, but leagues are won on the waiver wire. Injuries happen, top draft picks become busts, and no names become household names. Successfully navigating the waiver wire will lead to a winning season.
As a reminder, I’ll be covering Waivers every Tuesday morning right here on QBList.com. You can also catch me and Brian Hartman (aka @TooMuch_Brian) on the Waiver podcast every Tuesday morning and the Start/Sit podcast every Thursday morning, wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like my work, give me a follow on Twitter @marioadamojr. With that out of the way, let’s dive into it.
Here are my top five targets, as well as some honorable mentions, to help you win through the wire this week.
An important thing to consider: this article focuses on players who are rostered in 60% or fewer leagues. There could be players rostered in over 50% of leagues that are available in your league. Be vigilant; watch your league’s Free Agency pool and look for players who were given up on too early.
| Player | Position | Team | Roster % | Week 9 Opponent | |
| 1 | Mike Washington Jr. | RB | LV | 36% | @ SF |
| 2 | Jonah Coleman | RB | DEN | 57% | @ CAR |
| 3 | DeMario Douglas | WR | NE | 31% | v GB |
| 4 | Adonai Mitchell | WR | NYJ | 11% | @ KC |
| 5 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | ARI | 53% | @ SEA |
1. Mike Washington Jr. – It’s not every day a team drafts a Heisman finalist sixth overall. A player whose rushing yards for an NCAA season are second all-time, only behind the great Barry Sanders. Apparently, it is an every-week occurrence for a player like that to get outgained on the ground by a rookie taken in the fourth round, because for the third straight week Mike Washington Jr. gained more rushing yards than Ashton Jeanty. This time it wasn’t particularly close. Washington carried the ball 25 times this week, one fewer than Jeanty’s career-high in Week 18 last year. Recently, Jeanty hasn’t come close to that many carries, averaging 7.5 over the last four weeks. This week felt like a passing-of-the-torch week, with Jeanty calling out the Jets’ defense and not getting an opportunity to back up his smack talk. While this could be viewed as a soft-benching for Jeanty for running his mouth during game week, it’s impossible to deny the results. It’s not every day you can find a player getting 20+ carries in the waiver pool, and with Washington putting up solid results, I don’t think the Raiders will ignore the talent they have. Lastly, I know it’s early to be talking about playoffs, but Washington’s last season matchups are three solid to good matchups. Starting Week 14: LAC, DEN, TEN; all at home.
Mike Washington Jr. is my top waiver target heading into Week 9.
2. Jonah Coleman – Jonah Coleman was already on the radar last week, and he paid off big time for anyone who followed along, finishing as RB11 before Monday Night Football. It seems a lot of you did, as his rostered percentage shot up from 39% to 57%! This week he finally found the end zone, his first time since Week 2. Coleman also saw his highest targets and receptions this week, though some could point out that with RJ Harvey in the lineup, those opportunities opened up. There’s some chatter that the Broncos are a team interested in Jonathan Taylor, and for that reason, I don’t have Coleman as my top RB this week. Besides those rumors, everything is trending nicely for Coleman to be a rest-of-season stud. He should be a great option this week too, as the Broncos travel to Carolina, a favorable matchup for running backs. I expect this will be the last week I can write about him before his rostered percentage finally takes off.
3. DeMario Douglas – I say this not as an Eagles fan but as an unbiased football observer; A.J. Brown may never play football again. Brown has already had a stint on IR this season and has now missed another game, and if I’m the Patriots, I’m not rushing him back. Why? Because the WR9 since Week 5 is already on your team. That’s right, since Week 5, DeMario Douglas is the 9th-best WR (before Monday Night Football). Douglas has four touchdowns in that span, only behind Jameson Williams. That’s more than Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and any other pass catcher you considered taking in the first round. While Douglas was off to a cold start, with Brown banged up and Romeo Doubs still on IR, and Hunter Henry getting banged up this week, that leaves Douglas as the main option from week to week.
Douglas is my top wide receiver target heading into Week 9.
4. Adonai Mitchell – Another week, another Jets wideout to talk about. This week it’s Adonai Mitchell, the bonus from the Sauce Gardner trade. Mitchell saw nine targets, bringing in seven for 142 yards and a touchdown. Mitchell recently returned from IR and was a non-factor in his first game back. This week, however, he looked just as good as he did in Week 2 before missing time. Back in Week 2, Mitchell saw 12 targets, showing that the nine this week were not a fluke. While the Jets can seem to play carousel with which WR we should target any given week, I believe Mitchell will continue to have consistent value.
5. Tyler Allgeier – I thought this was the week Bam Knight would continue to separate himself from the pack. I knew for sure it wouldn’t be Jeremiyah Love, as he continues to struggle with injuries. I didn’t expect Knight to get hurt, leaving the door wide open for Tyler Allgeier to come right back into the mix. Allgeier had his best game of the season when there was no healthy competition, carrying the ball 11 times for 147 yards and a touchdown. If the injuries linger for the rest of the backfield, I expect Allgeier to continue to produce.
Others Receiving Votes
Emmett Johnson, KC (19% Rostered) – Every week on the Waiver Pod (drops Tuesday mornings where you get podcasts), Brian and I mention there are some handcuffs that need to be rostered, regardless of league size. Emmett Johnson is one of them. Johnson is talented enough to be a starter; he just happens to be behind Kenneth Walker III and his legendary season. This was an example of Johnson’s talent. While the price may be higher now, Johnson should be rostered in all leagues.
Seth McGowan, IND (19%) – Jonathan Taylor may be traded this week. If he is, Seth McGowan appears to be the one who would get the lion’s share of the work.
Kenny Gainwell, TB (45%) – Will the Buccaneers continue to win games where they don’t complete a pass? Unlikely. This game script was definitely affected by Baker Mayfield‘s injured thumb and the weather. This is the second straight week Gainwell had double-digit carries; he had zero this season before that. As Mayfield continues to get healthy, I think Gainwell will see extra work.
Dylan Sampson, CLE (17%) – Dylan Sampson has finished with 9 points for two straight weeks. Next week the Browns face the Saints, the team allowing the most points to opposing running backs. I expect Sampson to eclipse his usual 9 points and consider him a great FLEX option for the week.
Malik Washington, MIA (46%) – Malik Washington finally caught a touchdown. Washington has been the constant target hog of this offense. If the touchdowns can continue, I see a path for Washington to be a perennial top 24 wide receiver. The next few matchups are favorable for the Dolphins’ offense: DET, @ IND, @ BUF, NYJ. Now is the time for Washington to strike.
Makai Lemon, PHI (66%) – With no DeVonta Smith or Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon saw a career high in targets. Lemon led the team in targets, catches, and receiving yards. While this offense looks bad at times, bad teams have fantasy players too. If Lemon ends up being the focal point of this offense, he’s worth a roster spot. This is the part of the season where we’re leaving no lemon unturned.
Ryan Flournoy, DAL (33%) – Somewhat quietly, Ryan Flournoy has finished as a top-24 wide receiver for four straight weeks. That was in four straight difficult matchups. Even with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens getting more targets, Flournoy is getting a steady stream of value.
Keenan Allen, IND (48%) – Keenan Allen continues his long-standing habit of being a reception machine. Allen caught all seven of his targets for 67 yards. I expect Allen to keep up his quest to climb the all-time receptions list. He is currently 11 catches behind Marvin Harrison; I expect him to close that gap within the next two games.
Antonio Williams, WAS (19%) – The third(!) NFC East WR mentioned. With Terry McLaurin out for the season, the Commanders are looking for someone to step up in his absence. I don’t expect Brandon Aiyuk to walk through the door, so we’ll look to rookie Antonio Williams. Williams led the team in targets and receptions. I expect the volume to continue and consider Williams a speculative add.
Mike Gesicki, CIN (19%) – I’m tired of the Mike Gesicki slander. Here’s a list of all players with more receiving touchdowns than Gesicki: Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Gesicki has a touchdown in all but one game, Week 2 at Houston. Gesicki is averaging 9.8 points per game, the sixth most among tight ends. That means that the sixth-best tight end that is all but guaranteed to score a touchdown is available in over 80% of leagues!
T.J. Hockenson, MIN (67%) – T.J. Hockenson continues to produce consistently, finishing in the top ten in three of the last four weeks. The next three weeks are tougher matchups for Hockenson, but he continues to be a focal point in this offense.
Malik Willis, MIA (22%) – Some may argue this is getting too cute, but the Dolphins and Malik Willis are hosting the Lions this week, one of the best matchups a QB can face. Willis is coming off of three solid performances: 20.9, 26, and 15.6 points. I like Willis as a spot start this week and going forward. As a reminder, Willis faces the Lions, the Colts, the Bills, and the Jets. If you’re someone who is bouncing around QBs this season, I like Willis as an option for any of Weeks 9-12.
Sam Darnold, SEA (40%) – Full disclosure, this is written before Monday Night Football concludes. Sam Darnold has an average finish of QB19, but next week he faces the Cardinals, one of the better matchups for a QB. If you need a spot start, Darnold can be considered.
Defense Wins Championships
Call this week N’SYNC, because it’s all about the Bye, Bye, Bye’s.
The Buffalo Bills (27%) travel to Minnesota to face Kyler Murray and a Vikings offense that ranks 29th in Offensive Yards, 29th in Passing Yards, and 27th in points per game
The New Orleans Saints (18%) are fresh off their Bye and host the Cleveland Browns. Deshaun Watson is the only quarterback to be sacked 8 times in a game this season, and it’s happened twice.
The New York Giants (14%) are off their Bye and travel to Philly to take on the fightless and flightless Philadelphia Eagles.
Finally, the Houston Texans (73%), you guessed it, are fresh off their Bye and head to Los Angeles to face the winless Chargers. Justin Herbert has thrown at least one interception in every game this season and has three multi-interception games. While their rostered percentage is higher than I expected, it’s worth checking in your league to see if they are available.
Depending on your league, you may be able to grab some of these options directly off their bye and bypass waivers. Even if you have to go through waivers, these options are worth it.
Photo courtesy of respective owners | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X)