We may have gotten a reprieve from major injuries last week, but Week 8 reared its head with a vengeance, especially with quarterbacks. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles, Matthew Stafford suffered a thumb injury that could keep him out for a while, Kenny Pickett went out with a rib injury, Desmond Ridder was evaluated for a concussion, and Tyrod Taylor spent the night in the hospital for evaluation after a rib injury. As extensive as that list is, that’s not all. Darren Waller went out with a hamstring injury early in the game, Kendrick Bourne tore his ACL against the Dolphins, Drake London left the game with a groin injury, Curtis Samuel left with a toe injury…the list goes on and on. It was an absolutely brutal week.

But, that’s why we work the waiver wire. By now, the options may be limited, but there are still a few jewels out there who could help you plug the holes in your roster. It may not be pretty, so let’s get our gloves on and start digging through the remaining players on the waiver wire ahead of Week 9. I’ve included more quarterbacks than usual because of all the injuries and bye weeks, so if you’re one of the lucky ones unaffected, you can skip that part.

(FAAB Bids are based on an average bid. If you are desperate or in a highly competitive league, you may need to increase your bid based on need.)

 

Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (Available in 68% of ESPN leagues, 45% of Yahoo leagues, and 43% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-8% of total budget

I get that people were wary about picking up Kyler Murray and holding him on their bench, but after Jonathan Gannon said today that it would be Murray or Clayton Tune getting the start Sunday over Joshua Dobbs, you need to JUMP on this opportunity. The trade deadline is today at 4PM ET, so it looks like he’s not going to get traded and will remain the starter for the rest of the season, and the Cardinals are not lying down and tanking. He should provide a ton of value for those of you dealing with injuries to your starting quarterbacks for the rest of the year, barring a setback, and you shouldn’t be shy about spending a decent amount of FAAB on him.

Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (Available in 79% of ESPN leagues, 63% of Yahoo leagues, and 61% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 3-5% of total budget

We’ve been telling you to take a look at Derek Carr for a few weeks, and he delivered again this week. Now, it wasn’t anything insane, but it was right in his wheelhouse of 18 fantasy points. At this point, you pretty much know exactly what you’re getting with Carr, making him one of the safest options left out on the waiver wire. He’s thrown for over 300 yards the last three weeks; the problem is just his lack of touchdowns. He’ll get there as the shoulder continues to heal, and next week’s matchup against the Bears defense is exactly what you’re looking for if you need a streaming option. Even if you need a long-term option, Carr usually has a very safe floor that you can rely on.

Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (Available in 70% of ESPN leagues, 55% of Yahoo, and 54% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid:3-5% of total budget

Raise your hand if you benched Sam Howell against the Eagles…because I did! I think everyone in their right mind did unless they were completely desperate, but he ended up finishing as the QB1 going into Monday night. On the season, he’s sitting as the QB8 overall and QB9 in points per game. I know it’s Sam Howell and the Commanders stink, but we don’t care about real life win totals when it comes to fantasy. Howell has been slinging and getting it done for fantasy, and the next few weeks, he faces the Patriots, Seahawks, and Giants, so he should be able to continue his production, at least over the next three games. Unlike Carr, though, he can be inconsistent, but he’s a great streaming option if your quarterback is on bye or dealing with injury.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Available in 72% of ESPN leagues, 70% of Yahoo leagues, and 67% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 1-3% of total budget

Speaking of guys we didn’t think were going to be any good going into this season, let’s talk about Baker Mayfield. Sure, he’s not in that QB1 tier, but he’s a solid QB2 option, averaging 16.2 fantasy points per game through seven games. The Bucs also have a decent schedule ahead, with games against the Texans, Titans, reeling 49ers, Colts, and Panthers. Depending on how depleted the wire is in your league, you may have to rely on Mayfield to get you through. 

Honorable Mentions 

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (Available in 99% of ESPN leagues, 96% of Yahoo leagues, and 93% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid:1-2% of total budget

We don’t yet know if Ryan Tannehill is going to return for Thursday night’s game against the Steelers, but it seems like if he does that he will be the starter per Mike Vrabel. Right now, he has only said that Levis will start if Tannehill can’t go, but after the monster performance he put up in Week 8, is that the right move? On a short week, I’d still look at trying to pick up Levis as a fill-in. Just don’t spend much (if any) FAAB on him.

Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons (Rostership NA)

FAAB Bid:1-2% of total budget

Much like Levis, we don’t know if Heinicke will get the start over Desmond Ridder in Week 9, but it kind of makes sense considering that Ridder cleared the concussion tests and was still held out. Heinicke was a decent starter last year with the Commanders, and he injected some much-needed life into the passing game. Arthur Smith doesn’t seem like the kind of coach to bench someone (and admit he was wrong), as it took him until Week 13 and an injury to Marcus Mariota to turn to Ridder last year, but there is definitely a quarterback controversy brewing in Atlanta.

Waiver Wire Running Backs

Leonard Fournette, Buffalo Bills (Available in 99% of ESPN leagues, 97% of Yahoo leagues, and 90% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 8-10%

News broke Monday afternoon that Leonard Fournette was signing with the Buffalo Bills, and although he’s only signing to the practice squad, that move is so he can “get acclimated” and is typically standard practice. He’s had back-to-back years with over 1,000 scrimmage yards, and Buffalo desperately needs some playmakers in the run game if they hope to keep Josh Allen healthy. The upcoming schedule is admittedly tough for the Bills, but we’re looking at the talent here. Even if he’s a little pre-washed, he’s worth an add.

Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals (Available in 61% of ESPN leagues, 64% of Yahoo leagues, and 55% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-8%

Demercado continued as the lead back for the Cardinals in Week 8, seeing 42 offensive snaps, 20 carries, and one target against a very tough Ravens run defense. The lack of targets hurt his ceiling, but he still finished as the RB28 in PPR leagues, making him a decent flex option going into Week 9. They do face a tough Browns defense next week, but they still allowed 9.15 yards per carry from the Seattle backfield, so they are showing a few cracks. As long as he continues to see such a large number of carries, he should be on your radar.

Devin Singletary, Houston Texans (Available in 67% of ESPN leagues, 80% of Yahoo leagues, and 73% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 5-8%

Okay, neither of the Texans backs did much against the Panthers, in what was a very strange game, but Singletary did end up splitting snaps basically down the middle with Dameon Pierce and outscoring him in PPR leagues because of the targets. It’s a filthy committee, but at this point in the season, anyone who is seeing 50% of the snaps and getting targets is worth a look. Like we said earlier, it’s thin out there.  

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (Available in 70% of ESPN leagues, 58% of Yahoo leagues, and 51% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 8-10%

As soon as I decide to drop Charbonnet, he starts seeing carries. That’s just the way it goes, isn’t it? He actually outsnapped Kenneth Walker 32 to 24 and although he only saw five carries to Walker’s eight, he averaged a whopping 10.6 yards per carries and tacked on 11 yards on two receptions. The schedule isn’t exactly the best going forward, but if he can be that efficient against the Browns defense, he should still be a worthy flex option. 

Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints (Available in 82% of ESPN leagues, 64% of Yahoo leagues, and 66% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 6-8%

Shaheed has been a little boom-or-bust, especially during the early part of the season, but lately, he’s been a go-to target for Derek Carr. We’re not necessarily counting on volume here, as he’s not playing the snaps or getting targets, but the targets he sees are HUGE. On the season, he’s averaging 20.8 yards per reception and has three touchdowns, sitting as WR33 in PPR formats. I don’t typically recommend picking up players with such a low snap share (aside from Rashee Rice and Josh Downs), but when he’s on the field, Carr has eyes for him. Just be aware he’s a high ceiling/low floor play.

Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers (Available in 83% of ESPN leagues, 83% of Yahoo leagues, and 74% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 6-8%

The Packers offense has been downright bad, but a positive part of that for fantasy is that they’re forced to throw the ball a ton, and Reed has been making his way onto the field and getting a steady snap share. In Week 8, he played 54 of the 68 snaps and was third on the team in targets. He also found his way into the end zone, which is more than can be said for most of the other skill position players on the team. The next three weeks look fairly favorable for the Packers passing game, with matchups against the Rams, Steelers, and Packers, so his momentum should continue to build.

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals (91% of ESPN leagues, 85% of Yahoo leagues, and 77% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 8-10%

The rookie out of Stanford has quietly been emerging as the WR2 on the Cardinals offense and with Kyler Murray returning in the next week or two, he should be on your radar. In Week 8 against the Ravens, he played 68 of the team’s 76 snaps and was third on the team in targets. He has a big size advantage on anyone else in the wide receiver room at 6’2”, and he has had some breakout games already. The Cardinals are clearly not tanking, and as they make a run down the stretch against the Browns, Falcons, and Texans, the game script should be a perfect storm for fantasy points.

Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills (Available in 99% of ESPN leagues, 99% of Yahoo leagues, and 96% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 6-8%

Let’s not get too excited about one good game from a fourth receiving option on the team, but if you’re in a deep league and options are limited, Shakir is someone you should be looking at. With Dawson Knox on injured reserve and no other healthy tight end options aside from Dalton Kincaid, the Bills shifted to playing more 11 personnel, and this could be the case for the foreseeable future, giving Shakir more opportunities, at least for the next few weeks.

KhaDarel Hodge, Atlanta Falcons (Rostership NA)

FAAB Bid:3-5%

This is another dart throw, but after Drake London left with a groin injury, Hodge saw a decent amount of playing time, finishing with three receptions on three targets for 75 yards. We’ll have to watch London’s status this week, but he’s another fill-in option in deep leagues, especially if Taylor Heinicke ends up starting.

Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals (Available in 92% of ESPN leagues, 80% of Yahoo leagues, and 72% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 8-10%

What did we tell you last week? Trey McBride was a MUST ADD after Zach Ertz was placed on injured reserve, and he did not disappoint. He saw a mind-blowing 14 targets, played 62 of the team’s 76 snaps, and finished with 95 yards and a touchdown. Like a few other players on the Cardinals, their ceilings should see a substantial increase with Kyler Murray returning to the lineup, and the second-year tight end has officially arrived. In the tight end wasteland, this is a guy you have to have on your roster.

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (Available in 85% of ESPN leagues, 65% of Yahoo leagues, and 59% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 3-5%

Admittedly, I’ve been out on Taysom Hill as just a gadget guy, and with Juwan Johnson returning, I thought there was no way he was going to be relevant this week. Somehow, though, he just keeps producing. Although his snaps were low, when he was on the field, he was used, seeing nine carries and finishing with 63 yards and two touchdowns. His usage is infuriating, but he’s sitting as the TE11 in PPR formats, and as long as they keep using him in these gadget packages, you can do worse. Ugh, it’s so infuriating.

Donald Parham, Los Angeles Chargers (Available in 98% of ESPN leagues, 97% of Yahoo leagues, and 96% of Sleeper leagues)

FAAB Bid: 3-5%

With Gerald Everett out with a groin injury, Donald Parham took over the majority of the pass catching duties for the tight ends, seeing five targets on his 43 snaps. While Stone Smartt still had a role, seeing 39 snaps, he didn’t see a single target, with Herbert looking Parham’s way. If the game was closer, he likely would have seen a few more, but the game was so out of hand. This is obviously another deep dive, but with a matchup against the Jets next week, the passes may be funneled to the tight end, greatly benefiting Parham.