Not every breakout in fantasy football has the same trajectory. Sure, some guys like Ja'Marr Chase hit from their very first game and never look back. Others, like Odell Beckham Jr. in his first year, miss time with injury, then pop off. And it’s easy to forget that a rookie like Amon-Ra St. Brown was pretty much unstartable until Week 13, before he took the world, and fantasy leagues, by storm. There are a lot of catalysts for breakouts, and some players simply start off slow before ending hot. Especially rookies.
So, even though it feels like we are deep in the season, there is still a LOT of football left to play. Some players are just now getting a chance to show what they can do. And it’s our job to get them onto rosters BEFORE the rest of the world finds out, like with Germie Bernard. So let’s jump into the Week 9 waivers for as many different league types as possible in this week’s Fantasy Alarm waiver wire coverage.
2026 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 9 Top Targets And Strategy
As we mentioned above, the key to navigating waivers is understanding your league and understanding what you need. We’ll give our guidance on whether to use your waiver claim or your FAAB, but every league is unique, so go with your gut for the final numbers.
You also need to know what kind of player you want to target. My rule of thumb is that, if the player goes DIRECTLY into my lineup at QB, WR, RB, or TE, I’m willing to use that top claim or a minimum 25% of your budget. This is a weekly game at its
We will do our best to differentiate whether this is a guy we can start right away or whether we like to have them on the bench to see if they break out. As always, if you play in deeper leagues like FFPC, check out our Streamers & Stashes article that gets down to the much lower-rostered players for those deep sleepers!
NFL Week 9 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks
Malik Willis - Miami Dolphins, Yahoo: 20% | ESPN: 11% | Sleeper: 18%
Malik Willis quietly has the fourth-most rushes of any quarterback. Which is interesting considering the Dolphins have not called many designed runs for him this year - only 7 in 7 games. His 22 scrambles, however, are the third most behind only Drake Maye and Deshaun Watson. So he’s finding a way to use his legs even if the team might be trying to limit his exposure in a lost year.
The running alone isn’t quite enough, but his weapons have also come on lately. As you will see throughout this article, guys like Caleb Douglas and Greg Dulcich have stepped up as of late, which has seen Willis put together back-to-back games of 200+ yards and 2 TDs. If you lost Lamar Jackson or are having other quarterback troubles, Willis is an interesting move this week with the Lions on deck. Both Jack Campbell and Brian Branch left the game this week with injury, so we’ll be monitoring that ahead of this matchup.
- Waiver Priority: Low priority
- FAAB: 0-5%
Geno Smith - New York Jets, Yahoo: 23% | ESPN: 33% | Sleeper: 30%
There is often stigma surrounding Jets players. And Geno Smith doesn’t have the best fantasy football resume either. But he’s quietly thrown for 250+ yards in four straight games now while also throwing six touchdowns over that span. He’s now thrown 12 TD passes and only 3 picks on the season. His next four games are the Chiefs, Bills, Chargers, and Dolphins (he already played the Dolphins, where he threw for 287 yards and 3 TDs). If you play in leagues with six-point passing TDs, Geno isn’t that bad of an option right now.
- Waiver Priority: Low Priority
- FAAB: 0-5%
Deshaun Watson - Cleveland Browns, Yahoo: 12% | ESPN: 13% | Sleeper: 18%
Deshaun Watson has shown flashes. And he’s had noteworthy comeback wins. But he’s yet to put it all together with a breakout game. Early in the year, he was running a ton - and he still has the second most rush attempts of any QB behind only Josh Allen. But he wasn’t scoring rushing touchdowns then. And he wasn’t racking up big yardage throwing the football.
Last week he finally did score a rushing touchdown. And he’s thrown for over 300 yards in back-to-back weeks. But now he can’t buy a passing touchdown. If he could put it all together for one game, he could have a monster week, but he hasn’t quite been able to do it. The schedule for Cleveland gets a lot easier (luckily, both Steelers games are now over). So Watson remains one of the more intriguing deep league names, especially in four-point passing leagues.
- Waiver Priority: Low Priority
- FAAB: 0-5%
Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Michael Penix, Sam Darnold
NFL Week 9 Waiver Wire Running Backs
Mike Washington Jr. - Las Vegas Raiders, Yahoo: 27% | ESPN: 18% | Sleeper: 31%
This was obviously the big surprise of the week. Not necessarily that Mike Washington was involved, given the history of Klint Kubiak. But the EXTENT of his usage was certainly jarring. Ashton Jeanty has been the lead back for much of the season, playing 70% of the snaps, then this week hits and, despite Jeanty being active, Washington registered a whopping 25 carries. And Jeanty got two.
Basically, what they did was use Mike Washington as the early down and short-yardage back while Jeanty was the receiving back, which is a pretty normal split unless one of your backs was selected 6th overall in the NFL Draft. After the game, Klint Kubiak was asked about it, and he said it was his decision and he wanted to get Mike a few more opportunities. He then added that both guys are going to be a huge part of our rushing and passing success, which makes you wonder if maybe this design will hold with Washington getting more of the bruiser work and Jeanty skewing more pass. Either way, Mike Washington can be added if you need RB help.
- Waiver Priority: Medium Priority
- FAAB: 10-15%
Tyler Allgeier - Arizona Cardinals, Yahoo: 52% | ESPN: 46% | Sleeper: 58%
Fantasy football is kind of funny. With Jeremiyah Love back, Tyler Allgeier was actually the odd man out to start this game. Zonovan Knight actually played 16 snaps to only four early on, per Nathan Jahnke of PFF. Allgeier was a bit nicked up coming into the game, and Knight was outplaying him in recent games anyway. But then Knight went down.
With Jeremiyah Love also unable to finish the game with an ankle issue, Tyler Allgeier got the bulk of the work and popped off. Now we are looking at a world where there’s no Jeremiyah Love, no Zonovan Knight, and no James Conner. So Allgeier might just have a clear runway to work for the foreseeable future.
- Waiver Priority: Low Priority
- FAAB: 0-5%
MarShawn Lloyd - Green Bay Packers, Yahoo: 39% | ESPN: 22% | Sleeper: 35%
The most important aspect for handcuff running backs is proximity to playing. We can talk all we want about contingent upside in good offenses or for good players. But Kaelon Black doesn’t “hit” if Christian McCaffrey doesn’t go down. In this case, there are some new accusations against Josh Jacobs that could see him removed from the playing field once again. Which makes Marshawn Lloyd a priority handcuff if you are playing that game.
- Waiver Priority: Low Priority
- FAAB: 0-5%
Seth McGowan - Indianapolis Colts, Yahoo: 4% | ESPN: 8% | Sleeper: 10%
We’ve mentioned McGowan for multiple weeks now for one very simple reason - a possible Jonathan Taylor trade. I know they traded away their best offensive lineman, but a starting running back is a starting running back in fantasy. Ask Ollie Gordon.
- Waiver Priority: Low Priority
- FAAB: 0-5%
Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Tyler Goodson, Kaelon Black, Jacory Croskey-Merritt
NFL Week 9 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers
Antonio Williams - Washington Commanders, Yahoo: 26% | ESPN: 16% | Sleeper: 36%
In the wake of the Terry McLaurin injury, Dan Quinn was asked if the role for Stefon Diggs would change, and he said that it would not. And, this time, the coach actually was telling the truth, as Stefon Diggs still primarily played in the slot. And he still played only 39 out of a possible 60 snaps. Those comments were partially why we were adding rookie Antonio Williams to see if HIS role would grow. And it did.
In the first game with no McLaurin, Williams led the team in snaps and in routes run (he ran 31 of a possible 35 routes). He also led the team in targets with seven and receptions with five. He still played 19 snaps in the slot, but he also got to line up out wide for 29 snaps (and also two in the backfield). It’s pretty rare to get a rookie with a big role with a good quarterback, so if you didn’t stash him already, now is the time.
- Waiver Priority: Medium to High Priority
- FAAB: 15-25%
Caleb Douglas - Miami Dolphins, Yahoo: 28% | ESPN: 29% | Sleeper: 52%
Caleb Douglas has made a few appearances in both this article and the Streamers & Stashes article, including last week. Many folks were shocked that the Dolphins took him in the third round as he wasn’t “projected” to go there. But the Dolphins clearly like this guy - and his recent usage reflects that.
This week he actually led all Dolphins pass-catchers in snaps, playing 56 of 65. He also led in routes run with 34 of 40. Up until now, Malik Washington has led the Dolphins in snaps and routes every week (Washington sat at 48 snaps and 31 routes, so not far behind). Since returning from injury, Douglas has had 2 catches on 3 targets for 70 yards and 2 TDs, then just caught 4 passes on 6 targets for 43. And that was against the Jets and Patriots, who are pretty solid defenses. The Dolphins aren’t a great team, but they are looking more and more competent as the season goes on.
- Waiver Priority: Medium Priority
- FAAB: 10-15%
Malachi Fields - New York Giants, Yahoo: 4% | ESPN: 5% | Sleeper: 10%
We like to include one deep league option in this article (though the more comprehensive breakdown for deep leagues can be found in our Streamers & Stashes article). The rookie Malachi Fields has quietly been getting a pretty decent-sized snap share for most of the season alongside Malik Nabers. They released Darius Slayton, and Fields was operating ahead of Darnell Mooney even before Mooney got banged up.
Despite this, Fields hasn’t really popped for fantasy football. That is, until JJ McCarthy took over. Jameis Winston was more focused on Nabers and Isaiah Likely, but McCarthy has looked to Fields quite a bit since taking over. Fields got 8 targets in the first game for McCarthy and just had his best game of the year before the bye, catching four of five for 83 yards. Those five targets were more than Isaiah Likely got, who has been down a bit in the short sample size we have with the new QB.
Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Ja'Kobi Lane, Keenan Allen, Treylon Burks
NFL Week 9 Waiver and Yin & Yang Tight End
Chig Okonkwo - Washington Commanders, Yahoo: 30% | ESPN: 16% | Sleeper: 27%
Chig Okonkwo is still our top add at tight end. We mentioned that Antonio Williams led the Commanders in routes run with 31 of 35, but Chig Okonkwo’s 29 was actually ahead of Treylon Burks (29) and Stefon Diggs (27). He didn’t have the blowup game that we were hoping for, but he flashed the skills with that crazy one-handed catch and just missed on an endzone target. This guy has 96th percentile speed - same 40 time as George Kittle - so he doesn’t necessarily need to get a ton of targets to have some big games. With Terry McLaurin done for the year, there are more targets available.
- Waiver Priority: Medium Priority
- FAAB: 10-15%
Greg Dulcich - Miami Dolphins, Yahoo: 6% | ESPN: 1% | Sleeper: 6%
Greg Dulcich was in the article last week as well (as well as the Streamers & Stashes article many weeks). And he’s always been generally higher than consensus in the rankings at the bottom of this article. There’s a reason we go Yin & Yang tight end, and that’s because some teams, especially ones with a lot of new pieces, are going to need some time to figure things out. The Dolphins are finally starting to figure things out, which has seen Greg Dulcich show some promise.
Over the last five games, Greg Dulcich has had four games where he played over 70% of the snaps and got five or more targets. In the other game, he scored zero fantasy points. But a great Minnesota Vikings defense, fueled by a Brian Flores revenge game, basically just crushed the Dolphins that week, with them only managing 39 offensive plays. So we are willing to forgive that performance to some degree in favor of the positivity we are seeing from Dulcich lately. Even if we are taking a stab on Caleb Douglas in spots too, Dulcich has an opportunity to solidify his target share as well. Guys like Malik Washington, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman are not insurmountable issues. The Jets and Patriots were actually tougher matchups for tight ends, but their schedule gets a little better with Lions, Colts, and Bills next.
- Waiver Priority: Low Priority
- FAAB: 0-5%
Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Mike Gesicki, Terrance Ferguson, Eli Raridon
NFL Week 9 Waiver DST
Kansas City Chiefs DST, Yahoo: 43% | ESPN: 61% | Sleeper: 54%
The Chiefs were dropped in a lot of leagues over their bye, and not a lot of folks rushed to pick them up. That means they could still be available, as they are in about half of Yahoo leagues. They are probably the best combo of good defense with good matchup, though the Jets aren’t as bad as they have been in past years.
Detroit Lions DST, Yahoo: 28% | ESPN: 29% | Sleeper: 17%
All of the “good” defenses are likely rostered. So now we have to figure out which of the bad defenses with good matchups are worth using. The Lions may have lost both Jack Campbell and Brian Branch to injury this week, which is a shame because they have a good matchup with Miami. Even with the injuries, I think they are a better defense than the Cowboys or Giants, who have good matchups as well.
Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Cowboys DST vs. IND, Giants DFS vs. PHI, Saints DST vs. CLE
NFL Week 9 Waiver K
Eddy Pineiro - San Francisco 49ers, Yahoo: 23% | ESPN: 10% | Sleeper: 10%
A tale as old as time. There is a good kicker on a good team. But people don’t want to hold kickers through their bye week. So guys like Eddie Pineiro end up on the wire. Check for Ka’Imi Fairbairn too, as he was dropped in 28% of leagues (though he’s still rostered in 70%). Pineiro is available in far more.
Brandon McManus - Los Angeles Rams Yahoo: 6% | ESPN: 5% | Sleeper: 9%
Clearly, the Chiefs don’t trust Harrison Butker if they are exploring other options, so we don’t want to go there. The Rams kicker position has been cursed this season, but they have a good matchup and should be able to get themselves into scoring position. Hopefully McManus can bring some much-needed consistency to the position for Los Angeles.
Yin & Yang Tight End Chart
As always, this section below will be updated with Yin & Yang tight end rankings for the rest of the season each week. The way Yin & Yang tight end works is: if you have someone from the standalone section, you only need to roster one player. Beyond that, we are likely rostering two - someone to start and someone to stash.
- Standalone - Guys we currently trust that also have big upside.
- Yin - A “safe” player that we can start while trying to hit on a breakout with a bench spot.
- Yang - A higher-risk, higher-reward option ideally stashed on your bench for upside.
- Handcuff - Guys with minimal usage now who could have upside if the starting TE gets hurt.
[Check back for Week 9 Yin & Yang tight end update soon!]