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Through The Wire - Week 9



By Antonio D'Arcangelis | 11/2/22 |

Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business, but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious selections to help your team from week to week while you strive for that elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp.

The waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players that might be available in 12-team PPR leagues. I’ll also provide a brief update on the players I covered the previous week.

Feedback is always welcome, appreciated and encouraged. I’ll get to as many e-mails as I can.


Week 9 Byes: Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, NY Giants, Pittsburgh, San Francisco

Quarterbacks

Trevor Lawrence, JAC vs. Las Vegas – It’s the best matchup on paper this week in terms of FF points allowed to QB, and there’s just not much on the wire to get excited about. T-Law is available in over 40% of ESPN leagues, so he’s what I’m looking for this week (if Justin Fields is not available) as a bye week fill-in.

Marcus Mariota, ATL vs. Los Angeles Chargers – I’m much more interested in T-Law and Fields, but if I desperately need a live body to start at QB this week, I’m partial to Mariota, who had his best fantasy performance of 2022 against the Panthers in Week 8 with 253-3-2 and 6-43-0 rushing. He’s been serviceable the last four games, even if he doesn’t throw to Drake London enough!

Other QBs to consider (Week 9 opponents in parentheses): Jared Goff, DET (vs. GB); Taylor Heinicke, WAS (vs. MIN); Davis Mills, HOU (vs. PHI)

UPDATE (players recommended last week):

Daniel Jones, NYG – Jones (176-0-0) was a huge bust on Sunday in what seemed like a favorable matchup. This team really needs healthy, experienced WRs.

Justin Fields, CHI – Fields surpassed expectations (151-2-0 passing, 8-60-1 rushing) and logged his best fantasy performance of the season against Big D and their big D. Kudos to you if you took the plunge and plugged him in. He’s looking like a deep-league fantasy starter for the foreseeable future.

Kenyan Drake

Running Backs

Kenyan Drake, BAL @ New Orleans – Keep an eye on the hamstring injury to Gus Edwards (more below), because Drake will get a massive workload if he sits. Drake is versatile and talented, but he’s sometimes ineffective. This week you might not have a choice.

UPDATE: Khalil Herbert, CHI vs. Miami – This looks more like “RB by committee” than we were led to believe at the outset of the season, and Herbert has looked at times much better than David Montgomery, who struggled against Dallas and may have lost the edge in the balance of touches moving forward. Herbert is still available in over 50% of ESPN leagues.

Caleb Huntley, ATL vs. Los Angeles Chargers – I can’t stand recommending Atlanta RBs, but there’s not a lot going on this week in the RB wire except retreads and players already rostered. Still, Huntley had 16 carries for 91 yards in Week 8 and he’s fine for RB3/flex in 12-team leagues in a tough bye week.

UPDATE: Chase Edmonds, DEN (BYE) – It’s not guaranteed that Edmonds will immediately resume fantasy relevancy after being relegated to backup status in Miami, but without a true serviceable back in Denver (Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray just don’t get anybody excited), it’s worth a waiver wire shot unless you have more immediate needs, especially since the Broncos are on a bye in Week 9.

Other RBs to consider (Week 8 opponents in parentheses): Isiah Pacheco, KC (vs. TEN); James Cook, BUF (@NYJ); Jaylen Warren, PIT (BYE); Nyheim Hines, IND (@NE)

UPDATE (players recommended last week):

Gus Edwards, BAL – Edwards (11-65-0 rushing) caught a mild hammy in the latter stages of Week 8 and is day-to-day with the injury. He’s questionable for Week 9 @ NO in a tough matchup.

D’Onta Foreman & Chuba Hubbard, CAR – Foreman stole the show (28-118-3 rushing) in a monster workhorse performance and Hubbard sat out Week 8 with an injury he suffered last Sunday vs. TB. Foreman is still out there in a few leagues but you may have missed the boat on adding him.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

UPDATE: Chase Claypool, CHI vs. Miami – He’s only available in about 25-30 percent of leagues, but he could be the best waiver wire add of the week if available and goes on to live up to the potential he showed as a rookie. Perhaps the environment in Chicago will lead to better production for the somewhat acrimonious young wideout.

Devin Duvernay, BAL @ New Orleans – With Rashod Bateman out a few weeks and TE Mark Andrews nursing an injury of his own, Duvernay could be an essential piece of the Ravens offense moving forward. Last week he scored on the ground and there’s 20+ point ceiling based on his versatility, regardless of matchup difficulty.

TE Evan Engram, JAC vs. Las Vegas – Engram (4-55-1) led the Jags in receptions and yards, highlighted by a 22-yard TD in the first quarter. Engram is emerging as a consistent fantasy TE, and now has at least four receptions in four consecutive games with 50+ receiving yards thrice in that span. I wish I played him last week in the one league where I own him!

Rondale Moore, ARI vs. Seattle – He’s fast, and he’s got a solid possession receiver back in the fold in Nuk Hopkins to help take some of that heat off. Moore’s 7-92-1 receiving and 2-12-0 rushing in Week 8 are just the beginning of gaudy numbers for the second-year WR.

Romeo Doubs, GB @ Detroit – The confidence is growing and the catch on Sunday night should be a glimpse of the goodness to come from Doubs, who has a favorable matchup this week in Detroit. Get him while he’s still available.

Darnell Mooney, CHI vs. Miami – With Fields improving each week and the ceiling for Mooney steadily increasing as well, it’s a good time to take a shot. Miami gets in shootouts and the Bears offense has massive upside in this matchup.

Other WRs/TEs to consider (Week 8 opponents in parentheses): Mack Hollins, LV (@JAC); Zay Jones, JAC (vs. LV); Demarcus Robinson, BAL (@NO); Terrace Marshall Jr., CAR (@CIN); TE Juwan Johnson, NO (@JAC); TE Brock Wright, DET (vs. GB)

UPDATE (players recommended last week):

Parris Campbell, IND – Campbell came back down to earth but contributed some yardage (2-43-0 receiving, 1-28-0 rushing) in Sam Ehlinger’s starting debut.

Darius Slayton, NYG – A mediocre day (5-66-0) but efficient (just six targets) in Week 8. Slayton remains part of the formula in New York but the Giants are on a bye.

TE Greg Dulcich, DEN – A solid day for Dulcich (4-87-0) against Jacksonville in London gives way to a bye week for the rookie in Week 9. Some of the matchups after that are golden, though (@TEN, LV, @CAR, @BAL, KC).

Defense/ Special Teams

  • Tampa Bay vs. LAR
  • Baltimore @ NO
  • Green Bay @ DET
  • Minnesota @ WAS
  • New England vs. IND