Every week, I try to find players who could be sitting on the waiver wire and are worth picking up for this week based on their matchups. With bye weeks here and so many injuries, finding streaming options has become even more important! Here’s what I have for week nine:
Teams on a bye: Steelers and 49ers
WR:
Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Bucs
The matchup is tough this week, so in shallower leagues, I would look to go with Downs or Legette over him easily. However, McMillan has seen 15 targets in the past 2 weeks after seeing just 7 targets in his first 4 games. With Godwin and Evans out, he is the WR seeing more opportunity, and at some point, the Bucs will be losing this game to the defending champion Chiefs, so they will have to air it out.
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers
He had a tough matchup last week against a good Broncos pass defense, and although he only ended the day with 34 yards, he did catch 4 passes and find the endzone. It was the 7 targets that stood out to me, though, and with Diontae Johnson traded to the Ravens, the target share for Legette is only expected to grow. That, coupled with the fact that he has a great matchup vs. the Saints this week, has me feeling good about him. The Saints rank 28th in the NFL against the pass and 26th against WRs in fantasy.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 13: Xavier Legette #17 of the Carolina Panthers makes a touchdown pass against Clark Phillips III #22 of the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium on October 13, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images)
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
Downs saw a team-high nine targets in week 8, and although he only caught 4 of them, he ended up with 109 yards and a TD. If he had a more accurate QB throwing him the football, he might have had a much bigger game. The good news here is that Joe Flacco was named the starter in week 9 against the Vikings, which means that Downs and all of the Colts pass catchers will get a big boost this weekend. All of the biggest games we have seen from Downs prior to week 8 came with Flacco as his QB. He saw at least 9 targets in all of those games and made at least 7 catches, too. The matchup is superb, too. The Vikings rank 32nd in fantasy football against the WR position.
Tyler Boyd, Tennessee Titans
Although Nick Westbrook-Ikhine caught the TD pass last week and has now scored a TD in three consecutive games, Boyd saw more targets and is the more reliable player in PPR. This is a 14 or 16-team league type of streaming option, but it’s worth noting that the Patriots defense has been bad this season against the pass, ranking 23rd in the NFL and 25th against WRs in fantasy.
TE:
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 29: Taysom Hill #7 of the New Orleans Saints runs past Kenny Moore II #23 of the Indianapolis Colts while scoring a rushing touchdown during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 29, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Other than Alvin Kamara, there is no other Saints player with a better chance to score a TD in a game than Taysom Hill. He can throw for it, run for it, or make a TD catch. His versatility always makes him an interesting play, but this week, I think he needs to be in your lineups. The Saints are facing the Panthers, who rank last in the NFL in points allowed per game, last in the NFL against the run, and 25th against the pass. As bad as the Saints offense has been lately, this weekend, it is going to score points.
Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks
If D.K. Metcalf misses another game, then I love this play, even in the shallower leagues. If Metcalf does play, I still think Fant is in a good spot this week. The Seahawks will host the Rams in a crucial divisional showdown, and the Rams have been dreadful against the TE position this season. They rank 30th against the position coming into week 9, and the Seahawks, being a pass-first team, will almost assuredly look to exploit it.