It’s the halfway point of the season, so fantasy football owners flock to the waiver wire for relief.
The right waiver moves pay dividends for owners in need. Look at Houston Texans wideout Nate Washington, who exploded for 24 points in Week 7, stood tall as a top add, with his ownership percentage jumping by more than 30 points, and then posted another 13 points with a touchdown this past weekend.
After a devastating weekend for injuries, emergence of new faces, differing usages and more, it’s time to take a look at the Week 9 top adds to consider.
Week 9 Waiver-Wire Pickup Targets
Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (17.4 percent owned)
After a ridiculous scoring weekend for quarterbacks—eight players scored at least 22 points—it’s easy to scoff at the 19 by Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Jameis Winston.
Savvy owners in need, though, will take it as a sign.
Believe it or not, Winston has posted 19 points in consecutive games after a Week 6 bye. He wasn’t a world-beater before the bye in any sense of the description, but he’s making a strong case for a higher ownership percentage as his debut campaign continues.
With Mike Evans in the fold and Doug Martin running like it’s three years ago, Winston features a pretty solid floor for owners looking for streaming options. Best of all, he next encounters the New York Giants, who have allowed 18 or more points to quarterbacks four times, including Drew Brees‘ 46-point outburst to lead all scorers going into Monday.
Joique Bell, RB, Detroit Lions (30.3 percent owned)
It’s another weak week for running back adds given high ownership percentages to notable backups.
Joique Bell of the Detroit Lions looks like a name owners should consider, though. He started the season injured and hadn’t really worked his way into the offense until Sunday, when he led the team in rushing with seven carries for 56 yards.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s the first time Bell has acted as the lead back this year, and that’s an 8.0 yards per carry average. If the game hadn’t been a 45-10 blowout loss, Bell would have done right by his small amount of owners.
He looked like his old self this past weekend, in London of all places. It’s easy to forget he’s acted as the lead back each of the past two years and scored at least seven touchdowns.
With Bell reassuming starting duties, he’s a strong add so long as he can stay healthy.
Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego Chargers (27.6 percent owned)
Age doesn’t matter for a fantasy owner in need.
San Diego Chargers wideout Malcom Floyd might be 34 years old, but he still tied for the second-highest scorer at his position this past weekend with 21 points while doing things like this highlight captured by the NFL:
Granted, it’s just Floyd’s second trip to double digits this year. But Philip Rivers trusts him in any occasion, and with Keenan Allen dealing with a slight issue, Floyd might see plenty of opportunities at high-scoring outputs in the coming weeks.
He quietly caught six scores last year and has five or more in four of his last five seasons, the exception an injury-riddled 2013. He’s been in San Diego since 2004, helping his rapport with Rivers.
The trick is figuring out when to deploy him based on matchup and those around him.
Jacob Tamme, TE, Atlanta Falcons (5.7 percent owned)
The Atlanta Falcons just realized they have a talented pass-catcher at tight end, so it’s time to pick up Jacob Tamme in all leagues.
It’s been a head-scratching affair watching the Falcons mostly ignore their talented veteran tight end, who happened to be one of Peyton Manning‘s favorite targets over the years.
On Sunday, with Leonard Hankerson out of the picture, Matt Ryan looked to Tamme and helped him tally 16 points, the third-highest total at the position before Monday. As ESPN Stats & Info pointed out, Tamme sent a strong signal as to what could be in the Atlanta offense:
Owners in need have to hope the Falcons get the message.
In what can still be one of the league’s most explosive aerial attacks, Tamme would be a surefire start each week if he can remain the No. 2 option. It’s a staggering chance at steady production at an unpredictable spot, although maybe not so surprising given the nature of the position.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats, as of November 2. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.
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