It’s A Young Man’s Game
You will notice this week’s fantasy football waiver article is a little different than last week. This week features many young players, and there is a good process behind it. As we move into the second half of the season, we see young players take a sizeable step forward with the team. Thus causing the role and impact to grow as the coaches and staff begin to trust the younger players. On top of that, management would like to know how the draft capital investment looks and if it was the correct pick.
Remember, players must be rostered in less than 50% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues to qualify. So, I present the Week 9 Waiver Wire adds without further ado.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard Rostered 34.6% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (10% FAAB)
I know what you are thinking. Didn’t D’Onta Foreman obliterate the Atlanta Falcons a mere days ago? Foreman did that, but was filling in for an injured Chuba Hubbard. The backfield will likely shift closer to a split upon Hubbard’s return. Hubbard will see the passing down work in the offense, which is fantasy gold; particularly for a team that will be in a negative game script the rest of the season. Hubbard also possesses game-breaking speed so that he can hit a long run.
Khalil Herbert Rostered 47.7% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (10% FAAB)
The Bears are slowly working Herbert into a committee approach this season. David Montgomery is a former bell-cow back who is seeding rushing attempts to Herbert; who, over the first two years of his career, has been a much more efficient rusher than Montgomery. Herbert does not possess the ability to be a genuine bell-cow. But he can earn more rushing work as the season goes on. The Bears are one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, and having a back of Herbert’s ability is well worth a roster spot.
James Cook Rostered 25.6% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (5% FAAB)
James Cook is the clear number RB2 in Buffalo, and beginning to see a slow build-up inside the Buffalo offense. With Buffalo reaching out to other teams in the NFL for a passing-down weapon (which is the role they drafted Cook to fill), it is clear how they want to deploy James Cook in the offense. In time Cook will slide into an even more significant role in the best offense in football.
Wide Receiver
Rondale Moore Rostered 46.3% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (10% FAAB)
Rondale Moore is thrilled with DeAndre Hopkins return. With Hopkins reminding us that he is still a tremendous wide receiver, it is freeing up room in the offense for Moore to work. Moore benefited greatly on Sunday, seeing almost every possible snap and route. The Cardinals are the true Jekyll and Hyde team this season. With Arizona playing the Mr. Hyde role almost exclusively in the first half of games, it creates game scripts in that Moore can thrive.
Josh Palmer Rostered 25.0% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (5% FAAB)
Mike Williams will miss a significant portion of the time with a high ankle sprain; allowing Josh Palmer to slide into the WR2 position of the Chargers’ offense. Palmer is currently averaging a 16.7% Target Share and 9.4 PPG in year two. He works well with Keenan Allen because Palmer plays most of his snaps outside and lets Allen do his thing in the slot. Palmer is one of the actual fantasy handcuff wide receivers in the NFL. He will not be able to do 100% of what Mike Williams was capable of, but he can give you 80% of Mike Williams.
Devin Duvernay Rostered 29.0% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (5% FAAB)
With Rashod Bateman expected to miss a significant portion of time with a foot injury, Duvernay steps into the WR1 role in Baltimore’s passing attack. Duvernay will still have boom-bust moments in that role, but it should allow him to see more snaps and targets in the offense moving forward and increase the chances of Duvernay hitting big each week. A solid dart throw pickup for the rest of the year.
Tight End
Greg Dulcich Rostered 34.0% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (5% FAAB)
Greg Dulce-de-leche has been a revelation in Denver. Rookie tight ends are almost exclusively a disappointment early in their careers. Still, Dulcich has been a revelation, banishing Albert O and every other tight end in Denver to the shadow realm. Dulcich has three games under his belt and has been a top-12 fantasy tight end in each of them. Dulcich currently stands as the TE5 of the year. That’s something even the goat Kyle Pitts has been unable to do. Those in need of a tight end should spend up and secure Dulcich.
Evan Engram Rostered 32.2% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (5% FAAB)
How often must we walk down the same path before we decide we can not do it anymore? Evan Engram is testing all fantasy managers’ patience; as he has toyed with us over the years thanks to that oh-so-tempting upside. Engram is back to remind us that he was a highly talented former first-round pick and is being utilized correctly in Jacksonville. (CC: Kyle Pitts)
Isaiah Likely Rostered 1.7% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (2% FAAB)
Isaiah Likely stepped in for an injured Mark Andrews and did not miss a beat on Thursday. Likely led Baltimore in receptions, targets, yards, snaps, and routes ran while making his best impression of Mark Andrews. Likely is third on the list because we are uncertain if Andrews will miss time. If Andrews does miss time, Likely would shoot up to the top spot as the number one pass catcher in Baltimore’s offense has significant appeal. However, if Andrews does appear to be on track, you can pivot to another player, such as the Raiders’ Foster Moreau.
Quarterback
Justin Fields Rostered 26.2% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (10% FAAB)
Justin Fields is the prince that was promised. Fields is finally looking like the QB1 from the 2021 rookie class. After the abysmal first four weeks where Fields was the QB35 with 10.39 PPG, he has turned it around and been the QB6 in his last four with 21.71 PPG. It has been a drastic shift in the public perception of Fields and the Chicago Bears. Fields has that Konami Code rolling and is currently second in the NFL in rushing yards, only trailing Lamar Jackson. Those of you in need of quarterback help should move mountains to add Fields to your roster. Oh, and by the way, he has a juicy matchup against Miami in Week 9.
Deshaun Watson Rostered 17.5% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (2% FAAB)
Well, I see that Watson is slowly climbing the ESPN roster ranks, as people are rightly stashing the fantasy difference-maker. Watson will make his 2022 debut on December 4th. If you can afford to stash Watson for a playoff run, I highly recommend it. Few quarterbacks can match the upside he brings in fantasy football.
Andy Dalton Rostered 21.5% ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (1% FAAB)
I almost suggested the mystery box that is Malik Willis against Kansas City, but it’s far too risky of a matchup after we only saw Tennessee pass the ball ten times (yes, you read that right) on Sunday. Tennessee will not be able to ground and pound its way to victory with King Henry, so it will be a better sample for us to inspect moving forward. If Tannehill does play, he is the streaming option for Week 10. If not, I wanted to give you an opportunity for someone playing in a projected shootout (49 points is the expected game total); as only two games currently have a higher projected output. Dalton played exceptionally well in the Week 8 win and gets a Baltimore defense that is among the worst at giving up fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Jesse Moeller
Jesse Moeller is a fascinating character. By day, he's a restaurant manager, but during his free time, he transforms into a fantasy football analyst. He's been playing fantasy football since 1999, which means he's been around the block a few times. But his passion for the game has never waned. Jesse is a devoted husband to his wife Andrea, whom he's been married to for five years. They have a lovely daughter Cecilia, who is now four years old. Jesse's journey into content creation began with The League Winners in 2021, and he hasn't looked back since. Dynasty is his passion, and his love for the game is infectious. Jesse is a true degenerate who loves the fantasy football and the community that supports it.