Waiver Wire Watch: Week 9

Nov 02, 2015

Editor’s Note: We’re happy that 4for4 Contributor Pat Fitzmaurice (formerly of Pro Football Weekly) is back on the Waiver Wire Watch this year. He will continue to work in conjunction with Senior Editor John Paulsen to compile this list of the top pickups each week.

Here is a look at the top waiver wire pickups for Week 9. To be eligible for discussion, the player must be owned in 50% or fewer Yahoo leagues, though we’ll stretch the rules a bit for the RB position, which is usually very thin. We’ll also include suggested bid prices (with a $100 budget) for those leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Budgets. Of course, player value depends on league characteristics and team needs. Players are listed by position in order of importance. For extremely shallow or extremely deep leagues, be sure to review our Rest-of-Season Rankings (updated every Tuesday) to get an idea of how to value players not on this list.

Raiders QB Derek Carr ($14)

Carr decimated the vaunted Jets defense on Sunday, completing 23-of-36 passes for 333 yards with four TDs and no INTs. It was Carr’s third 300-yard passing day of the season, and he now has 15 TD passes against only three INTs. Never mind that Darrelle Revis and the Jets largely took away Carr’s top receiver, rookie Amari Cooper. Carr simply peppered No. 2 receiver Michael Crabtree and threw a pair of TD passes to Andre Holmes. The kid is for real, and Carr’s schedule the rest of the way is highly favorable. What are you waiting for? Get this guy, especially if you take a hit at quarterback due to the Week 9 #Byepocalypse.

Next up: @ Steelers, Vikings, @ Lions

Bills QB Tyrod Taylor ($12)

With Taylor having missed Buffalo’s last two games due to a sprained MCL, his ownership rate in Yahoo leagues has fallen to 39%. He should be back this week following the Bills’ Week 8 bye, and he’s worth acquiring if your QB situation is less than ideal. Taylor has averaged 20.6 fantasy points per game this season, doing damage with both his arm and his legs. He has a neutral matchup against the Dolphins this week and a tough one against the Jets in Week 10, but then Taylor’s schedule takes a friendly turn, beginning with a matchup against the Patriots in Week 11, and remains favorable all the way through Week 15.

Next up: Dolphins, @ Jets, @ Patriots

Titans QB Marcus Mariota ($9)

Mariota returns from a sprained MCL just in time to face a Saints defense that Eli Manning flambéed for 350 passing yards and six TDs on Sunday. Unfortunately, he’ll be down a key target, since WR Kendall Wright is expected to miss some time with a sprained MCL. Mariota has averaged 247.8 yards a game over five starts, with nine TD passes and five INTs. He hasn’t done much damage as a runner yet, and he might not be ready to aggressively use his legs to pick up yardage so soon after the MCL injury.

Next up: @ Saints, Panthers, @Jaguars