Week 9 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Priority Targets, Byes & Primetime Matchups

The fantasy football regular season has officially crossed into the second half. Week 9 is where playoff contenders separate themselves from the middle of the pack, but roster management gets trickier with the NFL trade deadline swirling and crucial starters taking breathers. Navigating these rotational shifts, backfield splits, and target spikes on the waiver wire is what will keep your team in the win column.

Before making your claims, keep the weekly schedule logistics in mind when setting lineups and budgeting your FAAB.

Teams on Bye in Week 9

Only two teams get the week off, but their absences leave noticeable holes across lineups:

• Pittsburgh Steelers   

• Tennessee Titans   

  
  

Primetime & International Showcase Games

Plan your flex spots carefully and avoid locking late-kickoff players into fixed positional slots early in the week:

• Thursday Night Football (Nov. 5, 8:15 PM ET): Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens   

• NFL International Series – Madrid, Spain (Sunday, Nov. 8, 9:30 AM ET): Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons (Santiago Bernabéu Stadium)

• Sunday Night Football (Nov. 8, 8:20 PM ET): Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears

• Monday Night Football (Nov. 9, 8:15 PM ET): Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings

  
  

Quarterbacks

QB Sam Darnold has a favorable match this week against the Cardinals. Courtesy of NFL.com

• Malik Willis (MIA - 21% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Facing Detroit indoors in Week 9. Willis brings a legitimate rushing floor that masks passing variance, and opposing dual-threat passers have regularly posted mid-to-high teen fantasy outputs against Detroit’s aggressive front.

• Sam Darnold (SEA - 43% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): A premier home streaming candidate against Arizona. Darnold commands heavy volume off play-action, giving him a safe multi-touchdown floor against a beatable secondary.

• Michael Penix Jr. (ATL - 20% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Available in over 80% of fantasy leagues. With Atlanta traveling to Madrid to square off against a potent Cincinnati offense, game script points toward Penix having to drop back and air it out across four quarters.

Running Backs

Mike Washington Jr. will have a usage increase with Ashton Jeanty's injury. Courtesy of Bleacher Report

• Mike Washington Jr. (LV - 28% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Commandeered early-down work with 25 carries for 83 yards, relegating Ashton Jeanty largely to passing situations. That type of raw touch volume immediately warrants RB2/Flex status.

• Emmett Johnson (KC - 19% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Exploded for 128 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches. Even working in tandem with Kenneth Walker III, his pass-catching equity provides standalone flex appeal in PPR formats, along with league-winning upside if the backfield opens up.

• Dylan Sampson (CLE - 17% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Back-to-back double-digit PPR performances backed by an 8-target game last Sunday. He offers a very stable floor heading into New Orleans.

• Seth McGowan (IND - 31% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Averaging 4.4 yards per carry in complementary action. An essential bench stash ahead of trade deadline dust-settling in the Indianapolis backfield.

Wide Receivers

WR Keenan Allen has turned back the hands of time in Indy. Courtesy of Bleacher Report

• Keenan Allen (IND - 52% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Hauled in all seven targets last week for 67 yards. With trade rumors swirling around Josh Downs, Allen represents an elite PPR target-vacuum that belongs on rosters everywhere.

• Adonai Mitchell (NYJ - 11% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): His route participation and deep-ball target share have spiked in consecutive weeks, putting him squarely in the WR3 conversation with big-play upside.

• Ryan Flournoy (DAL - 34% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Carries major momentum after capturing high-leverage red zone targets. Worth an aggressive FAAB bid (15–25%) in 12-team leagues looking for touchdown equity.

• DeMario Douglas (NE -37% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Continues to lead New England's underneath passing game. He offers safe WR3/Flex floor reliability against Green Bay.

• Malik Washington / Caleb Douglas (MIA  - 48% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Miami's perimeter weapons continue to produce splash plays in space, making them viable plug-and-play flex options against Detroit's over-pursuing defense.

Tight Ends

TE Matt Gesicki has seen an uptick in redzone targets of the Bengals. Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

• Mike Gesicki (CIN - 19% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): One of the hottest red zone targets in football, finding the end zone in five consecutive games. Joe Burrow looks for him inside the 20, making him an automatic TE1 start.

• Brenton Strange (JAX - 63% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Target volume is trending sharply upward as Jacksonville attacks the middle of the field, cementing Strange as a dependable weekly starter.

• Chig Okonkwo (WAS - 29% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Operating as a go-to safety valve against the Rams, providing a steady baseline of 5–7 targets over the middle.

• Greg Dulcich (MIA - 6% Rostered in Yahoo Fantasy): Coming off three straight games with at least four receptions and gets a pristine matchup against a Lions defense that has surrendered heavy production to opposing tight ends.

The Verdict on Your Week 9 Waiver Wire Needs

Whether you need a one-week streaming band-aid to cover your byes or you are looking to stash a playoff difference-maker before the trade deadline shakes up depth charts, strike aggressively on waivers this week.

If you're heading out to the stadium or catching the action from home, rep your colors with authentic sideline jerseys, hats, and hoodies by grabbing your officially licensed gear directly at the NFL Shop. Good luck on the wire, and set those lineups early!