Joe Serpico shares his top fantasy football waiver-wire pickups heading into Week 9.
Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans: It was the perfect debut for the rookie quarterback, who was phenomenal in his four-touchdown performance. He looked for DeAndre Hopkins early and often as the duo connected on touchdown passes of 47, 16 and 61 yards. There will be talk of a quarterback controversy in Tennessee this week, and if Levis has a similar output in Week 9, he could be the Titans’ signal caller the rest of the way.
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals: It was a brutal week for injuries to quarterbacks as Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, Desmond Ridder, Kenny Pickett and Tyrod Taylor all exited early. The Cardinals have already announced that Joshua Dobbs will start in Week 9, meaning we’ll have to wait at least another game to see the former No. 1 pick back on the field, but Murray could be an upgrade if you’re streaming a QB each week.
Sam Howell, QB, Washington Commanders: Howell led the position in scoring in Week 8 with a great performance against the Eagles. He completed 75 percent of his passes for 397 yards and four touchdowns against one of the NFL’s top defenses. With the injuries sustained this week and bye weeks looming for some of the league’s top QBs, Howell is a streaming option.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers: It appears we have a new lead back in Carolina as Miles Sanders saw just two carries, compared to 17 touches for Hubbard. The output wasn’t great as his 15 carries only accounted for 28 yards with the Panthers’ running game struggling all season. Hubbard is a FLEX option if the usage continues, but don’t expect a ton of points because Carolina is going to trail a lot this season.
Emari Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals: He was one of five players to get 20 carries this week, but the only one not to finish with double-digit scoring. He’s a starting running back so he needs to be rostered, but I’m not getting my hopes up for this ground game. He’s a FLEX player until James Conner gets back, but you can likely find better options.
Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders: Dotson has seen his roster ownership drop in recent weeks, down to nearly 50 percent, but if he’s available, get him on your roster. He’s coming off his best performance of the season and has now seen 18 targets the last two weeks after failing to record a reception in Week 6. As Howell’s game continues to improve, so should Dotson’s numbers.
Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints: Shaheed showed us again this week that he’s such a dynamic player for the Saints, with 153 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. He has the game where he explodes like this past week, but he also has four games with six or less points in half-PPR scoring. He’s a boom-or-bust player that’s tough to trust on a weekly basis, but he deserves to be rostered in more than 35 percent of leagues.
Taysom Hill, QB/TE, New Orleans Saints: Speaking of boom-or-bust Saints players, that typically was always the case for Hill, but not any longer. He’s seeing the field more each week and he’s a cheat code at the tight end position. He saw just one catch after 11 the prior two weeks, but he found the end zone twice and led the team in rushing. Hill also completed a 44-yard pass, and that triple threat of potential is what makes him unique. He has finished as a top-10 fantasy tight end in three straight weeks and is somehow only rostered in 15 percent of ESPN leagues. I’d rather have Hill’s weekly upside of recording a touchdown than rely on Luke Musgrave, Hunter Henry or even Kyle Pitts.
Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals: Taking over as the starting tight end with Zach Ertz on injured reserve, the second-year pro had the best game of his young career, hauling in 10 of 14 targets for 95 yards and a touchdown. The tight ends have been heavily involved in the Cardinals’ offense this season, and McBride took full advantage of his opportunity on Sunday. Expect him to continue to get regular looks as long as Ertz remains out of action.
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