MIAMI, Oct. 30 (UPI) — Zach Charbonnet, Tyler Boyd and Rasheed Shaheed are among my fantasy football waiver wire priority list for Week 9 of the 2023 season.
Washington Commanders teammates Sam Howell and Logan Thomas are among my other targets to add off the waiver wire.
Players from the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers should either be benched or dropped, as those teams serve Week 9 byes. Fantasy football team owners also should scan the waiver wire for players they may need going forward, with more teams having byes in the weeks ahead.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who are expected to miss the rest of the season because of injuries they sustained in Week 8, can be dropped in re-draft leagues.
My waiver wire priorities each carry an ownership percentage of 60% or less. Here are my top players to add and top players to drop for Week 9:
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Sam Howell; RB | Emari Demercado, Zach Charbonnet, Darrell Henderson Jr.; WR | Tyler Boyd, Rashid Shaheed, Tank Dell; TE | Logan Thomas; D/ST | New Orleans Saints; K | Matt Gay
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Derek Carr; RB | Roschon Johnson, Royce Freeman, Ezekiel Elliott; WR | Jahan Dotson, Jaxon Smith-Ngjigba; TE | Tre McBride, Jake Ferguson; D/ST | Atlanta Falcons; K | Greg Zuerlein
TOP DROPS
QB | Kirk Cousins; RB |; WR | Kendrick Bourne; TE | Kylen Granson; D/ST | Detroit Lions; K | Jake Moody
Quarterback
Sam Howell was on previous additions of my waiver-wire target articles and remains a great streaming option going forward, especially if your regular starting quarterback is on bye.
Howell logged his best fantasy football performance of the season in Week 8, with 397 yards and four scores in a Washington Commanders loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Howell accumulated at least 249 passing yards in five of his last seven games. He accounted for at least two scores in three of his last four appearances. Howell will get a tougher matchup this week against the New England Patriots, but I still expect him to eclipse 250 yards and two scores against this defense, which just allowed 324 yards and three scores to Tua Tagovailoa.
Running back
Emari Demercado was useful in Week 8, with 78 yards on 20 carries in an Arizona Cardinals loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He dominated touches in the Cardinals backfield and should continue to see a healthy workload going forward.
The Cardinals will face the tough Cleveland Browns defense in Week 9, but Demercado can still be plugged in as a low-end RB2 or flex play in leagues with at least 14 teams.
Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet is more of a long-term, lottery ticket type of roster addition. The rookie continues to see increased usage as the season moves along, but remains a backup to starter Kenneth Walker.
Charbonnet totaled 53 yards on five carries and 11 yards on two catches in Week 8. He also out-snapped Walker (34 to 24) for the first time this season.
Walker was nursing a calf injury last week and could pick up additional injuries down the road, making Charbonnet a must-add player for your bench. He could turn into an RB2 or RB1 should Walker sustain a significant injury.
Wide receiver
Tyler Boyd and Rasheed Shaheed can both provide WR3 production for fantasy football teams in need of help at the position.
Boyd scored for the second-consecutive game in the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 9 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Bengals playmaker’s increased usage also has coincided with quarterback Joe Burrow’s rebound from a slow start.
Boyd received at least seven looks from Burrow in five of his seven games this season. He totaled 40 yards and a score on three targets against the 49ers. Look for this Bengals playmaker to continue to see looks from Burrow going forward, especially in favorable matchups. He should benefit from defenses focusing on Burrow’s top target, Ja’Marr Chase.
Shaheed provided high-end WR1 production in Week 8 in the New Orleans Saints’ win over the Indianapolis Colts. The second-year playmaker hauled in a season high 153 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown reception.
Shaheed — who leads the NFL with 20.8 yards per catch — is a boom-or-bust type wide receiver, but could be a difference maker in your weekly matchup if he does reach the end zone.
He will be among my Top 30 options in Week 9.
Tight end
Logan Thomas continues to be heavily involved in the Washington Commanders passing game. The veteran tight end secured six of his eight targets for 44 yards and a score in Week 9. Thomas totaled at least 40 yards in five games this season. He also scored three touchdowns through eight weeks.
Sam Howell continues to air it out to all Commanders pass catchers. I expect Thomas to remain a decent TE1 play going forward. He should be owned in all leagues that require starting tight ends.
