What an exciting Sunday, I would say. There were many outstanding performances, including guys like Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Rob Gronkowski, and Arian Foster having monster games. However, there were some duds and also some injuries, which makes the Week 9 Waiver Wire extra important.
Doug Martin continues to struggle, while he also injured his ankle. Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush sat out, while Jordan Cameron and Gio Bernard also left with injuries. With these guys injured, and upcoming bye-weeks, I’ll help you find replacements.
The teams on bye-weeks in Week 9 are Atlanta, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, and Tennessee; so keep that in mind. Remember not to cut anyone to valuable to your team, as that may end up hurting you down the road. It’s now time for me to share my advice on who to pick up this week.
Week 9 Waiver Wire
We used ownership percentages from CBSSports.com
Kyle Orton, QB, Buffalo
Available in 75% of CBS Leagues
Since taking over as the starting quarterback, Orton has been surprisingly very good. Orton has scored at least 16 fantasy points in every start this season, including a 33-point performance this past Sunday. With C.J. Spiller, and Fred Jackson out, the Bills should continue to rely on the pass game; and Orton should continue to produce. Orton is on a bye-week next week, so don’t pick him up yet, but he could be a fine replacement next week for guys like Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers, and Andrew Luck, who have bye-weeks in Week 10.
Jonas Gray, RB, New England
Available in 85% of CBS Leagues
It looks like we finally have a sense of the Patriots’ backfield, as Gray received 17 carries this Sunday against the Bears. Gray looks like he will be the primary running down back for the rest of the season, with Shane Vereen in on passing downs. Gray did very well in his opportunity, carrying it 17 times for 85 yards, and he also had some opportunities to score when the Pats were down in the red-zone. Gray should be taking over the Stevan Ridley role in New England, and not only is a great bye-week replacement, but he could obtain value for the rest of the season, as well.
Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Baltimore
Available in 84% of CBS Leagues
It was very surprising news on Sunday, when the Ravens made Bernard Pierce a healthy scratch for the game against the Bengals. That opened the door for Taliaferro, and he made the most of his opportunity. Taliaferro received all of the Ravens’ goal-line work, and scored two touchdowns in the process. Taliaferro added in 7 carries for 27 yards, and 2 receptions for 42 yards. If Taliaferro continues to be the goal line back, he should continue to be a solid fantasy option, as he has a good chance to score a touchdown every week. He shapes up as a good bye-week replacement, and if you’re in need of a running back should be picked up.
Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
Available in 61% of CBS Leagues
Hunter has been flying under the radar, actually putting up some very good performances over the last couple of weeks. Besides the dud against Washington, Hunter has not scored under 7 fantasy points since back in Week 4. Zach Mettenberger has taken over as the Titans’ quarterback, and Mettenberger likes Hunter a lot. During the pre-season, Hunter was his favorite target, and last week Hunter got 10 targets from Mettenberger. Hunter has been valuable and I believe he’s due to continue putting up good numbers. He is certainly a very good bye-week replacement, and is worth a roster spot.
Greg Jennings, WR, Minnesota
Available in 62% of CBS Leagues
Jennings has been another quiet sensation; becoming one of Teddy Bridgewater’s favorite targets. Jennings has accumulated an average of 6.2 targets per game since Bridgewater took over as the starter. He put together a 7 fantasy-point performance last week, and a 9 fantasy-point performance this week, including a touchdown. Especially with some guys injured and on bye-weeks, Jennings makes for a solid replacement.
Lance Kendricks, TE, St. Louis
Available in 99% of CBS Leagues
It has quite simply been a tough year for fantasy tight ends; it makes it even worse that some are on bye-weeks this week. Kendricks has been solid over the last couple weeks, and has become a favorite target in the red-zone. Kendricks has scored a TD in each of the last three weeks, and it seems that the Rams go to him every time they get inside the red-zone. If you’re in need of a tight end, Kendricks is not a bad replacement.
Follow me on twitter @Nadelman99 for any Fantasy Football questions. Feedback on my articles or my Week 9 waiver wire picks is always appreciated!
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