Kendrick Bourne Injury: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Replacement Pickups (Week 9)

With the injury to Kendrick Bourne, fantasy football managers are left with a void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your waiver wire this week. And check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 9.

• More Waiver Wire Picks
• Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
• Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
• Fantasy Football Trade Tools

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacement Pickups

Injury Outlook

Kendrick Bourne tears ACL, out for the season
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne suffered a torn ACL Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season.

Fantasy Impact

An unfortunate end to what was shaping up to be a career year for the veteran wide receiver. Bourne will finish the season with 406 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 37 receptions in eight games this season. Bourne is set to be a free agent after the season.

Jesse Garcia

Waiver Wire Replacements to Target

Demario Douglas (NE): 3% rostered

• Next Opponents: WAS, IND, BYE
• True value: $6
• Desperate need: $9
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: Douglas was a full-time player in Week 8 with a 77% snap share and a team-leading 24.1% target share. Douglas should lead this passing attack moving forward, especially now with the news breaking that Kendrick Bourne is out with a torn ACL. DeVante Parker also left the game with a concussion, but Douglas was already seeing more pass-game work than Parker. Douglas’s upcoming matchups aren’t easy. Danny Johnson has been stellar in slot coverage for Washington since taking over for Benjamin St. Juste, allowing only a 40% catch rate and 61.3 passer rating (per PFF). Indy has held slot receivers to the 10th-lowest PPR points per target (per Fantasy Points Data).

Rashid Shaheed (NO): 36% rostered

• Next Opponents: CHI, @MIN, BYE
• True value: $5
• Desperate need: $8
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: The Saints’ zone-beating big play threat did it again. Shaheed made all three of his receptions (11.1% target share) count, as he posted a season-high 153 receiving yards with one score. This is Shaheed’s third game of the season with at least 80 receiving yards and his fourth with more than 60 receiving yards. His next two matchups could allow him to keep up the hot streak, as the Bears and Vikings utilize zone coverage on more than 70% of their defensive snaps (per Fantasy Points Data). Entering Week 8, among 89 qualifying wide receivers against zone coverage, Shaheed ranks 35th in yards per route run, ninth in average depth of target and 37th in fantasy points per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Those numbers will only improve after his massive performance against the Colts.

Jayden Reed (GB): 17% rostered

• Next Opponents: LAR, @PIT, LAC
• True value: $2
• Desperate need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Reed is coming off arguably his best game of the season. He played a season-high 79.4% of snaps as the Packers utilized more 11 personnel. I’m not sure if that trend will stick, since Green Bay loves its multiple-TE sets, but we can hope. Reed had a 14.6% target share, as he led the team with 83 receiving yards. Reed has seen a healthy share of high-cholesterol targets, entering Week 8 ranked 19th in deep targets and fourth in red-zone targets among wide receivers. Entering Week 8, among 116 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 28th in fantasy points per route run and 23rd in expected fantasy points per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Reed has plus slot matchups in two of his next three games. The Rams and Chargers have allowed the second-most and fourth-most receiving yards to opposing slot receivers (per Fantasy Points Data).

Michael Gallup (DAL): 17% rostered

• Next Opponents: @PHI, NYG, @CAR
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Gallup didn’t have a banner Week 8, with only three targets, two receptions and 20 receiving yards. He could have some usable weeks ahead, though, that are flex-worthy. His usage has increased against zone-heavy teams. Luckily for him, the Eagles and Panthers utilize zone coverage on 69% and 82.6% of their defensive snaps, respectively. Entering Week 8, against zone coverage, Gallup had an 18.1% target share, a 23% target per route run rate and a 22.2% first-read share. Each of those usage metrics against zone ranks second on the team. Philly and Carolina have allowed the most and the eighth-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers. I would sit Gallup against the man-coverage-heavy Giants, but flex him against the Eagles and Panthers.

Khalil Shakir (BUF): 1% rostered

• Next Opponents: @CIN, DEN, NYJ
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Shakir saw a big bump in playing time in Week 8 with a 66% route run rate. He had a 15% target share, finishing with 92 receiving yards and a scorching 3.07 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). I worry this could all be a flash in the pan. The snaps could remain, but I worry about Shakir’s ability to draw targets consistently, as he had only a 3.8% first-read share in Week 8. Shakir is a pickup this week, though. The idea is to stash him and consider flexing him against the Broncos, who have allowed the most PPR points per target this season (per Fantasy Points Data).

Josh Reynolds (DET): 40% rostered

• Next Opponents: BYE, @LAC, CHI
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Entering Week 8, Reynolds has had a 66% route run rate with an 11.3% target share and a 21.3% air-yard share (per Fantasy Points Data). Reynolds has put together a strong 2.11 yards per route run with three top-36 fantasy wide receiver weeks this season. Reynolds is a player to consider rostering now, because once he returns from his bye, he gets the turnstile Chargers’ secondary that has allowed the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

Jameson Williams (DET): 41% rostered

• Next Opponents: BYE, @LAC, CHI
• True value: $1
• Desperate need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: In Week 7, Williams had a 43% route run rate and an 11.3% target share. He has been the team’s downfield threat since his return (22.0 aDOT in Week 7). Williams could see his snaps continue to trend up, especially exiting their bye. His upcoming date against the Chargers is enticing. They have allowed the sixth-most deep passing yards and the fifth-highest deep-adjusted completion rate (per Fantasy Points Data). Williams could explode in that matchup, even on limited snaps.

Stash Candidates:

• Michael Wilson

Consider stashing Wilson now. With Kyler Murray‘s return on the horizon, Wilson’s best days of the 2023 season could be ahead of him. The remainder of the Cardinals’ schedule is littered with zone-coverage-heavy teams, which should help Wilson. He has been an afterthought in this passing offense against man coverage, but against zone, he entered Week 8 with a 14.4% target share and 2.28 yards per route run. Those are solid if not flex-worthy, numbers. If Murray can breathe life into this aerial attack, Wilson could be a solid stretch-run addition to your roster.