6 Fantasy Football Players to Drop or Hold (Week 9 Waiver Wire)

Let’s take a look at players our analysts consider on the fringe as you weigh your fantasy football waiver wire additions for the week. And also be sure to check out our full fantasy football waiver wire article for the week. And check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 9.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice: Drop or Hold?

DROP RECOMMENDATIONS

Droppable:

Christian Kirk broke his collarbone Sunday while trying to haul in a deep ball against the Packers and will be out for the rest of the season.

Remember all those big catches Alec Pierce was making for the Colts early in the season? Well, Pierce isn’t clicking with QB Anthony Richardson these days. Over his last three games, Pierce has caught 3-of-13 targets for 26 yards. He’s not worth holding.

Droppable with a chance of regret:

None of the Colts’ receivers are playable in fantasy right now. Not even Michael Pittman, who had 109 catches and 1,152 yards for the Colts last season. Pittman has 28 catches for 336 yards and two touchdowns so far this season, but he has been much more productive with Joe Flacco at quarterback than with Anthony Richardson. Pittman’s next three matchups — against the Vikings, Bills and Jets — are not appealing. The only way you’d feel good about playing Pittman would be if the Colts reinserted Flacco at QB.

We’ve been telling you to hold Anthony Richardson. We can’t in good conscience continue to tell you that. There will probably be a couple of big rushing days coming from Richardson before the end of the season. But Richardson’s struggles as a passer give him a trapdoor floor for fantasy. Richardson has completed just 44.4% of his passes this season, with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. In five starts, his single-game high in passing yardage this season is 212. It’s time to cut bait.

Tyjae Spears looked terrific last season, and it’s possible he could still pop before 2024 is over. But Spears has missed time with a hamstring injury, and Tony Pollard is entrenched and playing well as the Titans’ lead back. Spears is nothing more than a handcuff, and it’s generally not worth handcuffing RBs who play in bad offenses.

Don’t drop yet:

Travis Etienne Jr.

Will Travis Etienne still have a meaningful role for the Jaguars when he returns from a hamstring injury, or has he been usurped by Tank Bigsby, who’s been one of the few bright spots in a dismal season for the Jaguars. It seems unlikely that Etienne will have any fantasy value in Jacksonville this season. But it’s not out of the question that Etienne could be moved to an RB-needy team before the NFL’s Nov. 5 trading deadline. It’s worth holding him until then. If Etienne is still with the Jags after the trade deadline passes, cut him.

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.