Top 10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receivers (Week 9)

We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top Wide Receiver fantasy football waiver wire targets for the week below. And check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 9.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Wide Receiver

WIDE RECEIVERS

Written by Derek Brown

Cedric Tillman (CLE): 19% rostered

• Next Opponents: LAC, BYE, @NO
• True value: $12
• Desperate Need: $18
• Budget-minded: $8

Analysis: Tillman has been balling the last two weeks, earning a 22.5% target share while averaging 7.5 receptions and 90 receiving yards. He scored a pair of touchdowns Sunday against the Ravens. It has been wondrous. If you picked up Tillman last week and started him in Week 8, you’re likely moonwalking in your league chats right now. We’ll see if he can keep the hot streaking rolling, but one thing is certain: Tillman will be one of the pillars of this passing attack moving forward. The Chargers rank 16th in PPR points per target allowed to perimeter wide receivers. New Orleans is 16th in fantasy points per game given up to outside receivers (per Fantasy Points Data).

Keon Coleman (BUF): 41% rostered

• Next Opponents: MIA, @IND, KC
• True value: $4
• Desperate Need: $7
• Budget-minded: $2

Analysis: Coleman has been an ascending player. Over the last four games, he has twice managed at least 49 receiving yards and a score, and in Week 7 he popped off with 125 receiving yards. We still haven’t seen what this offense can do with Amari Cooper as a full-time player, as Cooper split snaps with Mack Hollins in Week 8. Coleman has tough matchups in two of his next three games, but he gets a juicy secondary to feast on in Week 10, possibly. Indy has allowed the 12th-most receiving yards per game to perimeter wide receivers (per Fantasy Points Data).

Josh Downs (IND): 47% rostered

• Next Opponents: @MIN, BUF, @NYJ
• True value: $2
• Desperate Need: $4
• Budget-minded: $1

Analysis: Downs had a monster game in Week 8, finishing with a 28.1% target share, 109 receiving yards and a score. That all looks amazing, but now we need to be real about his Week 8 performance. Downs had 69 of his receiving yards come from one big play. That isn’t meant to take anything away from Downs, but I’m stating it because if he didn’t manage that explosive play, his day probably would have been ugly like the rest of the Colts’ passing attack. Downs was the only Indy receiver to manage more than 20 receiving yards against the Texans, as Anthony Richardson struggled, completing only 31.2% of his passes. Richardson’s shortcomings as a passer have and will continue to affect this offense. We’ll see if Downs can overcome Richardson’s target quality in Week 9. If he can, he’s set up for a nice day against a Vikings’ secondary that has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to slot receivers (per Fantasy Points Data).

Elijah Moore (CLE): 2% rostered

• Next Opponents: LAC, BYE, @NO
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Moore showed some pep in his step for the first time this season in Week 8 with a full game of Jameis Winston. Moore soaked up a 29.2% target share while finishing with eight receptions and 85 receiving yards. While those numbers are magical, don’t get carried away with bids for Moore. He is still likely third or fourth in the target pecking order. This was also the first game all year where he finished with at least 44 receiving yards. I don’t want to play him this week against the Bolts (seventh-fewest fantasy points per game allowed to slot receivers), but the Saints offer an interesting opportunity to flex Moore after the bye. New Orleans has allowed the third-most receiving yards per game to slot receivers (per Fantasy Points Data).

Jerry Jeudy (CLE): 45% rostered

• Next Opponents: LAC, BYE, @NO
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: In Jameis Winston‘s first start of the season on Sunday, Jeudy did Jeudy things, posting five receptions (19.5% target share) and 79 receiving yards. It was the third game this season where Jeudy has finished with at least five receptions and 70 receiving yards. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to pile on a touchdown with any of those stat lines. Jeudy hasn’t gotten into the end zone since Week 1. He will be an important part of this passing attack, but right now it looks as if the Browns’ passing game will flow primarily through David Njoku and Cedric Tillman. Jeudy isn’t in play for a flex spot in Week 9, but he’ll be an interesting WR3/flex against the Saints in Week 11. New Orleans has allowed the sixth-most receiving yards per game to perimeter wide receivers (per Fantasy Points Data).

Jalen McMillan (TB): 49% rostered

• Next Opponents: @KC, SF, BYE
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: In McMillan’s first game as an integral part of the Buccaneers’ game plan, he fell flat. McMillan earned a 14% target share and finished with four receptions and 35 receiving yards. It wasn’t the first step that anyone who picked him up off waivers last week wanted to see. TE Cade Otton and the Tampa Bay running backs took center stage as the biggest beneficiaries of the Bucs’ decimated receiving depth chart. The rookie could still take another step as we move through the season, and the runway is there for him to take off, so pick him up if you need a talented player with the upside to become a weekly WR3/flex if he can figure things out.

Ricky Pearsall (SF): 37% rostered

• Next Opponents: BYE, @TB, SEA
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Pearsall had a disappointing follow-up to his 2024 debut. Against Dallas, he had a 15.3% target share with more rushing yards (39) than receiving yards (38). Pearsall was shoved to third in line for targets, with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle leading the way. That will likely be the pecking order until Jauan Jennings returns, which could be as early as Week 9. Grab Pearsall as a bench stash with upside, but considering him to be anything more than that at this juncture is wishcasting.

DeMario Douglas (NE): 31% rostered

• Next Opponents: @TEN, @CHI, LAR
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Douglas’s season has been a rollercoaster. He’s had three games this season in which he has seen at least nine targets and finished with at least 59 receiving yards. Unfortunately, the other ugly side of that coin has been more prevalent, as Douglas has five weeks of failing to surpass 20 receiving yards. Douglas is worth picking up this week, as the talent and ceiling are there if this passing attack can find any consistency. He’s also worth stashing with juicy matchups incoming in Weeks 13 and 15 (IND, ARI).

Sterling Shepard (TB): 13% rostered

• Next Opponents: @KC, SF, BYE
• True value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-minded: $0

Analysis: Shepard took over this week as Tampa Bay’s starting slot receiver (60%), but unfortunately, he didn’t wow us with his stat line. Shepard also got dinged up on Sunday. It’s encouraging that he came back into the game, but we’ll have to monitor his practice reports this week. Shepard only managed a 10% target share and 18 receiving yards in Week 8, but if he’s healthy enough to play in Week 9, he could be headed for a season-best stat line. The Chiefs have been a tough pass defense this season, but they have been quite vulnerable to slot receivers, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position (per Fantasy Points Data).

Christian Watson (GB): 49% rostered

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

Analysis: Watson was on his way to possibly a huge game in Week 8, but it was derailed by Jordan Love‘s injury. With Malik Willis under center the rest of the game, the Packers turned run-heavy, and a lack of passing volume crushed Watson’s upside. He still tied for the team lead in targets (22.2% target share) in Week 8 while producing four receptions and 39 receiving yards. We’ll have to see if Jordan Love is able to suit up for Week 9. If so, Watson could pop off with a big day against the Lions’ two-high heavy coverage. Since Week 3, Detroit has deployed two high at the 10th-highest rate in the NFL (50.5%). Entering Week 8, Watson has been the Packers’ most efficient receiver versus two high, with 2.91 yards per route run and 0.125 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data).