Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings & Pickups (Week 9)

Our analysts combine to provide rankings for weekly fantasy football waiver wire targets. We’ll help you prioritize your bids for the week ahead. Check out our full expert consensus fantasy football waiver wire rankings and all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for the week.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings: Week 9

Note: Players chosen based upon having early-week consensus roster percent below 50%.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Target

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).