Looking for some advice for your waiver wire entering week 9? My buddy Jason and I have some players who may help you out as you march towards the playoffs. Every Sunday Morning at 11:30 EST, The PigskinNut crew are live with the “PigskinNut Preview,” a show where we give an in-depth analysis on every game, game spreads for fantasy and last minute waiver advice. In this article, we will give our “Waiver Wire: Week 9 Target Pickups” list.

One list will be players to target in shallow leagues; the other offers advice on whom to target in deep leagues. If there is someone on the in-depth list you like, do not be afraid to add them in your shallow league. It is not all about your team’s need, but also blocking your opponent lining up matchups down the line or finding that diamond in the rough.

Let’s Get Started

It is week 9, and playoffs are in the works for many of you fantasy football participants. You might be asking right now, “who can I pick up in the waivers with the bye weeks of my starters. We are here to give you peace of mind and advise players who could boost your lineup for the week. So let’s take a look at the lists of targets below.

Top 7 Players to target in a 10-12 team league, followed by their ownership percentage in ESPN fantasy leagues.

• J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens (47.3%)

Dobbins have fallen below 50% rostership after a slow start to his career, amid a three-back committee. With Mark Ingram II out for possibly week 9, Dobbins has had his best performance of his rookie season with 15 carries for 113 yards. The Ravens will still try to get Gus Edwards involved, but it’s evident that Dobbins is the clear-cut most talented RB on the roster. You can add him as RB2 or in the flex position.

• Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts (34.9 %)

Hines is a sneaky pickup if you have not already picked him up. He had 5 carries for 8 yards in Sunday’s game against the Lions, but he also had 3 receptions for 54 yards. Jonathan Taylor and Marlon Mack will be handling the ball carrying, but Hines will be the receiving back among the 3 RBs moving forward to week 9 against the Ravens. This can be a definite flex pickup if anything, but not a wrong decision.

• JaMycal Hasty, RB, San Francisco 49ers (45.6%)

I don’t think I need to explain much why Hasty needs to be added to your lineup. San Fran is going through injuries with their RB crew, including the early absence of Tevin Coleman with another leg injury. Now with McKinnon possibly suffering from “tired” legs, Hasty will receive more touches than usual as San Fran moves forward in the season. Another note to add is that they will be playing against the Green Bay Packers’ dreadful rushing defense.

• Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots (30.2%)

Despite the lousy turnout of the Patriot’s season so far, Damien Harris has stood out tremendously. In just 4 games this season, Harris has had two 100-yard games and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry. The only mitigating factor is that the Patriots do not utilize Harris in the passing game, so he is only relied upon when they need touchdowns. Although, Harris is still a good waiver pickup if you need a solid flex to add.

• Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Football Team (11.8%)

The former Hokies QB is quietly finding success as this offense progresses weekly. Thomas has had at least 4 targets every game and has scored in consecutive outings this season. Although the Giants has been commendable against tight ends this season, Washington will look to get Thomas involved in Sunday’s game. With 21 receptions, 208 yards, and 3 touchdowns, picking up Thomas from the waivers will not be a bad option if you need a TE to fill into your lineup.

• Mike Williams, WR, LA Chargers (43.1%)

Williams season has been on a teeter-totter, but he shows he can improve with Herbert shaping into his rookie season. In 2 out of the last 3 games, Williams has scored at least 20 fantasy points. If you need a high ceiling player with a tough matchup this week, this will be one of the best options to add.

• Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears (6.2%)

Yeah, I know; why go for Mooney when his ownership percentage is low? Mooney is moving up in the ranks as his season gets better. Last night against the Saints, Mooney finished with 5 catches with 69 yards and a touchdown. He has received numerous deep passes from Foles, including a 50-yard play-action pass last night. He has been targeted at least 5 times in the last 6 games, and he is becoming a reliable fantasy depth option.

Top 7 Players to target in 14-16 team leagues, or leagues with 8 or more bench spots

• Nick Mullens, QB, San Francisco 49ers (.6%)

This is only for owners who do not have a viable option to go for a QB. San Fran matchup is against the Packers, whose defense is just awful. Mullens will look to get the passing game going early. Despite Mullens’ game last night loss against the Seahawks, Mullens finished with 238 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, and a QBR of 97.0. Mullens will also be the starting QB from now on. Although he won’t have Kittles to throw to, he also has the athletic ability of Jordan Reed as an option.

• Marvin Hall, WR, Detroit Lions (0%)

Who knew Hall was going to be a major step up yesterday against the Colts. Despite the loss, Hall has stepped into the spotlight after Kenny Golladay left early with a thigh injury. Golladay could miss week 9, which gives Hall another chance to step in and show out. In the Colts matchup, he finished with 4 receptions and 113 yards, but no TD. With Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola starting still, Hall can prove that his performance in week 8 was no fluke next week. This will be a nice flex spot to fill in Week 9 against the Vikings.

• KJ Hamler, WR, Denver Broncos (2.5%)

Hamler hasn’t emerged as the WR everyone hoped to be while battling hamstring injuries all season. Yesterday’s game might’ve given Hamler a second chance to turn his season around with the game-winning TD. Having the Falcons who are 5th worst in passing defense, Hamler can rise to the occasion and improve his rookie season.

• Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (40.1%)

Goedert was activated back into the lineup in Sunday night’s game against the Cowboys. Although Wentz did not get him going in the game, Goedert played 53 of the 63 offensive snaps. With a week 9 bye, Goedert can use some extra rest for that ankle that he injured earlier that season. This is just a depth fill if you have extra spots on your roster, which will be a good addition.

• Randall Cobb, WR, Houston Texans (18.8%)

With the matchup against the Jaguars, who are the worst in opposing pressure on passers in the league, this fact should be an advantage for Deshaun Watson to find Cobb with high percentage targets out of the slot. Coming off a bye week, this will be a good game for Cobb and the Texans offense as they will look to win on Sunday.

• Demarcus Robinson, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (5.8%)

This is more of a roster fill and a desperate flex if it is needed. Make no mistake that the Chiefs played against the terrible Jets, but Robinson finished with 4 receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. This isn’t a big leg up for fantasy, as Sammy Watkins should be given the green light to return very soon.

• Robert Tonyan, TE, Green Bay Packers (47.4%)

Tonyan has shaped up to be a top TE in the league this year. Tonyan finished the devastating loss against the Vikings with 5 receptions for 75 yards and no touchdowns. In the season, he has 23 receptions, five touchdowns, and 309 yards receiving. I know TEs aren’t reliable in fantasy, but if you have Aaron Rodgers as your QB, you would have this TE in your lineup. If you haven’t picked Tonyan and need a TE this week, make no mistake and add this TE to your depth.

We all like to pick the best option, and sometimes the options might be a high risk, but this is what fantasy football is all about. Hopefully, Jason and I have helped you guys with an easier route to picking players up from your league’s waivers. As we are giving this advice to you, we are making adjustments as well in our leagues. Don’t forget to join us every Sunday at 11:30 AM EST for our show The Pigskin Preview, where we will give predictions, injury updates, and fantasy wire analysis before football Sunday starts. You can get notifications by signing up for PigskinNut Gold while it’s free on this website homepage.

Tags: Dallas Goedert, Darnell Mooney, fantasy football, JaMycal Hasty, JK Dobbins, KJ Hamler, Logan Thomas, Marvin Hall, Mike Williams, Nick Mullens, Nyheim Hines, Randall Cobb, Robert Tonyan, waiver wire