Week 9 Waiver Wire: Pickups, FAAB Bids, Stashes & Drops

Baltimore's quarterback room took the biggest hit of the week. Jesse Minter said Monday that Lamar Jackson will go on injured reserve and have surgery on his right thumb, an injury ESPN described as potentially season-ending. Tyler Huntley (toe) is already ruled out for Thursday night against Jacksonville, and Joe Fagnano, who was limited with an ankle injury, has a chance to start (per ESPN). The Ravens also signed Austin Reed to the practice squad. On the kicking side, Tyler Loop (groin) may land on IR, and Jake Moody is set to kick Thursday (per BaltimoreRavens.com).

Arizona changed its offense on Sunday. Gardner Minshew came on for Jacoby Brissett in the 33–30 win at Dallas, went 17 of 23 for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns, and has been named the starter going forward (per ESPN). Brissett drops to third behind Carson Beck. The Cardinals also lost Kendrick Bourne to a fractured tibia that ends his season, and Bam Knight is in the concussion protocol. Jeremiyah Love hurt his ankle again, with an update expected Wednesday. ESPN lists him as questionable.

In Las Vegas, Klint Kubiak gave rookie Mike Washington Jr. 25 carries while Ashton Jeanty ran twice. Kubiak called the split a "moving target" and said Jeanty still handles third downs (per ESPN). In Philadelphia, Nick Sirianni is sticking with Tanner McKee at quarterback, and in Minnesota, Kyler Murray (hamstring) is uncertain for Monday night against Buffalo, with Carson Wentz next up (per ESPN). Pittsburgh and Tennessee are on bye in Week 9.

A check on last week's list: Jonah Coleman is now rostered in 52.4% of ESPN leagues. He ran 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown in the win over Kansas City, with 6 carries inside the 20 and 4 inside the 5, so he's off the wire in most leagues and earned that spot. Makai Lemon (51.8%) drew 9 targets on 94% of snaps. Geno Smith threw for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he's back below. KC Concepcion (60.5%) fell to 4 targets at Pittsburgh, and Mason Taylor caught 3 for 19 yards. Neither repeats this week.

As always, the order below is Homefield's own read of the usage: snap share, targets, air yards, and touches inside the 20. FAAB bids are given as a share of your season budget. Each add also gets a rest-of-season (ROS) band, which is our read of where his role projects if it holds. Skill-position adds are rostered in about 60% of ESPN leagues or fewer (stashes far lower), and DST and K streamers in 20% or fewer, so most of these players should be on your wire.

Data note: Weeks 1–8 player stats come from the nflverse weekly player-stats file for 2026 (stats_player_week_2026), through Monday night's Bears at Seahawks (final: CHI 34, SEA 17). That file also supplies target share, air yards share, WOPR, and kicking totals. Snap shares come from nflverse snap counts, which are sourced from Pro Football Reference. Red-zone carries and targets (inside the opponent's 20), goal-line carries (inside the 5), and the sack and turnover totals behind the DST picks come from nflverse 2026 play-by-play. Week 9 matchups, byes, and points allowed come from the nflverse schedule file. Route data isn't in these files, so route share isn't cited. Rostered percentages are ESPN's public fantasy API figures (percentOwned, default league settings), pulled Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8:15 a.m. CT. The gates use that pull: about 60% or fewer for QB, RB, WR, and TE adds (stashes lower) and 20% or fewer for DST and K. Las Vegas QB Kirk Cousins (60.1%) and New Orleans QB Tyler Shough (66.4%) sit just over the gate and are left out.

Quarterbacks

### Gardner Minshew, ARI (rostered in 0.1% of ESPN leagues) — top priority at QB Minshew walked into a struggling offense and made it work right away. In relief at Dallas he went 17 of 23 for 188 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions (8.2 yards per attempt), taking just 1 sack, and Arizona scored a touchdown on all four regulation drives he led (per ESPN). Compare that with Brissett's day before the change: 10 of 23 for 119 yards, an interception, and 4 sacks. Brissett averaged 5.6 yards per attempt on 305 attempts this season, so the Cardinals' passing game should be more efficient, even if it's less volume. He adds nothing as a runner. Week 9 is at Seattle, which is allowing 19.9 points per game and has 8 interceptions, so temper expectations for this first start.

• FAAB bid: 0–1% in 1QB leagues, 10–16% in superflex
• Fits: Superflex and 2QB leagues first. He's a deep 1QB bench option for managers who lost Lamar Jackson.
• ROS band: QB2 with a locked-in starting job, at least until something changes.

### Geno Smith, NYJ (32.5%) He's had a good stretch and is still under a third rostered. Against Las Vegas he went 20 of 32 for 290 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, pushing 481 air yards, his most of the season. Over his last three games he has 829 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions, and on the season he's at 8.0 yards per attempt with a 5.0% touchdown rate (12 touchdowns on 239 attempts). The weaknesses: 23 sacks and almost no rushing (23 carries for 46 yards). Week 9 is a much harder matchup at Kansas City, which is allowing 18.7 points per game, fourth-fewest in the league.

• FAAB bid: 1–3% in 1QB leagues, 8–14% in superflex
• Fits: Superflex starter and a 1QB bye-week fill-in for Pittsburgh and Tennessee managers.
• ROS band: Low-end QB2 with streaming weeks.

### Malik Willis, MIA (10.5%) Willis has the best Week 9 matchup of anyone here. Against New England he went 21 of 32 for 211 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, but took 5 sacks and ran just once. The rushing is what makes him worth a claim: on the season he has 36 carries for 225 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns, with 5 carries inside the 20. His passing is middle-of-the-pack: 6.9 yards per attempt, 6 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions on 183 attempts, with 21 sacks. Detroit visits Sunday, allowing 25.7 points per game.

• FAAB bid: 1–2% in 1QB leagues, 7–11% in superflex
• Fits: Superflex and 6-point passing TD leagues, where the rushing floor matters most.
• ROS band: QB2 with QB1 weeks when he scores on the ground.

### Deshaun Watson, CLE (12.8%) — superflex only This is a volume-and-matchup play with a real flaw. Watson threw 39 times for 324 yards at Pittsburgh, his second straight 300-yard game, and he's at 7.3 yards per attempt on the season. But he has 0 touchdown passes over the last three games, and Cleveland's quarterbacks have taken 33 sacks, the most in the league, including 8 on Sunday. Week 9 is at New Orleans, which is allowing 27.7 points per game, fourth-most.

• FAAB bid: 0% in 1QB leagues, 4–8% in superflex
• Fits: Superflex and 2QB leagues that need a starter's volume.
• ROS band: Superflex QB2 on volume.

Running Backs

### Mike Washington Jr., LV (17.5%) — top priority overall This is the biggest role change of the week. The rookie went from a 26% snap share in Week 7 to 60% on Sunday, ran 25 times for 83 yards, and took 9 of the Raiders' 11 rushing attempts inside the 20, including 6 inside the 5. Those were the most red-zone and goal-line carries of any back in Week 8. He didn't score on any of them, and he didn't draw a target, so this is a carries-only role for now. Jeanty played 22 snaps and kept third downs, and Kubiak's "moving target" comment means the split could shift. Week 9 is at San Francisco, which is allowing 19.9 points per game, sixth-fewest.

• FAAB bid: 12–20%
• Fits: Standard and half-PPR first, where goal-line carries matter most. Less in full PPR until he gets targets.
• ROS band: RB3/flex with RB2 weeks if the goal-line role holds.

### Tyler Allgeier, ARI (45.9%) Allgeier had the best game of his season at Dallas: 11 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown, plus all 5 targets for 44 yards and another score, on 59% of snaps. Be clear about what that was. One run went 63 yards, and in Weeks 6 and 7, when Love was out, Allgeier ran 26 times for just 57 yards while sharing with Knight. What helps is the work near the end zone: he has 14 red-zone carries this season, and he's caught 21 of 22 targets. With Love's ankle in question and Knight in the concussion protocol, he could get most of the work at Seattle on Sunday. The Seahawks are allowing 19.9 points per game.

• FAAB bid: 6–12%. Go to the top of the range if Love is ruled out.
• Fits: All formats, with a small boost in PPR from the catch rate. He's the Love handcuff everywhere.
• ROS band: Handcuff with RB2 weeks whenever Love sits.

### Kenny Gainwell, TB (50.1%) Tampa Bay won 16–0 without completing a pass, and that meant a lot of carries. Gainwell ran 25 times for 140 yards and split snaps 30 and 30 with Bucky Irving (27 carries, 170 yards, a touchdown). Over the last two weeks he has 39 carries for 228 yards. He isn't getting the scoring chances, though: 3 red-zone carries all season and none Sunday. Week 9 is at Chicago, which is allowing 20.0 points per game.

• FAAB bid: 2–5%
• Fits: Standard and half-PPR, as a flex in weeks with byes. He's an Irving handcuff.
• ROS band: RB4 with flex weeks while the split holds.

Wide Receivers

### Adonai Mitchell, NYJ (11.4%) — top priority at WR Mitchell missed four games after surgery on his finger (per AP) and caught nothing in his return in Week 7. On Sunday he looked like the player from early in the season. He drew 9 targets (a 29.0% share), caught 7 for 142 yards and a touchdown, and had 222 air yards, 46.2% of the Jets' total. Only one receiver had more air yards in Week 8, and his 0.76 WOPR was 15th among the 206 players with a target. He drew 5 targets at 20 or more yards downfield, so the game wasn't just catch-and-run plays. This also matches Week 2, when he had 12 targets and 178 air yards. He played 61% of snaps, so his role isn't locked in yet, and Week 9 is at Kansas City, which is allowing 18.7 points per game.

• FAAB bid: 8–14%
• Fits: Half-PPR and standard, where the deep yards count most. Also a PPR WR3.
• ROS band: WR3/flex with big weeks, as long as Geno Smith keeps looking deep for him.

### Ryan Flournoy, DAL (22.0%) He has the best matchup of this group. Flournoy has played at least 66% of snaps every week this season, with 44 targets and 9 red-zone targets. He scored for the second time in three weeks Sunday, catching 3 of 4 targets for 38 yards. His target total isn't huge, but he's on the field and gets looks near the end zone. Dallas is at Indianapolis, which is allowing 27.8 points per game, third-most in the league.

• FAAB bid: 2–5%
• Fits: PPR and half-PPR, and deeper standard leagues that reward touchdowns.
• ROS band: WR4 with touchdown weeks.

### Jahan Dotson, ATL (2.8%) Dotson's numbers show a receiver whose targets come downfield. He has only 30 targets this season, but they've produced 491 air yards, and he's played 56–85% of snaps every week. Against Tampa Bay he caught 2 of 5 for 95 yards, including a 76-yarder, in a game Atlanta lost 16–0. Michael Penix Jr. threw 4 interceptions, so the quarterback play is a concern. Cincinnati is next, allowing 22.6 points per game.

• FAAB bid: 0–2%
• Fits: Deeper half-PPR and standard leagues, and best-ball style benches.
• ROS band: WR5 with boom-or-bust weeks.

Tight Ends

### Michael Mayer, LV (22.8%) — top priority at TE Mayer has played a lot of snaps all season despite sharing the position with Brock Bowers. He's been on the field for at least 65% of snaps every game, and 79% Sunday, when he caught 5 of 6 targets for 53 yards with a 24.0% target share. His 0.50 WOPR was a season high. Over the last three games he has 18 targets, and on the season he's caught 36 of 43. He hasn't been scoring (1 touchdown, 3 red-zone targets). Las Vegas is at San Francisco on Sunday, a 19.9-points-per-game defense.

• FAAB bid: 2–5%, and 5–8% in TE premium
• Fits: PPR and TE premium, where the catches count most.
• ROS band: Low-end TE1 in TE premium, TE2 elsewhere.

### Mike Gesicki, CIN (15.1%) Gesicki is a touchdown play, and he has more touchdowns than his targets would suggest. He has scored in all six games he's played, with 6 touchdowns on just 24 targets and 5 red-zone targets. On Sunday he played 68% of snaps, his highest of the season, and caught 4 of 6 for 76 yards and a score with 84 air yards. Cincinnati is scoring 29.4 points per game, and Week 9 is at Atlanta, which is allowing 23.6. Touchdowns at this rate don't usually last, so judge him by the snap share.

• FAAB bid: 1–4%
• Fits: Standard and TE premium, and as a streamer for managers who lost a tight end to a bye.
• ROS band: Streaming TE with touchdown weeks.

DST and K Streamers

• New Orleans DST (vs. CLE) (rostered in 2.1% of ESPN leagues): Cleveland is scoring 17.4 points per game, fourth-fewest, and its quarterbacks have taken 33 sacks, the most in the league, with 11 turnovers. The Saints have 18 sacks. The weakness: they're allowing 27.7 points per game. FAAB bid: 1–2%.
• Green Bay DST (at NE) (rostered in 17.8% of ESPN leagues): The Packers have 22 sacks and 10 interceptions, and they're allowing 20.5 points per game. New England has turned it over 15 times. The weakness: the Patriots are scoring 23.0 points per game. FAAB bid: 0–1%.
• New York Giants DST (at PHI) (rostered in 3.5% of ESPN leagues): Philadelphia is scoring 17.1 points per game, third-fewest, and has taken 23 sacks. The weakness: the Giants have only 9 sacks. FAAB bid: 0–1%.
• K Jason Sanders, NYJ (at KC) (rostered in 3.4% of ESPN leagues): 17 of 19 on field goals, with 3 from 50-plus, and 4 of 4 on Sunday. Kansas City allows only 18.7 points per game, so drives that stall short of the end zone leave field goals. FAAB bid: 0–1%.
• K Drew Stevens, WAS (vs. LA) (rostered in 2.1% of ESPN leagues): He made 4 of 5 field goals in the win over Philadelphia and is 14 of 17 with 4 from 50-plus. The Rams are allowing 21.0 points per game. FAAB bid: 0–1%.
• K Wil Lutz, DEN (at CAR) (rostered in 5.3% of ESPN leagues): He's 14 of 17 on field goals and made 2 of 2 in the win over Kansas City. Carolina is allowing 27.6 points per game, fifth-most. FAAB bid: 0–1%.

Deeper Stashes

• Elijah Mitchell, RB, PHI (3.1%): Elevated from the practice squad again, he played 57% of snaps at Washington to Saquon Barkley's 32%, with 11 carries and 6 targets. He went back to the practice squad Monday and has one elevation left before the Eagles must sign him (per CBS Sports and the NFL transaction log). Dameon Pierce is on IR. 0–2%, more if Barkley's back injury lingers.
• Emmett Johnson, RB, KC (11.8%): He caught all 5 targets for 128 yards and a touchdown on just 19% of snaps against Denver. He's behind Kenneth Walker III, so this is a handcuff with some receiving work. 0–1%.
• Gunnar Helm, TE, TEN (1.7%): He drew 9 targets (a 23.1% share) for 76 yards at Cincinnati, a season high. Tennessee is on bye, so stash him only if you have a bench spot to spare. 0–1% in TE premium.
• Carson Wentz, QB, MIN (0.4%): If Kyler Murray's hamstring keeps him out Monday night, Wentz starts against Buffalo. In limited work this season he has 3 touchdowns and no interceptions on 39 attempts. 0–1% in 1QB leagues, 2–5% in superflex once Murray's status is known.
• Justice Hill, RB, BAL (7.8%): He drew 8 targets (a 30.8% share) at Buffalo on 49% of snaps. With Baltimore down to its third quarterback, short throws to the back could keep coming. He's questionable on ESPN's injury report. 0–1% in PPR.

Drop Candidates

• Jacoby Brissett, QB, ARI (23.0%): He was benched for Minshew and is now Arizona's third quarterback behind Carson Beck (per ESPN). He's a drop in every format.
• Kendrick Bourne, WR, ARI (5.8%): He fractured his tibia, which ends his season (per ESPN).
• Kenyon Sadiq, TE, NYJ (22.0%): The rookie has drawn 7 targets in the last four games combined and has played less than half the snaps in all four. A tight end with a steadier role, like Mayer or Gesicki, is a better use of the spot.
• Tyler Huntley, QB, BAL (2.5%): He's ruled out for Thursday with a toe injury, and Baltimore's quarterback room is changing week to week. Superflex managers can use the spot on Minshew.
• Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL (98.2%): Only if your league has no IR slot. He's headed to IR and having thumb surgery that could end his season (per ESPN). With an IR slot, keep him there.

Set the Order for Your League

These ranges are where to start. Where to end up depends on your league. A 20% FAAB bid on Washington fits a standard-scoring team that needs a running back, but it's too much for a full-PPR team that's set at the position. Adonai Mitchell matters more in half-PPR and standard, where his deep catches count most. In superflex, Minshew and Geno Smith are worth more than anyone else on this list. In TE premium, Michael Mayer moves near the top of your claims.

Homefield can do that sorting for you. Connect your league and we'll order these adds for your scoring, your roster, and your remaining budget. Sleeper and CBS leagues sync live today; Yahoo and ESPN are coming. None of this is a guarantee. It's what the usage data says, read for your team.