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Waiver Wire
Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 9
The waiver wire is one of the most important keys to finding success in the world of fantasy football. Each week, I'll offer up 10 players you need to target off the free-agent market as you look to reach your ultimate goal -- winning a league championship! And if you play in a deeper, or highly competitive league and all 10 of these players are already owned, be sure to check out our weekly deep dive waiver wire targets for some high upside players to aim for heading into Week 9.
First it was Toby Gerhart. Then it was Storm Johnson. Now it looks like Robinson is the backfield flavor of the week in Jacksonville. First, he rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against the Cleveland Browns. More impressive, he had a nice stat line in Week 8 versus a Miami Dolphins defense that has been tough on the run. Shoelace should be owned all over while he's the main back.
LaFell has been a bigger part of the Patriots pass attack in recent weeks, posting four or more catches in four of his last six games. He was a stat-sheet monster in Week 8, recording 124 yards, one touchdown and 18.4 fantasy points in a blowout win over the Chicago Bears. While he's been inconsistent for owners from a week-to-week standpoint, LaFell does deserve to be owned in most leagues right now.
With Victor Cruz (knee) out for the remainder of the season, Beckham will have a shot at seeing far more targets in the pass attack from Eli Manning. He's flashed at times since returning from an injured hamstring, scoring three touchdowns and nine-plus fantasy points in two of his first three games. The G-Men have a tough matchup versus the Indianapolis Colts up next, but Beckham is worth a roster spot.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden decided to bench turnover-prone quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 7, so there's little doubt that Griffin will regain his starting role once he's back from an injured ankle. When that is remains to be seen, but sooner than later we will see RGIII back under center for the Redskins. So for those of you in dire need of a signal-caller, Griffin is worth a speculative add.
There are six teams on a bye in Week 9, so Stewart is going to be on the radar as a potential flex starter. While his numbers haven't jumped off the page, he is seeing most of the team's carries in the absence of DeAngelo Williams, although Williams is set to return this week (how much he'll play, though, remains to be seen). In Week 8, he rushed the ball 16 times for 79 yards in a tough loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Belitricks was in full effect in Week 8, as Gray led the Patriots in carries (17) and saw some goal-line action in a blowout win over the Chicago Bears. Does this mean that he'll lead New England in carries once again in Week 9? Who knows (Bill Belichick hates our fantasy teams, remember), but Gray is at least worth a flier look off the waiver wire. The P-Men host the Denver Broncos next.
The Jaguars offense is starting to take shape ... one Robinson is the lead man in the backfield while another is becoming the favorite target of Blake Bortles. Allen, the rookie out of Penn State, put up 82 yards, one touchdown and 14.2 fantasy points in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. He has now scored a combined 26.2 fantasy points in his last two games, making him worth a roster spot in most formats.
Fantasy owners in PPR leagues who need a tight end should consider grabbing Amaro off the waiver wire as a one-week spot start. Over the last three weeks, he has recorded a combined 18 catches (22 targets) and one touchdown. He also has a good matchup on the schedule against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have struggled to stop opposing tight ends. Amaro does lose a bit of luster in all standard leagues.
If you're going to get ahead of the curve on Gordon, you'll have to put in a claim for him sooner than later. He's still not eligible to return to action until Week 12, but that's right around the corner as we enter the ninth week of the 2014 campaign. When you consider that Gordon was the top-scoring wide receiver in fantasy football last season, well, his potential impact for your team is evident.
Fantasy owners in deeper leagues who need a running back should consider grabbing Sims. He's getting closer to a return to action after suffering an injured ankle in the preseason, and let's be honest ... Doug Martin has not been all that productive this season. I think Sims will at least etch out a role in the passing game, and he could even push Martin for carries once he's back out on the gridiron.
