A number of players made their case as fantasy waiver adds in Week 9.
Week 9 of the NFL season produced a series of compelling matchups, with several players making their case to be fantasy waiver wire additions this week with impressive individual performances.
Headlining that list was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft as the Miami Dolphins claimed another win to add credence to the argument they are ready to make the jump from a team focused on the development of their young players and draft positioning to a legitimate postseason contender.
Meanwhile, a number of young and unheralded players thrust themselves firmly into the conversation as waiver wire adds by shredding opposing defenses.
A member of the Arizona Cardinals’ receiving corps stood out as a bright spot in their dramatic loss to the Dolphins while the Denver Broncos’ first-round pick finally produced at the level they have been hoping for in a defeat to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Washington Football Team slumped to their second loss to the New York Giants this season but there is a reason for hope that a pass-catching running back on Ron Rivera’s roster can make a regular fantasy impact after a game in which he served as a target monster.
Back on Thursday the depleted San Francisco 49ers again proved they can still be fantasy relevant in a damaging defeat to the Green Bay Packers, with a former seventh-round pick the primary beneficiary for Kyle Shanahan’s team.
Here we look at some of the better fantasy performances from players widely available on the waiver wire and assess their worth as potential additions to lineups.
Points totals and ownership shares courtesy of FantasyPros
Tua Tagovailoa – Miami Dolphins
After a first start in which the Dolphins’ defense and special teams propelled them to victory despite his shaky play, Tagovailoa produced a superb second act as Miami claimed a thrilling 34-31 win at the Cardinals.
Tagovailoa prevailed in an engrossing battle with last year’s number one overall pick Kyler Murray by throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 35 yards on seven rushes.
While not a dual-threat quarterback in the mold of Murray or Lamar Jackson, Tagovailoa demonstrated his ability as a scrambler, giving a player whose performance should have intrigued fantasy owners potential added value.
Tagovailoa’s efforts against Arizona saw him finish with 21.42 points, likely making him a hot property on the waiver wire among fantasy managers looking for quarterback help.
He is owned in just 24 percent of Yahoo leagues and 20 percent of ESPN leagues and has an enticing matchup in Week 10, when he will face a Los Angeles Chargers team that has surrendered 30 points in four of their past five games.
Week 9 indicated he should be able to take advantage of the Chargers, making him a very appealing fill-in for a fantasy team needing bye-week assistance or operating a quarterback by committee strategy.