Fantasy Football Waiver Wire power rankings, Week 9: Cedric Tillman, Keon Coleman and Bo Nix ball out

Each week during the 2024 NFL season, FanSided fantasy football expert Lior Lampert creates a hierarchy of ideal waiver wire pickups. He'll base his ranks on performance, usage, coachspeak, injury news/analysis, stats, upcoming matchups, FAAB value and more. Every player mentioned is available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire power rankings, Week 9

Week 8 of the 2024 season took the fantasy football community for a loop. Things aren't always as obvious as they seem -- unless we're talking about Jameis Winston being a massive upgrade for the Cleveland Browns offense. So, managers must be prepared to adjust accordingly, starting with the waiver wire.

Hopefully, you tuned into this column last week. If you did, ideally, you scooped Winston and plugged him into your lineup. He and his newfound top receiving target earned shoutouts, though both players are still widely available in Yahoo fantasy leagues for whatever reason.

But don't sweat! If you missed out on the rapidly-soaring Browns tandem (or didn't), check out the other names featured below.

Dumpster diving, digging for scraps

Christian Kirk suffered a season-ending broken collarbone. Rookie phenom Brian Thomas Jr. is potentially staring at a multi-week absence despite a supposedly clean MRI. Gabe Davis left Week 8 because of a nagging shoulder issue. Someone has to be on the receiving end of passing from Trevor Lawrence, but who? Enter Parker Washington, who suddenly and presumably climbs to the top of the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver depth chart.

The Browns trading Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills made Jerry Jeudy the team's de facto WR1 -- or so we thought. While he's been supplanted as the primary pass-catcher by his ascending teammate, who will be discussed below, Jameis Winston boosts everyone's outlook.

Zach Ertz continues chugging along as a top-10 fantasy tight end. He's found the fountain of youth in his age-34 campaign, or maybe it's the presence of electrifying rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Regardless, the 12-year veteran is pacing for his best statistical output since 2021 and has shown zero signs of slowing down.

The stash-and-save

Justin Fields mysteriously popped up on the injury report this week, putting his future with the Steelers in question. Could he be headed for a change of scenery? If so, the dual-threat passer has shown what he can do when given a chance. His QB7 ranking in fantasy points per game from Weeks 1-6 is enough reason to stash him if you have a roster spot to burn.

Breece Hall managers have seen an annoying amount of Braelon Allen (specifically near the goal line). The former seemed to have reclaimed his workhorse role in the first two games of the Jeff Ulbrich era. Nonetheless, the latter got involved in the New York Jets' embarrassing loss to the Patriots, narrowly losing the touches battle 17-12. Should that usage continue, the first-year tailback can carve out standalone value. Plus, he remains an elite handcuff.

Blake Corum's role as the backup to featured runner Kyren Williams has become abundantly. Ronnie Rivers hasn't logged a snap since Week 4. Managers probably already have the Los Angeles Rams rookie on their radar, especially since the incumbent starter got his ankle taped up in Week 8.

The educated guesses

What a difference having your two star wide receivers at full strength can make. After not sharing the field since the Los Angeles Rams' regular-season opener, Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were finally reunited in Week 8. And what'd this result in? The veteran gunslinger throwing for 279 yards and more touchdowns in one game than he did all season before the contest (four).

Tee Higgins didn't feel close to suiting up for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8 after suffering a mid-week quadricep injury. With his health in question, Mike Gesicki becomes a fascinating tight end for those streaming the position. The 2018 second-round pick was thrust into a No. 2 pass-catching role because of this, earning eight targets. He has the athletic profile and pedigree to produce, and having an elite gunslinger like Joe Burrow surely helps.

Jameis Winston wasted no time proving Browns fans right in his first start, leading Cleveland to double their win total in Week 8. While he may not be their long-term solution, the signal-caller undoubtedly makes Kevin Stefanski's unit functional and more fun (at the very least). The former No. 1 overall pick is a borderline QB1.

The 'if you ain't first, you're last'

San Francisco has a Week 9 bye. But next time they take the field, all-world running back Christian McCaffrey should return. So, the entire complexion of the 49ers offense could drastically change. Albeit a positive development from a real-life football perspective, his impending reinsertion as the focal point of their scoring unit dings Ricky Pearsall's prospects. Still, the current state of the team's receiver room makes the first-round rookie an intriguing name on the waiver wire.

ESPN's Adam Schefter believes the Carolina Panthers will trade receiver Diontae Johnson before the Nov. 5 deadline. Fellow teammate and wideout Adam Thielen has also been mentioned as someone who could be on the move. If one or both get dealt, rookie first-rounder Xavier Legette becomes appealing. Without either of the veterans in Week 8, the 23-year-old caught four of his seven targets for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Eventually, someone other than Cade Otton will have to step up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following Chris Godwin's (and Mike Evans') injury. With Sterling Shepard now tending to a hamstring issue, Jalen McMillan is the next man up. His route participation and target share suggest better days are ahead.

Gotta have 'em

Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns

Find someone who looks at you the way Jameis Winston does Cedric Tillman. Over the past two weeks, when the former entered the picture in relief of Deshaun Watson, the latter has been the overall PPR WR1. No, that's not a typo.

Tillman is a talented second-year pro. The Browns spent a third-round pick on him in 2023, demonstrating their faith in the ex-Tennessee Volunteer. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he has the physical tools to be an ideal X receiver, which meshes perfectly with Winston's spray-and-pray backyard football skill set.

Dominating Cleveland's air yardage share and capitalizing on it, Tillman figures to be a mainstay, barring Winston losing his job as the starter.

Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills trading down in this year's draft with their arch nemesis, the Kansas City Chiefs, and landing Keon Coleman has aged nicely. He's looking more comfortable and gaining the trust of franchise passer Josh Allen weekly. His arrow is pointing strictly upward, even with the addition of Amari Cooper.

Coleman had one of the nicest grabs of the week (and maybe the year), mossing Seattle Seahawks shutdown cornerback Tariq Woolen in the end zone:

Ostensibly connecting on at least one long pass weekly, Coleman and Allen are finding their stride. The rookie has caught a 24-yard pass or longer in all but two of Buffalo's games this season. Furthermore, he's drawn seven targets in consecutive outings.

Still, it's important to remember the Bills are a run-oriented offense that spreads the wealth through the air. Keep that in mind when bidding for Coleman, but don't let it stop you from pursuing him altogether.

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

Bo Nix has had a few cupcake matchups and the schedule will get tougher moving forward, particularly over the next three weeks. Nevertheless, the rookie has capitalized on the inferior opponents and continues to show improvement as a passer with each passing week. Combine that with the built-in floor provided by his rushing prowess, and he's a worthwhile addition for managers, regardless of their league format.

From Weeks 5-8, on a per-game basis, only Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield have been better fantasy quarterbacks than Nix. What makes that even more impressive is the Broncos signal-caller hasn't done it strictly through the ground. He's thrown multiple touchdown passes in three of Denver's four contests during that stretch.

Nix is forcing managers to make some difficult lineup decisions. While he may not carry the name recognition of quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud, Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes, his ceiling and floor have been higher.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson's return under center in Week 7 has prompted Josh Downs to be available in over 50 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues. But if the talented slot man is sitting on your waiver wire, don't be afraid to bid aggressively for him.

As we saw in the Indianapolis Colts' 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans, Downs is ultimately too big to fail. His talent propelled him to score 22.2 PPR points on a day when Richardson completed 10 of his 32 pass attempts. Even if head coach Shane Steichen doesn't make a quarterback change, he'll have fantasy value. But if Joe Flacco ever seizes control of the starting job, it's wheels up for the 23-year-old wideout.

Downs caught four of his nine targets for 109 yards and a touchdown in Week 8, adding 13 yards through the ground. He's a WR3/FLEX play in PPR formats with Richardson and a must-start option with Flacco. Regardless, the young pass-catcher is a viable wideout for anyone hurting at the position, especially with bye weeks factoring into the mix.