NFL fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 9
By Lior Lampert
WR Waiver Wire Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 9
Demario Douglas, New England Patriots (3 percent rostered)
With Kendrick Bourne now out for the season due to a torn ACL, Demario Douglas will have an opportunity to establish himself as the Patriots’ primary pass-catcher. While being the primary pass-catcher on one of the least productive offenses in the NFL may not sound very appealing, Douglas has seen at least seven touches in each of his past two games.
In addition to earning 13 targets over the past two weeks, Douglas has also received a rushing attempt in each of the two past two games, which he’s converted into 24 yards. If the Patriots continue to manufacture touches for Douglas via the short-passing and rushing game, Douglas could become a sneaky fantasy option.
Douglas has not only seen his usage increase in recent weeks but also his snap count. After playing a career-high 62 percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in Week 7, Douglas followed it up by playing 77 percent of the team’s snaps.
Given the lack of competition in the Patriots receiving room following Bourne’s injury, Douglas figures to be a near-every-down player for a 2-6 team desperately in need of some offensive juice.
Douglas’ speed and ability to make defenders miss give him the potential to carve out a sizeable role within the Patriots offense.
Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers (6 percent rostered)
Jonathan Mingo is the second rookie wide receiver to find himself in this week’s column after he recorded a career-high 62 receiving yards in the Panthers’ Week 8 win over the Texans. Mingo has quietly seen at least five targets in five of the six games he’s played this season and now has two fantasy-friendly matchups against the Colts and Bears in the next two weeks.
Additionally, Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young continues to look more comfortable with each passing game, which bodes well for Mingo’s rest-of-season outlook. It usually takes rookie receivers some time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NFL, but once they do, it’s wheels up.
George Pickens, Christian Watson, and Garrett Wilson and their late-season development in 2022 are prime examples of patience paying dividends for fantasy managers when it comes to rookie wide receivers.
Mingo is an explosive wide receiver who excels after the catch and should see plenty of opportunity down the stretch of the season on a rebuilding Panthers team that ranks second in the NFL in pass attempts per game (38.9).
Mingo is worthy of a speculative add for those looking to stash a high-upside wide receiver on their bench.