NFL fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 9

TE Waiver Wire Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 9

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals (22 percent rostered)

With Cardinals starting tight end Zach Ertz expected to miss at least three more weeks on IR while he tends to a quad injury, McBride is an instant plug-and-play fantasy option. Tight end is the most dire position in fantasy football, so anytime you can find a player who is more than a touchdown-dependent option it is important to act fast.

According to Late-Round Fantasy Football’s JJ Zachariason, McBride had a 38.9 percent target share in the Cardinals' Week 8 loss to the Ravens, which is the highest target share any tight end has seen in a single game all season.

McBride converted 14 targets into 10 receptions, 95 yards, and a touchdown with Joshua Dobbs under center for the Cardinals. Dobbs has been traded to the Vikings following the aftermath of quarterback Kirk Cousins tearing his Achilles, but Pro Bowl signal-caller Kyler Murray is back to practicing in full and set to make his season debut as soon as Week 9 after suffering a torn ACL last season that forced him to miss the first eight weeks of the 2023 campaign.

The 1-7 Cardinals are going nowhere quickly and figure to face plenty of negative game scripts throughout the rest of the season, which bodes well for McBride’s fantasy football outlook. McBride has a chance to be a top-10 tight end the rest of the way, making him a priority add for any manager in need of a tight end.

Taysom Hill, New Orleans (35 percent rostered)

As long as Taysom Hill has tight end eligibility and remains rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo Fantasy football leagues, he will remain a prominent fixture in this column. He is a cheat code for fantasy football managers due to his role within the Saints offense as a goal-line bruiser and his jack-of-all-trades usage.

Hill’s stat line in Week 8 against the Colts is a prime example of his impressive usage and versatility. Hill attempted two passes (one which resulted in a 44-yard completion), one catch (which went for 14 yards), and nine carries (which he turned into 63 rushing yards and two touchdowns).

He’s finished as a top-six tight end in each of the past three weeks and will continue to remain a big part of the Saints offensive game plan. In that span, he’s accumulated 14 targets, 15 rush attempts, and three pass attempts.

The tight end position is a fantasy wasteland and two of the NFL’s best tight ends (George Kittle and Evan Engram) both have Week 9 byes. For those who missed out on Trey McBride, Hill is a great alternative option and bye week fill-in option.

Instead of questioning whether or not Hill is a tight end, embrace it and add him to your roster.