Top Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups for 2021 NFL Week 9
Just when fantasy managers thought that they’ll escape the first half of the regular season relatively unscathed, the football gods decided to cast a fair bit of misfortune unto the 2021 NFL campaign. In particular, owners of Derrick Henry and Jameis Winston were hit the hardest and will likely be scrambling for replacement options this week along with many more managers looking to retool for the second half of the fantasy campaign.
NitroBetting is here to bring not only the latest NFL betting news and previews but also tips and updates from the realm of fantasy football. Let’s take a closer look at the top waiver wire pickups heading into Week 9 of the 2021 NFL season. Learn more about the breakout players from the previous week and beyond who are available in most fantasy leagues, as well as the latest NFL odds with regards to several of the teams featured below.
Top 2021 NFL Week 9 Fantasy Football Picks
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READ MORE: 2021 NFL Week 9 Preview, Odds and Picks
Quarterback
Taysom Hill – New Orleans Saints
- Pct. Owned: 0.9%
With Jameis Winston expected to miss the remainder of the season due to a serious knee injury, the Saints will likely start multi-talented quarterback Taysom Hill under center the rest of the way. The backup out of BYU has 10 NFL starts under his belt and is no spring chicken compared to other options on the waiver wire this week such as the Jets’ Mike White and Carolina’s P.J. Walker.
Hill has a high floor on his own thanks to his rushing prowess as seen in countless gadget plays called by Sean Payton over the years. The 31-year-old Idaho native already has 11 rushing TDs as a pro, and he was also serviceable game manager under center last season in place of Drew Brees. New Orleans is even currently pegged as a (-6) home favorite in its Week 9 divisional showdown against the Falcons, giving Hill a relatively easy matchup to ease him back into the starting QB role.
Running Back
Carlos Hyde – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Pct. Owned: 6.7%
Jacksonville’s workload back James Robinson had to exit Week 8 with a heel injury, which could sideline the undrafted standout on a week-to-week basis. In turn, veteran Carlos Hyde should take over Robinson’s role as the Jags’ every-down back for the foreseeable future.
Hyde looked like he hadn’t missed a step despite being 31 years of age; one that’s well beyond a top running back’s prime years. The former second-round pick out of Ohio State gained 51 all-purpose yards on 13 carries and four catches shortly after Robinson’s departure this past Sunday against his former team in Seattle, and should serve as a solid low RB2/flex start for as long as he gets the majority of the Jaguars’ backfield snaps.
Adrian Peterson – Tennessee Titans
- Pct. Owned: 0.1%
The biggest injury news from Week 8 came from the Titans’ camp, as MVP candidate Derrick Henry is expected to miss several weeks due to a crippling foot injury. Tennessee immediately signed future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Peterson off the free market, which will also be the trend in the fantasy realm this week.
Although Jeremy McNichols had one great breakout performance this season already, the fact that the Titans were quick to sign Peterson speaks volumes of their need to have AP take more snaps on early downs than the incumbent backup. Peterson, now 36 years old, finished with 604 rushing yards and seven TDs last season with the Lions. He’ll be the hottest RB commodity on the waiver wire this week, with McNichols also garnering some attention in PPR leagues as the Titans’ premier pass-catching back.
Wide Receiver
Will Fuller V – Miami Dolphins
- Pct. Owned: 40.1%
With Miami often playing from behind this season, the team’s passing game has seen a huge uptick in production. A couple of weeks after we suggested Tua Tagovailoa as the best QB on the waiver wire, it’s now Will Fuller V’s turn to get some fantasy love once more.
Fuller has only played in two of the Dolphins’ eight games this season thus far and is still a wildcard in fantasy due to his propensity of getting hurt often. However, the 26-year-old receiver also packs quite the boom potential when healthy, as seen in his massive fantasy performances during his time in Houston. The Fins’ lack of a real running game also works in favor of Fuller’s chances of returning to fantasy relevance this week, especially considering his already relatively high ownership in fantasy leagues to date.
Jamison Crowder – New York Jets
- Pct. Owned: 18.7%
One other former fantasy stud that’s still owned in fewer leagues than expected is New York’s Jamison Crowder. The standout slot receiver is still owned in less than 20 percent of leagues despite seeing no less than six targets and four catches in each of his four starts this season.
Do note that the Jets did just get a huge offensive boost with rookie backup Mike White leading his team to the stunning upset over the Bengals this past weekend, which could mean a change of fortunes for the Jets’ inept passing offense moving forward. Crowder led his team with nine targets and eight catches for 84 receiving yards and will be White’s top option through the air once more as the Jets travel to Indy to take on the (-10.5) favored Colts in Week 9
Tight End
Tyler Conklin – Minnesota Vikings
- Pct. Owned: 17.8%
In terms of opportunity alone, Tyler Conklin has seen more looks thrown his way than a good number of tight ends on the waiver wire this season. In fact, the Central Michigan product has seen five or more targets from Kirk Cousins’ way in four of the Vikings’ last five games.
Although there are plenty of mouths to feed in Minnesota’s wide-receiving corps, Conklin stands out as the only TE getting significant fantasy production in his team. He’s yet to find the end zone this season, but he’s also trending towards getting his first TD of the season with the budding confidence that Cousins has in Conklin in the short-passing game.
Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2021 NFL Regular Season. Stay tuned for more Football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Football betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.
*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.
