Fantasy: Waiver Wire - Week 9

Every Tuesday during the season, theScore's David P. Woods runs down his recommended waiver wire pickups.

Quarterback

Josh McCown, Browns

But isn't adding a Browns quarterback blasphemy in fantasy football? It's not something owners in shallow leagues should consider, but McCown is an option in deep leagues. The Browns face several weak passing defenses over the next month and McCown could soon have both Terrelle Pryor and Corey Coleman at his disposal.

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

Only an option for truly desperate owners, Kaepernick gets to play the forgiving Saints defense in Week 9.

Running Back

Charcandrick West, Chiefs

Remember him? A waiver wire darling last season after Jamaal Charles' torn ACL, West figures to carry the load for the Chiefs in Week 9 with Charles hurting again and Spencer Ware dealing with a concussion. It's possible Ware will be cleared to play in Week 9, but we won't know until later this week. West is worth a moderate speculative bid as he would be an RB1 if he starts against the Jaguars, but he's not a player to blow your entire FAAB budget on.

Tim Hightower, Saints

Mark Ingram was benched for fumbling early in the Saints' Week 8 game and Tim Hightower stepped up in relief with a 100-yard game - something Ingram has yet to do this season. Sean Payton told reporters that Ingram still has an important role in this offense, but it's clear that the Saints don't trust him. Look for Ingram and Hightower to split work in the immediate future, with the possibility that Hightower will grab a bigger piece of the pie if Ingram continues to make big mistakes.

Antone Smith, Buccaneers

Doug Martin still doesn't appear ready to return from a lingering hamstring injury and Jacquizz Rodgers is reportedly dealing with a foot sprain that could force him to miss several weeks. Antone Smith is the best bet to start for the Buccaneers against the Falcons on Thursday, but Peyton Barber should also get some work. Smith is only worth adding for owners in need of a bye week fill-in.

Derrick Henry, Titans

Starter DeMarco Murray emerged from the Titans' Week 8 game with his health intact despite a big scare, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Titans begin to monitor their veteran's workload more closely going forward. That could mean more touches for the rookie.

Robert Kelley, Redskins

Kelley started for the Redskins with Matt Jones out hurt and produced 87 yards rushing and a touchdown. The Redskins have a bye next week and then a tough matchup against the Vikings. With Kelley's future role unclear, he's only worth adding in deep leagues.

Dion Lewis, Patriots

Lewis is owned in sharp fantasy leagues, but remains on the waiver wire in more casual formats. He's reportedly nearing a return from the PUP list, so stash him if you have a spot. Though there's no guarantee Lewis will get his job back - James White has been very impressive as the Patriots' passing-down back in Lewis's absence - Lewis was truly dynamic before tearing his ACL last season. He could be a difference-maker in the fantasy playoffs.

Wide Receiver

J.J. Nelson, Cardinals

Owners should be hesitant trusting anything Bruce Arians says, but the Cardinals coach announced after Nelson's two-touchdown performance in Week 8 that the speedster is the Cardinals' new No. 2 receiver behind only Larry Fitzgerald. Both John Brown and Michael Floyd, two of the bigger fantasy disappointments this season, will have to take the job from Nelson, according to Arians. Nelson is the top receiver add this week, but it's a virtual certainly the Cardinals will split snaps between their quartet of talented pass-catchers.

Kendall Wright, Titans

Marcus Mariota is emerging as an every-week fantasy starter and it's becoming apparent that Kendall Wright is his most dynamic receiving weapon. Look for the pair to continue developing chemistry. It should help that Andre Johnson's retirement means there's one less mouth to feed in the Titans' receiving corps.

Jamison Crowder, Redskins

Crowder caught nine passes for 107 yards and a touchdown in Week 8, giving him 100-yard games in consecutive weeks. He's benefiting from DeSean Jackson's down year.

Chris Hogan, Patriots

Hogan caught all four passes sent his way in Week 8 and took them for 91 yards and a touchdown. He's part of a receiving committee that includes Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, not to mention Rob Gronkowski, so he won't be more than a FLEX option without an injury to one of his pass-catching teammates.

Tyreek Hill, Chiefs

With touchdowns in consecutive weeks, the rookie Hill is proving to be a valuable piece of the Chiefs' passing game. He could see a small uptick in targets with the Chiefs' top two running backs hurting.

Tight End

Eric Ebron, Lions

Returning from a three-game absence, Ebron caught seven passes for 79 yards in Week 8. He should be in the low-end TE1 mix as long as he stays healthy.

C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans

Brock Osweiler's loss of confidence has been a negative for the Texans as a whole, but a positive for Fiedorowicz, who has emerged as Osweiler's favorite check-down option and is tied for the team lead in targets. Fiedorowicz seemed to suffer an injury in Week 8, but stayed in the game. Now he has a bye week to get healthy.

Ladarius Green, Steelers

Green is practicing and could be activated off the PUP list any day now. Owners should wait to see how he looks on the field before putting him into their starting lineups, but if Green is truly healthy and has chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger (who also has to get healthy), the pair could do some real damage together down the stretch.