Week 9 Waiver Wire: Projecting Best Adds, Drops and Future Handcuffs

With eight weeks of the 2016 NFL season gone, some fantasy football owners may be scrambling to upgrade their rosters ahead of the second half.

While the waiver wire isn't completely bereft of high-ceiling options, owners will likely have to take a leap of faith in the hope their preferred reinforcements deliver prior to the playoffs.

Below are a few players worth targeting in the weeks ahead.

Pos.	Player	Team	Percent Owned
QB	Josh McCown	Cleveland Browns	2.3%
QB	Ryan Tannehill	Miami Dolphins	15.7%
RB	Charcandrick West	Kansas City Chiefs	7.3%
RB	Derrick Henry	Tennessee Titans	44.1%
RB	Robert Kelley	Washington Redskins	22.9%
WR	J.J. Nelson	Arizona Cardinals	1.2%
WR	Jamison Crowder	Washington Redskins	44.5%
WR	Russell Shepard	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3.1%
TE	C.J. Fiedorowicz	Houston Texans	13.0%
TE	Eric Ebron	Detroit Lions	28.3%

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins

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Quarterbacks who are having a disappointing season can be undervalued in standard leagues. Ryan Tannehill is a prime example.

Entering the Miami Dolphins' Week 8 bye, Tannehill had 90 total points on ESPN.com, 17th-best among quarterbacks. Starting the Dolphins QB would be risky, but he deserves to be owned in more than 15.7 percent of standard leagues.

Jay Ajayi will likely eat into Tannehill's value somewhat, since Miami will place more emphasis on the running game.

Still, the presence of Kenny Stills gives Tannehill a deep target who can single-handedly deliver big points to his quarterback, and Jarvis Landry is a solid possession receiver who ensures Tannehill always has a safe pair of hands at his disposal.

At the very least, Tannehill is worth stashing on your bench and starting when the right matchup comes along.

Charcandrick West, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

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A pair of injuries has opened the door for Charcandrick West to play a big part in the Kansas City Chiefs backfield.

The Kansas City Star's Terez A. Paylor reported Sunday that Jamaal Charles will have Dr. James Andrews examine his surgically repaired right knee. Paylor also reported Spencer Ware suffered a concussion Sunday and may be in doubt for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rotoworld's Evan Silva encapsulated how desperate things are getting for the Chiefs:

Assuming West is the No. 1 running back for Kansas City in Week 9, he's a must-add for Sunday. The 25-year-old should also have the chance to prove worthy of earning the starting job on a long-term basis, boosting his value for the rest of the year.

Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington Redskins

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Jamison Crowder is quickly becoming one of Kirk Cousins' favored wideouts. He had seven receptions for 108 yards in the Washington Redskins' Week 7 loss and followed up with nine receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown in Week 8.

The NFL shared a replay of his TD grab against the Cincinnati Bengals:

DeSean Jackson could potentially steal targets away from Crowder. The second-year star has outperformed his veteran counterpart so far, though, so Jackson's presence shouldn't hinder Crowder's ceiling too much.

Since Washington is heading into a bye in Week 9, Crowder won't deliver immediate returns. Owners can't wait another week to add him, though. This time next Monday, he'll likely be unavailable on the waiver wire, so the time is now to get him on your team.

C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Houston Texans

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Since catching four passes for 48 yards and a touchdown in Week 4, C.J. Fiedorowicz has emerged as a consistent threat in the Houston Texans' passing game. He has 26 receptions for 279 yards and three touchdowns this year.

More importantly, Fiedorowicz is making an impression on both quarterback Brock Osweiler and head coach Bill O'Brien.

O'Brien said Monday that Fiedorowicz is among the most improved players in the passing game, according to Drew Dougherty of Texans TV. "Brock has a lot of trust in him," O'Brien said.

Osweiler is last among qualified quarterbacks in yards per attempt (5.79), so Fiedorowicz should continue to get plenty of attention in the next few weeks. The less Osweiler looks downfield, the more the tight end will benefit.

Long-Term Additions

Pos.	Player	Team	Percent Owned
QB	Nick Foles	Kansas City Chiefs	0.0%
RB	Tim Hightower	New Orleans Saints	1.9%
RB	C.J. Prosise	Seattle Seahawks	8.0%
WR	Tyreek Hill	Kansas City Chiefs	1.5%
WR	Andrew Hawkins	Cleveland Browns	0.3%
TE	Mychal Rivera	Oakland Raiders	0.1%

Some fantasy owners may never forgive Nick Foles for his disappointing 2014 season. The 27-year-old will never repeat his 2013 Pro Bowl campaign.

Foles did look good in Week 8 after replacing Alex Smith, though, throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder confirmed Smith didn't suffer a concussion Sunday, per Paylor, so he should return to the team in short order. Based on his strong performance, Foles is worth tracking in case Smith runs into another medical problem.

The return of Josh McCown provided a nice lift to the Cleveland Browns offense, and nobody benefited more than Andrew Hawkins, who caught five passes for 31 yards and two touchdowns in Week 8.

When healthy, Hawkins is a good slot receiver and a nice complement for Terrelle Pryor in Cleveland. His numbers from Sunday are an outlier, but it will be interesting to see what he can do with a proven quarterback leading the passing game.

The Seattle Seahawks have a crowded backfield as is, and the logjam will only get worse whenever Thomas Rawls is healthy enough to play again.

Even with plenty of competition, C.J. Prosise's receiving ability can help him stand out from the crowd. He caught four passes for 80 yards in a 25-20 defeat to the New Orleans Saints.

Fantasy owners shouldn't count on Prosise to deliver on the ground. Especially in points-per-reception leagues, his role in the aerial attack makes him an intriguing target.

Pos.	Player	Team	Percent Owned
QB	Alex Smith	Kansas City Chiefs	42.3%
RB	Chris Thompson	Washington Redskins	49.8%
RB	DeAngelo Williams	Pittsburgh Steelers	53.2%
WR	Pierre Garcon	Washington Redskins	38.6%
WR	DeVante Parker	Miami Dolphins	51.6%
TE	Dennis Pitta	Baltimore Ravens	47.7%