Waiver Wire Week 9: Stat Projections for Top Fantasy Pickups and Sleepers
Much like trick-or-treaters on Halloween night, fantasy football managers find themselves on the hunt for goodies ahead of Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season.
Only these managers aren't looking for the best candy available—Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for life—but rather waiver-wire finds who can plug in for injured players or those in bye or some who might simply be an upgrade over who managers already have on the roster.
To assist with that search, we'll spotlight three streamers worth your attention and project their Week 9 output.
Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams
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Injuries to Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) created a void in the Rams' running back room, and Darrell Henderson Jr. is clearly the preferred choice to fill it.
Signed to the practice squad and quickly promoted to the active roster, Henderson has handled the heaviest workload among Rams running backs the past two weeks.
First, he debuted with 19 touches (18 carries and a catch) for 66 yards and a score. Then, he managed 15 touches (12 rushes and three receptions) for another 85 scrimmage yards. Royce Freeman has factored into the equation as well, but he's only had 21 carries (and zero targets) over this same stretch.
As long as Williams and Rivers are stuck on injured reserve, Henderson should be the Rams running back you want to roster.
Projected stats: 14 carries, three receptions, 72 yards, one touchdown
Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
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Struggling to gain traction amid a 4-4 start, the Saints could use a boost to...well, just about everything on the offensive end of the ball.
Taysom Hill is uniquely equipped to scratch that itch.
He is nominally a tight end (for fantasy purposes, at least), but he'll see action under center and out of the backfield, too. In Week 8, his all-encompassing skill set yielded an all-encompassing stat line featuring nine carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns, a 14-yard reception (on his only target) and a 44-yard completion (on 1-of-2 passing).
His involvement can fluctuate, but you wonder if New Orleans will make him a bigger priority going forward. In Weeks 7 and 8, he tallied his first three rushing touchdowns of the season. In Weeks 6 and 7, he turned 13 targets into 11 receptions for 99 yards. If his usage keeps trending up, he won't be available on waivers much longer.
Projected stats: Six carries, four receptions, 61 yards, one touchdown
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
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Finding a featured back—who's not merely an injury replacement—in Week 9 sounds like an impossible task.
That may not actually be the case, though, and fantasy managers have Chuba Hubbard to thank for that.
Carolina's third-year back pounced on an opportunity with Miles Sanders (shoulder) sidelined in Week 6 and parlayed a productive outing in that spot (20 touches for 90 scrimmage yards and a score) into another healthy workload coming out of the bye in Week 8. Hubbard had 15 carries and two targets (both caught) in that contest, while Sanders saw just two carries and zero passes thrown his way.
The Panthers may not completely abandon Sanders after signing him to a four-year, $25.4 million contract this offseason, but they clearly want to see exactly what they have in Hubbard. His potential workload is way too great for fantasy managers to ignore.
Projected stats: 15 carries, two receptions, 69 yards, one touchdown
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