Week 9 Waiver-Wire Pickups: 5 Sleepers Who May Still Be Available

Bad news, fantasy owners—the globe already knows about Week 9 waiver-wire pickups such as Denard Robinson, Brandon LaFell and Lorenzo Taliaferro.

Those owners late to the party should not fret, though—just dig deeper.

The big names on the wire may be owned, but there is still plenty of value to be had on the market for those owners in need and willing to do some homework.

In fact, a deep dive into a few names in particular may wind up with owners being more successful than others who were first to the wire. Fantasy football is about calculated, patient risks, after all.

Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals (13.4 percent owned)

Matt York/Associated Press

Feel free to take advantage of the fact most still do not respect Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer.

Palmer was one of the hottest must-drop commodities on the planet earlier this season thanks to a nerve injury that saw him miss a few games, but when Palmer has been in, he has been on: 

WK	OPP	YDS	TD	I/F	PTS
1	SD	304	2	0 / 1	20
6	Wsh	250	2	0 / 0	18
7	@Oak	253	2	1 / 0	16
8	Phi	329	2	0 / 0	21

Palmer is the definition of reliable on a week-to-week basis, although it helps that he resides in coach Bruce Arians' spread-it-around attack that includes effective names such as Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown, among others. 

"I've been in offenses where the majority of the plays are designed to go to one guy," Palmer said, per Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. "This is not the case. This system is not designed to go to the 'X' or the 'Z' or the 'Y.' It depends on the coverage."

Palmer hit nine different receivers against Oakland and six against Philadelphia. With his weapons plentiful and scheme potent, his arm healthy and the schedule a mixed bag—as it has been all year to date—the veteran quarterback is not one to ignore on the wire moving forward.

There are plenty of bye-week heroes this year, but Palmer is a sound starting option who owners can lean on without hesitation in a pinch.

Jonas Gray, RB, New England Patriots (0.1 percent owned)

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Owners far and wide knew to keep an eye on the backfield in New England to see who the Patriots turned to after a season-ending injury to Stevan Ridley. 

That man is Jonas Gray.

The 24-year-old Notre Dame product had a breakout performance last week against the Chicago Bears, carrying the ball a career-high 17 times for 86 yards and eight points.

Shane Vereen touched the ball eight times in total.

Gray was not only effective, but has clearly already surpassed Brandon Bolden on the depth chart. Per his Rotoworld profile, Gray saw plenty of action near the end zone, with four touches inside the 10-yard line and three inside the 5-yard line.

In other words, Gray is getting short-yardage usage and figures to score more than any other back on the roster the rest of the season. As long as the coaching staff continues to feature him in that manner, Gray is instantly an RB3 with high upside.

Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions (0.2 percent owned)

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Reggie Bush has a clone, and his name is Theo Riddick.

At face value, owners will shy away—Riddick rushed three times for five yards in Week 8 and is on bye in Week 9.

But Riddick still managed 13 points in Week 8, matching his only other double-digit outburst this season, which came in Week 6. Against the Atlanta Falcons, Riddick was targeted through the air a noteworthy 12 times, second only to wideout Golden Tate. The result was a team-high eight catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Now, owners are probably waving flags once again. Yes, Bush is due back from injury sooner rather than later, and Calvin Johnson will eventually return and demand targets as well. But as Tim Twentyman of Lions.com notes, Riddick's performances as of late have earned him more playing time:

Many, including Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys.com, think a passing-of-the-torch moment is inevitable:

Owners should take advantage. In a pass-happy offense, Riddick has carved himself a nice role that may only increase by the week. At a shaky position overall, a new sure thing may have just emerged.

Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts (0.2 percent owned)

A potential sleeping fantasy giant seemed to stir in Week 8. 

Donte Moncrief exploded onto the scene for the Indianapolis Colts with seven catches for 113 yards and a score on a team-high 12 targets—better than T.Y. Hilton—to total 17 points. 

Many will quickly point out that Reggie Wayne missed the contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers with an injury, but it is quite apparent that Moncrief just surpassed Hakeem Nicks on Andrew Luck's preference ladder, as the veteran caught just one pass on all of five targets.

There is a bit of a leap of faith with Moncrief for owners, as he still rests as just the No. 3 wideout with Wayne healthy, but a supremely talented rookie in a pass-happy offense led by Luck is quite difficult to ignore at this point of the season.

Moncrief should be owned in all leagues as a stash at the very least right now, especially if he continues to earn more playing time and those in front of him cannot stay healthy.

Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (3.9 percent owned)

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Slowly but surely, Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Allen Robinson has legitimatized himself as a reliable fantasy option despite his woeful surroundings.

Rookies can be tough to gauge, but the 2014 wideout class continues to look quite special. Robinson's breakout performances, which includes seven straight weeks of four or more catches, is something owners should take note of right away:

WK	OPP	REC	YDS	TD	PTS
1	@Phi	1	0	0	0
2	@Wsh	4	75	0	7
3	Ind	7	79	0	7
4	@SD	5	38	0	3
5	Pit	5	51	0	5
6	@Ten	8	68	0	6
7	Cle	4	60	1	12
8	Mia	5	82	1	14

As Raymond Summerlin of Rotoworld points out, it matters little how Robinson gets to his fantasy production:

Robinson is the only receiver in Jacksonville to receive the lion's share of the playing time in each game this season, and for good reason. He has a fellow rookie under center, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that his rapport with Blake Bortles is only on the upswing.

A total of 26 targets in his last three games alone show Robinson is top dog in Jacksonville. Opportunities equal production is normally reserved for the running back spot, but Robinson is quickly adhering to the rule.

Owners should want to take advantage.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of 1 a.m. ET on Oct. 27. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.