Predicting Fantasy Football's Hottest Waiver-Wire Names of NFL Week 9

Fresh from a traumatic Week 8 that saw several key NFL stars injured (many of them lost for the season), we find new names such as the Chicago Bears' Jeremy Langford poised as starting fantasy football assets. 

Langford is a former cornerback and wideout from Michigan State who converted to tailback for his final two years in school. With a physical profile that favorably compares to fellow rookie Tevin Coleman of the Atlanta Falcons, per Mock Draftable, this versatile back with 4.42 jets is now due to replace an ailing Matt Forte for at least a few weeks, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com.

Relatively unknown and unowned in most fantasy formats before this past Sunday's carnage, Langford is now a league-wide name for fantasy enthusiasts who landed him on the waiver wire this week. Now, we want to find the next Langford. 

We're here to uncover more meaningful commodities the market isn't really recognizing. The idea is to value speculation and use the bottom rungs of fantasy rosters with some fluidity as we seek enduring assets. 

Proactive management can save a fantasy season. It's best to be a week early on an intriguing prospect than sit on some low-ceiling veterans at the end of your imaginary bench.

Please join us as we delve into some interesting skill players who might be earning FAAB, or free-agent auction budget cash or high waiver bids after Week 9. As always, please share any names and numbers in the comments section that interest you as under-the-radar assets heading into this weekend's NFL action.

Remember This Titan: Antonio Andrews on the Rise

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The running back market has been dramatically reduced over the past several weeks with major injuries to several top names at the position. Roster erosion during the arduous NFL campaign is somewhat natural, but this has been a bit of a slasher flick compared to previous seasons. More than ever, fantasy managers will need to trust unknown backfield commodities in lineups. 

In steps in an asset such as Antonio Andrews of the Tennessee Titans, a second-year back from Western Kentucky with a reasonably impressive scouting report from Ryan Lownes of Bleacher Report (from March 2014): 

• Tough, rugged runner who shows the ability to gain yards after contact.
• Versatility is a huge asset. He can run, catch and return kicks.
• Natural hands catcher, excellent receiver out of the backfield.  
• Very good size, powerfully built at 5’10”, 225 pounds with a thick lower body and adequate length.
• Demonstrates vision to find cutback lanes. An intuitive runner who has good instincts on when to bounce runs to the outside or cut inside.

With rookie tailback David Cobb still on the mend and second-year back Bishop Sankey proving ineffective and out of favor on the depth chart, Andrews is being talked up as the workhorse under new coach Mike Mularkey, per Jim Wyatt of the team's website: 

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"I think Antonio (Andrews) is the workhorse as we speak right now," Mularkey said on Wednesday. "As you've seen, Dexter (McCluster) has had his carries as a changeup for us. Bishop (Sankey), again, I know he hasn't had carries in the last couple of weeks, but we're trying. Based on the run scheme that we've had in these last couple of weeks, it hasn’t called upon his ability. But if we were going to force it, it would be to Antonio right now."

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Still available in nearly half of ESPN leagues and facing an exploitable New Orleans' Saints front this Sunday in the Superdome, Andrews is poised as the top waiver claim of next week. Get ahead of the curve and add him now.

Fantasy Investors Should Add Austin Seferian-Jenkins Before Week 9

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The New York Giants allow 85.5 yards per game to opposing tight ends, most in the league by more than 13 yards, per ESPN fantasy stats. The Giants fittingly allow the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. The Tampa Bay Bucs host the Giants this Sunday afternoon, with tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins on the mend from a shoulder injury and due to return to action, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. 

ASJ—as the cool kids call him—is primed to produce versus a soft secondary on an offense that is desperate for playmakers, as injuries have ravaged the passing talent on the team. Rookie signal-caller Jameis Winston clearly established an early rapport with Seferian-Jenkins, tossing two touchdowns his way in Week 1 in a performance that saw him added en masse in fantasy leagues. 

A serious shoulder injury saw the fantasy fun end prematurely and subsequently saw the big target pushed to fantasy free agency in most formats. With an impressive athletic spider chart, per Mock Draftable, that sees him favorably compared to former fantasy stud Dallas Clark and a sweet specific setup for Week 9, we're endorsing Seferian-Jenkins as a prudent pickup. 

From Last Place to First, Vernon Davis Could Produce in Denver

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Vernon Davis went from last place with the San Francisco 49ers to an undefeated contender with the Denver Broncos, as Denver traded for the tight end this past week, per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold. Davis was at one point a prolific fantasy producer; even if we include these past two disappointing seasons, he rates sixth among NFL tight ends in fantasy points since 2010. 

Earlier this week, a fabricated viral quote incorrectly attributed to Davis suggested that going from Colin Kaepernick to the Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning was like crashing a Honda Civic and having the insurance company replace it with a Ferrari. While Davis didn't say this, the upgrade in his upside profile is admittedly massive.

Manning enjoyed great success with Julius Thomas in Denver and with Dallas Clark in Indianapolis before that. Now riddled with declining arm strength, Manning has done his best work this season on short and intermediate passes, a phase where Davis can help. 

Incumbent starter Owen Daniels simply hasn't proved productive for Denver this season, lacking the yards-after-the-catch ability that made Thomas and Clark so special in working with Manning. A red-zone maven for much of his career, even if volume escapes his usage profile in Denver, Davis presents a unique buying opportunity at a shallow position.

Investors can still find Davis available in 60 percent of ESPN leagues, a number that would surely spike if he finds any success in the team's trip to Indy this Sunday.

Even on Bye, the Lions' Joique Bell Merits More Ownership

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The picture above shows Joique Bell of the Detroit Lions running free in London last Sunday. This is notable since we've barely seen Bell past the line of scrimmage, or even on the field much, this season. Left for greater prospects after a slow and injury-plagued start to the campaign, Bell is suddenly poised for a revival effort in the second half of the season. 

Fantasy investors like new. New things are often fun. They can be sold with the premise of the unknown. Like a well-edited movie trailer, highlights of a young player with just a small sample of exposure can prove enticing. Bell is a known commodity on the downward trend of his career. Assets such as this simply don't excite the market; therefore, his ownership hovers around 30 percent in ESPN leagues, while the Dallas Cowboys' Christine Michael is comparably owned. 

With a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski and rookie tailback Ameer Abdullah proving inefficient with his touches and somewhat incapable of running between the tackles, Bell could potentially become an early-down bell cow again for the stretch run. The Lions aren't going anywhere this season, but that doesn't mean Bell can't provide 60-plus total yards per game and some worthy goal-line production down the stretch.

It's worth noting Bell entered the season with myriad injuries after multiple offseason surgeries, and only recently has he shown the burst and violent style that led him to finish 14th among backs in fantasy points per game last season.

It's not sexy or exciting like a fresh batch of flashy football highlights, but we suggest this bruising veteran as a worthy stash before the market warms up to him in the coming weeks. 

The Texans' Nate Washington Is Once Again a Waiver Wonder to Pursue

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With the Houston Texans on a record passing pace—the team is averaging 45.25 attempts per game, just shy of the 2012 Detroit Lions' record of 45.4—wideout Nate Washington is poised to reap the rewards of playing across double-team magnet DeAndre Hopkins.

We have pitched Washington as a worthy waiver addition before, but the market still isn't buying, as he's available in 60 percent of ESPN leagues. Extrapolate the veteran's per-game production this season, and we find a 16-game pace for 70 receptions, 1,096 yards and eight touchdowns. That's borderline WR2 output for a player who is widely available in most leagues.

We believe the veteran can sustain fantasy-worthy production for the coming weeks. While he's on bye, it's a perfect time to be proactive and stash him before your league's interest grows next week.