Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups: Best Fantasy Sleepers to Target on ESPN and Yahoo

This week brings a biblical amount of byes for fantasy football.

Forget about using David Johnson, A.J. Green, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Jordan Reed, Lamar Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, Jordan Howard or Alshon Jeffery.

Here’s a list of all teams that aren’t playing this week:

• Arizona Cardinals
• Chicago Bears
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Houston Texans
• New England Patriots
• Washington Redskins

That’s tough to swallow.

Throw in injuries to studs like Spencer Ware or mini-studs like Jacquizz Rodgers, and you might be forced to rely on the free-agency pool for a starter.

Here are a few players worth burning a waiver claim on.

Running Back

Tim Hightower (RB, New Orleans Saints)

ESPN ownership: 20.8 percent

Yahoo ownership: 28.0 percent

Mark Ingram is in the doghouse.

After having an early fumble returned for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the 26-year-old was benched in favor of second-stringer Tim Hightower. The New Orleans Saints fed Hightower 26 carries and left him on the field for 41 more snaps than Ingram, per Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke:

Perhaps most importantly, the Saints pulled off the upset on Seattle, 25-20, and Hightower’s 102 yards and a touchdown were a driving force behind the victory.

Does he get the start in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers, an absolute dream matchup for opposing backs?

ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett reported that head coach Sean Payton will deploy a "committee approach." ESPN’s Britt McHenry reported that Hightower has "earned more carries" against the Niners, but added, per a source, that Ingram "will bounce back."

Hightower might not flirt with 30 totes again, but he’s more than deserving of a start for teams in need of an RB2 or flex play. He's a pretty sure bet for at least 10 carries and maybe some goal-line work.

Should Ingram struggle again, Hightower has top-five potential.

Don’t forget, Hightower was a league-winner for many fantasy owners after Ingram went down with a shoulder injury last season.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Per Fantasy Pros, from Weeks 14-17, Hightower was the No. 2 overall running back in both standard and PPR formats—second only to super-stud David Johnson.

While you can’t expect that kind of impact, last year’s breakout provides proof that Hightower has season-changing potential. He’s safe to start this week, and it’d be wise to hold him even longer.

Other RBs

Charcandrick West

ESPN ownership: 46.0 percent

Yahoo ownership: 36.0 percent

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously West’s value takes a major hit if Ware clears the concussion protocol by Sunday, but he still offers flex potential with Jamaal Charles headed to the injured reserve, per ESPN's Field Yates:

West is no longer the third wheel in the backfield. He should be owned, even if he doesn't warrant a start this week.

Peyton Barber

ESPN ownership: 5.8 percent

Yahoo ownership: 12.0 percent

Barber only had one carry against the Oakland Raiders last week, even as Rodgers exited with a foot injury in overtime.

But in Week 7, he carried the rock 12 times and turned that into 84 yards and a touchdown. Barber is a bit of a dart throw, but he seems to be a threat to take one to the house from anywhere on the field.

Antone Smith and Mike James will be involved on Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons, too.

"We'll be playing more than one halfback," Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said on Tuesday, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

In what likely shakes out to an even split, Barber is the upside play.

Wide Receiver 

J.J. Nelson (WR, Arizona Cardinals)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

ESPN ownership: 6.5 percent

Yahoo ownership: 8.0 percent

Owning Michael Floyd or John Brown has been a roller coaster ride for fantasy owners...if the tracks were broken and the ride flew off the rails.

Initially thought to be high-end WR2s with weekly WR1 upside—think Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb from 2014—Floyd and Brown have been dreadful.

Floyd has yet to crack double-digit fantasy points in standard leagues and did so only once in half-PPR leagues. Brown had a 144-yard outing in Week 4, but that was a flash in the pan. He’s broken 55 yards just once outside of that explosion.

They rank 187th and 201st, respectively, after being ranked 55th and 63rd overall before the season began. Floyd and Brown are two of the primary reasons that Arizona, which played in last year’s NFC title game, has stumbled out to a 3-4-1 record.

According to head coach Bruce Arians, second-year speedster J.J. Nelson is sliding into a starting spot, via Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910:

Nelson has seen a steady uptick in usage and production the past three weeks as he develops a rapport with Carson Palmer:

• Week 6: two targets, two catches, 16 yards
• Week 7: seven targets, three catches, 84 yards
• Week 8: 12 targets, eight catches, 79 yards, two touchdowns

It doesn’t seem to be a motivational tactic from Arians, either. Nelson has established himself as a genuine weapon, and he deserves continued playing time.

According to CBS Sports, Arians compared Nelson, who is a slender 156 pounds, to Emmanuel Sanders—a fellow sticky-handed vertical threat who plays bigger than his size.

Arizona is on a bye this week, so you might be able to pick Nelson up without using a waiver claim. If you’re low on the list and could use a boost at wideout, though, he’s worth it.

The Cardinals’ offense will still be dominated by DJ and Larry Fitzgerald, but Nelson appears ready to offer big-time boom on a weekly basis going forward.

Other WRs

Corey Coleman

ESPN ownership: 31.5 percent

Yahoo ownership: 46.0 percent

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Terrelle Pryor commands attention, and the last time we saw Coleman, he went for 104 yards and two scores in just his second NFL game.

He missed time with a broken hand and is returning to an 0-8 team that will almost always be trailing and need to throw a ton.

That works in the rookie's favor.

Kenny Stills

ESPN ownership: 14.7 percent

Yahoo ownership: 8.0 percent

Stills has three games under two fantasy points this year. He also has three with over nine points, including 13- and 16-point outings.

It only takes one play for Stills, a proven deep threat, to make starting him worthwhile. This week, he gets the burnable Jets, who have made a habit of surrendering bomb touchdown passes.

Fantasy football player ownership percentages courtesy of ESPN.com and Yahoo! Fantasy Sports and current as of Wednesday, Nov. 2.