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

Fantasy football owners can tell when it's going to be a good week on the waiver wire.

Week 9 might be the best of the season—not only are we coming off a week wherein unexpected names like Jack Doyle and JuJu Smith-Schuster led the way in scoring, but injuries and the all-important trade deadline have opened up serious scoring voids for new faces to fill.

This is the week when contending owners set themselves apart when judged in hindsight. The chance at a fresh season-long option might be available at each position, so it's worth putting in the time.

Here is a Week 9 waiver guide based on Yahoo standard leagues.

Week 9 Waiver-Wire Targets

Josh McCown, QB, NYJ (25 percent owned)

Case Keenum, QB, MIN (13 percent owned)

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, SF (11 percent owned) 

Jacoby Brissett, QB, IND (12 percent owned)

Damien Williams, RB, MIA (14 percent owned)

DeAndre Washington, RB, OAK (19 percent owned)

Alex Collins, RB, BAL (34 percent owned)

Matt Breida, RB, SF (9 percent owned)

Rex Burkhead, RB, NE (8 percent owned)

Marlon Mack, RB, IND (44 percent owned)

Paul Richardson, WR, SEA (30 percent owned)

Robby Anderson, WR, NYJ (28 percent owned)

Corey Davis, WR, TEN (30 percent owned)

Travis Benjamin, WR, LAC (14 percent owned)

Jack Doyle, TE, IND (49 percent owned)

Austin Hooper, TE, ATL (47 percent owned)

Vernon Davis, TE, WAS (24 percent owned)

Tyler Kroft, TE, CIN (48 percent owned)

Jacoby Brissett, QB, IND (12 percent owned)

Frank Victores/Associated Press

It's not too late to jump on the Jacoby Brissett train, especially if owners in need can't afford to wait on Jimmy Garoppolo to make his San Francisco 49ers debut.

Brissett offered up another encouraging performance in Week 8, this time on the road against the elite Cincinnati Bengals defense, as he threw for 233 yards with two scores and an interception, good for 16.92 points.

For those who (rightfully) haven't been watching the Indianapolis Colts play, Brissett has been improving on a weekly basis, with this dime a good example of his progression:

From a scoring standpoint, Brissett has been hit or miss. But he's hit 16 or more points three times since Week 3, so owners who need some relief should feel comfortable trotting him out in a good matchup.

Damien Williams, RB, MIA (14 percent owned)

David Goldman/Associated Press

The reeling Miami Dolphins just gave owners a potential weekly starter at running back in the form of Damien Williams.

Those Dolphins traded starting running back Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, a move Philly announced, opening up the backfield for Williams and perhaps Kenyan Drake.

Williams has shown himself to be versatile over the course of his four-year career, rushing 99 times and also catching 73 of his 98 targets for 628 yards and five touchdowns. Miami's offense is a mess, so Williams should see plenty of usages as a runner and through the air on checkdowns.

Per Rotoworld, Williams has already played more snaps than Drake this year. His versatility is a boon even if Drake is the nominal starter, especially considering these Dolphins figure to be playing from behind often and looking to pass the ball.

Robby Anderson, WR, NYJ (28 percent owned)

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Robby Anderson just isn't stopping.

The New York Jets' surprise lead wideout looked like a fluke back in Week 3, when he scored 15.5 points. And he went on to have a pair of iffy contests before righting the ship—but he's sitting on three straight games with 7.6 or more points.

Anderson has scored a touchdown in each of the past two weeks as breakout fantasy stud quarterback Josh McCown continues to look his way. The two are the perfect combination of shocking given McCown's sudden ability to fit the ball into tight windows and the fact Anderson is consistently bringing it in:

For those counting, Anderson has five or more targets in six games in a row and counting, including a 12-target game to start off his latest impressive streak.

It's understandable if owners still shy away from the word "Jets" in all fantasy-related matters, but the McCown-Anderson combo is a viable option each week.

Vernon Davis, TE, WAS (24 percent owned)

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Jordan Reed is hurt again, which once more opens things up for Vernon Davis.

The Washington Redskins don't sound like a team expecting to have Reed on the field in Week 9, per John Keim of ESPN, making Davis a viable one-week streamer—if not more.

Davis already has four targets in each of his past three outings, so quarterback Kirk Cousins likes looking the veteran's way. As Rotoworld's Evan Silva pointed out before Week 8, Davis remains consistent in one key area:

That's impressive considering the playing time Davis loses to Reed.

That comes to a halt in Week 9 at a minimum, when Davis is once again a top option on a pass-heavy attack searching for answers.

All scoring info, points-against info and ownership stats courtesy of Yahoo standard leagues.