Week 9 Waiver Wire: Breakout Pickups, Targets and Tips for Fantasy Football

Once again, the NFL season confounded fans as a wild Sunday slate occurred during Week 8.

The Carolina Panthers casually dropped 36 points on a tough Baltimore Ravens defense. The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals played to a baseball score (5-3, 49ers) in the first half.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers nearly came back from deficits of 21 points (in the second quarter) and 18 (late in the third quarter) to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals before losing at the last moment.

On the fantasy side, Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson turned back the clock with 156 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns at the New York Giants.

More notably, however, a player who was drafted late (or not at all) in leagues this year led all players in fantasy points, as Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner had 212 yards from scrimmage, five receptions and two touchdowns vs. the Cleveland Browns for 38.2 points in point-per-reception leagues.

We'll see what Week 9 has in store, but until then, here's a look at some potential breakout candidates on the waiver wire.

Note that players who are on rosters in 51 percent or more of Yahoo leagues were not considered for the waiver-wire list, as the chances are they are unavailable in your league.

Also, the following teams are on bye and were not considered for the Week 9 list: Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Week 9 Top Breakout Candidates and Pickups

Houston Texans WR Keke Coutee (20 percent) at Denver Broncos

Houston Texans WR Vyncint Smith (0 percent) at Denver Broncos

Miami Dolphins WR DeVante Parker (13 percent) vs. New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (5 percent) at Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers WR D.J. Moore (15 percent) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Seattle Seahawks TE Ed Dickson (1 percent) vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles WR Josh Reynolds (1 percent) at New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints WR Tre'Quan Smith (31 percent) vs. Los Angeles Rams

Rising Rookie

Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore continued his steady ascent as he led his team in receptions (five), yards (90) and targets in a 36-21 victory over the Ravens. Moore also added 39 rushing yards to give him 129 yards from scrimmage.

He saw more playing time as Panthers wideout Torrey Smith is battling a knee injury that forced him to miss his first game. Thankfully, there is no structural damage, although a timetable for his return has not been made official.

Even if Smith comes back in Week 9, Moore deserves increased looks based off his performance. After catching just two passes on four targets through three games, Moore has snatched 26 passes for 227 yards in addition to 75 rushing yards in his past four contests.

The rookie didn't achieve those aforementioned Week 8 feats against some run-of-the-mill team, as the Ravens had allowed the fewest points per game in the league. The Panthers first-round pick, who doesn't even turn 22 years old until April, is clearly a talented prospect who may be on the verge of a breakout. 

Moore now gets the easiest possible matchup for an offensive player as Moore faces the Buccaneers at home.

The Bucs have allowed the most points per game in football and were overwhelmed in a 37-34 loss to the Bengals. Tampa continued to have issues with opposing pass-catchers as Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd caught nine passes (on 10 targets) for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Moore isn't likely to see that much volume in an offense that features numerous options for quarterback Cam Newton to target (e.g. wideout Devin Funchess, running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end Greg Olsen).

However, he can make the most of his looks against a team that allowed the sixth-highest percentage of explosive pass plays in the league through Week 7, according to football analyst Warren Sharp, via Sharp Football Stats.

No waiver-wire target listed above is in a better spot than Moore, and during a Week 9 where six teams are on a bye, he could be a huge boost to your team from the last wideout spot or flex position.

Do You Believe in 'Fitzmagic'?

After throwing his fourth interception (which was returned for a touchdown), Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was pulled from the game with the Bengals.

Down 34-16 with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter, Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter turned to backup Ryan Fitzpatrick to boost the team. The 35-year-old proceeded to nearly complete an epic comeback, completing 11-of-15 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

An 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end O.J. Howard (and ensuing two-point conversion pass to wideout Chris Godwin) tied the game at 34 with 1:05 left. The Bengals won on a game-ending field goal, but Koetter faced questions regarding the team's starter postgame. Here was his response:

It's understandable that Koetter didn't want to announce anything immediately after a tough loss, but how can the Bucs not go back to Fitzpatrick? They are on the proverbial playoff contention ropes at 3-4 and sit tied for last in the NFC South.

Now they're tasked with facing a hot 5-2 Panthers team on Sunday. The Bucs have little hope of stopping the Panthers offense given their current defensive state, so Tampa's best bet at a victory is winning a shootout.

Fitzpatrick, who started the first three games of the season as Winston served a suspension, is the best bet there. He has thrown 13 touchdown passes and just five interceptions in three full games and parts of two others, while Winston has thrown four more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (six).

On the fantasy side, however, there is a slight problem. Koetter may not announce a starter until mid-week, or after some leagues' waiver periods have already expired. Teams looking for a quarterback may have to gamble a large part of their FAAB (free-agent acquisition budget) or a high waiver priority to pick up a player who could be on the bench to start Week 9.

That isn't ideal, but the reward may be worth the risk given Fitzpatrick's remarkable 2018 success.