Waiver Wire Week 9: Stat Projections for Top Fantasy Pickups and Sleepers

At this point in the fantasy football season, there are teams that have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack.

Those are the teams that are destined for the playoffs.

But then there are those that are on the fringes and could squeak into the postseason if they make a few key roster changes and those tweaks go their way.

For those owners, Week 9 is crucial.

Here, we'll take a look at some of the most popular fantasy pickups and sleepers that owners should target on the waiver wire.

Quarterback

Top Fantasy Pickup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (on teams in 3 percent of Yahoo leagues)

This one's a no-brainer. Jameis Winston is out, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is in. 

Tampa Bay head coach Dirk Koetter started Fitzpatrick over Winston Monday as the Bucs take on the Carolina Panthers this Sunday.

Koetter benched Winston after he threw for four interceptions. With Tampa Bay down 34-16, Fitzpatrick's number was called, and he was able to erase an 18-point deficit before falling to the Cincinnati Bengals 37-34.

Fitzpatrick finished with 194 passing yards and two touchdowns. Before Winston came back from suspension, he logged three straight games of 400 yards.

Look for Fitzpatrick to reclaim that "Fitzmagic" for the rest of the season with all of the weapons he has at his disposal.

Top Fantasy Sleeper: Chicago Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky (25 Percent)

Mitchell Trubisky got into the NFL record books last week by throwing the longest touchdown pass of his short career.

With 5:35 left in the first quarter, Trubisky threw a short pass to Tarik Cohen, who then took it to the house. It was a 70-yard screen that put the Chicago Bears up 7-0 over the New York Jets.

The Bears went on to win 24-10, but Trubisky only logged 220 yards and two touchdowns. It was a step in the right direction, though. Look for him to have another good outing against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9.

Running Back

Top Fantasy Pickup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Peyton Barber

After Ronald Jones II went down with an injured hamstring, the next man up is Peyton Barber.

Barber struggled early on, which is why a lot of owners out there ditched him as soon as they could, and with a lowly 3.7 yards-per-carry average, who could blame them?

But he answered the bell when Jones went out, logging 85 yards on 19 carries in last week's loss to the Bengals, so look for him to bump up those averages big time.

That performance likely made Barber the lead back, so look for him to take on the lion's share of carries. 

For those owners looking to strike while the iron's hot, grab Barber off the waiver wire if he's there.

Top Fantasy Sleeper: Denver Broncos RB Devontae Booker

Injuries mean that it's all about the next man up. For the Broncos, with Royce Freeman out, that next man up is Devontae Booker.

Last week, Booker performed well in the backup role behind Phillip Lindsay. He finished with 101 yards on 13 carries and four receptions. 

If Freeman is out again, Booker should see more action, and that may be worth a spot on an owner's roster, even if it's on the bench.

Wide Receiver

Top Fantasy Pickup: Seattle Seahawks WR David Moore

It's time the Seattle Seahawks took David Moore's last name literally.

In the last three games, he's logged four touchdowns including a nifty off-the-hands, off-the-helmet, then back in the hands catch against the Detroit Lions.

Looks like the seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft just moved ahead of Brandon Marshall, which means he'll finally get more consistent playing time and more targets and should get consideration for a roster spot for fantasy owners looking for a nice pickup.

Top Fantasy Sleeper: Carolina Panthers WR D.J. Moore

Week 8 was a breakout week for D.J. Moore.

With Torrey Smith sidelined, he totaled 90 yards on six catches in the Panthers' 36-21 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

He also logged another 39 yards on the ground with two carries.

Putting up those kinds of numbers warrants more opportunities, which Smith will likely see this coming week against the Buccaneers.

For those owners looking to bolster their roster with a burgeoning wideout, Moore is the guy to snatch off the waiver wire.

Tight End

Top Fantasy Pickup: Indianapolis Colts TE Jack Doyle

Jack Doyle is back in the driver's seat.

Doyle went down with a hip injury back in Week 2 against the Washington Redskins and finally made it back to the lineup last week.

He finished with 70 yards on six catches and his first touchdown of the season. Andrew Luck connected with Doyle on the 10-yard line, and he overpowered Oakland Raiders safety Marcus Gilchrist to put the Colts up 35-28.

That score—and subsequent ball-spike—served as a notice that Doyle was back.

Ultimately, Doyle led the team in receiving yards, receptions and targets.

If he's on the waiver wire, owners should not hesitate to grab him.

Top Fantasy Sleeper: Seattle Seahawks TE Ed Dickson

After being out for six weeks with a quad injury, Seattle Seahawks Ed Dickson came back with a vengeance. 

He finished with 54 yards on two catches.

It was Dickson's first game as a Seahawk, and he put a cherry on top with a 12-yard touchdown that was crucial to Seattle's 28-14 win over the Detroit Lions.

The other big play for the nine-year veteran was a 42-yard catch that could have ended in a score if he'd been able to beat Lions' safety Quandre Diggs.

Now that Dickson has gotten that first game out of the way, look for him to build on that with even stronger performances.

Fantasy owners should take a look at him if he's available.