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

The fantasy football struggle is real if you're in a hyper-competitive league that features 20 teams, or one that forces you to start two quarterbacks. Perhaps you're in a league with a 10-person bench, or one where 1-7 teams are still making 10 moves per week.

Sometimes, a need exists to dig deep and find some super sleepers—players who are on few rosters even weeks into the season.

We'll take a look at some below that can help you for Week 9. The caveat is that no player who is rostered in 10 percent or more of Yahoo leagues was considered. 

That's why you don't see Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (10 percent), Carolina Panthers wideout D.J. Moore (17 percent) or Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (13 percent), all of whom eclipse the nine percent mark and should be popular Week 9 adds.

Week 9 Sleepers

Detroit Lions WR T.J. Jones (0 percent) at Minnesota Vikings

Oakland Raiders WR Brandon LaFell (0 percent) at San Francisco 49ers

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

Denver Broncos WR Tim Patrick (0 percent) vs. Houston Texans

San Francisco 49ers WR Kendrick Bourne (0 percent) vs. Oakland Raiders

New York Jets RB Trenton Cannon (9 percent) at Miami Dolphins

New York Jets TE Chris Herndon (6 percent) at Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks TE Ed Dickson (2 percent) vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Green Bay Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (7 percent) at New England Patriots

Washington Redskins WR Paul Richardson (6 percent) vs. Atlanta Falcons

San Francisco 49ers QB Nick Mullens (0 percent) vs. Oakland Raiders

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (1 percent) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Buffalo Bills WR Terrelle Pryor (1 percent) vs. Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (7 percent) at New England Patriots

Despite the returns of Green Bay Packers wideouts Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison off the injury report, Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw the second-most time among all Pack wideouts in a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Valdes-Scantling was on the field for 60 percent of offensive snaps and turned five targets into two catches, 45 yards and one touchdown.

The rookie has shown significant promise in limited playing time, as he's turned 27 targets into 14 catches for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He also has three catches of 38 or more yards, so it doesn't take many chances for him to make a large impact.

If you're looking for a wideout, Valdes-Scantling could be worth the pickup. It's possible that Cobb and Allison return to their regular perches as the team's second and third receivers, but Valdes-Scantling has enjoyed the best season of any Packer wideout not named Davante Adams.

Pick him up before your league catches on.

Washington Redskins WR Paul Richardson (6 percent) vs. Atlanta Falcons

Washington Redskins wide receiver Paul Richardson isn't a fantasy viable starter week after week (18 catches, 246 yards, two touchdowns in six games), but he's good enough to be on a team's bench and could have a surprise showing against the Atlanta Falcons, who have allowed 30.3 points per game (third-worst in the NFL).

Richardson hasn't seen more than six targets all season, but he's a potent deep threat (16 yards per catch last year) who can break off a big play or two against the struggling Atlanta side.

The Falcons are without starting safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal, who have both suffered season-ending injuries. Linebacker Deion Jones is on injured reserve.

Those losses have played a part in a poor defensive season: Per Football Outsiders, the team ranks second-last in defense-adjusted value over average. Of note, the Falcons are bottom five against the run and pass.

Richardson won't be in line for a large volume of targets if this season is any indication, but he could be good in the flex role and may pay off with a long catch or two.

San Francisco 49ers QB Nick Mullens (0 percent) vs. Oakland Raiders

This pick is the ultimate dart throw if you're in a two-quarterback league and need help.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens has never taken a regular-season NFL snap, but that could change Thursday as C.J. Beathard suffered a wrist injury and is struggling to hold on to the ball, per head coach Kyle Shanahan.

If Mullens starts, he'll at least get to face an Oakland Raiders team that has (a) allowed the second-most points in the league and (b) sacked the opposing quarterback just seven times in seven games. If Mullens stays upright, he can do damage.

For what it's worth, he was productive in his final two years at Southern Miss, throwing 62 touchdowns and completing over 63 percent of his passes.

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (1 percent) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Somehow, the recommendation of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (a Heisman Trophy winner and first-round selection) seems riskier than the one of Mullens (an undrafted free agent).

But if you're in a 12-team league where two quarterbacks are mandatory in starting lineups, then you have to get creative sometimes if other teams hoard signal-callers. You can't afford a zero.

Jackson is the second-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco, so his opportunities are limited. He does see some though thanks to his rushing ability, as he's amassed 129 yards and one touchdown.

There also exists the possibility that Flacco takes a seat if he tosses a few interceptions or can't get anything going in a crucial AFC North matchup with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco hit the pine at the end of a 36-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers, but that was more because the game's result was no longer in doubt. Jackson did go in and threw a late touchdown pass for some cheap fantasy points, though.

Don't pick up Jackson unless (a) you're in a keeper league and can retain him next year or (b) you want to avoid a goose egg in your second-quarterback spot. Still, this could be the super-sleeper play of the year.