Fantasy Football Week 9 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers Who Could Emerge

Roster depth is key to fantasy football success—even eight weeks into the season as the playoffs for your league continue to get closer.

You never know what might happen that could impact your team. Perhaps a top player who you've relied on gets injured. If that happens, it's reassuring to know you have some quality players on your bench who you can plug into your lineup.

As players get injured, it also creates opportunities for others who can then become top waiver-wire targets. So it's critical to keep adding deep sleepers if you have roster space for them. It could help as you make your push for the playoffs, and then potentially once you get there as well.

Here's a look at several deep sleepers to keep an eye on heading into Week 9 of the NFL season.

Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos

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Through his first four games this season, Lock had only one passing touchdown. He also missed some time because of a shoulder injury. Then, this past Sunday, he hadn't thrown for a touchdown through the first three quarters against the Los Angeles Chargers.

It took until the fourth quarter of that game, but Lock got it going. He threw three touchdown passes in the final quarter to lift Denver to a come-from-behind 31-30 victory. And it also showed that Lock could become a solid fantasy option if he plays at that level moving forward.

Over the past two weeks, Lock has passed for 504 yards as he's starting to put up bigger numbers. He's likely to keep that going in Week 9 when the Broncos take on the Atlanta Falcons, who have given up 311.4 passing yards per game, the second-most in the NFL.

Lock will be a strong streaming option this week, and he's available in at least 90 percent of both Yahoo and ESPN leagues. Then, if he keeps playing strong, he could be worth starting even when Denver has a bit more challenging matchups.

Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens

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With Mark Ingram out this past week because of an ankle injury, the Ravens relied on Edwards and rookie J.K. Dobbins out of the backfield. Both Edwards and Dobbins had already been involved in Baltimore's offense early in the season, but each had the opportunity for more touches in the Week 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Over the past two weeks, Edwards has carried the ball 30 times and scored a touchdown in both games. He set season highs for carries (16) and rushing yards (87) against Pittsburgh, and he also was getting plenty of opportunities when the Ravens got into the red zone.

Edwards is available in more fantasy leagues than Dobbins, as he's available in at least 70 percent of both Yahoo and ESPN leagues. And if Ingram continues to miss time, Edwards should keep getting enough touches to be worth starting in the flex spot in deep leagues. If Edwards keeps playing well, he could get more opportunities even when Ingram returns.

It's been risky to play Baltimore running backs this season because of its tendency to keep all three backs involved. But it's worth adding Edwards to see how this situation continues to develop.

Jakobi Meyers, WR, New England Patriots

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The Patriots' receiving corps hasn't put up great numbers this season. And now, it's going to be without Julian Edelman (knee) and N'Keal Harry (head), who are dealing with injuries. So New England will need other receivers to step up as strong targets for quarterback Cam Newton.

One wide receiver who could emerge as a fantasy option is Jakobi Meyers, who was on the field more during the Pats' loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 8. Meyers was targeted 10 times, and he turned that into six receptions for 58 yards. However, the second-year receiver has yet to get into the end zone for his first career touchdown.

That could change soon, as Meyers should continue to get passes thrown his way for however long Edelman and/or Harry are out. If he builds off his production from this past week, then he becomes an intriguing option for fantasy managers moving forward.

Meyers is available in nearly all fantasy leagues and could be worth a bench spot to see how he continues to fare with a bigger role in New England's offense.

Ross Dwelley, TE, San Francisco 49ers

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George Kittle is likely to miss substantial time because of a foot injury, so that means Jordan Reed could have the opportunity to be the 49ers' starting tight end. However, Reed hasn't played since Week 3 because of a knee injury, and the majority of his career has been negatively affected by injuries.

That means there could be opportunities coming for Dwelley, who would be the next player up for San Francisco at tight end. This past week against the Seattle Seahawks, the 25-year-old had a 16-yard touchdown reception, getting into the end zone for the first time this season.

Now, the 49ers' offense is banged up, and Dwelley's production could depend on how their quarterback fares. Jimmy Garoppolo is also out injured, so it's likely to be Nick Mullens under center moving forward.

Still, Dwelley may turn into a strong streaming option, and he's available in nearly all fantasy leagues. He's worth monitoring for now and then adding if Reed continues to miss time.