Fantasy Football Week 9: 5 Waiver Wire Must-Haves

Week 8 unbelievably saw another elite NFL tight end go down in the San Francisco 49ers' Vernon Davis.

Davis entered the game with the questionable designation due to an ankle injury and seemed to further aggravate it towards the end of the second quarter.

This is more bad news in a season where Dallas Clark and Jermichael Finley have suffered serious injuries and where Brent Celek and Visanthe Shiancoe have not been able to post numbers anywhere close to what they did in their 2009 campaigns.

Taking a look in the NFC East, fans had to be disappointed in what they saw in terms of quarterback play in Week 8.

Donovan McNabb is still yet to throw for more than one touchdown in a game halfway through the season and was benched in favor of Rex Grossman in the final two minutes of the game.

While it would take a serious injury for Grossman to ever get the start over McNabb, those who drafted the former Eagle have to be disappointed at this stage of the game.

Additionally, expectations were not particularly high for Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna, but he really looked bad in what seemed like a very winnable game on paper against the Jaguars.

Kitna threw four interceptions to just one touchdown against one of the worst ranked pass defenses in the league. To be fair, two of those interceptions bounced off his receivers' hands, but Kitna’s performance was still pretty uninspiring.

Owners who started Kitna due to the favorable matchup have to be kicking themselves; the only saving grace for Dallas is the fact that star receiver Miles Austin still had seven catches for 117 yards in the disappointing loss.

Furthermore, fantasy fanatics should proceed to start all of their skill players against Dallas from here on out, as the Cowboys defense seems to have given up completely at this point.

David Garrard looked like Michael Vick against the ‘Boys, going 17-of-21 for 260 yards with four scores, with another rushing touchdown to really rub it in.

While a lot of the usual suspects were the players who put up the big numbers in Week 8, there are still some players on your league’s waiver wire who were top performers.

LeGarrette Blount, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers

J. Meric/Getty Images

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 24: Running back LeGarrette Blount #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers straight arms safety Oshiomogho Atogwe #21 of the St. Louis Rams during the game at Raymond James Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Ge

Rumors have been circulating for a few weeks regarding Blount becoming the feature back in Tampa Bay despite the presence of veteran Cadillac Williams.

Those rumors became a reality in Week 8, as Blount exploded with 22 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Williams finished the day with a measly four carries for 10 yards.

Not only did Blount show exceptional power and vision, he also displayed tremendous agility, with the best example coming when he hurdled over a defender en route to a 48-yard gain.

If you are lucky enough to be a league where Blount is not owned yet, he should be added in all formats since he has the potential to be a top 15 back for the rest of the season.

Steve Breaston, WR Arizona Cardinals

Harry How/Getty Images

GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 31: Steve Breaston #15 of the Arizona Cardinals loses a shoe as he eludes the tackle from Myron Lewis #23 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Glendale, Arizo

The carousel that is the Cardinals' quarterback situation continues to turn, as Derek Anderson replaced Max Hall for the second consecutive week.

Fans of all affiliations have to wonder why the Cardinals decided not to draft a top-tier quarterback in April’s draft; perhaps they legitimately thought Kurt Warner would return.

Either way, this has been a messy situation all season and has in turn produced very little to get excited about from a fantasy perspective.

However, wide receiver Steve Breaston returned from arthroscopic knee surgery in Week 8 after missing three games, and what a return it was.

Breaston finished with an impressive eight catches for 147 yards, thriving once Anderson came into the game. 

In four games with Anderson under center, Breaston has two 100-yard games with at least seven catches.

While it is tough to rely on anyone in this Cardinals offense with even Larry Fitzgerald struggling, Breaston attracted a hearty 11 targets and has shown good chemistry with Anderson up to this point.

Breaston is worth a look in deeper leagues and teams hurting for receiver depth, as he is a talented player who just needs some more consistent play from his quarterbacks to thrive.

Nate Washington, WR Tennessee Titans

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

SAN DIEGO - OCTOBER 31: Wide receiver Nate Washington #85 of the Tennessee Titans reaches for an overthrown ball while being covered by Antoine Cason #20 of the San Diego Chargers in the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium on October 31, 2010 in San Diego

Coming off a monster game in Week 7, the Titans were hoping for big things from sophomore stud Kenny Britt despite facing a top-ranked Chargers defense.

Unfortunately, Britt suffered a serious hamstring injury just four snaps into the game, and head coach Jeff Fisher has already stated that Britt “will miss an extended period of time.”

In Britt’s absence, Nate Washington finally looked like a true No. 1 receiver again with four catches for 117 yards and a score.

Vince Young also re-aggravated ankle and knee injuries in the contest, so while Kerry Collins is not the most attractive fantasy option, he has few other reliable receivers outside of Washington for now.

Depending on when he gets healthy again, Justin Gage may be a sneaky pickup in deeper leagues, as he has a more complete skill set than Washington does.

Robert Meachem, WR New Orleans Saints

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: Robert Meachem #17 of the New Orleans Saints drops a pass against the Minnesota Vikings at the Louisiana Superdome on September 9, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Robert Meachem had a great year in 2009, posting 722 touchdowns and nine touchdowns, far exceeding expectations for a No. 3 receiver on the depth chart.

It looked like 2009 was a fluke though, as Meachem astonishingly had just 54 receiving yards in his first four games.

Since then though, he has had at least 57 receiving yards in three of the past four games with two touchdowns in that time frame as well.

While Lance Moore has managed to stay healthy and make an impact on this offense, his value out of the slot will all but disappear once Reggie Bush is back on the field.

Devery Henderson has nearly been invisible this season and has never been much more than a deep threat anyway, so both of these factors could work into Meachem’s favor.

Marques Colston is finally looking like the Saints' legitimate No. 1 receiver, but Meachem continues to make big plays and see a respectable five to seven targets a game.

As long as Drew Brees is at full strength, it could not hurt to gamble on one of his receivers if your fantasy team is in need of some depth at the position.

Keiland Williams, RB Washington Redskins

Al Bello/Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 27: Keiland Williams #35 of the Washington Redskins runs against the New York Jets during their preseason game on August 27, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Image

Redskins running back Ryan Torain had been filling in admirably for an injured Clinton Portis, notching back-to-back hundred yard games against the Colts and Bears.

Owners had to be licking their chops, as he had an enticing matchup in Week 8 against a vulnerable Lions run defense.

Torain managed just 29 yards from scrimmage before straining his hamstring at halftime, although he kept from being a complete fantasy dud by scoring on one of his three receptions.

This left the ‘Skins with nowhere to turn besides the rookie out of LSU, Keiland Williams.

Despite just nine touches, Williams was up for the challenge, gaining 53 yards from scrimmage and scoring a touchdown.

The severity of Torain’s injury is unknown, but as all fantasy owners should know at this point, hamstring injuries can be tricky, so Torain is no sure thing to play in Week 10 after a bye in Week 9.

Torain has proven to be a bit fragile in the past, so owners should play it safe and add Williams immediately.

For players just looking for help at running back, Williams does not have a cakewalk in store against the Eagles, but his pass-catching ability should quell any worries about using him as at least a flex play against a divisional rival.