Week 9 Waiver Wire: Jake Ballard and TEs Worth Adding

In this era of the NFL, where passing the ball is more important than ever, more and more tight ends are becoming large parts of their respective offenses. Because of that, the tight end position isn't as scarce from a fantasy perspective as it has traditionally been.

Even so, there are always injuries and byes to deal with, so some owners may be desperate for a quick fix in Week 9. Here are three tight ends who are most likely on the waiver wire in your league, and should have surprisingly-strong performances this week.

Lance Kendricks - St. Louis Rams

Entering the season, St. Louis Rams rookie tight end Lance Kendricks was tabbed as a high-ceiling sleeper. While his potential certainly remains present, he hasn't caught on as quickly as many had hoped. As his comfort level increases, though, it becomes more likely that he will contribute.

Prior to quarterback Sam Bradford missing a couple games with a high ankle sprain, he and Kendricks seemed to be developing a bit of a rapport as Kendricks had consecutive games with four catches. Kendricks had only one catch in two contests with A.J. Feeley under center, but Bradford looks like a good bet to return this week.

If that weren't enough, the Rams will be facing one of the league's worst teams against the pass in the Arizona Cardinals. Kendricks is a very athletic tight end who is capable of working down the field, so I think he and Bradford may be able to exploit the Cardinals on some seam routes for big gains.

Brent Celek - Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek may only have 209 receiving yards on the season, but don't let that deceive you. Celek has 11 grabs over the past two games and has scored in consecutive contests as well.

With opponents making a concerted effort to take wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin out of the game, quarterback Michael Vick has adjusted and looked to Celek and slot receiver Jason Avant in the middle of the field. Celek has benefited greatly from this change in offensive strategy and is beginning to return to his Pro-Bowl form from a couple seasons ago.

While Vick hasn't used him often over the past two seasons, he has a history of utilizing tight ends, such as Alge Crumpler in Atlanta. As long as defenses continue to key on the wide receivers, Celek figures to keep producing. He will be facing the Chicago Bears on Monday and should be in for another fine game as the Bears have uncharacteristically struggled against the pass this year.

Jake Ballard - New York Giants

While few knew of him entering the season, New York Giants tight end has begun to develop into a favorite target of quarterback Eli Manning, and is making many Giants' fans forget about departed free agent Kevin Boss.

Ballard has only 19 catches this season, but he has made them count as he has gone for 328 yards and a pair of scores. Ballard has been particularly consistent over the past three weeks as he hasn't had less than 55 yards during that time frame, and has caught both of his touchdowns in recent weeks as well.

Manning is increasingly targeting Ballard in all areas of the field, and his size makes him a great option in the red zone. The Giants will be facing the New England Patriots on Sunday, and it is well documented that the Pats have given up more passing yardage than any other team this season. Ballard figures to be a nice safety valve for Manning in this contest, and he has a ton of touchdown potential to boot against New England's soft secondary.