Week 9: Fantasy Football Quit, Headliners: Cedric Tillman and Matthew Stafford

With bye weeks back and both the 49ers and Steelers getting a break, plenty of fantasy fans will be looking for replacements not only for those two teams’ players, but also for the large list of those dealing with injuries that could keep them out of action .

To help fill the void, here is a list of 10 players (and other standouts) who should add a waiver. Also, be sure to watch Fantasy Dirt with me and Lindsay Rhodes five days a week, including Tuesdays when we take a deep dive into free agents!

Cedric Tillman, WR, Browns (ESPN – 16%; Sleeper – 23%; Yahoo! – 18%)

Tillman, who was named on this list last week, had another big game for both the Browns and fantasy fans. After scoring 18.1 points in his first game without Amari Cooper, Tillman was even better this week with seven catches, 99 yards, two touchdowns and 28.9 points in a win over the Ravens. Tillman should be the biggest fantasy player of the week.

Josh Downs, WR, Colts (ESPN – 48.6%; Sleeper – 63%; Yahoo! – 47%)

I feel like we’ve been here before with Downs being dropped across the league after scoring 1.3 points last week. Luckily, he bounced back with four catches, 109 yards, one touchdown and 22.2 fantasy points against Houston. Downs has now scored more than 15 points in all but one of his last five games and will be in the black next game against the Vikings.

Jameis Winston, QB, Browns (ESPN – 3.3%; Sleeper – 10%; Yahoo! – 6%)

Winston, named to this list last week, was not added to many leagues after becoming the Browns’ starting quarterback. However, that should change by Week 9 as he started against the Ravens. The veteran had 334 yards, three touchdowns and scored an impressive 23.6 fantasy points in the huge win. Winston will face the Chargers next week.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams (ESPN – 18.5%; Sleeper – 34%; Yahoo! – 39%)

The return of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp put Stafford back on the fantasy radar. The veteran quarterback, who hasn’t averaged more than 12.8 fantasy points since Week 2, threw four touchdowns and scored 24.8 points last week. That was more points than he had scored in the previous three games combined! Stafford will face the Seahawks defense next weekend.

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills (ESPN – 57.8%; Sleeper – 0%; Yahoo! – 41%)

Coleman had a strong scoring streak, scoring over 16 points in two straight games, including 18 points against the Seahawks. He scored a total of 14 targets in these competitions. This may come as a surprise after the Bills traded Amari Cooper, but it’s true. The rookie, who has also scored more than 11 points in three of his last four games, needs to qualify for more league play.

Bo Nix, QB, Broncos (ESPN – 36.7%; Sleeper – 35%; Yahoo! – 25%)

Knicks, inserted into the starting lineup last week, scored 29.8 fantasy points in the win over the Panthers. He has now scored over 20 points in three of his last four games and has also averaged more points per game than Patrick Mahomes this season. The rookie who faces the Ravens next should be added to the starting lineup when we return to the bye weeks.

Xavier Legette, WR, Panthers (ESPN – 24%; Sleeper – 37%; Yahoo! – 15%)

Legette isn’t putting up huge numbers, but he has scored in double figures in three of his last four games and four of his last six. He’s also scored a touchdown in three of his last four, including Sunday’s loss to Denver. With Diontae Johnson looking like a trade candidate, Legette should be added to the lineup ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the Saints.

Jalen McMillan, WR, Buccaneers (ESPN – 41.7%; Sleeper – 59%; Yahoo! – 50%)

McMillan was added to a host of leagues last week after Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both went down with injuries. However, he remains a free agent on 50% or more of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues. McMillan saw seven targets in his first full game without the two veterans, leading the Buccaneers to an all-time loss to the Falcons. Take MacMillan if it’s available.

Elijah Moore, WR, Browns (ESPN – 1.3%; Sleeper – 7%; Yahoo! – 2%)

Tillman isn’t the only Browns to benefit from the Amari Cooper trade. Moore had eight catches for 85 yards against the Ravens and now has 18 targets over the past two weeks. Considering Winston is under center in an offense that pushes the ball forward a ton, Moore should be considered out of control.

Parker Washington, WR, Jaguars (ESPN – 0.1%; Sleeper – 0%; Yahoo! – 0%)

It was a bad week at wide receiver for the Jaguars as Christian Kirk, Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis all suffered injuries. In fact, Kirk broke his collarbone and was sidelined for the rest of the season. With the Jags losing at least one starting receiver, and possibly more, it makes sense to remove Washington from the waiver wire. The Jags will next face the Eagles.

Notes: Sam Darnold, QB, Vikings; Russell Wilson, QB, Steelers; Joe Flacco, QB, Colts; Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars; Malik Willis, QB, Packers; Tyler Allgaier, RB, Falcons; Braylon Allen, RB, Jets; Jauan Jennings, WR, 49ers; Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals; Ricky Piersall, WR, 49ers; Nick Westbrook-Eakin, WR, Titans; Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Texans; Zach Ertz, TE, Commanders; Mike Gesicki, TE, Bengals; Will Dissly, TE, Chargers.