NFL Week 9 fantasy football waiver wire targets | Fantasy Football News, Rankings and Projections

• Panthers RB duo remain must-adds: D’Onta Foreman had no problem leading the Panthers backfield without Chuba Hubbard, but both backs should have a prominent role as we advance.

• Rondale Moore puts up big numbers: Moore remains a clear starter in Arizona. He scored and put up 100 yards in Week 8.

• Greg Dulcich TE1 streak continues: Dulcich has been a top-12 fantasy tight end every week he’s been on the Broncos’ active roster.

Estimated reading time: 18 minutes

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Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (Rostered in 26.2% of leagues on ESPN)

Fields threw for two touchdowns and ran in a third en route to the third-best quarterback performance for the week.

• This was Fields’ fourth consecutive game as a top-12 fantasy quarterback.
• His 76 carries, 423 rushing yards and three touchdowns are all second-most among quarterbacks this season.
• He’s a fantasy starter almost for his rushing production alone.
• Fields’ 10.1-yard average depth of target is the highest among starting quarterbacks this season, which will give him opportunities for big plays in the passing game.
• He’s slowly seeing improvements in his wide receivers: N’Keal Harry has emerged as his new WR2, while Byron Pringle has returned to practice. 

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (42.6%)

Goff threw for one touchdown and over 300 yards in the Lions’ loss to the Dolphins.

• He ranks ninth on the season in passing yards (1,904), even though the Lions were on a bye last week. 
• His 12 passing touchdowns are tied for seventh at the position.
• Goff has recently put up some bad statistical games, but he was missing several key players.
• Amon-Ra St. Brown was back to his usual role in Week 8, and D’Andre Swift was at least on the active roster again.
• Both D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams will ideally be back by the fantasy playoffs.
• Detroit has the eighth-best schedule for quarterbacks over the rest of the season.

Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (24.0%)

Mariota racked up three touchdowns, 253 passing yards and 43 rushing yards in the Falcons’ overtime victory.

• Mariota was the QB12 heading into this week and put up his fourth top-10 fantasy performance of the season.
• His 10.0-yard average depth of target is the second-highest among starters, but he relies heavily on his rushing production.
• He ranks top-five in both rushing attempts (54) and rushing touchdowns (2).
• The Falcons have the second-easiest schedule for the rest of the season. They could win the division, making it unlikely they will make a quarterback change anytime soon.

Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (20.4%)

Dalton put together a solid 229-yard performance with two passing touchdowns in the Saints’ blowout victory.

• Because of this game script, Dalton’s fantasy numbers were relatively low compared to the other quarterbacks. The Saints’ dominance worked against his fantasy value.
• Dalton remains one of the highest-graded quarterbacks of the season due to his accurate passes.
• He has a stronger hold on the Saints’ starting job after the shutout victory.
• His next two opponents are bottom-nine in terms of allowing fantasy points to QBs. He can be a particularly strong fill-in for teams that need a bye-week replacement.
• He could eventually get Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry back, which would only help Dalton’s numbers.

P.J. Walker, Carolina Panthers (2.1%)

Walker threw for 300 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers’ loss to the Falcons.

• His 494 passing yards over the last two weeks are the seventh-most at the position.
• His PFF grade will likely rank in the top 10 over that time, so he’ll probably keep his starting job for the foreseeable future.
• He probably won’t be a consistent fantasy starter outside of superflex leagues, but he is the best option available in deeper leagues where the four players above are taken.
  

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D’Onta Foreman (66.1%) & Chuba Hubbard (35.6%), Carolina Panthers

Foreman had no problem taking the lead in the Panthers backfield without Hubbard, putting up a dominant game on the ground.

• Foreman took a clear majority of snaps in most situations, leading to his dominant game on the ground.
• He gained 118 yards on 26 carries and scored three touchdowns.
• It’s worth remembering that Hubbard had double the carries and ran more routes than Foreman in three quarters before his Week 7 injury.
• Foreman has rarely played on third downs over the last two weeks, which indicates that Hubbard will still see the receiving work when healthy.
• We would expect Foreman to lead the team in carries, given how well he has played, but that is still no sure thing.
• The Panthers have been very reliant on their backs, so both players are worth rostering, regardless of how the snaps are split.

Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears (47.8%)

Herbert continues to be the Bears’ most productive running back on the ground, which is earning him more carries.

• Herbert isn’t playing nearly as much as David Montgomery, but he typically touches the ball whenever he’s on the field.
• The Bears continued their tradition of using only Montgomery over their first two drives. 
• Herbert ran the ball 16 times compared to Montgomery’s nine after that point.
• He has 564 rushing yards to Montgomery’s 361 this season despite Montgomery having just one more carry.
• Herbert has reached the point where he could be considered for starting lineups in games Chicago can keep close.
• The Bears’ schedule has been more difficult than average over the first half of the season but will be easier over the second half, leading to more rushing opportunities.