Fantasy Football waiver-wire candidates after Week 9.
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Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season is officially behind us, and those near the bottom of their league in fantasy football may be looking to make some significant changes to their respective fantasy teams.

For those who are looking to turn around their fantasy football fortunes, here are the top five pickup candidates that are available in over 50% of leagues on the ESPN Fantasy Football platform going into Week 10.

Week 9 Recap:

Week 9 was a mixed bag in terms of players that were listed in my waiver-wire column heading into the week. My top add for the week, Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, struggled heavily with rookie quarterback Clayton Tune at the helm for the Cardinals. However, New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (more on him later) ended up having a terrific game, finishing with 20.62 fantasy points. Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard followed suit with a solid performance, ending up with 10.7 fantasy points.

Let’s keep the ball rolling with some more impact players heading into Week 10.

5. Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens

  • Week 9: 20.4 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 1.0 %
  • Week 10 opponent: Cleveland Browns

Mitchell has pretty much been an afterthought in this Ravens offense this season prior to their Week 9 game against the Seattle Seahawks. However, he broke onto the scene in a big way on Sunday, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on only nine rushing attempts.

You can see in the video of his rushing touchdown above that he presents the Ravens offense with some true breakaway speed, something that their offense could certainly use more of alongside Lamar Jackson.

It’s worth noting that much of his production came when this game was already well in hand in the Ravens’ favor. But we have seen before this season that running backs can come out of nowhere and instantly become viable fantasy options.

Perhaps the biggest example of this is Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, who similarly broke out in a Dolphins blowout win in Week 3 over the Denver Broncos.

If Mitchell was guaranteed a role in this Ravens offense moving forward, he would be even higher on this list. But at the very least, Mitchell is worthy of being added to fantasy rosters on his massive upside alone.

4. Demario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots

  • Week 9: 10.5 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 21.9 %
  • Week 10 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

Several injuries to the Patriots’ wide receiving corps presented some added opportunities for Demario Douglas in their Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders. And the rookie wideout came through with a solid performance, recording five receptions for 55 yards on seven targets.

This is the third consecutive game from Douglas with at least four receptions, clearly showing that he is becoming a bigger part of this Patriots offense.

Some obvious limitations come with being a part of the Patriots offense for Douglas. Their offense ranks just 20th in passing yards per game on the year.

However, Douglas has real potential to become the top receiving option for Mac Jones with Kendrick Bourne sidelined for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. And that makes him an intriguing option for fantasy owners going into Week 10 and beyond.

3. Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

  • Week 9: 3.6 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 33.8 %
  • Week 10 opponent: Detroit Lions

Johnston came to the Chargers this season as a first-round pick out of TCU, which obviously comes with some pretty large expectations to produce right away.

That hasn’t exactly happened for much of the season. But the team placed Joshua Palmer on the injured reserve on Sunday ahead of their Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets, which presents a big opportunity for Johnston to break out moving forward.

He didn’t exactly take advantage of that on Monday night, recording just two catches for 14 yards against the Jets.

You can certainly blame Johnston for this lackluster performance. But the tough matchup against a fierce Jets defense certainly didn’t help matters. And the Chargers offense as a whole didn’t have a great day.

There will likely be better days ahead for both the Chargers offense and Johnston individually. And as long as he is receiving opportunities with Joshua Palmer sidelined, he should be a heavy consideration in fantasy moving forward.

2. D’Onta Foreman, RB, Chicago Bears

  • Week 9: 8.3 fantasy points (PPR)
  • Rostered: 46.5 %
  • Week 10 opponent: Carolina Panthers

Foreman has been the lead running back for the last three weeks in Chicago while Khalil Herbert has been sidelined on injured reserve. He received 20 rushing attempts in their Week 9 game against the New Orleans Saints, rushing for 83 yards in the game. His day could have been even better, nearly scoring on a long rush from 38 yards out.

Foreman is a player who is a bit of a one-trick pony, essentially providing nothing through the passing game as a receiver. But he’s an excellent power back who is a goal-line threat in each and every game.

It’s worth monitoring Khalil Herbert’s status for Week 10; he’s eligible to come off injured reserve in Week 10. But the team has a short week, playing on Thursday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers, which could make it tough for him to return to full action.

As long as Foreman is getting as many opportunities as he currently is with the Bears, he’ll be a very intriguing option for fantasy owners.

1. Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints

  • Week 9: 20.62 fantasy points
  • Rostered: 39.7 %
  • Week 10 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

As I stated above, Hill was listed in my Week 9 waiver-wire column. The reason for that is his versatility which is simply unmatched at the tight end position in fantasy football.

That versatility was on full display for the Saints in their Week 9 game against the Chicago Bears. He completed one pass for a three-yard touchdown while also receiving a team-high 11 carries for 52 yards, and he also hauled in four receptions for 13 yards and a touchdown.

Some may see Hill as a bit of a gimmick player. But the Saints have utilized him very effectively this year in many different aspects, and it has paid off in a big way for fantasy football owners.

It’s the second straight game where Hill recorded more than 20 fantasy points. That’s production that clearly can’t be matched by many other widely available players on the waiver wire, which means that he should be owned in the majority of fantasy leagues moving forward.

Honorable mentions:

  • JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, New England Patriots)
  • Antonio Gibson (RB, Washington Commanders)
  • Luke Musgrave (TE, Green Bay Packers)
  • Devin Singletary (RB, Houston Texans)
  • Joshua Dobbs (QB, Minnesota Vikings)

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley