Fantasy Football Week 9 Mailbag: Waiver Wire, Start/Sit Questions Answered

Injuries to star players were the major fantasy football storylines to emerge from Week 8, leaving many people wondering how they should replace these guys. The best option: your league’s waiver wire.

We answered waiver wire questions and more in this week’s fantasy football mailbag. Enjoy.

Question (from Bobby on Twitter): Brees or Rivers this week?
This is a great question, because for people who haven’t paid attention to the San Diego Chargers this season, which probably is most of you, Philip Rivers leads the league in passing yards and has six 300-yard games.

Rivers probably will approach the 300-yard mark again in Week 9, but it won’t be easy against a Chicago Bears defense that gives up 214 passing yards per game, the fourth-fewest in the league.

Drew Brees has an even tougher matchup against a Tennessee Titans defense that ranks third in average passing yards allowed. That said, Brees and the Saints are at home in the dome for Week 9. Brees is coming off a 505-yard, seven-touchdown performance at home against the New York Giants in Week 8, and he’s the best choice to start Sunday.

Question (from Ted on Twitter): Any good waiver wire WR suggestions? Bye weeks have destroyed my WR core for this weekend.
The best waiver wire option for this week, as far as wide receivers go, is Nate Washington of the Houston Texans. The Texans often trail in games, which forces quarterback Brian Hoyer to throw a lot in the second half.

DeAndre Hopkins is the most targeted wideout in the league, but Washington receives plenty of looks, too. He has been targeted 22 times over the last two weeks with 201 yards and three touchdowns in that span. Washington still is available in most leagues and is a must-add entering Week 9.

Question (from Eric on Facebook): Which underperforming star is more likely to bounce back in the 2nd part of the season?
Call me crazy, but I’d say Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson. He finally found the end zone in Week 8, during which he also ran for a season-high 101 yards on just 14 carries. Ronnie Hillman is still getting the majority of the carries in the Denver backfield, but Anderson’s latest performance could serve as a confidence booster. His ability to be a productive receiver out of the backfield also gives him value in PPR leagues.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start Anderson as a flex this week and see if he establish some consistency.

Question (from Paul on Facebook): Drop Joseph Randle to grab some players from waivers?
Yes, you absolutely should drop Randle — like the Dallas Cowboys did Tuesday — and find a more reliable player on the waiver wire.

The best running backs to target on waivers this week are DeAngelo Williams of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jeremy Langford of the Chicago Bears. Williams will replace the injured Le’Veon Bell as the Steelers’ starting running back, and Langford should see an increase in touches with Bears starter Matt Forte battling an MCL injury.

Thumbnail photo via John Rieger/USA TODAY Sports Images