Hello and welcome to the Week 9 waiver wire watch!
Another weekend of NFL action is mostly in the books and congratulations, you’ve survived bye-mageddon…or so we hope. A new tight end seemingly emerges with a strong effort each week and that was once again the case this past weekend.
We’ll go over some performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 9 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at the max.
Week 9 byes: Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
AJ Barner, TE, Seattle Seahawks (10.3%)
Seattle is coming off its bye week and that presents an opportunity for Barner to continue the breakout season that he’s been having. The second-year tight end has 18 receptions for 212 yards and four touchdowns on the year and has been money in the red zone this year with all four of his scores coming in the red zone. He’s going up against a Commanders team that is giving up an average of 9.0 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he provides an immediate return on investment if you scoop him up this week.
Week 9 matchup: @ Washington Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET
Theo Johnson, TE, New York Giants (21.1%)
Johnson caught three of four targets for 20 yards in the Giants’ 38-20 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. It by no means a noteworthy performance, but the second-year tight end has remained a solid target for Jaxson Dart and that’s especially been true in the red zone this season. Cam Skattebo’s season-ending ankle injury places a burden on other Giants skill-position weapons to step up in the coming weeks and Johnson is someone who can fill the void.
Week 9 matchup: vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m. ET
Jake Tonges, TE, San Francisco 49ers (4.2%)
Hey, just because George Kittle is back and healthy doesn’t mean that Tonges won’t pop up and contribute. That was the case in the 49ers’ 26-15 loss to the Texans on Sunday when he caught a two-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Will he have the same level of production he did when Kittle was on IR? No, but he’s someone you could stash on your roster with the knowledge that he can step up if given the chance.
Week 9 matchup: @ New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints (24.3%)
The Saints just didn’t have anything going for them offensively in a 23-3 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday and that included a mid-game quarterback switch to rookie Tyler Shough. However, Johnson managed to have another solid individual outing with five receptions for 53 yards. He’s averaging roughly five receptions a game with an ADOT of 7.21 air yards, so he can pad his stats with the Saints falling behind and being forced to pass in most games.
Week 9 matchup: @ Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET
