Week 9 Waiver Wire Additions: Cedric Tillman is a Bonafide Stud

It seems like yesterday we were admiring our freshly minted fantasy rosters. Now, at the halfway point of the season, my how things have changed! Injuries and underperformers have drastically changed what our starting lineups look like. Week 9 brings yet another round of heavy hitters on a bye. While it may seem that the waiver wire is as dry as the Mississippi River, there are still some diamonds in the rough if you look hard enough. I won’t cover quarterbacks in this article. There are enough streaming options at QB for me to wax poetic for hours. So, for now, let’s dive into this kiddie pool of skill position options and sort out who you should prioritize on the Week 9 waiver wire. 

Week 9 Waiver Wire Additions

Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns

Available in 81% of Yahoo leagues, 84% of ESPN leagues, and 76% of Sleeper leagues

If you read last week’s column, we featured Tillman as a bonus pick. If you were lucky enough to scoop him up, he delivered in a big way! The 6’3” second-year receiver out of Tennessee benefited in a big way from the quarterback change, playing 62 of the Browns’ 66 offensive plays, seeing nine targets, and finishing with 99 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions. This is now two weeks in a row of extremely solid gameplay, and with Jameis Winston in at quarterback, he should continue to thrive. Tillman has always been a deep ball threat with his size and speed, and Winston is not afraid to play “huck it, chuck it” football. I don’t want to crown anyone as a “league winner” yet, but he may be getting close if he continues to perform as he has the past two weeks.

Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Houston Texans

Available in 99% of Yahoo leagues, 99.5% of ESPN leagues, and 96% of Sleeper leagues

Nico Collins is still on injured reserve (even though he could make his return sooner rather than later), and now Stefon Diggs is injured. Xavier Hutchinson is the next man up. While he didn’t see the targets or production in Week 8, Hutchinson still played 44 of the Texans’ 71 offensive snaps. If Diggs can’t go in Week 9, he should get plenty of opportunities to produce. He will have a tougher matchup against the New York Jets secondary, but with the focus on Tank Dell as the number one receiver, Hutchinson could be the safety valve for C.J. Stroud.

Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Available in 100% across the board

Boy, oh boy, did the Jaguars get bad news in spades this week. Not only is Christian Kirk out for the season with a broken collarbone, but news broke Monday that rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. could also miss 2-4 weeks with a chest/rib injury (even though they are calling him day-to-day). Washington had a decent outing in Week 8, finishing the day with three receptions for 46 yards on just 42 snaps. Jacksonville gets a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, which could prove a little more difficult than usual. However, if Darius Slay is out, the task will get easier. Sometimes, your options aren’t the prettiest, but they could get the job done in a pinch.

Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars

Available in 97% of Yahoo leagues, 96% of ESPN leagues, and 96% of Sleeper leagues

I know what you’re thinking…this is a typo. There’s no way we included two Jaguars in the same article. As much as I hate to admit it, this was an intentional decision. Strange isn’t a top tight end by any means. He has flashed in a couple of games, finishing Week 8 with 10.9 PPR points. As we discussed with Parker Washington, Jacksonville is pretty much out of receiving options. Although Strange has a difficult matchup against the Eagles in Week 9, he could be an asset going forward just by virtue of pure volume. Watch for the Jags to switch to more 12-personnel packages, giving Strange some opportunities he wouldn’t otherwise have as a backup. 

Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Available in 63% of Yahoo leagues, 50% of ESPN leagues, and 53% of Sleeper leagues

Despite all the offseason talk of Bijan Robinson being the be-all-end-all running back in Atlanta, Tyler Allgeier has still had a role (even if somewhat annoying to Robinson managers). In fact, in Week 8, it was almost an even split in carries between the two, with Robinson seeing 13 and Allgeier seeing 12. Was he efficient on those carries? Eh, not so much. But, as long as he keeps seeing snaps and carries, he’s a better option than other backs on the wire who are touchdown-dependent. The Falcons also have a couple of favorable matchups over the next two weeks against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, who rank 31st and 28th, respectively, in rush yards allowed. 

*Bonus Pick*

Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Available in 92% of Yahoo leagues, 96% of ESPN leagues, and 91% of Sleeper leagues

Okay, yes, I know next week is San Francisco’s bye week, and Christian McCaffrey is slated to make his much-anticipated return in Week 10 but hear me out. With Jordan Mason injured, Guerendo could jump him in the depth chart. Plus, if CMC is limited or reaggravates the Achilles/calf injury, the rookie is a SOLID option. In the two games where he has seen double-digit carries, Guerendo put up 99 and 85 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per attempt on the season. This kid is a star. Even if he’s playing second-fiddle to the greatest running back in the league, he has the upside that is rarely found at this point of the year.

Be sure you’re following Britt on Twitter! Also, you can find our Week 9 rankings here and the rest of our Week 9 content here!