Fantasy football Week 9 waiver wire: Mike Washington Jr. leads the charge as backfields face major shakeups

Mike Washington Jr. headlines a busy waiver wire as injuries and shifting backfields create new opportunities for Fantasy managers Nov 3, 2026 at 12:03 pm ET • 10 min read There are three backfields to monitor heading into Week 9 that could impact the waiver wire in Arizona, Las Vegas and the Giants. And if Jonathan Taylor is traded, we could also have a new starter in Indianapolis. My favorite running back to add this week is Mike Washington Jr. (64 percent rostered on CBS Sports). He took over as the lead running back for the Raiders in Week 8 at the Jets ahead of Ashton Jeanty with a 60-40 split in playing time. If that continues, then Washington is a potential flex option in Week 9 at San Francisco. The Giants had a bye in Week 8, but we saw Cam Skattebo (hamstring) get injured in Week 7, along with Tyrone Tracy Jr. (hamstring) placed on injured reserve. Devin Singletary (16 percent rostered) could be the starter in Week 9 at Philadelphia, which would make him a flex option in all leagues. For the Cardinals, Jeremiyah Love (ankle) and Zonovan Knight (concussion) were both injured in Week 8 at Dallas. Tyler Allgeier (45 percent rostered) took over and dominated the Cowboys, and he would be a flex option in Week 9 at Seattle if Love and Knight remain out. We'll also continue to monitor the trade speculation in Indianapolis with Taylor. If he's traded, then Seth McGowan (56 percent rostered) would become a flex option in Week 9 against Dallas. This should be a busy week on the waiver wire at running back. But we also have some quarterbacks (Malik Willis and Bo Nix), wide receivers (Antonio Williams and Makai Lemon) and tight ends (Greg Dulcich and Mike Gesicki) who will be impactful as well. There are two teams on bye in Week 9, with Pittsburgh and Tennessee and still plenty of injuries to monitor. Get ready to spend some FAAB to make sure those lineups are ready to go.Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players rostered in less than 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues. Week 9 Waivers On a bye: Aaron Rodgers and Cam WardInjuries: Lamar Jackson (thumb), Kyler Murray (hamstring), Tyler Huntley (toe) and Joe Fagnano (knee)Check to see if available in shallow leagues: Sam Darnold (74 percent rostered) and Kirk Cousins (73 percent). Darnold was 17-of-34 passing for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, along with two carries for 20 yards, in Week 8 against the Bears, and this was his best Fantasy outing since Week 2. He now has two favorable upcoming matchups in Week 9 against Arizona and Week 10 against Las Vegas, and Darnold is worth using as a low-end starter in both games. ... Cousins has scored at least 22.5 Fantasy points in six of his past seven games, including three in a row. His upcoming schedule is tough against San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Cleveland before a bye in Week 13, but Cousins should be considered a low-end starter in those matchups given his level of play this year. Drop candidates: Lamar Jackson (100 percent rostered), Baker Mayfield (55 percent) and Aaron Rodgers (54 percent). Jackson will have surgery on his injured thumb and be placed on IR. It's not yet known if he will miss the rest of the season, but Jackson isn't expected to help Fantasy managers any time soon. Mayfield will likely have to do more than just hand off in Week 9 at Chicago, but that's really all he's done in the past two games against Carolina and Atlanta. He's a combined 7-of-14 passing in his past two outings against the Panthers and Falcons for 64 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, along with 15 rushing yards. The run game is dominant for Tampa Bay right now, and Mayfield is just a game manager, which isn't good for Fantasy managers. Rodgers has cooled off of late with a combined 19.9 Fantasy points in his past two outings against New Orleans and Cleveland. There's little reason to hold onto him in one-quarterback leagues with the Steelers on bye in Week 9. Add in this order: Week 9 Waiver Priority List WAIVER WIRE Running Backs On a bye: Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Tony Pollard and Tyjae SpearsInjuries: Christian McCaffrey (hamstring), Breece Hall (quadriceps), Jeremiyah Love (ankle), Zonovan Knight (concussion), Cam Skattebo (hamstring), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (hamstring), TreVeyon Henderson (illness), RJ Harvey (knee), David Montgomery (groin), Kyle Monangai (thumb), Jadarian Price (chest), Travis Etienne (hamstring), Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin), Jeremy McNichols (foot), Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring), Jonathon Brooks (groin), Tyjae Spears (knee), Tank Bigsby (abdomen), Will Shipley (foot), Isiah Pacheco (back) and James Conner (foot)Check to see if available in shallow leagues: Jadarian Price (81 percent rostered), Alvin Kamara (80 percent) and Kaelon Black (68 percent). Price returned in Week 8 against Chicago from his four-game absence with a chest injury and had 10 carries for 29 yards and two catches for 8 yards on four targets. He will share touches with Zach Charbonnet moving forward, but Price can still be a flex option in deeper leagues, especially heading into Week 9 against Arizona. Kamara has scored at least 13.2 PPR points in three of the four games that Etienne was out, and Kamara would be a flex in Week 9 at Cleveland if Etienne can't return. He is eligible to return to practice this week. McCaffrey injured his hamstring in Week 7 at Atlanta before San Francisco's bye in Week 8, and hopefully he's fine for Week 9 against Las Vegas. If McCaffrey is out, then Black would be a must-start running back in all leagues. He has two games this season with double digits in carries, and he scored at least 8.0 PPR points in each outing.Drop candidates: Emanuel Wilson (85 percent rostered), RJ Harvey (78 percent) and Jacory Croskey-Merritt (64 percent). Wilson didn't touch the ball in Week 8 against Chicago with Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price, and it appears like Wilson is the odd man out. You can safely drop him in all leagues. You can stash Harvey on IR, but he's not eligible to return until Week 13 at the earliest. By then, Jonah Coleman could be dominating the Denver backfield. Croskey-Merritt is out for at least two more games, and the earliest he can return is Week 11. Prior to getting hurt, Croskey-Merritt had two games with at least 12.6 PPR points and three games with 7.0 PPR points or less. Add in this order: Week 9 Waiver Priority ListHandcuffs to stash: These are handcuffs to stash on your bench that we didn't already mention above if you have an open roster spot. They could be league winners if the starter ever got hurt, but these running backs mostly have minimal Fantasy value as backups. They are listed in the order that I want to stash them on my bench.Chris Rodriguez Jr. - 55 percent rostered Samaje Perine - 35 percent rostered Brian Robinson Jr. - 56 percent rostered Ray Davis - 8 percent rostered Tyler Goodson - 4 percent rostered Justice Hill - 26 percent rostered Sione Vaki - 4 percent rostered Elijah Mitchell - 5 percent rosteredOn a bye: DK Metcalf, Germie Bernard, Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale RobinsonInjuries: Michael Wilson (ribs), Kendrick Bourne (ankle), Christian Watson (ribs), A.J. Brown (ankle), Emeka Egbuka (concussion), DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), Davante Adams (hamstring), Mike Evans (Achilles), Romeo Doubs (shoulder), Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Michael Pittman (foot), Roman Wilson (finger), Alec Pierce (heel), Mack Hollins (calf), Pat Bryant (ankle), De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle), Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), Jalen McMillan (knee), Rashid Shaheed (knee) and Jaylin Noel (toe) Check to see if available in shallow leagues: Deebo Samuel (78 percent rostered), Keenan Allen (77 percent), Demario Douglas (76 percent), KC Concepcion (74 percent), Josh Downs (74 percent) and Caleb Douglas (72 percent). Samuel is expected to return in Week 9 after missing the past two games. He opened the season with at least 15.4 PPR points in three of his first four games before hurting his hamstring in Week 5. He should be considered a borderline starter in all leagues when healthy. ... Allen scored 13.7 PPR points in Week 8 at Jacksonville, and he has now reached that total in three of his past five games. The Colts are struggling, but Allen has played well enough to be used as a starter in three-receiver leagues heading into Week 9 against Dallas. We don't know when A.J. Brown will return for the Patriots, but Douglas has scored at least 16.6 PPR points in three of his past four games. He's worth starting in three-receiver leagues heading into Week 9 against Green Bay. Concepcion had a bad game in Week 8 at Pittsburgh with three catches for 37 yards on four targets, but I still like him as a borderline starter in all leagues. He scored 23.2 PPR points in Week 7 at Tennessee, and I like his upcoming schedule against New Orleans in Week 9 and Houston in Week 10. Downs scored a touchdown in Week 8 at Jacksonville with four catches for 23 yards on five targets, but that's not why he's listed here. We hope the Colts trade Downs, and if that happens, then he could become a regular starter in three-receiver leagues with top-25 upside. Douglas only had four catches for 43 yards on six targets in Week 8 against New England, but he continues to be a focal point of Miami's passing attack. I love his upcoming schedule against Detroit, Indianapolis, Buffalo and the Jets in the next four games, and Douglas should be viewed as a starter in three-receiver leagues in those matchups. Drop candidates: Keon Coleman (81 percent), Chris Godwin (78 percent), Xavier Worthy (77 percent) and Ja'Kobi Lane (63 percent). D.J. Moore returned from his two-game absence with a shoulder injury in Week 8 against Baltimore, and Coleman was limited to one catch for 4 yards on three targets. Coleman will have minimal Fantasy value when Moore is healthy. ... Godwin failed to take advantage of Egbuka being out for the past two games with a combined four catches for 27 yards on six targets over that span. He suffered with Tampa Bay's run game and defense as they dominated Carolina and Atlanta over the past two weeks, and Egbuka could return in Week 9 against Chicago. Godwin has failed to score a touchdown this season and has 9.1 PPR points or less in each outing. Rashee Rice returned from his two-game absence with a hamstring injury in Week 8 at Denver, and Worthy struggled with three catches for 13 yards on six targets. He has now scored 4.3 PPR points or less in three of his past five games, and he only has one touchdown this season. There's little reason to roster Worthy in most formats when Rice is healthy. Lane will be tough to trust with Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (toe) sidelined. We'll see who ends up starting at quarterback for Baltimore in Week 9 and beyond, but Lane will have minimal Fantasy value in most leagues. Add in this order:Week 9 Waiver Priority ListOn a bye: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Gunnar HelmInjuries: Hunter Henry (foot), Jake Ferguson (ankle), Colby Parkinson (ribs), Terrance Ferguson (ankle) and David Njoku (leg)Check to see if available in shallow leagues: Brenton Strange (82 percent rostered) and T.J. Hockenson (69 percent). Strange had a quiet Week 8 against the Colts with two catches for 55 yards on two targets, but no one on the Jaguars had more than three targets in a 42-7 blowout win. Prior to Week 8, Strange had scored at least 9.4 PPR points in three games in a row. I still like Strange as a low-end starter in all leagues heading into Week 9 at Baltimore. Hockenson has become a must-start Fantasy tight end with at least 13.5 PPR points in each of his past three healthy games. He has a touchdown in consecutive games, and he should continue to be productive in Week 9 against Buffalo. Drop candidates: Mark Andrews (54 percent rostered), Pat Freiermuth (51 percent) and Jake Ferguson (43 percent). Andrews has scored 5.3 PPR points or less in four games in a row, and now Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (toe) are injured. There's little reason to trust Andrews with the unsettled quarterback situation in Baltimore. Freiermuth ran for a touchdown in Week 8 against Cleveland, but he has combined for six catches for 66 yards and no touchdowns on nine targets in his past three games. There's little reason to roster Freiermuth with Pittsburgh on bye in Week 9. Ferguson is dealing with an ankle injury heading into Week 9 against the Colts, and he has gone five consecutive games without scoring a touchdown and has 4.9 PPR points or less in each game over that span. Even when healthy, Ferguson is tough to trust for Fantasy managers and can be dropped in most leagues.Add in this order:Week 9 Waiver Priority ListDST streamersGiants (13 percent rostered) at PHI Chiefs (60 percent rostered) vs. NYJ 49ers (39 percent rostered) vs. LVKicker streamersMatt Gay (44 percent rostered) at SF Dominic Zvada (9 percent rostered) at PHI Nick Folk (33 percent rostered) vs. CIN