Dynasty Waiver Wire: Week Nine

Levi Chappell Posted On November 4, 2019

This time of the year, it is more pivotal than ever that you have solid bench players to start while your studs are either on a bye or nursing an injury. Adding quality players off the waiver wire is critical to your team’s immediate and long-term success.

Simply by reading this article, you have a leg up on your opponents. So pat yourself on the back… well done. Fantasy football is a fast-moving and ever-changing game, and you must stay on top of every transaction in hopes of finding that next gem off of the waiver wire. I commend you for taking the time to educate yourself on some potential names that may help you win your league. So without further ado, let me introduce you to some relevant names that will be worth monitoring.

Shallow (18-22 man rosters)

Andy Isabella, WR ARI

Yes, Isabella caught one pass on Thursday night, and it went for 88 yards and a score. He also only has three catches the entire season, but frankly, it has been a bit mind-blowing as to why Isabella hasn’t gotten more run in the offense. Damiere Byrd and Pharoah Cooper have been playing more than him, and I simply don’t get it. There may be a possibility that the highlight play makes coach Kliff Kingsbury rethink how many snaps Isabella will get in the coming weeks.

Mike Gesicki, TE MIA

Gesicki finally had a breakout game. Many fantasy owners (or potential owners) have been waiting for Gesicki to live up to the NFL Combine and draft stock hype. He has always been an above-average athlete, but has not been able to provide consistency on the field. It can also be factored in that the Dolphins are a complete dumpster fire… a dumpster fire that just beat the Jets (why would you try and win at this point?!). The Dolphins have been in fire-sale mode for a while and are looking for players who will make it to the next regime. Gesicki could end up being one of those guys if he can keep putting together productive weeks.

Olabisi Johnson, WR MIN

A wide receiver you just keep hearing about is Olabisi “Bisi” Johnson. The worrisome factor is that his target share, even with Adam Thielen on a pitch count, was pretty low. But Johnson has shown in limited action that he can help out his team with two TDs in three weeks. Johnson may not hold much stand-alone value, but if Diggs or Thielen have to miss extended time, he may fall into a flex spot consideration.

Hunter Renfrow, WR OAK

Renfrow has been gaining ground this season. With ten catches for 142 yards and two scores in the last two weeks, the connection between Derek Carr and Renfrow seems to be real. He was a popular waiver-wire option last week as well, and if he is still there, I would definitely pick him up. Besides Darren Waller and Tyrell Williams, not many others have stepped up in the passing game. Prioritize Renfrow for this upcoming week.

Other “Shallow” roster players to keep an eye on:

Jay Ajayi, RB FA
Brian Hill, RB ATL
Jace Sternberger, TE GB
Josh Reynolds, WR LAR

Average (23-27 man rosters)

Trey Edmunds, RB PIT

James Conner and Benny Snell were both out on Sunday with injuries. I fired up all my Jaylen Samuels shares, and was generally happy with the overall results. But his rushing yardage and efficiency left something to be desired. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised because Samuels has never been a traditional running back. The Steelers used Samuels more as a versatile pass-catcher/swiss army knife than a standard running back, and that may be what Samuels is best at.

For their traditional run packages and running plays, Trey Edmunds stepped in and performed really well. He carried the ball 12 times and totaled 73 rushing yards. Edmunds has short term value while either Conner, or Snell, or both are out. But if both players are forced to miss more time, Edmunds could come in and provide flex appeal for your team.

Ryquell Armstead, RB JAX

Armstead was a sleeper NFL draft pick I liked coming out of Temple. He got drafted behind Leonard Fournette, so barring injury, he wasn’t going to see a lot of time, and that is exactly how it has played out this year. Armstead has rarely seen the field, but early Sunday morning in London, Armstead showed that he can be a valuable part of the passing game. Let’s face it, Fournette hasn’t been the model of consistency when it comes to health, so watch out for Armstead to take some touches in the coming days in order to save Fournette from a bit of wear and tear.

Ryan Finley, QB CIN

Finley is now your starter for the Cincinnati Bengals in what can be categorized as a surprising/not surprising move. What I mean by that is… I am not surprised they made a move to see what their young backup has, and to see if he could possibly be the starter for this team moving forward. I am surprised though that they actually made the move at this time. I thought that Andy Dalton may have been shipped out before the trade deadline, and if he wasn’t, I thought he would remain the starter for the rest of the year. Shows how much I know…

Finley moves into a pretty murky situation. The Bengals are terrible in a lot of different areas, but one, in particular, is the offensive line. I hope for Finley’s sake that he invested in a good flak jacket and possibly some bubble wrap… because he is going to need it.

Jacob Hollister, TE SEA

Once known as a run-first offense (maybe they still are), the Seattle Seahawks’ passing game is on point. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and now Jacob Hollister are all balling out with their MVP QB, Russell Wilson. Will Dissly went down and Nick Vannett was traded, which left a gaping hole at the TE position in Seattle. Enter the practice squad replacement, Jacob Hollister. He caught the first two TDs of his career while posting four catches for 37 yards on Sunday afternoon.

Hollister’s qualifications for the starting job in Seattle consists of… no one else is healthy. That’s it. He has solid athleticism and more importantly, seems to have the trust of Wilson. Expect Hollister to keep getting featured in the passing game.

Other “Average” roster players to keep an eye on:

Dontrell Hilliard, RB CLE
Breshad Perriman, WR CLE
Taylor Gabriel, WR CHI
Hayden Hurst, TE BAL

Deep (28+ man rosters)

Brian Hoyer, QB IND

Jacoby Brissett was knocked out of Sunday’s game with what is likely a knee sprain. It is still unknown whether he will miss extended time or not, but the journeyman, Brian Hoyer stepped in and played really well. He threw for 168 yards and three TDs and hung in the whole game, making solid throws. In superflex or two-QB leagues, Hoyer will be a very popular waiver-wire option. He is a veteran QB who knows how to play the game… he even sat behind Tom Brady, so that has to count for something.

Russell Gage, WR ATL

Gage has been the main beneficiary of Mohamed Sanu’s departure to New England. Gage garnered a season-high nine targets, and caught seven of them for 58 yards. With the Falcons trailing in almost every game, pass attempts and targets will be going up. Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley are clearly the number one and two options when it comes to wide receivers, but Gage is carving out his role as the WR3 for a pass-heavy offense.

Jalen Richard, RB OAK

Fun fact… Jalen Richard led the Raiders in receiving on Sunday. Josh Jacobs is still clearly the bell-cow in that offense, but Richard had two carries and five total touches which he turned into 68 total yards. He can help out in the passing game, and is a valuable handcuff to any Jacobs owners.

Reggie Bonnafon, RB CAR

This waiver wire add is to simply remind you that Christian McCaffrey is human, even though that is hard to believe at times. Bonnafon actually received four touches on Sunday… for a player backing up CMC, that might feel like 100 touches. Bonnafon may be the most valuable handcuff in all of fantasy, and should be owned if you have room on your bench. If you are a McCaffrey owner and don’t own him… shame on you.

Other “Deep” roster players to keep an eye on:

DeAndre Carter, WR HOU
Robert Foster, WR BUF
Maxx Williams, TE ARI
Benjamin Watson, TE NE

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Levi Chappell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Fueled by coffee, Levi spends most of his days in the real estate industry. When not in the real estate world, he is engulfed in dynasty and other sports. When other kids were playing with lincoln logs and legos, Levi was reading sports almanacs... for fun. "Too much fantasy" is not in his vocabulary.