The eighth week of the 2016 regular season is just about coming to a close with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Waiver wire quarterback rankings, Week 9
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens (23 percent owned)
Flacco is the definition of an un-sexy fantasy football option, which means he remains available in most leagues each week. He gets a Steelers team that is a middle-of-the-road defense, but also playing without Ben Roethlisberger. Poor Steelers offensive production cold put their defense on its heels.
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (7 percent owned)
The 49ers are a mess, and the quarterback situation is not pretty. That being said, Kaepernick has been a decent fantasy option thanks to his legs. He faces a Saints defense that is generally bad, but particularly so on the road. It could be a decent plug-and-play week.
Josh McCown, Cleveland Browns (3 percent owned)
McCown is healthy once again, and took advantage of a matchup against a bad Jets defense. He benefited from effectively a garbage time touchdown pass, but he is in store for more garbage time in the coming weeks. The Browns host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9. The Cowboys’ defense is bad, but the offense is sufficiently good that this could either turn into a shootout or provide McCown with significant garbage time opportunities.
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (12 percent owned)
Speaking of the Cowboys, it might be time to start considering adding Tony Romo. I would be surprised if Dak Prescott lost his job, but you never know what is going through Jerry Jones’ mind. If he gets back on the field, Romo becomes a great fantasy option in this offense.
Case Keenum, Los Angeles Rams (4 percent owned)
If you’re a Rams fan, Keenum is going to just make you angry. But the past two weeks before the Rams’ Week 8 bye, he has been productive. In spite of throwing four interceptions in Week 7, he still managed double-digit fantasy points thanks to huge volume. The Rams host Carolina in Week 9, and I could see big fantasy production from Keenum.