Fantasy football waiver wire advice: Tight end rankings for Week 9

Week 8 of the 2017 regular season is just about coming to a close with 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 and news arrives. The following ownership percentages come via CBS Sportsline entering Week 8.

Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons (64 percent ownership)

Arguably the biggest disappointment among fantasy tight ends, Hooper had not scored a touchdown since Week 1. He finally found the end zone again on Sunday, as part of a 4-47-1 line against the Jets. Hooper now has double-digit fantasy points in three of his past four games, so if he’s still available in your league, it might be better late than never.

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts (62)

Doyle had the fantasy game of the week at the tight end position, turning a whopping 14 targets into 12 catches, 121 yards and a touchdown. It was a breakout performance, but Doyle has been coming on for the past three weeks, with three straight double-digit fantasy games. If you’re one of the 38 percent of leagues where he’s available, go get this man.

Vernon Davis, Washington (27)

Jordan Reed got hurt on Sunday. I know, it’s a shocker. Davis didn’t do much in relief against the Cowboys, but even with Reed on the field for three of the previous four games, Davis had yardage totals of 58, 89, 65 and 67. If Reed is going to miss any amount of time, Davis immediately becomes a top option in all leagues.

A.J. Derby, Denver Broncos (8)

We’ll see how he fares on Monday night against the Chiefs, but assuming he emerges with his health, Derby is a guy who has some future value. In his last three games, Derby has caught 11 of 17 targets for 155 yards and a score. Preseason DFS players can tell you about Derby’s big-game potential. He has it in the regular season, as well.

Dion Sims, Chicago Bears (0)

Thoughts and prayers to Zach Miller after that horrific knee injury in New Orleans on Sunday. Miller was one of Mitchell Trubisky’s favorite targets, and now the torch gets passed to Sims, who had some flashes of brilliance in the preseason and caught three of five targets on Sunday. It’s a deep reach, but Sims could prove valuable toward the end of the season with regular reps.