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Chip Bayless FEATURED Football Latest 

Top Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 9

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By Chip Bayless (click Howie for more Chip)

 

 

 

1) Elijah Moore

It’s a relatively weak week on waivers, but Elijah Moore is an under-the-radar name with 18 targets over the past two games who worth an add and is available in over 98% of ESPN leagues.

Due to how horrendous the offense was under professional rapist quarterback Deshaun Watson, Moore has been largely forgotten about after failing to score even five fantasy points for four weeks in a row leading into Week 7.

Although, since Watson has been replaced, the Browns are throwing at a much more effective clip, and Elijah Moore has been a key beneficiary with targets galore and back-to-back double-digit fantasy weeks.

Since the Watson replacement over the past two games, Moore is averaging nine targets, seven catches, 63 yards, and 13.3 fantasy points per game.

If Moore puts together another 10+ point fantasy week to make it three in a row, he’ll be a startable WR2 or FLEX in all PPR leagues due to his target volume alone.

Moore has some De’Andre Swift, Jahmyr Gibbs-like abilities in him where it feels like he’s always one touch and a little space away from taking any opportunity to the house due to his explosiveness and break-tackle ability.

It became clear Moore’s rookie season that New York recognized his talent as well as they would frequently draw up multiple plays in the gameplan for Moore via screens and end-arounds, often on third or fourth down in a situation where they were clearly hoping Moore would just be able to bail out their inept offense by taking a touch to the house.

The Browns have also shown they likely view Moore similarly to how the Jets once viewed him, as the Browns occasionally put Moore in the backfield and draw up at least a few plays every game designed to get the ball in his hands whether its an end-around, screen, or standard handoff.

Now in Cleveland, Moore’s past few years and start to this season were about as disappointing as Archduke Franz Ferdinand riding around in a topless car, and Moore’s impact on fantasy rosters prior to two weeks ago is similar to World War I’s impact on Germany’s economy.

But recently with Deshaun Watson gone, Moore is becoming a fantasy-relevant player once again.

At the moment, Elijah Moore ranks, among WRs:

According to ESPN Analytics, Moore currently gets open at the 14th-highest rate and boasts the 29th-best catch rating, and the 33rd-highest overall rating among 2024’s wideouts.

In addition, he’s on the field almost always as he’s played at least 60% of the Brown’s offensive snaps in every single game and is averaging a 74% snap share on the season (reported by FantasyPros).

Over his past two weeks, Moore has 18 targets, 14 receptions, 126 receiving yards, and 26.6 fantasy points.

One final, critical point you absolutely need to keep in mind when considering Elijah Moore: he wears a visor and an arm sleeve.

 

 

2) Tyler Conklin

In Week 3 of this season, Conklin started looked like that security blanket for Rodgers that anyone who drafted him was hoping for.

In fact, against the Patriots that week he led all Jets pass catchers in yards with 93 while no other Jet even broke 50, was tied for the team lead in catches with Garrett Wilson with five, was second in targets with six to only Wilson, and led the Jets in yards per catch with 18.6.

Since then, Conklin has gone on to score at least 10 fantasy points in 4/6 weeks while seeing at least three targets in every game from Week 3 onward. He’s now coming off back-to-back double-digit fantasy weeks while scoring TDs in both games and looking like an Aaron Rodgers security blanket.

Those touchdowns aren’t accidents or pure luck either, as Conklin is tied for 10th in TE red zone targets (reported by FantasyPros).

Conklin is usually as a mismatch on less-agile linebackers and slighter DBs, as he’s one of the better route runners at the TE position and uses his hulking frame to expertly box out defenders. There’s a reason he has the seventh-best average separation rate among TEs, and the 9th-best average separation in the NFL regardless of position.

The Jets know about Conklin’s unique receiving skillset and have been targeting him accordingly (11th in TE targets), and it helps his case that he creates so much additional value on all of his opportunities by quickly turning upfield and looking for defenders to bulldoze, as evidenced by Conklin having the 10th-most YAC per reception in terms of this year’s TE crop.

Given how bare the tight end position is seemingly every season, Conklin’s back-to-back fantasy weeks virtually ensures his ownership percentage will jump to over 30% for the first time this season (currently owned in 28% of ESPN leagues), so grab him while you can.

Here’s how Conklin ranks so far through eight weeks compared to 2024 TEs:

  • Tied for 3rd in catches for 20+ yards
  • 11th in targets
  • Tied for 13th in receptions
  • 16th in YAC
  • 17th in air yards (per FantasyPros)

Conklin has uses his natural hands to catch the ball away from his body, and he has obvious chemistry with Rodgers, much like most of Rodgers’ TEs throughout the years (cough Robert Tonyan).

Conklin uses his veteran experience and savviness to find the open holes in zone coverage, and he’s a huge target with underrated acceleration and explosiveness speed.

New York’s big man on the football field has elite agility and deep speed for the TE position as well, and he’s a terrifying sight for defensive backs diving at his legs once he gets moving downhill (17th in yards after contact among TEs).

Rostered in under a third of leagues (28%), it is more likely than not that he’s available in your league.

If you need a TE in Week 9, the best one available on your waiver wire is probably Conklin and one of Aaron Rodgers’ top targets in a Thursday Night Football game that feels like a bigger must-win game for the city of New York than the World Series game tonight.

If you’re looking for one final Conklin statistic to tip you over the edge? He has the fourth-highest TE snap share.

 

 

3) Kalif Raymond

With Jameson Williams suspended, Kalif Raymond was widely expected to take on a larger role, and at least be a boom/bust field stretcher.

Over the past three weeks, Raymond has exceeded those expectations on his way to stringing together three-straight double-digit fantasy performances. Over that span Raymond has scored at least 11 fantasy points in every game, and is averaging four targets and one TD per week.

Raymond is essentially a dollar store Tyreek Hill for the Lions, which actually isn’t the worst compliment when you consider it means Raymond the capability to score on any of his touches due to his unique speed and vision while adding the change for an occasional +6 from a return TD.

As evidenced by the fact that he’s the Lions’ returner and has been getting their deep targets with Jameson Williams gone, the Lions and Dan Campbell believe for better or worse that Raymond is a dynamic playmaker who deserves at least a few touches a game.

Although Kalif Raymond has a relatively small sample size considering he was getting basically zero usage up until three weeks ago, he does rank 13th in YAC per reception and 43rd in total YAC, according to FantasyPros.

Raymond also ranks (in terms of receivers): 2nd in passer rating when targeted (5th among all players, per Pro Football Reference) and 8th in catch % (also from Pro Football Reference).

He’s also the only player in Lions history with a receiving and punt return touchdown in the same game, and he’s leading the NFL in punt return yards at the moment with 315.

Considering he’s only averaging a 30% snap share on the season and a handful of touches per game, Raymond is just a speculative add at this point.

In 12-team or deeper leagues Raymond could become a flex option if he puts together another 10 point fantasy week and/or continues to have a similar workload to the one he’s had the past few weeks when Williams returns.

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