Fantasy Football: Playing the waiver wire for Week 9

Week 8 will come to a conclusion on Monday night when the Detroit Lions take on the Las Vegas Raiders. So it's time for fantasy football owners to shift focus toward Week 9, and the waiver wire. Four teams are on a bye in Week 9-the Lions, the San Francisco 49ers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos.

Here is the Week 9 edition of "Playing the Waiver Wire."

Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans

Levis made his first NFL start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8, and he did not disappoint (19-for-29 for 238 yards and four touchdowns; 11 rushing yards). Ryan Tannehill (ankle) is unlikely to cleared to play on a short week before a Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, so the rookie won't give the starting job back for at least one more game.

The Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 10) are mid-pack matchups for Levis, assuming he keeps the starting job. Week 11-13 is a favorable stretch (Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts), as is Week 15-17 (Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks at home, Texans again). Even Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins isn't a bad matchup.

Tannehilll is hardly guaranteed to get the starting job back once he is healthy. So it could, and arguably should, be the Levis show for the rest of the season.

At minimum, Levis is a solid streaming option for Week 9 and any other weeks he starts where he fits the criteria. But there's a possibility he becomes something more than that, and those with room to add him and see what happens should have him high on their waiver wire radar this week.

ESPN Ownership: 1%
Yahoo! Ownership: 4%

Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Murray practiced all week last week, hinting at his looming return. Josh Dobbs will make at least one more start in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns, and Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was non-committal about Murray possibly starting Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons.

At 1-7, the Cardinals may not be greatly incentivized to have Murray back into action. But it does seem he will play this season, it's just a matter of when. If not Week 10, then Week 11 against the Houston Texans becomes likely, And his history as a fantasy producer cannot be ignored.

Murray is a worthy stash in 12-team leagues, and he should be able to be put into an IR spot in leagues that have them right now.

ESPN Ownership: 31.8%
Yahoo! Ownership: 55%

Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears

After missing a couple games due to a concussion, Johnson returned to action against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8. His production was not phenomenal (six carries for 21 yards, three catches for 10 yards). But he did play a few more snaps than D'Onta Foreman (24 to 21), as Darrynton Evans (aided by garbage time) also played 18 snaps.

Johnson was likely eased into action to some extent in his first game back. Khalil Herbert can return from his high ankle sprain as early as Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers, but he could be out longer than that due to the nature of the injury. And it could be a backfield split between Herbert and Johnson anyway, as was seen early in the season.

Johnson is mostly an add-and-stash right now in 12-team leagues, with an eye on him seeing more work down the road. But now that he's back in action, he should be rostered in a lot more leagues.

ESPN Ownership: 46.5%
Yahoo! Ownership: 50%

Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Kenneth Walker was held out of practice two days last week with a calf injury. He played against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, but he played less than he usually does. Charbonnet did a little something with his extra opportunities, with 53 yards on five carries and two catches for 11 yards. Notably, via Pro Football Focus, the rookie out of UCLA completely took over the third down and two-minute situation snaps in the Seahawks' backfield.

Walker is the lead back in Seattle, but he was clearly not at full strength or entrusted with his usual workload in Week 8. Missed time with a soft tissue injury is lurking around the corner if it's not given proper time to heal, with Charbonnet waiting in the wings.

It might be hard for a lot of non-Walker fantasy owners to do it, with bye weeks left to be navigated. But Charbonnet is a top add-and-stash in leagues with a least 12 teams, with his increased Week 8 role and Walker's injury as the lead reasons.

ESPN Ownership: 30.2%
Yahoo! Ownership: 42%

Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders

Thomas had six receptions (on eight targets) for 44 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. He has topped 50 yards and/or scored in three of his last four games, and while it might be considered a low bar he has more than seven full PPR points is six of his seven games this season.

Up to and after a Week 14 bye, there are no especially tough matchups on the slate for Thomas. Week 12 (Dallas Cowboys), Week 13 (Miami Dolphins), Week 15 (Los Angeles Rams) and Week 16 (New York Jets) are particularly good matchups at an important stretch of the fantasy season.

There's a natural bit of downside risk, as there is with many tight ends, and but there has been some level of floor with Thomas all season. That's enough to put him on waiver wire radar for Week 9, if not as a streamer than as a low-end TE1 in 12-and 14-team leagues until further notice.

ESPN Ownership: 38.7%
Yahoo! Ownership: 44%

Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints

It's a little uncomfortable to put Hill here, I'm not going to lie. But he led the Saints in rushing against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, with 63 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries along with one catch for 14 yards, Over the two games before that, he totaled 11 catches for 99 yards on 13 targets-you know, like an actual tight end might do. In Week 7, he also had a rushing touchdown.

Hill is the kind of player who goes off when you have him on the bench and does nothing when you start him. He's also often a frustrating vulture of fantasy production from his teammates, with goal line rushing scores, etc.

But Hill is also a cheat code at the thinnest position in fantasy football. So he should be rostered in a lot more leagues than he is.

ESPN Ownership: 14.7%
Yahoo! Ownership: 35%

Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Ferguson had four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams. The two games before Dallas' Week 7 bye were not good (four receptions for 43 yards total), but before that he had seven targets in three of the first four games this season (at least 9.8 full PPR points in the last three).

Ferguson has Dak Prescott's eye in the scoring area, with 11 red zone targets and four targets inside the 5-yard line this season. That has only yielded two touchdowns thus far, but a bit of correction could be coming.

Ferguson has played at least 80 percent of snaps in back-to-back games, and he's clearly the No. 1 tight end in Dallas. There is weekly downside, with all the options in the Cowboys' offense, but the regular shot at a touchdown is enough to make Ferguson worth a roster spot in leagues with at least 12 teams,

ESPN Ownership: 49.6%
Yahoo! Ownership: 58%