2023 NFL fantasy football waiver wire: Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Will Levis among top targets ahead of Week Nine
Ahead of Week Nine in the NFL, we explore some of the top fantasy football waiver options around the league; watch the Tennessee Titans at the Pittsburgh Steelers live on Sky Sports NFL from 12.15am in the early hours of Friday.
Tuesday 31 October 2023 09:29, UK
Ahead of Week Nine in the NFL, we explore some of the top fantasy football waiver options around the league.
With the news that Kirk Cousins is out for the year with an Achilles injury, might you turn to Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Jaren Hall? Who in your league will snap up Kyler Murray as he closes in on his return to action? And is Will Levis here to stay?
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Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
Without leaping to first glance conclusions, it might well be Will Levis' job to lose in Tennessee for the remainder of season, regardless of whether or not Ryan Tannehill is fit to step back in under center.
The second-round rookie quarterback starred on debut at the weekend as he threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to DeAndre Hopkins, to lead Tennessee to victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the absence of an injured Tannehill. It earned him 26.6 fantasy points and unveiled some fresh oomph to a Titans passing attack that has hobbled through the first eight weeks of the campaign.
Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints
Behold Derek Carr's prized deep threat! Second-year undrafted free agent Rashid Shaheed is coming off a career day that saw him make three catches for 153 yards and a touchdown to collect 24.30 fantasy points as the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts.
The former Weber State wide receiver leads the NFL with 20.8 yards per catch while sitting second on the Saints behind Chris Olave with 23 receptions for 479 yards and three scores. The target share flatters to deceive at times, but Shaheed is building an expanded role for himself with tremendous upside as a deep threat who has six catches of 40-plus yards since entering the league.
Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson demonstrated why Dak Prescott has grown to trust him so much as he showed off his catch radius to haul in a thread-the-needle pass into double coverage for a touchdown during Sunday's victory over the Los Angeles Rams. He finished the game with four catches for 47 yards and a score to amass 14.70 fantasy points, continuing his run as one of the NFL's leading red zone targets among tight ends. Next up for Ferguson is the Philadelphia Eagles defense, which is currently 17th against tight ends in fantasy and 26th against the pass in general.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
The Jaxon Smith-Njigba era is gathering pace in Seattle, where Shane Waldron is beginning to flirt with a starring role for the rookie wide receiver. It always promised to be a gradual start upon entering an offense led by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett through the air and driven by Kenneth Walker on the ground, but Smith-Njigba's production has been picking up in recent weeks.
He registered three catches for 36 yards and a touchdown for 12.60 fantasy points in Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns, having managed four catches for 63 yards and a score for 16.30 points against the Arizona Cardinals the week before. Awaiting him in Week Nine, though, is a meeting with a Baltimore Ravens defense ranked third in fantasy football.
Giants Defense
The New York Giants suffered an ugly defeat to their cross-town rival Jets on Sunday, but it was another stingy performance from Wink Martindale's defense as they sacked Zach Wilson four times - three courtesy of Kayvon Thibodeaux - while recording two fumble recoveries and allowing just 251 yards of total offense to post 12.00 points for the third time in their last four outings.
It came on the back of a six-sack and one-interception display against the Washington Commanders the previous week. They now take on a Las Vegas Raiders offense ranked 31st overall and 30th in scoring behind a struggling Jimmy Garoppolo, with the Commanders and offensively-stuttering New England Patriots to come after a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys ahead of their bye in Week 13.
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
He's back! Almost. Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed this week Joshua Dobbs is no longer the team's starting quarterback, with rookie Clayton Tune set to play against the Browns in Week Nine if Kyler Murray is not quite ready to go.
Murray is closing in on his long-awaited return having been a full participant in practice last week following his recovery from a torn ACL suffered during Week 14 against the Patriots last season. If not the Browns, then Murray could make his comeback against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Cardinals offense currently sits 28th in passing amid a five-game skid, though are coming off a career-day from pass-catching tight end Trey McBride against the Ravens (10 catches, 95 yards, one touchdown) having also seen encouraging production from rookie receiver Michael Wilson over the first half of the season. Murray averages 20.4 fantasy points per game across his career.
Staying with the Cardinals, undrafted free agent running back Emari Demercado is among those worth your attention after logging 20 carries for 78 yards for 8.90 points in a leading role for Arizona against the Ravens in Week Eight, following up 11.50 points against the Seahawks in Week Seven.
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
The Josh Downs breakout is threatening to take shape in Indianapolis. The third-round rookie wide receiver has become something of a go-to man for backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, continuing on Sunday as he caught seven of nine targets for 72 yards and 10.3 yards per catch to put up 14.20 points.
Downs registered a career-best five catches for 125 yards, a touchdown and 23.50 fantasy points against the Browns the week before, having also managed 13.10 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week Six and 15.70 points against the Titans in Week Five. By now he is no secret; if he is still there, grab him.
