Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Week 9: Cedric Tillman is legit

Winston had an 11.7 aDOT and led all quarterbacks with 14 intermediate throws (attempts between 10 and 19 yards down the field). He threw for 334 yards and three scores. Pro Football Focus tabbed him with three turnover-worthy plays, none of which led to disaster. Winston will be the top quarterback and will keep most fantasy managers in line for the rest of the year.

Others who received votes: Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert

Run back

Braelon Allen, Jets (37%)

Allen fell out of favor in the Jets’ backfield for a few weeks, but came back with a vengeance on Sunday. He saw 12 carries to Breece Hall’s 16. Allen also punched in a short touchdown. Surprisingly, it was Allen’s first carry inside the five-yard line of the year. The rookie beats Hall in both PFF rushing grade and yards after contact per attempt. His role is far from stable, but Week 8 should give us some hope that he will have some independent value in the future.

Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (37%)

Allgeier saw 12 carries in Week 8 against the Bucs, trailing Bijan Robinson by just one carry. He took the field for 37 percent of Atlanta’s snaps. Allgeier has hit double-digits in four games this season and has as many carries inside the five as Robinson. Both backs have two such tries. Allgeier has averaged 10.6 carries in wins, compared to five losing efforts. The Falcons are favored in each of their remaining games.

Kimani Vidal, chargers (11%)

We’re already running out of good running back additions. Vidal saw just six carries in Week 8. JK Dobbins ran the ball 17 times. But even that was a step in the right direction for Vidal. His 24 percent carry share was a season high. Vidal is averaging 3.1 yards after contact per attempt, compared to 2.9 for Dobbins. Dobbins’ numbers are also buoyed by his first two games, the only weeks in which he averaged more than three yards after contact. It’s a gamble for Vidal to take over for Dobbins as the starter, but it would make sense for the Chargers to continue expanding his role.

Isaac Guerendo, 49ers (8%)

Guerendo took over for Jordan Mason on Sunday Night Football after the latter went down with a shoulder injury. It’s safe to assume that Mason re-aggravated the AC joint sprain he suffered in Week 6. Guerendo ran 14 times for 85 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 17 yards. Guerendo is a fourth-round pick with unparalleled athleticism.

The downside is that San Francisco gets a bye next week and Christian McCaffrey is expected to return in Week 10. It’s unlikely Guerendo will be needed after the off week, but the payoff if he is the starter is huge.

Others who received votes: Roschon Johnson, Ezekiel Elliott and Jaleel McLaughlin

Wide receiver

Carlo Tillman, Browns (19%)

As previously mentioned, the Browns immediately had the best passing attack in football when Winston took over. Tillman was the main beneficiary of this with seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He led the team with 159 air yards, although all three wideouts topped 100 air yards. Elijah Moore walked the trio up and down the goals, while Jerry Jeudy led the way in the routes. Here’s what its use looks like in two games without Amari Cooper.

It’s only been a two-week sample, but a hierarchy is already developing. Tillman sees both the most looks and the highest value targets, while Moore can easily surpass Jeudy in total opportunities.

Ricky Pearsall, 49ers (37%)

Pearsall’s second game, a potential breakout week, was quiet. He caught four passes for 38 yards, but added 39 rushing yards on his lone carry. He ran a route on 71 percent of Brock Purdy’s dropbacks. Pearsall’s role should remain strong after the 49ers’ bye week, but it’s more than a minor concern that Chris Conley ran more routes than him on Sunday. If Jauan Jennings is back from his hip injury in Week 10, Pearsall’s role could take a hit.

Keon Coleman, Bills (41%)

Coleman has come alive over the past two weeks, catching eight passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. He has more receiving yards in his previous two games than he did in the first six weeks of the season. There hasn’t been a drastic change in Coleman’s role in the last two weeks in terms of how he’s used. The shift is simply that he is becoming more accustomed. Coleman’s target share increases from 14 percent to 23 percent. His reduction in air yards and end zone targets is also increasing. Amari Cooper’s role should grow as he becomes more comfortable with the offense, but that’s no reason to discount a first-round rookie who is playing his best football of the year.

Josh Downs, Foals (47%)

Downs finally made a breakthrough in a match that Anthony Richardson finished. He caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, with most of his production coming on a home run of 69 yards. That wasn’t even close to his most impressive game of the day.

This catch was rejected by one. Downs had his highest ADOT of the season at 12.1, nearly doubling his second-highest target depth. If the Colts plan to use him more on deep routes, Downs could still be a relevant fantasy option with Richardson at quarterback.

Xavier Legette, Pathers (15%)

Diontae Johnson missed Week 8 with a rib injury and is a candidate to be traded before next week’s deadline. Legette tied Miles Sanders for a team-high in goals at seven apiece. He also led the way in air yards (114) and saw the team’s only end zone goal, which resulted in a touchdown catch in the first quarter. Legette only ran a route on 63 percent of Bryce Young’s dropbacks. Fellow rookie Jalen Coker recorded an 80 percent route percentage and earned six targets. Coker made a handful of impressive plays, including this beautiful grab.

Legette is the best addition in this receiving room, but Coker is still worth a look in deeper leagues.

Jalen McMillan, Bucs (49%)

McMillan ran a route on 90 percent of Baker Mayfield’s dropbacks, but earned only a 15 percent target share. His seven targets still led Tampa Bay’s receiving room. Mayfield bombarded his running backs and tight ends with 24 targets, leaving a scrambled receiving group fighting for scraps. The Bucs will have a tough matchup with the Chiefs in Week 9, but will also have to throw a lot when playing from behind. McMillan still has the WR3 advantage until Mike Evans returns.

Others who received votes: Kalif Raymond, Kayshon Boutte and Parker Washington

Tight end

Zach Ertz, commanders (28%)

As usual, Ertz is at the top of the week’s best available tight ends. He is currently the TE9 of the Year and is coming off a seven-catch, 77-yard performance on 11 targets. Ertz ranks seventh in target share and eighth in air yards share among tight ends. His quarterback is on his way to a historic rookie season. He should be included in almost every Yahoo league.

Will Dissly, chargers (1%)

Hayden Hurst missed his second straight week, leaving Dissly in a full-time role against the Saints. He earned a shared target of 25 percent and was targeted on a quarter of his routes. Both numbers are elite for a tight end. Dissly will remain a high-end TE2 if Hurst remains out in Week 9 against the Browns.

Jonnu Smith, Dolphins (6%)

Smith saw 27 percent of Miami’s targets from Week 5 to Week 7 and was targeted on 32 percent of his routes. Things normalized last week when Tua Tagovailoa was back under center, but Smith’s role remained strong. He connected on 17 percent of the team’s targets and Tua faced Smith on 21 percent of his routes. Smith could be a legitimate TE1 candidate if he holds down this role and the Miami offense returns to 2023 form.

Others who received votes: Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki