Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire: Top QB, RB, WR and TE pickups feat. Will Levis, Rico Dowdle and more

The purpose of a waiver-wire column should be to highlight players who may be on the verge of a breakout. After all, trying to land that player after his breakout is exponentially more difficult. Additionally, waiver-wire moves should always be made to add high-upside depth for later in the season or improve your chances of winning the upcoming week.

Not all of these columns will feature a future stud or no-brainer add, but we can usually find help for our fantasy teams if we try hard enough. Furthermore, I will try to avoid recommending players coming off a 10-catch or three-touchdown game because it should be incredibly obvious to most that they need to be on a roster at that point.

The players listed below are available in at least 75 percent of ESPN leagues and stand at least some chance of making some kind of impact in the coming weeks.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterbacks

Falcons Titans Football

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

Week 8: 238 yards passing, 11 yards rushing and four total touchdowns

I apologize for recommending the "incredibly obvious" player that I am trying to avoid in this column. However, Levis is not an obvious add; he is promised nothing outside of a start on a short week against an improving Pittsburgh defense that has allowed a total of two touchdowns to Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford and Trevor Lawrence over the last three contests.

The difference between Levis and most other quarterbacks on the waiver wire at this point of the season is the latter lacks the four-touchdown upside that the rookie showed in his first career start. The problem with investing a high waiver priority or a large amount of FAAB in Levis is that regular starter Ryan Tannehill (high-ankle sprain) could be ready to return to the lineup as early as Week 10.

In other words, fantasy managers struggling to nail down the quarterback position have a choice to make: continue playing the games with players that haven't shown much upside this season or bet on Levis performing so well in his two-game audition that head coach Mike Vrabel has no choice but to continue starting him.

ESPN ownership: 1.1 percent

Other potential strong add(s): Derek Carr, Saints (21.3 percent); Gardner Minshew, Colts (7.5)

Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs

Dallas Cowboys v Los Angeles Chargers

Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys

Week 8: Five carries for 18 yards; two catches for seven yards

This recommendation has little to do with Dowdle's seven touches from last week (or anything he has done up to this point of this season). Five of his seven touches in Week 8 came in the second half after the Cowboys built a 36-17 lead. The recommendation is a reflection of two things:

1) This is a light week for potentially impactful running backs on the wire and

2) The league-winning upside Dowdle possesses if Tony Pollard were to miss multiple games due to injury.

It is worth noting that Dowdle is the only other running back besides Pollard to run the ball over the last two games. It is also worth pointing out that Pollard has not broken loose for anything more than a 16-yard run over the last four games (46 carries) after he busted off runs of at least 23 yards in each of the first three games of the season. While it seems unlikely Dallas would consider such a move, the Cowboys need to, at the very least, consider moving more toward a split backfield in hopes of rejuvenating Pollard's big-play ability.

ESPN ownership: 2.8 percent

Other priority add(s): Leonard Fournette, Bills (3.2 percent)

Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Tank Bigsby, Jaguars (7.6); Pierre Strong Jr., Browns (4.1); Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (1.5); Raheem Blackshear, Panthers (0.5); Chris Rodriguez, Commanders (0.4); Darrynton Evans, Bears (0.2)

Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receivers

Las Vegas Raiders v Buffalo Bills

Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills

Week 8: Six catches for 92 yards on six targets

One of the biggest beneficiaries of Dawson Knox's wrist injury in Week 7, Shakir hinted at a potential breakout in that game against the Patriots with a career-high four catches and a season-high 35 yards. The second-year wideout was involved early and often en route to besting those marks versus the Bucs on a short week in Week 8, catching four balls in the first quarter alone on his way to a career day.

While Shakir probably is not very likely to approach last week's 6-92-0 performance again anytime soon, it should cement his place as the unquestioned third receiver on an offense that appears to be quite comfortable airing it out (Josh Allen has thrown at least 40 passes in four of his eight games). As long as Knox remains sidelined, there should be enough volume in this offense to keep Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Dalton Kincaid and Shakir very much involved.

Buffalo's desire to utilize 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) will probably make Shakir a short-term add for fantasy purposes, but that assumes Knox's injury doesn't sideline him for longer than three more weeks. It should not come as a surprise if Shakir plays so well that Knox is unable to get his old job back by the time he is eligible to return from IR around Thanksgiving.

ESPN ownership: 0.2 percent

Other priority add(s): Rashid Shaheed, Saints (18.4 percent); Jayden Reed, Packers (17.1); Michael Wilson, Cardinals (8.9); Demario Douglas, Patriots (1.2)

Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants (8.8); Jonathan Mingo, Panthers (7.9); Marvin Mims, Broncos (7.0); Jake Bobo, Seahawks (0.9)

Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends

Saints Colts Football

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Week 8: One catch for 14 yards, nine carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns, 44 yards passing

Hill has his detractors in the fantasy world, most of whom do not understand why New Orleans continues to insist on giving him roughly 10 touches per game when those opportunities could be going to the likes of Chris Olave, Michael Thomas or Alvin Kamara. The problem for those people is Hill produces in his gadget role. He is athletic enough to catch passes and powerful enough to be a hammer at the goal line or in short-yardage situations.

Although Hill's role will never be a glamourous one, Hill provides fantasy managers a high-upside choice at a position that largely lacks it. The 33-year-old has scored at least 12.1 fantasy points in each of the last three weeks - during which he is the TE2 - and has finished no worse than the TE6 at any point over that period.

ESPN ownership: 14.8 percent

Obvious add: Trey McBride, Cardinals (7.9)

Other priority add(s): Donald Parham Jr. (1.7)

Other potential strong add(s): Michael Mayer, Raiders (6.6)