Top Fantasy Football Week 9 WR Waiver Wire pickups: Best replacements for Kendrick Bourne's season-ending injury

Fantasy football managers should always pay attention to the waiver wire every week to continuously improve their rosters as much as possible. Player values constantly change based on several factors, such as relevant injuries and shifts in offensive roles, creating new targets each week that may have been overlooked previously.

Week 9 of the 2023 fantasy football season presents some interesting scenarios for wide receivers. This particular position sees the most waiver wire targets emerge on a weekly basis due to the incredible depth across the NFL. Many high-powered passing offenses use several receivers in their offensive schemes, so more players in this position hold relevant fantasy value than any other by a wide margin.

When certain players have a breakout week, especially younger players, they can quickly become waiver wire targets in fantasy football. One of the best strategies for building a roster that consistently performs well is to target players based on where they appear to be going rather than where they have already been.

Injuries are always another important factor when recognizing which players to target on the fantasy football waiver wire. When a significant player on a fantasy roster suffers an injury, the team manager will likely be scrambling to find a waiver wire replacement. At the same time, when a notable player is injured, it creates an opportunity for others on their NFL roster to receive a larger.

One of the key wide receivers who suffered an injury in Week 8 is Kendrick Bourne. He has been serving as the WR1 for the New England Patriots and a starter on most fantasy rosters. He's believed to have suffered a season-ending injury, meaning his fantasy managers need to replace him, while the Patriots will likely elevate some of their other wide receivers.

Managers looking to replace Bourne or any other players on their roster, or those simply looking to their wide receiver depth, should consider adding the following waiver wire options in Week 9 of the 2023 fantasy football season.

Top Fantasy Football WR Waiver Wire pickups for Week 9

Kendrick Bourne

Rashid Shaheed

Rashid Shaheed has become a traditional boom-or-bust fantasy option this season with the New Orleans Saints. Much like Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis, Shaheed holds an elite ceiling but a dangerously low floor about every week. The Saints' new deep threat has finished among the top-ten wide receivers in three fantasy weeks but outside of the top 40 in the other five weeks.

It's tough to ignore Shaheed's ceiling at this point, though he will often be hard to trust in starting lineups right now until he starts to show a bit more consistency. His best bet to do so is by receiving a larger target share and moving up the Saints' depth chart. He has a path to do so with Michael Thomas struggling in their WR2 role.

Shaheed makes for a solid speculative add from the Week 9 waiver wire. He can be plugged into lineups as a high-risk play for managers needing a potential boom player in a given week and his value can realistically increase if his role with the Saints expands. His solid performance justifies the idea of giving him an extended look.

Demario Douglas

Kendrick Bourne has been serving as the New England Patriots WR1 so far during the 2023 NFL season, but his year is likely over after suffering a devastating injury. This leaves a significant void in their target share, creating opportunities for other wide receivers to serve a larger role. This is even more so the case with DeVante Parker, who recently suffered a concussion.

JuJu Smith-Schuster recently returned to the lineup after recovering from an injury of his own, but it's Demario Douglas who appears to have the most upside in fantasy football. His role in the Patriots' offense has already expanded in recent weeks, even before Bourne went out with an injury. Douglas has set season-highs in receptions in each of the past two weeks.

The Patriots offense has been one of the worst overall units in the NFL this season as Mac Jones continues to struggle. Douglas offers speed and playmaking that their offense has been missing, so he could be just what they need to spark some production. More targets could potentially unlock his fantasy football potential, so he's worth a shot off of the waiver wire.

Khalil Shakir

The Buffalo Bills have struggled to find any noteworthy contributions from their WR3 position during the 2023 fantasy football season so far. Some of this has been because of their many formations with two tight ends, but Dawson Knox recently had wrist surgery, shifting their offensive philosophy. They ran three receiver sets almost exclusively last week.

While Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield have been the Bills' preferred slot receivers for most of this season, it was Khalil Shakir who received an extended look in the position during their most recent Week 8 game. Quarterback Josh Allen seemed to have immediate chemistry with Shakir in this role, as he targeted the slot the most times in any game this year.

Shakir broke out for a strong fantasy football performance in his first opportunity at a full-time role, turning in six receptions for 92 yards. He presumably did enough to stay in this role going forward and considering the Bills' high-powered passing offense, this gives him an intriguing fantasy football outlook. He has the upside right now to make him an ideal Week 9 waiver wire target.