Week 8 broke three things fantasy managers had been counting on: Lamar Jackson’s health, Jeremiyah Love’s grip on the Arizona backfield and Ashton Jeanty’s early-down role in Las Vegas. Each one creates a waiver add or a DFS edge for Week 9, and a couple of them create landmines. Here is what changed Sunday and how to act on it before waivers run.
What Sunday Changed
Baltimore’s quarterback room collapsed. Jackson hurt his right thumb on the Ravens’ first offensive play in Buffalo, needs surgery and is headed to injured reserve. Coach Jesse Minter called the injury potentially season-ending. Backup Tyler Huntley then left with a toe injury believed to be turf toe and was scheduled for an MRI, which pushed undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, the emergency third quarterback, into his NFL debut. Fagnano could make his first career start Thursday night against Jacksonville.
Arizona lost two backs in one afternoon. Love re-aggravated his ankle late in the first quarter in Dallas after just returning from a two-game absence, and Bam Knight left in the second quarter with a concussion. Tyler Allgeier took over and ran 11 times for 147 yards and a touchdown while adding 5 catches for 44 yards and another score — 36.1 PPR points in a 33-30 overtime win.
The Raiders flipped their backfield. Mike Washington Jr. started over Jeanty and carried 25 times for 83 yards; Jeanty had 2 carries and caught 3 passes, working mostly on passing downs. Klint Kubiak said the change was about getting Washington more reps and that Jeanty is still going to be a big part of the team. The usage says otherwise for now.
WAIVER WIRE
Running Backs
- Tyler Allgeier, ARI (top priority, 20-25% of FAAB): He is the only healthy back of the top three in Arizona. Even if Love returns quickly, his ankle has now cost him time repeatedly, which makes Allgeier a weekly flex with RB1 upside whenever Love sits. Week 9 is at Seattle, so expect volume over another 36-point explosion.
- Mike Washington Jr., LV (15-20%): Rostered in just 27% of Yahoo leagues. Twenty-five carries is a workhorse share no matter how inefficient (3.3 yards per carry). If the split holds at San Francisco, he is an RB2 on volume alone.
- Devin Singletary, NYG (5%): Tyrone Tracy Jr. went to injured reserve on Oct. 27 with a hamstring injury and must miss at least four games. Singletary is now the clear No. 2 behind Cam Skattebo and the passing-down option as the Giants come off their bye at Philadelphia.
RB Stashes
- Kenny Gainwell, TB: 25 carries for 140 yards in a rain-soaked 16-0 win over Atlanta in which Tampa Bay did not complete a pass. The game script was a fluke; the handcuff value behind Bucky Irving (170 rushing yards) is not.
- Emmett Johnson, KC: One carry, but 5 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown in the loss at Denver. He is the top backup to Kenneth Walker III.
- Kaelon Black, SF: Christian McCaffrey’s mild hamstring strain is expected to be healed after the 49ers’ Week 8 bye, so Black is a stash, not a start.
Wide Receivers
- Antonio Williams, WAS (10%): Terry McLaurin is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon. Williams drew 7 targets and caught 5 for 54 yards in his first start without him. The volume is locked in for a rookie in a Jayden Daniels offense.
- Adonai Mitchell, NYJ (8-10%): 7 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders, and he is rostered in just 11% of Yahoo leagues. The Jets face Kansas City next, a likely pass-heavy script.
- Michael Wilson, ARI (if available): A team-high 15 targets, 8 catches, 111 yards and a touchdown even after Gardner Minshew II replaced Jacoby Brissett. Seattle is a tough Week 9 matchup for receivers, so this is a rest-of-season add rather than a Week 9 start.
Tight Ends
- Mike Gesicki, CIN (5%): A touchdown in five straight games and six on the season, and he is rostered in just 18% of leagues. Joe Burrow just threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns against Tennessee. That offense supports a TE streamer.
- Eli Raridon, NE (speculative): Hunter Henry left in the second quarter in Miami with a foot injury. If Henry misses practice, Raridon (1% rostered) is the next man up against Green Bay.
Drops and Holds
- Drop: Ravens pass-catchers outside your starting lineup. A third-string rookie quarterback on a short week caps every Baltimore pass-catcher, and Mark Andrews is now droppable in 10- and 12-team leagues.
- Hold: Jeanty. He kept the passing-down work and Kubiak publicly backed him. Dropping a talent like this for a waiver back is how you hand a rival a playoff RB.
- Hold: Jonathan Taylor. He managed 8 carries for 23 yards and 6.7 PPR points as the Colts openly entertain trade offers before the Nov. 10 deadline. A trade could land him a better role, not a worse one.
DFS PLAYS
Two schedule notes first: Jaguars-Ravens is Thursday night, and Bengals-Falcons kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET in Madrid, so check which games your site includes on the Sunday main slate.
Value Plays
- Tyler Allgeier at SEA: His price may still reflect a backup role. If Love and Knight are ruled out, he is a three-down back on a team that just fed him 16 touches after Love left in the first quarter.
- Mike Washington Jr. at SF: Pure volume play. You are paying for 20-plus carries, not efficiency.
- Antonio Williams vs. LAR: With McLaurin gone, Williams inherits a starter’s route tree at a backup’s price.
- Mike Gesicki vs. ATL: The cheapest way into a Bengals offense that just scored 43 points. Pair him with Burrow or Tee Higgins, who caught 2 touchdowns and 155 yards Sunday.
- Thursday showdown — Bhayshul Tuten, JAX: Tuten ran for 104 yards against Indianapolis, and a Baltimore offense led by a third-string rookie points toward a Jacksonville lead and a heavy rushing script.
Sit and Avoid
- Ravens passing game on Thursday: Whether it is Fagnano or a hobbled Huntley, the floor for Baltimore’s receivers is near zero.
- Ashton Jeanty: Until Kubiak shows the early-down split was a one-week experiment, his price assumes a workload he no longer has.
- Jonathan Taylor vs. DAL: Seth McGowan is cutting into his work and the trade chatter is not going away. Don’t pay RB1 salary for a back playing on a short leash.
- Don’t overreact to Atlanta’s shutout: The Falcons’ zero came in a downpour. The Bengals just allowed 36 points to the Titans, so Bijan Robinson and Drake London are contrarian options in tournaments, not avoids.
Injuries Opening Roles
- Arizona backfield: Love (ankle) and Knight (concussion) — Allgeier is the beneficiary.
- Washington WR: McLaurin (season-ending knee) — Antonio Williams.
- Giants backfield: Tracy (IR, hamstring) — Singletary.
- New England TE: Henry (foot) — watch Raridon’s practice reports.
- Baltimore QB: Jackson (IR, thumb) and Huntley (toe) — downgrade the whole offense and upgrade the Jacksonville defense.
The managers who win November are the ones who act on Sunday’s usage before the box scores catch up. Allgeier and Washington are the two moves that matter most this week; get your claims in.
See today's NFL lines on DFS Lines, each one set against the player's last ten games.