Week 9 Fantasy Football FAAB: What Should You Pay for Coleman and Others?

If you haven't spent much (or any) FAAB money yet, it might be time to start splurging a little. There's no need to waste money if there isn't a guy who can make a real difference on your roster, but we're running out of time to make moves, and there are a few guys listed below who are worth pursuing.

Let's look at reasonable FAAB bids for the top players on the waiver wire at each offensive fantasy position heading into Week 9. Most stats are from NFL.com, and fantasy points and rankings are from FantasyPros.

Use FantasySP's waiver wire tool to find the players who are being added to fantasy rosters most often!

Quarterback

Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens

With Lamar Jackson out for at least the next month, Huntley would seem to have a little fantasy value in the right matchups. Huntley suffered his own injury after only 10 snaps, though, and missed the rest of Sunday's game, and head coach Jesse Minter said Huntley “probably won't play” on Thursday against the Jaguars.

That's a tough break, as Jacksonville is in the top 10 in most yards per pass attempt allowed. The matchups are mostly middling or worse after that, leaving Huntley without a great outlook even if he returns soon.

It's best to leave Huntley on the waiver wire rather than expecting him to be the next Jackson. If Huntley is out, there's no need to even consider Joe Fagnano or anyone else who might step in off the street or the practice squad.

Recommended Bid: $0-1

Gardner Minshew, Arizona Cardinals

Minshew has officially been promoted to the starting job in Arizona, with Jacoby Brissett moving to QB3; it wouldn't be a surprise to see Brissett get traded to a team with a higher upside (maybe even Baltimore).

Minshew had a big second half on Sunday, completing 17-of-23 passes at 8.2 yards per attempt with three touchdowns. That came in a great matchup against the Cowboys, and even though Brissett was struggling, it doesn't mean that Minshew came in and carved up a top-line defense.

It's best to think of Minshew as a middling player at best, something that's in line with his career work. Though he has found success at times, there's a reason that he has mostly been a backup. His next three matchups are fairly brutal: Seahawks, Rams, and Chiefs. It will look a little better after that, but things aren't likely to be easy at any time for Minshew as a starter.

Recommended Bid: $0-1

Running Back

Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals

Allgeier had a huge game in Arizona's comeback win, running for 147 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and adding five receptions, 44 yards, and another score through the air. Jeremiyah Love suffered a right ankle injury early in the game after dealing with a left ankle injury since the preseason, and his status is uncertain. Add in Bam Knight entering concussion protocol, and things are looking good for Allgeier to get plenty of touches.

That's enough to make him a guy worth adding. Even if Love is able to play next week, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him limited, and Allgeier has stayed involved in most games. Any extra time he gets on the field will raise both his floor and his ceiling.

The problem is that the same tough matchups I talked about for Minshew are also going to affect the run game. Seattle and Kansas City both rank among the six best in yards per rush attempt allowed, and the Rams are better than average in that area, so it will be tough for Allgeier or Love to find much success over the next three games.

It's still worth grabbing Allgeier if you need running back depth, but don't expect a game like what we just saw. Allgeier will likely fall back into a time-share situation soon as well.

Recommended Bid: $4-8

Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos

After returning from injury in Week 7 to lead the Broncos' backfield in snaps and touches, Coleman repeated the feat in Week 8 against the Chiefs, giving the impression that he is now RB1 in Denver. That obviously makes him an appealing fantasy player, but there's a question as to how touches will be distributed.

RJ Harvey was placed on IR late last week and will miss at least three more games, putting his earliest return in December when factoring in their bye week. That's a positive for Coleman, who has caught six passes over the past two weeks compared to zero receptions for J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins will still be there to run the ball, but Coleman seems to have a hold on the top job and will probably get the most carries.

Coleman should be on a roster in essentially every fantasy league after this waiver period. I don't see him as a top-line fantasy back, but getting the ball is half the battle, and Coleman has won that battle since returning. This is a rare chance to spend money on a player who could be a difference maker at a major fantasy position, so I wouldn't blame you for going much higher than what I'm recommending below.

Recommended Bid: $15-20

Mike Washington, Las Vegas Raiders

In a complete change from everything they have done this season, the Raiders gave Washington 25 carries in Week 8 versus just two carries for Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty was healthy and caught three passes for 64 yards, but he was used mostly as a third-down back while Washington dominated the rushing attempts.

Is this a sign of things to come? Jeanty hasn't been good running the ball as a pro, averaging 3.7 yards per rush attempt last year and just 3.1 this season. He has made an impact as a receiver, an important factor, but Jeanty was drafted sixth overall to be an all-around back, not a third-down player. Washington has been average running the ball as a rookie, but that's better than Jeanty.

Given his draft status, Jeanty is likely to keep getting on the field more, keeping Washington in more of a rotational role. It's a fine lottery ticket to grab Washington with the hope that he will keep leading the way, but this might be Washington's peak as far as usage is concerned.

Recommended Bid: $3-5

Wide Receiver

Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets

Mitchell reached 60 yards in both of the first two weeks before going on IR and missing four games. Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. emerged in his stead, including 115 yards and a touchdown last week when Mitchell was shut out in his return, but the players swapped places in Week 8: Mitchell had seven receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown, and Cooper didn't receive a target despite playing 78% of the snaps.

Throw in Garrett Wilson, and the Jets have three talented young receivers who can all make an impact. That's great for their future outlook, but it also means that there will be a fight for targets, creating inconsistent performances.

I still like Mitchell as a depth receiver who can be part of that big WR3/4/flex group that you can consider with the matchups. This week at the Chiefs isn't a great outlook, but there will be more good times in the future, including games against the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Bills (twice) still to come.

Recommended Bid: $2-3

Antonio Williams, Washington Commanders

With Terry McLaurin out for the season, there's room for someone to step up next to Stefon Diggs in Washington's passing game. It has been a surprise to see Treylon Burks do some of the best work of his career, but the rookie Williams has the higher upside and a better chance to develop into a consistent contributor.

Williams has caught at least three passes in all but one game and reached 50 yards in three of seven contests. He hasn't had a real breakout game and has scored just one touchdown, but Williams hit 50 yards in each of the past two games (with a bye between), and he will be on the field plenty.

This is a bit of a lower-level play for a guy who should keep improving as he gets more games under his belt. You might be able to find a better fantasy option in most leagues, but those in deeper leagues could do much worse than a rookie who has been involved.

Recommended Bid: $1-3

Tight End

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals

It's all about touchdowns. Gesicki has found the end zone in six of his seven games, putting him at TE5 in standard scoring. His PPR standing is lower, as Gesicki hasn't consistently caught many passes; in two games, he caught one pass for less than 10 yards but still ended up scoring a touchdown.

It's tough to count on anyone to get in the end zone every week, and that's especially true of a guy who is averaging just 2.4 catches and 34.4 yards per game. If he stops scoring touchdowns, Gesicki will be a middling-or-worse fantasy player; he needs to be deployed only in the right matchups.

There will be some good chances to use him coming up, including the Commanders and Saints on either side of Thanksgiving, but Gesicki is likely to perform worse from a fantasy perspective the rest of the way.

Recommended Bid: $1-2

T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

This is a higher-upside tight end play. Hockenson was a strong streaming option in Week 8 with a great matchup against the Lions, and he came through with 58 yards and a touchdown on four catches. The friendly opponents are going to continue, as teams like the Bills, Commanders, and Lions will again give Hockenson more chances to succeed.

The problem is that Minnesota's offense just isn't very good. The Vikings have scored the sixth-fewest points per game, instead riding a high-level defense and relatively easy schedule to early-season success. It would be a surprise to see them make a big improvement, so Hockenson is likely to have as many slow games as he does strong ones over the rest of the season.

When the matchup is right, Hockenson has shown that he can put up numbers, but it will be hit and miss at times. Don't overspend hoping for a weekly starter despite the strong matchups.

Recommended Bid: $2-4