Week 9 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Waiver Adds: Cedric Tillman, Ricky Pearsall, Parker Washington

Welcome to the Week 9 fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire breakdown! This week, we’ve got some of last week’s hottest options back again after big weeks, as well as a few more receivers suddenly stepping into big roles. Let’s get right into it!

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Week 9 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Waiver Adds

Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns (19.5% Rostered)

I hope you listened and picked up Tillman last week! If you didn't, hopefully you are in one of the 80% of leagues where he is still available, as the 2023 third-rounder looks like the real deal. Tillman played a part-time role in the Browns’ offense for the first six weeks of the season, but his averages since Amari Cooper left are insane: 7.5 catches on 10.5 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown, aka 19.75 Half-PPR fantasy points. If you prefer advanced metrics, Tillman has averaged a 23% target share, 37% air yards share, and 27% first-read target share over the last two weeks.

These numbers are especially valuable once we also consider that the Browns no longer have the worst starting quarterback in the league. The Ravens’ secondary is very beatable, but Deshaun Watson probably would have managed to finish with 140 yards and 10 sacks against them; Jameins Winston threw for over 300 yards and three TDs (two to Tillman). The top WR so far on what is suddenly a decent offense, Tillman is a must-add.   

Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns (3.5% Rostered)

Let’s stay in Cleveland for a second with Elijah Moore. The former Jet also took advantage of Jameis’ big game, catching eight of his team-high 11 targets for 85 yards. Unlike Tillman, Moore’s role hasn’t really changed with Cooper’s departure. Playing mostly out of the slot, Moore has actually been below his season average in route participation over the last two weeks.

However, getting rid of Watson may be the rising tide that lifts all boats in this Cleveland passing game. In deep PPR formats, Moore may be able to do enough out of the slot to be worth considering as long as Jameis is chucking the ball around.

Chris Conley, San Francisco 49ers (0.1% Rostered)

With Brandon Aiyuk out for the season and Jauan Jennings out for the week, veteran WR Chris Conley served as the 49ers’ second receiver on Sunday. Deebo Samuel eventually missed time with a rib injury of his own, so Conley actually led the team with a 73% route participation rate. He saw just one target (and failed to catch it), but that role is worth noting

Unfortunately, upon becoming a key piece of the 49ers’ offense, Conley immediately suffered an injury of his own: a hamstring injury that now has him considered week-to-week. With the 49ers heading into their bye, after which both Samuel and Jennings may actually be more likely to suit up than Conley, this is only a pick for those of you in ridiculously deep leagues. But any receiver who leads a high-powered offense in routes is worth mentioning, so here we are.

Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers (38.0% Rostered)

Of players rostered in less than 50% of leagues, the 49ers’ receiver I would most like to have at this point is definitely Ricky Pearsall, the first-round rookie. It’s not a great sign that Pearsall played behind Conley in Week 8, but he did see four targets, catching all four for 38 yards. 

More importantly, Pearsall (who was shot in the preseason, remember) is now the most healthy receiver on the 49ers’ roster. Depending on which of his teammates make it back after the team’s bye, he could find himself in a starting role in Week 10. Plus, at the end of the day, the first-round rookie is a more exciting pickup than the 32-year-old journeyman. The fact that he didn’t do much despite the sheer amount of injuries ahead of him is a red flag, but there’s still a real path to relevance here for Pearsall.

Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars (0.1% Rostered)

The Jaguars managed to lose all three of their starting receivers on Sunday. Gabe Davis exited early with a shoulder injury, Christian Kirk suffered a season-ending broken collarbone, and Brian Thomas Jr. is dealing with a rib injury. In a small glimmer of hope, BTJ is now reportedly day-to-day, an improvement from initial reporting that he would miss two to four weeks. But the Jaguars are still suddenly desperate for options at the WR position.

On Sunday, the next man up was Parker Washington, who posted a 77% route participation rate and caught three of four targets for 46 yards. Nothing about Parker’s profile is particularly exciting: He was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft and is at a terrible 0.81 yards per route run for the season. But sometimes the best ability is availability. He’s worth adding in deep formats.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Tennessee Titans (0.1% Rostered)

Speaking of players who don’t have particularly exciting profiles, we have Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. He makes this list for one reason and one reason only: He ranked sixth in the NFL (tied with teammate Calvin Ridley) with a 93% route participation rate on Sunday. This wasn’t just his season-high, it was his first time above 50% on the season and only his third time above 15%. Prior to this week, the Titans had used a rotation at receiver, with DeAndre Hopkins (now in KC) and Treylon Burks (now on IR) often ahead of Westbrook-Ikhine.

Tennessee’s passing offense has been abysmal all season, especially with Will Levis under center. However, as long as their routes are this concentrated, NWI is someone to consider in deep leagues. As much as we talk about every-down receivers, very few teams truly send the same guys out there for every single play. Only Ja’Marr Chase has a higher participation rate for the season than Westbrook-Ikhine did in Week 8. It’s possible this was a one-week anomaly, but if this is a prolonged shift in philosophy in Tennessee, Westbrook-Ikhine may be relevant on volume alone. 

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