Waiver Favors™: 2026 Week 9 Fantasy Football Pickups

Seth McGowan

RB – Indianapolis Colts – 32% Owned

McGowan might be my favorite speculative pickup this week.

He only had 7 touches against Dallas, but he turned 6 carries into 45 yards and his first NFL touchdown, including a 36-yard run. More impoha kungrtantly, Indianapolis trusted him with a goal-line carry in the first quarter, which he converted for the score.

There has also been plenty of speculation surrounding Jonathan Taylor heading into the trade deadline. If Taylor gets moved, McGowan’s value obviously skyrockets. But even if Taylor stays, McGowan has been carving out a role and remains the clear handcuff in an offense committed to running the football. He also gets Miami in Week 10. McGowan should be rostered in all 12-team leagues, particularly if you already have Taylor.

Chris Rodriguez

RB – Jacksonville Jaguars – 33% Owned

This isn’t necessarily a pickup that’s going to win your league tomorrow, but running backs who are getting double-digit touches this late in the season belong on fantasy rosters.

Rodriguez carried 10 times for 19 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore in Week 9 and added 2 receptions for 13 yards. The efficiency wasn’t pretty, but he split work with Bhayshul Tuten early before getting significant second-half work with Jacksonville comfortably ahead.

Tuten is still the back to own, so Rodriguez is more handcuff than weekly starter. But Jacksonville has some favorable game scripts coming up, beginning with Tennessee in Week 10, and Rodriguez has a path to additional carries when the Jaguars are playing from ahead. And, of course, if Tuten misses time, Rodriguez immediately becomes considerably more interesting. He’s worth a stash in 12-team leagues or deeper.

Darren Waller

TE – Carolina Panthers – 7% Owned

Apparently Darren Waller isn’t quite finished yet.

Waller exploded against Denver in Week 9, catching 8 of 10 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he led Carolina in targets, receptions and receiving yards, while scoring his fourth touchdown of the season. He’s now topped 50 receiving yards in two of his last three games and has scored twice over that stretch.

The concern is consistency, as Waller had only two targets in each of the previous three games. But tight end remains ugly enough that a player with this kind of red-zone upside and a potential role as Bryce Young‘s No. 2 receiving option can’t be ignored. With New Orleans coming up in Week 10, Waller is worth adding in 12-team leagues or deeper if you’ve been streaming tight ends.

Caleb Douglas

WR – Miami Dolphins – 29% Owned

I’ve mentioned Douglas before, but if he’s still available, now’s the time to grab him.

Douglas followed his 2-catch, 70-yard, 2-touchdown breakout against the Jets in Week 7 with 4 catches for 43 yards in Week 8, and then led Miami with 8 targets, 6 receptions and 70 yards against Detroit in Week 9. Over those three games, Douglas has 12 catches for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns and is averaging 14.1 PPR fantasy points per game.

Even more encouraging is the usage. Douglas has led Miami in targets in consecutive games and has played at least 73% of the offensive snaps in each. Malik Willis clearly trusts him, and with Miami sitting at 1-7, there isn’t much reason not to continue developing the rookie during the second half of the season. Douglas has legitimate WR3/FLEX upside and should be rostered in all 12-team leagues.

Mack Hollins

WR – New England Patriots – 5% Owned

Remember him?

Hollins returned from injured reserve against Green Bay after missing four games with a calf injury and immediately caught 3 of 6 targets for 36 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, Hollins ran a season-high 34 routes and tied for the second-most targets among Patriots receivers in his first game back.

That’s particularly interesting with A.J. Brown dealing with a knee injury. Hollins has now received at least 5 targets in three of his five games this season, and New England gets Detroit in Week 10, which could force the Patriots to throw to keep up. There’s obviously plenty of volatility here, but Hollins has big-play and touchdown upside if his route participation continues. He’s worth a speculative pickup in 14-team leagues or deeper, particularly if Brown misses Week 10.