Waiver wire: Will Levis, Trey McBride top the list

The Minnesota Vikings lost starting quarterback Kirk Cousins for the season Sunday because of a torn Achilles tendon. This news is devastating for a Vikings team that was already without wide receiver Justin Jefferson as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.

Cousins entered Sunday in the midst of one of his best seasons as a pro, averaging 291.1 passing yards and 2.25 passing touchdowns per game. He averaged 38.8 pass attempts and had the third-highest passer rating in the league. News of Cousins’ injury was surprising, considering his availability has always been an asset. He started 111 games from 2015 to 2021 and was rarely listed on the injury report. Fantasy managers wondering how the Vikings will fill the void at quarterback must understand that it is a complicated situation.

Jaren Hall (rostered in 0.0% of ESPN leagues), who was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft, completed three of four passes for 23 yards after replacing Cousins in the fourth quarter. Head coach Kevin O’Connell’s comments after the game imply that the team isn’t committed to Hall as the starter. Veteran backup Nick Mullens (0.0%), who is recovering from a back injury, is eligible to be activated from injured reserve as early as Week 10. The Vikings could also trade for a quarterback before the deadline.

For managers in superflex leagues, I recommend preemptively adding Hall. He is capable of managing Minnesota’s offense, has exceptional pocket presence and is very good at analyzing defensive coverages and going through progressions. The impressive deep accuracy and solid ball placement in the intermediate zones that Hall showcased at BYU make him a good fit for the Vikings’ receiving playmakers.

Here are some other QB options to consider.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (0.9%%): Levis surpassed expectations in Week 8, scoring an impressive 26.6 fantasy points. He displayed outstanding chemistry with DeAndre Hopkins, connecting for three touchdown passes that each traveled 20 or more yards in the air. Levis is an intriguing superflex option for Week 9 and is expected to start Thursday night against the Steelers.

Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (30.3%): Howell burned many fantasy managers with 9.4 fantasy points against the Giants in Week 7. He redeemed himself in Week 8 with 30.9. Howell has scored 15 or more fantasy points in six of eight games this season and while he doesn’t have a great matchup in Week 9 against the Patriots, he should still be considered as a high-end QB2 in deep or superflex leagues.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27.9%): Mayfield has been reliable for fantasy managers, considering his two top receivers are Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and the Buccaneers’ running game has been atrocious. He has scored 16 or more fantasy points in two consecutive games and faces a Texans defense in Week 9 that has struggled against the pass this season.

Mayfield is better suited as a QB2 or QB3 option for managers in superflex formats. He has a knee contusion, which should be monitored leading up to Sunday’s game, but he plans to play.

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (9.9%): Young completed 22 of his 31 pass attempts for 235 yards and a touchdown in Week 8. Young has scored 14 or more fantasy points only in two of his past three games, but his upcoming schedule makes him attractive pickup for managers in need of a quarterback. The Panthers face the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears defenses over the next two weeks, and both are among the top 10 in passing yards allowed per game.

Running backs

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (42.9%): It was reported earlier in the week that Hubbard would play a larger role against the Texans on Sunday and that’s exactly what happened. He played more snaps, ran more routes, and had more touches than Miles Sanders and is worth adding to your fantasy roster.

Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals (39.2%): Demercado has scored nine or more fantasy points in three of his past four games and led the Cardinals backfield in snaps, touches and fantasy points against the Ravens. The Cardinals (29.0) rank eighth in rushing attempts per game over the past three games, so consider Demercado as an option in deeper formats while James Conner is still on injured reserve.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (30.2%): Kenneth Walker III missed practices because of a calf injury earlier in the week, resulting in fewer snaps played than Charbonnet on Sunday against the Browns. Walker managed to accumulate more touches in the game, but now is a perfect time to acquire Charbonnet as the Seahawks enter the second half of the season. It is unlikely he will replace Walker as the starter, but he will play an active role in Seattle’s backfield.

Quick hits

Devin Singletary (33%) finds himself in a running back committee that includes Dameon Pierce and Mike Boone. Despite this, Singletary has still surpassed 10 touches in consecutive games, averaging 0.48 fantasy points per touch.

Royce Freeman (17.1%) will still have a role in the Rams backfield over the next two games with Kyren Williams on injured reserve. Darrell Henderson Jr. and Freeman continue to split snaps and touches fairly evenly. The Rams might rely more on the running game in Week 9 as Matthew Stafford deals with a thumb injury. Los Angeles has a favorable matchup against a Packers defense that has given up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.

Wide receivers

Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (49.8%): Cooks is finally cooking in Dallas. He has seen four targets and scored 14 or more fantasy points in consecutive games. Cooks is positioned for success with games against the Eagles, Giants, Panthers, Commanders, Seahawks, and Eagles coming up on the schedule. Philadelphia, Washington, and Seattle rank in the top-12 in passing yards allowed to opponents. Consider Cooks as a low-end flex option, with upside if he gains a few more targets. It’s a good idea to stash him on your roster if you need wide receiver depth.

Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals (46.5%): Tee Higgins still doesn’t look healthy and Boyd played more snaps and ran more routes than Higgins despite seeing fewer targets Sunday.

He has scored 13 fantasy points in consecutive games and aside from the three targets Boyd had against the 49ers, he had seen seven or more in each of the five previous games. With the Bengals offense finally clicking, Boyd is worth stashing on your bench.

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers (31.4%): Johnston had a chance to stand out on Sunday night, as he logged more snaps than Joshua Palmer and set season highs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. The Chargers rank eighth in pass attempts per game, so it’s an opportune time to add Johnston to your roster.

Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints (18.4%): Shaheed had three receptions for 153 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 8, accumulating 24.3 fantasy points. All of his catches came on passes of 35 or more yards. Shaheed has six receptions of 35 or more yards, which is three more than any other player this season. Shaheed has averaged just 4.75 targets per game, yet delivered 1.9 fantasy points per target and Derek Carr has a passer rating of 125.6 when targeting him. The Saints should look to increase his target volume in Week 9.

Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers (7.9%): Mingo played the most snaps among the Panthers wide receivers in Week 8 and ran the same number of routes as Adam Thielen and DJ Chark Jr. He had 62 receiving yards and 10.2 fantasy points against Houston, both season highs. Mingo seems to have replaced Chark as the No. 2 receiver and has the potential to be a league winner as he continues to establish a rapport with Bryce Young. Don’t be afraid to stash Mingo considering the Panthers’ favorable schedule for the rest of the season.

Quick hit

You should stash Marvin Mims Jr. (7.0%). Amid ongoing rumors, it appears that either Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy, or possibly both, could be traded before the deadline.

Tight ends

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals (7.8%): With Zach Ertz out with a quadriceps injury, McBride turned 14 targets into 25.5 fantasy points. He is just the fourth TE since 2000 to get at least 14 targets in a game at age 23 or younger and the fourth to have 10 or more receptions and 95 receiving yards in a game in his first two seasons.

Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys (49.6%): I have the feeling Ferguson will be the consolation prize for fantasy managers this week for managers who don’t land Trey McBride. He continues to dominate the snaps at tight end for the Cowboys. The only player to run more routes in Sunday’s game against the Rams for Dallas was CeeDee Lamb. Ferguson caught all four of his targets for 47 receiving yards for 14.7 fantasy points. If Sunday’s game had been more competitive, he could have had a bigger fantasy day. Ferguson is firmly on the TE2 radar with upside against the Eagles in Week 9.

Quick hit

Taysom Hill‘s (14.7%) usage is unpredictable, but he has scored 12 or more fantasy points in three consecutive games, including 22.4 on Sunday, He is worth adding.