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Week 8 is in the books, with Week 9 games approaching, fantasy owners will have to be active on the waiver wire with injuries and bye weeks playing a factor now. When looking at the waiver wire, fantasy owners must try and find the best value available. The waiver wire can make or break someone's season, making it crucial to find fantasy football sleeper plays. This list of sleepers will be based off of matchup and projected game plan for week 9 of the NFL season.
Derek Carr- The second year QB is improving every single week so far in his NFL career. With 7 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in his last two games, Carr sure is becoming a reliable fantasy option at the QB position.With a matchup against a Steelers defense that ranks 26th against the pass in yards allowed per game. The Raiders will be forced to throw the ball with how explosive the Steelers offense is and I expect the Raiders to be playing from behind majority of this game. With that being said, Carr will have plenty of opportunities to throw the ball especially in garbage time. If still available, go ahead and give Carr a look this week against an average Steelers defense that is still trying to find their identity on the defensive side of the ball.
Jeremy Langford- With Matt Forte most likely missing the next few games, Langford has great value and should be picked up immediately on teams. The Bears offense involves the running back position a lot and with Langford's elite speed at the position, I see a ton of value here. Langford gets a favorable matchup this week against a Chargers run defense that is ranked 27th in rushing yards allowed per game. Did I mention that the Chargers have allowed the 5th most touchdowns to opposing team's running backs? The stage sure is set for the debut of Jeremy Langford as the feature running back for the Bears.
Malcom Floyd- The veteran wideout Floyd sure received a boost in value with fellow teammate and star receiver Keenan Allen done for the season. Having more chemistry with Phillip Rivers than any receiver left on that receiving core, I expect plenty of targets to Malcom. The Chargers are currently ranked 2nd in passing attempts on the season and ranked 3rd for touchdown passes. With how committed the Chargers are to throwing the ball, Floyd has great value against a Bears defense that has given up the 4th most touchdown passes allowed. Did I mention that Floyd has had over 90 receiving yards in 2 of his last 3 games? I expect this to be a high scoring game with little defense, making Floyd a great value play for week 9 of the season.
Heath Miller- With Big Ben back at QB for the Steelers, I love Miller as a tight end option for week 9. Miller had 13 targets from Big Ben last week against a tough Bengals defense and was able to catch 10 of those for 105 yards. He gets a great matchup in week 9 against a Raiders defense that is currently allowing the most touchdowns to opposing tight ends. Heath Miller has only managed to get into the end zone one time this season, but I have a strong feeling that may change this week against a below average Raider defense that is awful against the tight end position. If you are struggling to find a tight end for week 9, Heath Miller is the correct choice with great value.
Follow Tyler Baddick on twitter @TBaddick for more fantasy football advice.