JJ McCarthy, Geno Smith, and 2 More Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks
Today is a great day to scheme the waiver wire. Who might pop off for a big Week 9? Let the data speak: one of these four quarterbacks has it in them to take off. As this league shows, sleepers can rise to the top at any moment.
Availability Percentages are from Sleeper.
Sam Darnold — 56% Available
Darnold is a product of his Week 9 matchup. The season hasn't gone great for the Super Bowl Champion, but he will face the Arizona Cardinals again this week. They rank 31st in EPA per Pass Allowed.
I also have to give Darnold the benefit of the doubt this season. While he has thrown 9 interceptions, Darnold's easiest defensive matchup came in Week 1 against the Patriots, who rank 20th in EPA per Pass Allowed. He has yet to see a bottom-ten coverage unit in the NFL, signaling a possible breakout in Week 9.
JJ McCarthy — 85% Available
Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery. The sample size is small, but McCarthy does have 495 yards over two starts as a Giant. He is averaging 10.1 Yards per Attempt. That is the highest by any currently healthy quarterback in the NFL.
McCarthy currently ranks 6th in EPA per Dropback. He has good reason to continue his breakout in Week 9, as he faces the Eagles, who rank 25th in EPA per Pass Allowed.
Malik Willis — 87% Available
Willis has at least 208 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns in back-to-back games. He also averages 33 rushing yards over seven starts and has rushed for three touchdowns.
The matchup gives another stellar Willis week, as the Dolphins take on the Lions. They rank 29th in EPA per Pass Allowed. The Dolphins also host this game and have one of the league's tougher home-field advantages, 7th-best over the past five seasons.
Geno Smith — 70% Available
Smith has now thrown the ball at least 30 times in four consecutive games. In that span, Smith has completed 66% of his passes for 1,011 passing yards and 7 touchdowns. Before the season, Smith wasn't viewed as a top-25 quarterback in fantasy football, but he still ranks QB15.
The newfound health of Omar Cooper Jr. and Adonai Mitchell has certainly aided this passing game. Smith specifically has at least 287 yards and 2 touchdowns in back-to-back games. The Chiefs rank 11th in EPA per Pass Allowed, making them more average than elite.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.