4 Players to Stash in Fantasy Football Entering NFL Week 9

If you're consistently a step ahead of the competition in your fantasy football league, it can help you win a title, and this weekly piece will aim to help you stay ahead of the pack.

The goal here is to help you identify players who could be hot waiver adds down the road as well as to point out week-ahead pickups who could prove useful.

Here are some players to consider adding now and stashing on your bench for the future.

All fantasy football projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Fantasy Football Stash Candidates for Week 9

Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jaguars

Across the first seven weeks of the season, rookie Bhayshul Tuten hasn't carved out a big role as the backup to Travis Etienne. But with the Jacksonville Jaguars coming out of their bye week in Week 9, there's a chance we see Tuten get a post-bye rookie bump in an offense that needs a spark.

In his first six appearances following the trade of Tank Bigsby, Tuten has logged just a 22.0% snap rate, 15.6% route rate, 18.2% red-zone rushing share, and 29.7 scrimmage yards per game on 5.8 touches per game, per Next Gen Stats. Before the Jaguars were blown out by the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, Tuten did happen to record a season-high 34.4% first-half snap rate, so there's reason to believe he sees increased usage once Jacksonville returns to action in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Tank Bigsby, RB, Eagles

Speaking of Tank Bigsby, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles after Week 1 concluded, becoming a depth piece behind Saquon Barkley due to Will Shipley suffering an injury. This is the perfect time of year to stash handcuff backs on teams who utilize their running backs often, and it's clear that Bigsby would be in line for a ton of work if Saquon were to miss time for the Eagles.

After handling kick return duties for weeks, Bigsby earned his highest snap rate (26.3%) in Week 8 since joining Philly, and he made the most of his opportunities by turning his 9 carries into 104 yards. While the Eagles are on a bye week in Week 9, Barkley did exit the team's Week 8 contest with a groin injury, so I'd be looking to stash Bigbsy on my bench if I had the roster space -- especially if you're someone who has Saquon.

Tory Horton, WR, Seahawks

Another rookie who could benefit from a post-bye rookie bump is Tory Horton. We've seen enough from the Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold-led aerial attack to suggest it can be an above-average unit, and the offense could take another step forward if they had someone else stepping up alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Despite the Seahawks signing Cooper Kupp in the offseason, the veteran has just 1.69 yards per route run with an 82.8% route rate and 18.0% target share. Horton has mostly just been used to be the clear-out receiver who runs vertical routes to make things easier for the other pass catchers -- evidenced by his 16.3-yard average depth of target, 9.8% target share, and 0.98 yards per route run. With Darnold playing well and the Seattle needing a secondary option through the air, I'm willing to take a chance on Horton.

Isaiah Likely, TE, Ravens

Isaiah Likely didn't make his season debut for the Baltimore Ravens until Week 4, and he's mostly been an afterthought in the offense since returning from his foot injury. However, he's yet to play a full game with Lamar Jackson this season, and none of the other tight ends on the Ravens have been overly productive.

In Week 8, Likely tied Mark Andrews for the highest snap rate (57.6%) among Baltimore's tight ends, while he also logged the highest route rate (51.9%) of the bunch, though it led to only two receptions for eight yards. Along with Likely getting ready to play his fifth game since returning from injury, Lamar is expected to start for the Ravens on Thursday, which should provide a major boost for everyone in Baltimore's offense.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.