Week 9 Fantasy Pickups: D.J. Moore, Peyton Barber, MVS and others to add

D.J. Moore breaks out against Baltimore

Moore waited until the most difficult matchup of his season to deliver his first useful fantasy line. Facing the Ravens, Moore delivered 90 receiving yards on five catches, plus he added another 39 yards on a pair of carries. The Maryland rookie led the Panthers in targets, receptions and scrimmage yards, producing a series of highlight plays. Here’s a sample. Moore was a dominant collegiate receiver despite less-than-ideal team context. He’s also a 97th percentile SPARQ athlete, which basically means he possesses superhero-level physical ability. Go get him, fantasy owners.

Carolina has a matchup ahead with Tampa Bay, the NFL’s most generous pass defense (8.8 Y/A allowed), so Moore will be a recommended start in Week 9. He’s unattached in 85 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues.

Schedule, next three weeks: TB, at Pit, at Det

FAAB bid ($100 budget): $12

Miami finally forced to play DeVante Parker

Injuries to Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills created a path to playing time for Parker, a longtime fantasy tease. The results from Week 8 were plenty encouraging. Parker caught six passes for 134 yards on nine targets on Thursday night at Houston, leading the Dolphins in all receiving categories. Parker and his agent have been feuding with Miami head coach Adam Gase, and the veteran receiver has been attached to various trade rumors in recent weeks. But the team has run out of healthy wideouts, so Parker is very much back in the mix. He’s a viable deep league starter against the struggling Jets in Week 9.

Schedule: NYJ, at GB, bye

FAAB bid: $4

Marquez Valdes-Scantling out-targets and outproduces Allison

Big news for those of us who held our MVS shares, despite the return of Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison. Valdes-Scantling played 31 of 52 offensive snaps for the Packers on Sunday, hauling in two receptions for 45 yards on five targets. He roasted Troy Hill on this fourth quarter go-ahead touchdown…

Valdes-Scantling feasted when Cobb and Allison were both sidelined, elevating himself in Green Bay’s receiving hierarchy. We shouldn’t need to tell you that an Aaron Rodgers-led offense is going to produce multiple starting-quality fantasy receivers. MVS is a burner with 4.37-speed and ideal size (6-foot-4), and he’s seen 22 targets over his last three games. With another likely shootout ahead next week (at New England), the USF rookie deserves a long look from fantasy managers.

Schedule, next three weeks: at NE, Mia, at Sea

FAAB bid: $9

Yeah, you probably should not have dropped Peyton Barber

Barber has been kicked to the curb in tens of thousands of fantasy leagues in recent weeks, and not without justification. He battled an ankle injury leading up to Week 8, and his year-to-date performance has been something less than flawless (3.7 YPC). Still, there should be a roster spot for a full-workload runner in any league of standard size and shape. Barber carried the ball 19 times for 85 yards and one score on Sunday, reestablishing himself as the lead back for the Bucs. Ronald Jones suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to Cincinnati, adding yet another disappointment to a brutal first season. Moving forward, Barber is clearly the Tampa back with fantasy appeal. He should see double-digit touches in every game moving forward.

Schedule, next three weeks: at Car, Was, at NYG

FAAB bid: $24

Trenton Cannon, Elijah McGuire deserve deep-league attention

We should be careful not to overstate the value of any Jets skill player, but it’s worth noting that Cannon handled nine touches on Sunday, essentially filling Bilal Powell’s backfield role. Cannon had a quiet day in a degree-of-difficulty matchup, gaining just 22 total yards. Still, the rookie managed to catch three balls and he out-snapped Isaiah Crowell, 29 to 25. Cannon gained 73 yards the prior week, playing in relief of the injured Powell (neck surgery, IR). He’s flashed obvious play-making ability, and his veteran teammates seem to be fans of his potential.

Elijah McGuire returned to practice last week and he’s eligible to make his season debut next week, so his presence complicates the outlook for Cannon. McGuire suffered a broken foot back in July, so he opened the season on IR. You might recall that he had his moments as a rookie last year, gaining 492 scrimmage yards on 105 touches. Assuming he’s active next week, he could be worth a flier.

Schedule, next three weeks: at Mia, Buf, bye

FAAB bids: $4 and $7

Josh Adams leads Eagles in rushing against Jacksonville

Waiver competition for Adams shouldn’t be extreme, as Philly is one of six teams with a Week 9 bye. If you can find room to stash him, consider the add. Adams led Philly in carries (9) and rushing yards (61) in Sunday’s win in London, adding one catch for six yards. He’s a big back (225, 6-foot-2) who took advantage a few massive rushing lanes against the Jaguars, and it seems likely he’s earned a larger role moving forward. (Unless of course the Eagles make a deadline deal for a back.) Adams rushed for 1430 yards for Notre Dame last season, averaging 6.9 YPC. He’s perhaps not the most inventive runner you’ll ever see, but he’s a powerful back with a growing role in a quality offense.

Schedule, next three weeks: bye, Dal, at NO

FAAB bid: $5

Carolina’s D is under-owned

The Panthers host the Bucs next week, which means a date with either Ryan Fitzpatrick or Jameis Winston. So that should be an easy 2-3 turnovers, no matter which QB the Bucs decide to start. Carolina actually has both Tampa games still upcoming, plus a future date with the Browns. We’ll be using this D a time or two before the fantasy season ends.

Schedule, next three weeks: TB, at Pit, at Det

FAAB bid: $3

Also recommended: QB Derek Carr, QB Josh Rosen, RB Kenjon Barner, WR Keke Coutee, WR Cole Beasley, WR Courtland Sutton, WR David Moore, WR Josh Reynolds, WR Anthony Miller, WR Danny Amendola, WR Kendrick Bourne, TE Jack Doyle, TE Hayden Hurst, TE Dallas Goedert, DEF Dallas Cowboys

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