Fantasy football waiver wire advice: Wide receiver rankings for Week 9

Week 8 of the 2017 regular season is just about coming to a close with the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.

We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change and news arrives. The following ownership percentages come via CBS Sportsline entering Week 8.

After missing two games with a shoulder injury, then playing in the Thursday game, which often sneaks up on waiver hunters, Maclin returned with a nice game against the Dolphins, catching three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. We’ll see whether its Joe Flacco under center in Week 9 against the Titans, but if he does return, Maclin has a great matchup against a suspect Titans defense. He’s worth getting re-acquainted with.

After a game like Sunday’s shootut, it’s worth pointing out that Richardson, who put up a 7-105-2 line, is owned in less than half the leagues in CBS fantasy, and likely elsewhere. Richardson now has three touchdowns in the past two games. Tyler Lockett (28 percent ownership) is another great piece of the offense that is available. Russell Wilson has it all going right now and these guys are reaping the riches.

That Crowder is available in nearly two-thirds of leagues would have seemed impossible in August, but here we are. Crowder was a lost cause in September, but October has seen a re-birth, with 24 targets over the past three weeks, as Terrell Pryor has gone MIA. Crowder was the man on Sunday with nine catches on 13 targets for 123 yards. He’s definitely worth trusting, at long last.

We’ve been extolling the virtues of Josh McCown for weeks here in waiver world, and now it’s time to hype the guys who are making McCown look so good. Anderson caught a touchdown for his second straight week and put up a solid 6-104-1 line on Sunday. He has 23 targets over the past three weeks ad is a legit WR3/flex.

Benjamin is a solid option in weeks where Keenan Allen draws a top corner. With the Patriots keyed in on stopping Allen on Sunday, Benjamin was free to catch five passes on nine targets for 64 yards and a touchdown. There are a lot of pieces in this offense, so he isn’t an every-week lock, but Benjamin can help in a pinch when the matchup is right.