Free agents: Top options include Smith, Washington and Tyson

• Eric KarabellNov 2, 2026, 12:00 PM ET

  Close

  Eric Karabell is a senior writer covering fantasy football, baseball and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of the FSWA Hall of Fame, a BBWAA baseball Hall of Fame voter and author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments."

Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players worthy of your attention available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues. Things change quickly for player valuation and roles each week in the NFL, and free agency is a critical way to acquire players. We are here to help!

Top pick-up options at every position

Looking for the top recommendation at each skill position? Look no further! Here are the players to target heading into Week 9, along with their current roster percentages and a recommendation of how much of your free agent budget (FAB) to consider utilizing.

Geno Smith, QB, New York Jets (32.8% rostered, bid 3% of FAB)

Smith scored 18 points in the home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, his third-best scoring output of the season. It was the third consecutive game Smith topped 250 passing yards, and only 14 passers have outscored him in fantasy this season. Smith is not a great play for Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has exciting receivers to throw to and certainly has been a useful fantasy option this season.

Note: The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers serve their bye weeks in Week 9. For those planning for Week 10, the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be playing.

Mike Washington Jr., RB, Las Vegas Raiders (17.6%, 3% FAB)

Washington was the beneficiary of a major -- albeit perhaps short-term -- alteration to the team's depth chart in Sunday's win over the Jets. Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 pick in the 2025 draft, earned only five touches, though three of them were receptions that went for 64 yards. Jeanty scored 10.3 points. Washington rushed 25 times for 83 yards, scoring 8.3 points. The Raiders' split of touches may revert to prior to Week 8, as the New York Giants did recently with Cam Skattebo, but add Washington just in case it does not.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints (35.4%, 3% FAB)

The Saints did not play in Week 8, and rumors persist that Tyson (hamstring) will come off injured reserve to make his season debut in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns. Tyson was the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NFL draft -- the second wide receiver selected after Carnell Tate -- and the Saints boast a quarterback averaging 39 pass attempts per game. This may be the final week Tyson will be readily available in your leagues.

Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (15.1%, 2% FAB)

Gesicki has caught a touchdown pass in five consecutive games, and six of seven this season. It's quite an achievement doing so despite low volume. No tight end has more touchdown catches, even though 26 tight ends have more receptions. Regardless, QB Joe Burrow looks for Gesicki in the red zone and the tight end matters for Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Other quarterbacks

Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens (2.5%, 2% FAB): Huntley (toe) replaced an injured Lamar Jackson (thumb) but then he left shortly after with his own injury. The Ravens turned to undrafted third-stringer Joe Fagnano, and things went predictably poorly. Jackson is headed to injured reserve, presenting Huntley -- if healthy enough to play -- with an opportunity to start for perhaps the rest of the season, including Thursday against the challenging Jacksonville Jaguars. You'll just want to keep up on the injury report in case the toe is still problematic on short rest. Huntley averaged 17.52 points while starting in Weeks 5 through 7.

J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants (15.4%, 1% FAB): McCarthy and the Giants did not play in Week 8, but their Week 9 game comes against the rival Philadelphia Eagles, a sputtering team dealing with a six-game losing streak. McCarthy figures to improve upon his 10.18 points from the Week 7 win against the Houston Texans.

Deep-league options/streamers

Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins (10.6%, 1% FAB): Willis scored 14.64 points in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots. He threw two touchdown passes for the second consecutive game, but what he did not do was run with the football. Willis is a dynamic runner who scored rushing touchdowns in Weeks 1, 5 and 7, but he rushed only once for two yards on Sunday . Still, that skill is there and we may see it in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions.

Anthony Richardson Sr., Indianapolis Colts (0.2%): Richardson, the former No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, may be in line for more opportunity because starter Daniel Jones is struggling mightily. Richardson completed only 50.9% of his passes during his disappointing career through three-plus seasons, but he is a skilled runner. It's easy to be skeptical that he will suddenly and consistently thrive, but the possibility remains.

Carson Beck, Arizona Cardinals (0.3%): Beck, a third-round pick from Miami, has yet to throw an NFL pass, but his time may be coming. Journeyman Gardner Minshew II replaced an ineffective Jacoby Brissett and skewered the pathetic Dallas Cowboys defense for 19.52 points in a stunning overtime victory on Sunday, but the Cardinals need to see what Beck can do. Week 9 may not be the right time as they are on the road against the tough Seattle Seahawks, but still, for those in multi-QB or superflex formats, Beck's time is coming. No Cardinals QB warrants recommendation this week.

Other running backs

Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals (46.0%, 2% FAB): Allgeier wasn't helping fantasy managers much this season, scoring double digits in only one of the first seven weeks and he didn't start Sunday's game against the Cowboys. However, rookie Jeremiyah Love (ankle) and backup Bam Knight (concussion) left early, so Allgeier earned 16 touches and turned them into an incredibly efficient 191 yards, two touchdowns and a career-best 36.1 points. Go figure. Allgeier isn't a star, and this performance is likely far more reflective of the terrible Dallas defense, but there is a reason he was chosen in many fantasy leagues. Allgeier may see ample opportunity in Week 9 versus the Seahawks and perhaps beyond. He should easily surpass 50% rostered this week.

Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs (11.8%, 2% FAB): The electric Johnson, a fifth-round pick in the draft, entered Week 8 having scored 26.1 points in six games while star Kenneth Walker III was a league MVP candidate. Johnson had the better game Sunday against the Denver Broncos, catching five passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, scoring 25.3 points. Walker remains the star, but in an offense desperate for other playmakers, Johnson suddenly warrants a look in fantasy.

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns (11.6%, 1% FAB): Sampson earned only seven touches in Sunday's blowout loss to the Steelers, but six of them were receptions (62 yards), and that was enough to outscore lead rusher Quinshon Judkins. Sampson isn't a safe flex option (even for Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints) but his receiving work -- and the lack of running back depth in the league -- keeps him relevant.

Deep-league options/streamers

Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers (23.5%, 1% FAB): The 49ers did not play in Week 8 but last time we saw them, Black scored 10.9 points, rushed for a team-high 63 yards and a touchdown while star Christian McCaffrey (thigh) was in and out of the lineup. Perhaps McCaffrey is 100% healthy for Week 9 against the Raiders, but knowing his propensity for injury, Black is worth rostering in many leagues.

Devin Singletary, New York Giants (3.6%, 1% FAB): Singletary scored 14.5 points in the team's Week 7 win over the Texans before the bye week. He should be in line for some volume with Tyrone Tracy Jr. (hamstring) on injured reserve and Cam Skattebo hardly a sure thing for performance and durability.

Seth McGowan, Indianapolis Colts (21.3%, 1% FAB): McGowan scored only 2.9 points in Sunday's blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but rumors are flying that star Jonathan Taylor may be traded before the Nov. 10 deadline. McGowan, a seventh-round pick from Kentucky, appears to be next in line. This is the time to add reserve running backs on bad teams that may trade their starters, such as McGowan and Titans rookie Nicholas Singleton (0.5%).

Other wide receivers

Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets (11.4%, 2% FAB): Just when fantasy managers assumed rookie Omar Cooper Jr. was emerging as a trustworthy option and was started in 43% of ESPN leagues, Mitchell delivered a career outing with 142 receiving yards, a touchdown and 27.2 points. Meanwhile, Cooper (who scored 44.8 points during the prior two games) saw nary a target. It is often a challenge to explain what the Jets are doing, but Mitchell and Cooper are both talented and so is Garrett Wilson, so we may be guessing who gets targeted all season.

Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys (22.1%, 1% FAB): Flournoy is the clear No. 3 WR on the Cowboys behind stars CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but he outscored both of them in Sunday's crushing loss to the Cardinals. Flournoy, despite a mere four targets in three of the past four games, has scored double-digit fantasy points in each contest, earning him relevance. The Cowboys face the struggling Colts in Week 9.

Deep-league options/streamers

Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins (38.0%, 1% FAB): Washington scored a season-best 15 points in Sunday's game, buoyed by his first touchdown catch. He is among the top 40 wide receivers in fantasy this season, which may not seem like much, but the team's schedule is favorable for passing throughout November.

Other Tight ends

Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (22.9%, 1% FAB): Mayer scored double digit points on Sunday for the fourth time in six games, and unlike Gesicki, he hasn't done so with an overt reliance on touchdowns since Week 3. Brock Bowers is the Raiders star, but Mayer continues to provide borderline TE1 production as well.

Eli Raridon, New England Patriots (1.9%): The rookie Raridon, a third-round pick from Notre Dame, caught only one pass Sunday but the team may target him more depending on the severity of the Hunter Henry (foot) injury. Raridon scored double-digit points in Weeks 5 and 7.

Defense

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28.7%): The Buccaneers shut out the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, though a challenging rainstorm certainly played a role in keeping passing numbers in check (for both teams). Still, the Buccaneers D/ST unit has scored 43 fantasy points during the past two games and it leads fantasy football in scoring, barely behind the Minnesota Vikings in points per game. The Week 9 matchup versus the Chicago Bears is not favorable, but the way the Buccaneers are defending, they may be worth streaming anyway.

Buffalo Bills (6.5%): The struggling Bills D/ST entered Week 8 having scored 10 fantasy points for the season (six games), so it wasn't exactly a unit fantasy managers would want. The Bills D/ST scored 16 fantasy points in the win over the Baltimore Ravens and their three quarterbacks, so perhaps it is deceiving. Then again, the Bills face the Vikings in Week 9, and the Vikings, despite a glossy 6-1 record, have an underwhelming offense. The Lions (28.8%), 49ers (35.8%) and Giants (3.4%) should be other popular streamers in Week 9 as well.