Waiver Wire Week 9: Justin Fields, Boston Scott Highlight Picks to Know

Justin Fields had the breakout fantasy football performance we have been waiting for in Week 8.

The rookie Chicago Bears quarterback threw for 175 passing yards and set a single-game career high of 103 rushing yards Sunday. Fields was responsible for two touchdowns in the Bears' loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The promise displayed by Fields is important for the Bears moving forward, but it also matters to fantasy football players.

The number of reliable starting quarterbacks on the waiver wire dwindled Sunday, when Jameis Winston went down with an injury.

Fields is rostered in less than a quarter of Yahoo fantasy football leagues as of Monday morning. That percentage should rise in the coming days as fantasy players search for potential Dak Prescott replacements and a fill-in for Tom Brady during his Week 9 bye.

Chicago's signal-caller should be the hottest name on the waiver wire, but there are a handful of other pickups that you need to know going into Week 9.

Boston Scott surprisingly earned a heavy workload in the Philadelphia Eagles backfield. He could be the answer at the position until Miles Sanders gets healthier.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth also stepped up in the absence of an injured starter, and his Week 8 performance could lead to a wave of waiver-wire pickups.

Fields came into the NFL with a ton of excitement behind him, but he had to wait his turn to get the starting job in Chicago.

Since Week 4, Fields has progressed within the Chicago offense, but before Sunday, his numbers were not notable enough for fantasy players.

Fields had two touchdown passes and four interceptions from Weeks 4-7, and he did not do too much damage with his legs in the ground game. The rookie quarterback's production turned a corner against the San Francisco defense, as he had 175 passing yards, 103 rushing yards and two total touchdowns.

The Ohio State product still had an interception, but he made up for that with his high yardage volume and his trips to the end zone.

His Week 8 numbers should at least intrigue fantasy players because it looks like Fields has more freedom to improvise with his legs in the run game. Fields does not have an ideal Week 9 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he could still be a better option than some of the backup quarterbacks left on the waiver wire.

Fields could be an immediate pickup for fantasy teams that need a fill-in for Brady or Kirk Cousins on the bye week or as a replacement for the injured Prescott and Jameis Winston.

His production could get even better after Chicago's Week 10 bye since he faces the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.

Fields is worth the waiver-wire pickup now because of his potential. If you try to select him in a week or two, he may not be available because he is trending upward.

When Miles Sanders left the Eagles' Week 7 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, we all thought Kenneth Gainwell would slot into the No. 1 running back role.

Most of us were fooled when Boston Scott was utilized as the primary running back in Nick Sirianni's offense against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Scott ran for 60 yards on 12 carries, and he found the end zone on two occasions in the 44-6 victory.

Gainwell played a marginal role when the first-team offense was on the field. He earned most of his touches after Gardner Minshew was put in during garbage time.

Scott should be trusted as Philadelphia's top ball-carrier for now. The only cause for concern is if Jordan Howard eats up the red-zone touches. He also had two rushing touchdowns Sunday.

Philadelphia's running back splits will come into focus more in Week 9's clash with the Los Angeles Chargers.

As of now, Scott is the preferred option, but you should approach his waiver-wire addition with a bit of caution after how drastically our expectations changed from Week 7 to Week 8.

Pat Freiermuth has been on the waiver-wire watchlist since he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in April because of how much Ben Roethlisberger loves to throw to tight ends.

The Penn State product is not at the Heath Miller level of production yet, but he is progressing nicely in the Pittsburgh offense.

Freiermuth earned seven targets in back-to-back games. He caught four balls for 44 yards and a touchdown in the Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns.

The 2021 second-round pick received more playing time Sunday with Eric Ebron out because of a hamstring injury. If Freiermuth continues to play well, he could weaken Ebron's position in the offense or he may make the veteran an interesting trade piece before the Tuesday's trade deadline.

Freiermuth is worth a look in Week 9 with Rob Gronkowski and T.J. Hockenson on bye weeks. He could fill that same role for C.J. Uzomah or Evan Engram in Week 10.

The rookie tight end is rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Monday morning. He could be worth the addition now since he is gaining more of Roethlisberger's trust by the week.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference. Selection info via FantasyPros.