Fantasy Football Week 9 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers Who Could Emerge

It's time to get ready for the weirdest week of fantasy football yet. With six teams on Bye in Week 9, you can guarantee lineups will be tweaked and the waiver wire is going to be busy with managers seeking short-term replacements.

During the scramble, there's still opportunity to find players with both short- and long-term upside. Here, we'll look at three of those options: Deon Jackson, Joshua Palmer and Isaiah Likely. All are rostered in under 33 percent of leagues (per FantasyPros), so they're widely available.

If you're in even shallower leagues, keep an eye out for players like Darnell Mooney (63 percent rostered), Kadarius Toney (56 percent), Tyler Allgeier (55 percent), Rondale Moore (42 percent) and Devin Duvernay (42 percent). Otherwise, read on for analysis of the aforementioned top three.

As simple a pickup as they come. The Colts traded Nyheim Hines away to the Buffalo Bills and starter Jonathan Taylor missed Wednesday's practice due to an ankle injury. That could leave Jackson as the lone healthy back available and we've seen what he can do when thrust into the starting role.

In Week 6, both Hines and Taylor were out and Jackson filled in—both in the lineup and in the box score. The sophomore running back turned 12 carries and 10 targets into 121 yards, 10 catches and 1 touchdown. In half-point-per-reception leagues, that was a 23.1-point week.

It's unclear if Taylor will be healthy, limited or out for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. Still, Jackson's ceiling means he's worth the pickup regardless. If Taylor's out, Jackson is a solid flex play, as his workload should be enough to provide value despite New England being ranked third against fantasy running backs. If Taylor plays or is limited, Jackson should still be added because the injury uncertainty moving forward means that a starting role could open up at any time.

There's no reason that Palmer shouldn't be rostered in practically every league. The second-year receiver is still coming back from a concussion and hasn't done much this season, but the upside is fantastic.

After injuring his ankle in Week 7, Mike Williams is expected to come back Week 12 at earliest. Fellow starter Keenan Allen's health is also a question mark, as he told media that his hamstring injury got worse during the Week 8 Bye.

Of the team's remaining options, Palmer—pending his return from the concussion suffered in Week 6—is the clearest weapon for Justin Herbert. In his rookie season, he tallied four-plus catches and a touchdown in three of the team's last five games. In Week 6, prior to the concussion, he turned 12 targets into nine catches for 57 yards. Whether he returns this week or next, the 6'1" receiver is poised to deliver multiple weeks as Herbert's best option outside.

A rare deep sleeper with immense short-term upside, Likely's value is dependent on the Mark Andrews injury situation. Andrews, who is now dealing with both ankle and shoulder injuries, has left each of Baltimore's past two games early, but his status remains uncertain for Week 9.

If Andrews is out, Likely steps into the uppermost echelon of tight ends this week. Last week, with Andrews sidelined, the rookie piled up six receptions on seven targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens have a tight-end-friendly offense, Likely has a reception-friendly game and those factors combine for excellent upside.

It's hard to know exactly what to expect with the Andrews injuries and it's always possible he suits up as early as this week. But with the past two early exits, Likely seems to be a strong addition for any managers with the roster space to navigate these nebulous circumstances in search of upside.