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Waiver Wire Workout: Week 9

Steve Smith's season-ending injury helps land a lot of guys on this week's waiver wire workout.
Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Because league formats vary, one size doesn't fit all when it comes to your waiver wire. That's why I break possible free agent adds into three categories. Follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/HarrisFootball) for the latest on possible additions to your fantasy roster.

Read More: Dumb Football With Mike Tunison, Week 8

Addable In All Leagues

DeAngelo Williams, RB, PIT (owned in 24% of Yahoo leagues). For shame, Le'Veon Bell owners. I've been telling you for weeks on my podcast that you should've been rostering D-Willy as Bell's handcuff, and now I find out that only a quarter of you took my advice? Williams is no longer a change-of-direction guy, but he does have legit north/south burst and long speed. He won't be an RB1 like Bell would've been, but he'll belong inside the top 20 RBs until further notice.

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Jeremy Langford, RB, CHI (8% owned). Matt Forte has a sprained MCL, so be prepared for a multi-week absence. The rookie Langford—whom I compared to Ryan Mathews this spring—gets first crack at the starting gig and should be rostered in all leagues. The likes of Antone Smith (0%) and Ka'Deem Carey (0%) are also hanging around the Chicago roster, and the Bears have also worked out Montee Ball (1%), so Langford isn't guaranteed a workload. But for Week 9 against a bad Chargers run defense, I imagine he'll be one of my top 20 RBs.

Malcom Floyd and Stevie Johnson, WRs, SD (19% and 43% owned, respectively). Keenan Allen was having a great year, but he suffered a kidney injury on a TD reception at the end of the first half Sunday, and is probably staring at a prolonged absence. Philip Rivers is gonna keep slinging, so now it's a matter of figuring out his top target. Floyd is the downfield guy; Stevie is the possession guy. Which player you add may depend on your league's format: PPR players will prefer Johnson.

Who will replace Steve Smith? Maybe this guy: Kamar Aiken. Photo by Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Kamar Aiken, WR, BAL (19% owned). Steve Smith is out for the year with a torn Achilles', and the Ravens' already-anemic passing game is rolling toward doomsday. In Smitty's absence in the game's final 20-odd minutes Sunday, I thought Aiken had the most diverse role, lining up out wide and in the slot. As a result, I'll nominate him as the biggest beneficiary of Smith's absence. But until I see him produce for a couple weeks straight, he won't number among my top 30 wideouts.

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Vernon Davis, TE, DEN (31% owned). The Broncos acquired Big Vern from the 49ers for some late-round draft picks. Davis has been a whopping disappointment for a season-and-a-half, he makes a lot of money, and his contract is expiring. But he's also an obvious upgrade on Owen Daniels, and it's possible his problem all along has been Colin Kaepernick. I don't believe Denver's offensive woes were all miraculously fixed Sunday night. But it was a start. Davis isn't jumping into the old Julius Thomas role in Peyton Manning's offense, because that version of Peyton's offense is likely gone forever. But if I've been scuffling along with a bunch of frustrating dudes at TE? Sure, why not take a chance on Davis?

Derek Carr, QB, OAK (39% owned). I'm finally sold. I resisted the Carr hype last season because despite okay-seeming numbers, his game tape was brutal. And he had a few ugly games early this year. But in his past two contests, Carr has looked great on film. This isn't about the box score, it's about smart decisions and accurate throws, things that eluded Carr in 2014. Good on you if you saw this coming for Carr; I didn't.

Tyrod Taylor, QB, BUF (39% owned). Taylor used Buffalo's bye to get his injured knee healthy, and should pick up where he left off. I don't think he's a great thrower, but Taylor brings the ability to rack up fantasy points with his legs, and that's worth something. Remember: Taylor passed for three TDs against the Dolphins (his Sunday opponent) just six weeks ago.

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Bengals Defense (33% owned). The Bengals held up brilliantly in a tough road game against a returning Ben Roethlisberger, and now host either Josh McCown or Johnny Manziel on Thursday night. Yes, that same situation went bad for Cincy right around this time last year, when the Browns shocked them in Week 10, 24-3. I'm not buying a repeat.

Players listed in previous weeks who are still addable in all leagues: Matt Jones, RB, WAS (38%); Theo Riddick, RB, DET (24%).

Speculative Adds

David Cobb, RB, TEN (23% owned). Cobb was in this section of my list last week, but I figured I'd call him out again. He was one of my five favorite running backs in this past spring's rookie class, though landing in Tennessee left much to be desired. We're not even sure if the Titans will activate Cobb this week, plus we don't know what will happen with the offense after Ken Whisenhunt's firing. Still, as a stash, Cobb has upside.

Robert Woods, WR, BUF (5% owned). When last we saw Sammy Watkins, he was hobbling around on crutches. Watkins didn't join the Bills in London for Week 7, and wasn't able to practice Monday. Now, he still may be fine to play Sunday versus the Dolphins. But if he can't go, Woods would be the No. 1 receiver in Buffalo with Tyrod Taylor returning. That would probably put him inside my top 30 WRs for the week.

Justin Hunter and Dorial Green-Beckham, WRs, TEN (1% and 11% owned, respectively). Kendall Wright sprained an MCL Sunday and figures to miss multiple games. Marcus Mariota may return this week, but to whom will he throw? Hunter and DGB are the leading candidates; I'd be more enticed if Green-Beckham is ready to assume a larger role, because frankly we already know Hunter is a good athlete with stone hands and a soft head.

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Who will replace Steve Smith? Maybe this guy: Chris Given. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Givens, WR, BAL (0% owned). Aiken isn't the only possible inheritor of Steve Smith's workload. Givens is a speedster who's shown a few flashes of chemistry with Joe Flacco over the past couple games, and I still say he might've made it as a deep threat with the Rams had St. Louis had a competent quarterback. There will be quiet weeks for Givens no matter what, but he's a starving man's DeSean Jackson, and that could lead to a big game or two.

Players listed in previous weeks who are still speculative adds: Jay Cutler, QB, CHI (32%); Joique Bell, RB, DET (20%); Charles Sims, RB, TB (35%); Christine Michael, RB, DAL (26%); Buck Allen, RB, BAL (10%); Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, IND (6% owned); Antonio Andrews, RB, TEN (33%); Chris Polk, RB, HOU (15%); Ted Ginn, WR, CAR (38%); Marquess Wilson, WR, CHI (4%); Marvin Jones, WR, CIN (49%); Rueben Randle, WR, NYG (43%); Danny Amendola, WR, NE (36%); Nate Washington, WR, HOU (25%); Devin Funchess, WR, CAR (15%); Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, TB (34%); Crockett Gillmore, TE, BAL (13%); Heath Miller, TE, PIT (28%).

Deep-League Adds

Dontrelle Inman, WR, SD (0% owned). Inman was a super-deep sleeper of mine last season, and he showed flashes in the season's final two games. He's a big kid with some real quickness in the open field, and I'd love to see him take over the Malcom Floyd role for Philip Rivers. He has potential to be a more diverse weapon than Floyd.

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Jeremy Ross, WR, BAL (0% owned). Here's a third entry from the Ravens receiving corps. Ross bounced around from the Packers to the Lions over the past couple years, and he reminds me a little of Rishard Matthews: kind of a jack of all trades, master of none, but someone who's looked pretty reliable for Joe Flacco in limited doses over the past few weeks.

Who will replace Steve Smith? Maybe this guy: Jeremy Ross. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Todman, RB, PIT (0% owned). The Steelers need production from their RB depth after Le'Veon Bell's injury. Dri Archer (0%) is also hanging around, but Archer is so small it's tough to imagine he ever becomes more than a couple-times-a-game gadget. Todman is a fast, straight-ahead runner without good size, which gave him moments of brilliance the past couple years in Jacksonville. But it probably doesn't leave him with a big role barring a DeAngelo Williams injury.

Shaun Draughn and Kendall Gaskins, RBs, SF (each 0% owned). Pity the rudderless Niners. Their backfield lost Reggie Bush to a torn MCL and rookie Mike Davis to a broken hand Sunday. If Carlos Hyde doesn't hurry back from his foot injury, the starting RB job probably gets split between Draughn, a journeyman with 75 career carries in four-plus seasons among five teams, and Gaskins, a big 24-year-old rookie about whom I know nothing.

Justin Hardy, WR, ATL (0% owned). Hardy isn't all that fast, but he's lightning quick and has a chance to run away with the Falcons slot job if Leonard Hankerson misses more time. Hardy caught a couple passes in his debut Sunday and at best can aspire to the Harry Douglas role in Matt Ryan's offense.

Taiwan Jones, RB, OAK (1% owned). Give Jones credit for slashing through the Jets defense for a long catch-and-run TD Sunday (also give the Jets demerits for horrible tackling), and also give him props for an excellent jitterbugging run that was called back by penalty. Realize, though, that Jones' role is limited, and Marcel Reece and Roy Helu also get involved behind Latavius Murray.

Players listed in previous weeks who are still addable in deep leagues: Chris Thompson, RB, WAS (3%); Jonathan Grimes, RB, HOU (0%); Orleans Darkwa, RB, NYG (24%); Jamison Crowder, WR, WAS (8%); Dwayne Harris, WR, NYG (5%).

Christopher Harris (@HarrisFootball) is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner. He hosts the Harris Football Podcast every weekday. Find it on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn and most other podcast apps, as well as at www.HarrisFootball.com.