Fantasy Football Today – Waiver Wire Special (09/09/2025)

CBS Sports | Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamie Eisenberg

Episode Overview

In the first "Waiver Wire" episode of the 2025 season, Adam, Dave, and Jamie dissect the most impactful waiver wire options across all fantasy formats. The crew prioritizes wide receivers, digs deep on the Cleveland Browns’ emerging options, debates the futures of key rookies, and sorts through injuries, depth chart shifts, and waiver strategy—including actionable FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) advice. The second half of the episode dives into position-by-position targets, deep league stashes, streaming defenses, drop candidates, and listener questions.

Main Waiver Wire Themes

• Wide Receiver-focused week: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Keenan Allen, and Quentin Johnston headline the top adds.
• Cleveland Conundrums: Multiple Browns emerge as pick-up candidates, but their crowded skill positions and tough schedule warrant caution.
• Tight End Resurgence: A surprisingly valuable tight end landscape means managers have tough choices when seeking upgrades or injury replacements.
• Running Back Roulette: Rookie Quinton “Quinshon” Judkins’s upside, long-term running backs, and week-specific plays;
• FAAB & Strategy: How much to spend, who’s worth splurging for, and the importance of league context.
• Quarterback Streamers: Rodgers, Penix, and Daniel Jones as the top options for QB-challenged managers.
• Drop Decisions: Advice for tough drop decisions after a turbulent Week 1.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Waiver Wire Priorities: Top Adds This Week

Jamie’s Top 3 (04:47)

• 1. Marquise Brown (now WR1 for the Chiefs, ~16 target upside short-term)
• 2. Keenan Allen
• 3. Quentin Johnston

“There could be a potentially five-week window here for Marquise Brown as the number one receiver for the Chiefs.” —Jamie Eisenberg [05:06]

Jamie notes WRs are the clear priority, with an “abundance of tight ends” making TE less urgent unless you’re replacing George Kittle or Evan Engram.

Dave’s Perspective (06:44)

• 1. Hollywood Brown
• 2. Keenan Allen
• 3rd is situational: If you need a TE, “coin flip between Juwan Johnson and Harold Fannin”; if a RB, “Dylan Sampson” (but only barely available in CBS leagues).

“I feel like it’s dependent on whether or not you need a tight end.” —Dave Richard [06:44]

They also mention Cedric Tillman and Kayshon Boutte (Booty) as deeper WR stashes.

Roster Percentages & Platform Nuances

• The team emphasizes waiver strategies must shift based on rostered rates across CBS, Yahoo, and ESPN. 65% is generally their “available” threshold.
• Specific attention given to Basil Tootin, who is 71% on CBS but less on Yahoo/ESPN—check all platforms.

“Go to the most rostered list ... and sort by free agents and that's how you won't miss anybody.” —Adam Aizer [29:11]

Debating the Browns: How Much Can You Trust Their Options? (10:43–16:00)

• Browns have actionable players at every skill spot: Dylan Sampson (RB), Harold Fannin (TE), Cedric Tillman (WR)
• Concerns: Crowded target share (Judy, Njoku, others), Joe Flacco’s pass-happy history, but also a tough upcoming schedule.

“It's a difficult conundrum ... there seem to be so many mouths to feed.” —Adam Aizer [10:43]

• Jamie highlights Tillman’s strong four-game stretch last year; Fannin was third receiver by role in week one; schedule could force high passing volume.

“I would anticipate a very similar game plan of north of 35 pass attempts on a week.” —Jamie [12:16]

Tight End Tsunami: Streaming and Replacing

• Dave touts Harold Fannin Jr. as his top TE add, with “more explosion than Njoku right now.”
• Jamie still sees Njoku as the more stable long-term play for now.
• Brenton Strange and Juwan Johnson are other useful TEs; none are "bank-breakers" for FAAB.

FAAB Strategy: How Much to Spend (19:32–24:07)

• For WRs like Brown/Allen/Johnston: 10-15% unless you're desperate in a deeper league.
• If Quinshon Judkins is out there: “Start at 30%, maybe 45% if you want to play aggressive.” —Dave [20:19]
• Jamie urges context:
  • “Don't spend a third of your FAAB on a guy who might not pay off for a month.”
  • Let someone else overpay unless you can wait on him.

Position-by-Position Recommendations

Quarterback (34:45–37:08)

• Aaron Rodgers (best floor for Week 2)
• Michael Penix Jr. (upside, rushing)
• Daniel Jones
• Long-term: J.J. McCarthy, especially in leagues he’s dropped

Running Back (37:17–38:19)

• Dylan Sampson (short-term PPR/catch-floor play)
• Trey Benson
• Rashard Smith (deep league KC stash)
• If available: Quinshon Judkins and Basil Tootin are top priorities

“Tootin [is] long term, Samson [is] short term … but even long term, it might be Samson: Junkins could take a month.” —Jamie [37:56]

Wide Receiver (38:24–40:25)

• Marquise Brown
• Keenan Allen
• Quentin Johnston
• Next up: Cedric Tillman, Rashid Shaheed, Kayshon Booty

“16 targets … you don’t find that on waivers.” —Jamie, on Brown [22:40]

Tight End (40:28–41:20)

• 1. Harold Fannin Jr.
• 2. Juwan Johnson
• 3. Brenton Strange

Streaming Defenses & Kickers (41:52–43:54)

• DST:
  • Rams (vs. Titans): “Def did a great job attacking Stroud and the Texans.” —Dave [43:13]
  • Additional: Cowboys, Lions, Patriots
• Kicker: McManus, Boswell, Cam Little, Spencer Schrader

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Marquis Brown’s short-term value:

  “You could be looking at Marquise Brown as the number one receiver for the Chiefs for a month.” —Dave [23:49]

• On not breaking the FAAB bank:

  “There’s no one that’s going to change the outlook for your season right away. ... Maybe 10, 15% depending on need and how deep your league is.” —Jamie [19:32]

• Judkins as a league-winner:

  “If we were drafting today, what round would Quinshon Judkins go in? Probably six or seven.” —Dave [24:06]

• Tight End Abundance:

  "For Henry, it does appear to be the year of the tight end." —Adam [31:44]

• On deep league stashes:

  “Booty would be the first one I’d look at (97% available). ... Love the idea of stashing Isaac Tesla just to see where the Lions offense could go.” —Dave [49:45]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Waiver Wire Priorities: Top 3 by Jamie/Dave — [04:43–07:58]
• Roster Percentages and Site Strategy — [05:39–08:18]
• Cleveland Browns Skill Options Explored — [10:43–16:00]
• FAAB Budget Theory — [19:32–24:07]
• Position-by-Position Top Adds — [34:45–41:20]
• DSTs and Streaming Options — [41:52–43:54]
• Deep League Dart Throws — [48:39–50:32]
• Drop-o-Meter & Drop Decisions — [55:33–57:57]

Deep League and Drop Advice

• Deep RB/WR stashes: Rashard Smith, Josh Palmer, Booty, Isaac Tesla, Troy Franklin
• Notable droppables: Demario Douglas, Adam Thielen, Jerome Ford, Marvin Mims, Rashad Bateman
• ‘Drop-o-meter’ for tough calls:
  • Caleb Johnson: 3–5
  • Evan Engram: 3–4
  • Stefan Diggs: 6
  • Adam Thielen: “Very droppable.”
  • CJ Stroud, Tua Tagovailoa: Drop in 1QB leagues

Key Final Takeaways

• Don’t Overreact to one week, especially with rookies or returning stars.
• Monitor Injuries & Snap Counts especially for RB and TE pickups—opportunity can shift fast!
• Adapt FAAB to your league – 10–15% is standard, only over 30% if a potential league-winner is available.
• Short-Term vs. Long-Term: Play for now with Brown, stash for upside with Tootin/Judkins.
• Deep Divers: Scan your wire for Booty, Palmer, and Tesla if the recommended top adds are gone.

“16 targets … you don’t find that on waivers.” —Jamie on Marquise Brown [22:40]

Listener Mail & Rapid-Fire Advice

• Many questions on adding, dropping, and prioritizing players; hosts remind listeners to “always check your league’s waiver wire quirks and don’t chase 1-week wonders unless you see a path to volume.”

For more detailed rankings, FAAB recommendations, and deep league targets, check Jamie Eisenberg’s weekly waiver column on CBSSports.com.

For live waiver analysis and weekly matchup previews, watch Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports Network Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1pm Eastern.