Fantasy Ticker: Week Nine

Looking for the best players to target on the waiver wire this week? Well, the Fantasy Ticker is just the place for that. Here are the top pickups for Week Nine, as well as a key player to trade for and one you may want to quickly unload.

HOT PURCHASES

These players should be free agents in many leagues. Pounce on them if you can.

49ers QB Alex Smith (owned in 19 percent of Yahoo! leagues)
After winning the starting job last week with his terrific second-half performance at Houston, Smith backed it up by posting decent stats against one of the league's top pass defenses in Indianapolis, throwing for 198 yards with one TD and one INT. If you need a backup QB or bye-week replacement, Smith is definitely worth a look, as he has a slew of favorable matchups in the second half, beginning this Sunday with the Titans. With WR Michael Crabtree quickly emerging and TE Vernon Davis turning into a TD machine, Smith has no shortage of quality weapons.

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles (26 percent owned)
Few starting running backs are ever widely available on the waiver wire, but Charles is one of them. With Larry Johnson suspended for this Sunday's game at Jacksonville and a possible benching to come after that, the Chiefs will turn to Charles as their featured back. Although he hasn't played much in his season and a half, the speedy back is gaining 5.0 yards per carry this season, showing the burst that Johnson was severely lacking. Although the smallish Charles isn't likely to see a monster workload, he should contribute in the passing game, making him a nice dual threat on an offense lacking firepower. His sizable potential makes him worth adding in most leagues.

Texans RB Ryan Moats (5 percent owned)
One of the unlikeliest of heroes Sunday, Moats came on in place of Steve Slaton, who was benched after fumbling his first carry of the game, and proceeded to run over the Bills for 126 yards and three TDs on 23 attempts. A thicker, more powerful rusher than his backfield mate, Moats was able to do something Slaton hadn't done all season: break the 100-yard rushing mark. With Slaton firmly planted in the doghouse for his constant fumbling problems (seven fumbles this season, five lost), this probably isn't the last we've seen of Moats, who could wind up splitting carries going forward for an offense that should light up scoreboards. Slaton owners should definitely grab him for insurance.

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd (4 percent owned)
It took until Week Eight for the Chargers to figure things out, but the team finally removed the ineffective Chris Chambers from the starting lineup Sunday, replacing him with Floyd. The gigantic wideout responded with two catches for 64 yards, but it's his long-term upside that should have owners intrigued. Similar to Vincent Jackson, Floyd not only has the large frame to be a solid red-zone target but also the ability to make big plays, as he displayed with his 53-yard grab this week against Oakland. As he develops a better rapport with QB Philip Rivers, Floyd figures to see his targets increase. In this pass-happy offense, that gives him value.

BUY LOW

Here's a player who has underperformed thus far and seen his value drop. Trade for him before it's too late.

Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown
After a fairly quiet day against the Saints last week, Brown posted a surprising clunker Sunday vs. the Jets, rushing 11 times for just 27 yards. With his value unlikely to get much lower than it is now, this is your best chance to pounce on him. Brown already has proven this season that he can single-handedly carry fantasy squads, running for 400 yards and six TDs over a four-game stretch. With numerous nice matchups to come in the final two months, he has plenty of fantasy points left in the tank.

SELL HIGH

Deal this guy for productive players now, because his value is about to fall off.

Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson
Formerly a fantasy stud, Tomlinson's days of being a one-man wrecking crew are over. At age 30, he lacks the explosion and cutting ability he once had, making him more of a plodder than anything else. The fact that he was able to score two TDs Sunday against the Raiders could convince some owners to think he's back to being a fantasy force, but that's not the case. On the season, he hasn't run for more than 71 yards in a game and is gaining 3.4 yards per carry. Use his somewhat-inflated value to trade him before he goes back to his mediocre ways.