Going in to Week 9 of the NFL season, the majority of fantasy leagues' trade deadlines have passed, so fantasy owners will need to look to free agency to make any roster changes from here on out.
The biggest fantasy pickup of Week 9 is a guy who continues to surge up the fantasy ranks is Kansas City Chiefs' QB Matt Cassell. Cassell started the season on a bad note, but since has put up solid if unspectacular fantasy numbers, and with the absence of Jamal Charles, has been asked to create more of the Chiefs offense. The reason his pickups have skyrocketed this week, however, is that he plays one of the NFL's worst teams, the Miami Dolphins.
Another big fantasy pickup in non-defensive player (also known as IDP) leagues is the Buffalo Bills' defense. The Bills' defense is ranked in the top-10 in most fantasy formats, and this week will run into a team struggling to find their identity on offense in the New York Jets. The Cowboys' defense is also getting a reprieve this week in the form of the Seattle Seahawks, after being torched by the Eagles a week ago.
Two receivers to consider are Arizona's Early Doucet and Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown. Doucet is a popular fantasy option because he is opposite one of the game's best in Larry Fitzgerald and is going up a St. Louis team that has struggled mightily this year. Brown has scored 22 points in the last two weeks (in most formats) with the injury to Hines Ward, and has become a legitimate threat in the Steelers' passing game.
Also, fantasy owners with Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Mike Sims-Walker should drop him immediately, if they haven't done so already, as he suffered a season-ending injury last Sunday.
Visit Numberfire.com for more fantasy information leading up to Sunday's games.