With Week 8 almost behind us, we are now officially on the back half of the fantasy football regular season. For most leagues, the playoffs are just six weeks away!

After zero teams were on a bye in Week 8, there are four teams on a bye in Week 9.

Teams on a bye in Week 9 are the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers.

As you navigate the bye-week gauntlet, bench spots are at a premium, every win counts, and balancing short-term and long-term potential is important.

Also of note, the NFL's trade deadline is October 31st at 4 p.m. ET.

With that in mind, here are some of the best additions you can make to your squads heading into Week 9.

10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Quarterbacks

Derek Carr, Saints

Derek Carr was mentioned in this piece last week, and if he is still available in your league, he's an even better addition this week.

Carr and the New Orleans Saints' offense got back on track in Week 8, with a 38-27 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Carr completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 310 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. In previous weeks, Carr reached 300 passing yards through elevated pass attempts, but this week he got there on efficiency, routinely hitting deep shots to Rashid Shaheed.

In Week 9, Carr will face a Chicago Bears pass defense ranked 30th in numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics. The Bears' run defense ranks 13th, creating a clear pass funnel for Carr to take advantage of.

The presence of Taysom Hill, especially in the red zone, limits Carr's ceiling, but he still projects as a solid option against Chicago. Carr has now reached 300 passing yards in three consecutive games and scored at least 15.0 fantasy points in four straight.

With four teams on a bye and several signal-callers injured, Carr is worth considering this week. He also has a Week 10 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Will Levis, Titans

With Ryan Tannehill sidelined in Week 8, the Tennessee Titans turned to rookie Will Levis.

Levis, the 33rd overall pick in April's draft, aced his debut, shredding the Atlanta Falcons with 19 completions on 29 pass attempts for 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. He spread the ball around, with four different Titans' seeing at least four targets, but demonstrated an efficient connection with DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins caught 4 of 6 targets for 128 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Levis did all of this against a Falcons pass defense ranked 20th, per numberFire. As is always the case when a rookie has an impressive performance, we want to act.

In this case, Week 9 may provide a data point that counters what we saw from Levis in Week 8. The Titans will face a Pittsburgh Steelers pass defense that ranks fourth, per numberFire.

That said, if he does well again this week, it may be too late to add him to your teams. The Titans' schedule beyond Week 9 looks favorable and includes two games against the Houston Texans in the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15 and 17).

Ideally, you can pick up Levis this week and stash him on your bench for this difficult clash with the Steelers. Tannehill could still take back the starting job when he returns, but the risk is worth the potential reward.

Others to Consider:

Sam Howell (at New England), Kyler Murray (at Cleveland), Baker Mayfield (at Houston), Jimmy Garoppolo (vs. Giants)

Running Backs

Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks backfield had a strange week of practice leading into Sunday's game with the Cleveland Browns.

Kenneth Walker III missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with a calf injury before logging a full practice on Friday. He did not have an injury designation leading into the game.

Zach Charbonnet, who missed Week 7 with a hamstring injury, was limited on Wednesday and logged full practices on Thursday and Friday. He also did not have an injury designation.

In their win over Cleveland, Charbonnet led the backfield in snaps (55%) and route participation (56%). Both backs saw two targets and Walker led in carries, eight to five.

It was Walker's lowest share of snaps and rushing opportunities this season, and it was a noticeable increase in opportunities for Charbonnet. It was also the first week this season where DeeJay Dallas, who had been heavily utilized in long down and distance situations, did not play a snap on offense.

While Walker didn't have an injury designation, it's very possible this change in workload was due to his calf. It's also possible that Seattle, who drafted Charbonnet in the second round of April's draft, wants this to be more of a committee than it has been so far this season.

However this backfield shakes out moving forward, Charbonnet needs to be rostered in all leagues. If this role holds, he could have weekly potential as a flex play, and he has league-winning upside if he were to assume the lead-back role following an injury to Walker.

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers

Coming out of the Carolina Panthers' bye, Miles Sanders returned to action in Week 8, but Chuba Hubbard remained the lead back.

Playing on 66% of Carolina's snaps, he handled 71% of their rushing attempts and had a 7% target share on 48% route participation. Sanders played on just 20% of the Panthers' snaps, handled 10% of their rushing attempts, and saw no targets on 23% route participation. Those were season-low metrics for Sanders in every category.

It's possible Sanders was being eased back in due to his shoulder injury, but he practiced in full all week and did not have any known limitations entering the game.

Hubbard wasn't efficient with the opportunities he did see, turning his 15 carries into just 28 yards, but he has been the more productive running back all season.

To this point, when both Sanders and Hubbard have been healthy, they have formed a committee with Sanders handling slightly more opportunities in all phases of the offense.

Moving forward, that committee will likely remain, but Hubbard appears to have moved into the lead and should be the more productive option for the rest of the season.

Emari Demercado, Cardinals

For the second week in a row, Emari Demercado operated as the Arizona Cardinals' clear lead running back. He played on 56% of the snaps and handled 67% of the rushing attempts. He did see his route participation drop from 64% in Week 7 to 29% in Week 8 but tied Keaontay Ingram with one target.

On the ground, Demercado out-carried Ingram 20 to 2, rushing for 78 yards compared to Ingram's 9. James Conner is eligible to return in Week 10, which will likely move Demercado back into a supporting role, but for at least one more week, he should operate as the Cardinals' lead back.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals face the Browns in Week 9. Cleveland's run defense ranks fourth, per numberFire, but they have surrendered at least 100 rushing yards in each of their last two games against Seattle and Indianapolis.

It's a difficult matchup for Demercado, but on a week with four byes, his projected workload makes him one of the top options off the waiver wire if you are looking for a short-term solution at running back.

Others to Consider:

Devin Singletary(vs. Buccaneers), Darrell Henderson (at Green Bay), Royce Freeman (at Green Bay), Tyjae Spears (at Pittsburgh), Roschon Johnson (at New Orleans), Pierre Strong Jr. (vs. Arizona)

Wide Receivers

Demario Douglas, Patriots

Demario Douglas saw a significant increase in his route participation in Week 7 and entered Week 8 as a pass-catcher on the rise. In the New England Patriots' loss to the Dolphins, he led the team in targets (7) and receptions (5).

Douglas set career highs in route participation (84%) and target share (22%). Entering Week 8, he was already being targeted on an impressive 25% of his routes. With the increase in volume, that number remained high, settling at 22%.

Both Kendrick Bourne (knee) and DeVante Parker (head) left Sunday's game and did not return. Bourne suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. His absence vacates a large number of targets. Bourne leads the Patriots with a 21% target share this season.

In Week 8, Douglas and the Patriots face a Washington Commanders pass defense ranked 28th, per numberFire. With Bourne out and Parker uncertain, Douglas could be the focal point of New England's passing offense. He offers both short-term and long-term potential operating in a wide receiver group without a clear number-one option.

Khalil Shakir, Bills

With tight end Dawson Knox on injured reserve, Khalil Shakir saw a large increase in his involvement in the Buffalo Bills' Week 8's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Prior to Week 8, Shakir's season-high route participation was just 42%. Through seven games, he was being targeted on a respectable 18% of his routes but was running a route on just 18% of Buffalo's dropbacks, resulting in a 4% target share.

That all changed in Week 8. With Buffalo using 11 personnel more often, Shakir posted a 72% route participation, resulting in a 15% target share and a stat line of 6 catches on 6 targets for a team-high 92 yards.

Moving forward, while Knox remains out, Shakir should remain in a similar role for one of the league's most pass-oriented offenses. Knox will miss at least the next three games, and during that time, Shakir can be a weekly flex play in PPR leagues.

Marvin Mims, Broncos

Along with Tyjae Spears, Marvin Mims is one of the players most likely to benefit from a trade before the league's deadline on October 31st.

A second-round pick in April's draft, Mims' career got off to an exceptional start. In Weeks 1-4, he caught 9 of 11 targets for 242 yards and a touchdown. Since then, he has just two receptions on three targets for four yards. Like most rookies, Mims has had good moments and bad moments through eight weeks, but his good moments have been among the most explosive plays the Broncos' offense has had all season.

What's missing for Mims is consistent opportunities. That could change soon. Brandon Johnson, who has a 49% route participation this season, was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. If either Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton, who are both heavily rumored to be available for trade, are moved before the trade deadline, Mims could suddenly be the number-two option in the Broncos' passing game.

There is, of course, no guarantee a trade will happen, and there is also no guarantee that the Broncos wouldn't find a way to get another pass-catcher or two involved ahead of Mims even if a trade does occur.

But if Jeudy or Sutton are moved, Mims becomes a high-priority addition this week. Denver is on a bye in Week 9.

Others to Consider:

Quentin Johnston (at New York Jets), Jayden Reed (vs. Los Angeles Rams), Jonathan Mingo (vs. Indianapolis), Michael Wilson (at Cleveland)

Tight Ends

Trey McBride, Cardinals

With Zach Ertz out of the picture after being placed on injured reserve, the expectation entering Week 8 was that Trey McBride would step into a larger role for Arizona.

He exceeded those expectations, catching 10 of 14 targets for 95 yards and a touchdown against a stingy Baltimore Ravens defense. McBride had an 88% route participation, was targeted on 39% of his routes, and posted an absurd 40% target share, leading Arizona in targets, receptions, and receiving yards.

Whatever you were hoping to see from McBride, he demonstrated in Week 8. His underlying metrics leading into the week were already impressive, as he had been targeted on 22% of his routes and had a 19% target share. The only missing piece was his route participation, which stood at 51%.

That missing piece is now gone. McBride is a full-time player and primary pass-catcher for Arizona. If you need help at tight end, he is a high-priority addition this week.

Kyler Murray won't return until Week 10 at the earliest, but once he does, the outlook for the entire Cardinals' offense will improve. Expect McBride to remain a key part of that offense moving forward.

Others to Consider:

Taysom Hill (vs. Chicago), Jake Ferguson (at Philadelphia), Logan Thomas (at New England)

Defenses

New England

The New England D/ST faces Sam Howell in Week 9. If they were dropped in your league after back-to-back games against the Eagles and Dolphins, consider adding them for their clash with Washington.

There is some risk here, as Howell is coming off the best game of his career. He has put up impressive passing numbers before, but what really stood out for Howell in Week 8 was that he only took one sack. The reason Howell has been a target for fantasy defenses all season is his incredibly high sack rate, which stood at 5.7 sacks taken per game entering Week 8 and now stands at 5.1.

We now have one data point where Howell made it through a game without taking an extremely high number of sacks. It's possible he is slowly turning a corner, but we will need to see it happen multiple times before we stop considering him a weekly target.

The Patriots' defense has an interception in three consecutive games, a fumble recovery in two consecutive games, and is averaging 1.9 sacks per game. Howell will be on the road in this one, as well.

Others to Consider:

Pittsburgh D/ST (vs. Tennessee), Las Vegas D/ST (vs. New York Giants), Tennesee D/ST (at Pittsburgh), Atlanta D/ST (vs. Minnesota), Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (at New York Jets)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.