It is Week 9, and we're rolling into the second half of the fantasy football regular season. This is where we start to divide the haves and have-nots, and some of the latter start to check out, leaving more waiver wire gems to the contenders.

If you're still in the hunt for a postseason mix or just a game or two out of the playoff chase, The Huddle is not going anywhere. We'll be here with you until the holidays, every step of the way toward what is hopefully your championship season. Heading into Week 9, we get another European game, and we have just two teams on a bye: the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans. We have a lot of possibilities this week, so spend your FAAB money wisely.

Let's get started and find some replacements.

Ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo.

QUARTERBACKS

Geno Smith, New York Jets (23% owned)

It's still amazing to me that Smith is rostered in less than one-quarter of all leagues. In the past four games, he has thrown for 1,011 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has the 10th-most fantasy points during the four-game span. That's about the same kind of production as the more heralded Caleb Williams and more than Brock Purdy in his past three games (as far as average fantasy points per game). Smith has more points per game in the past four weeks than Patrick Mahomes, too. It's fair to argue that Smith has been posting low-end QB1 type production over the past month. The Jets might move some skill position players before the NFL trade deadline, so be careful with him since such movement could adversely affect his production.

Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins (27% owned)

Willis has rolled up more than 62+ fantasy points in the past three games, which is an average of 20.84 fantasy points. Matthew Stafford is averaging 17.96 fantasy points in the past four outings during the same span. Who would have seen that coming? Willis isn't putting up huge passing numbers, but his rushing production makes him worth a look, at the very least as a bye-week replacement or streaming option. The Dolphins are facing the leaky passing defense of the Detroit Lions in Week 9, so he is going to be a popular option off the scrap heap.

Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders (56% owned)

I am going to keep beating this drum until I see fantasy managers start to trust Cousins. His percentage actually DROPPED one point since last week. Why aren't people trusting Cousins? He is having a resurgence, and he has the fourth-most fantasy points in the past four weeks, while he also ranks fourth on the season in fantasy points. He has rolled up 2,124 passing yards, 19 touchdown passes and just five picks. He is second in the NFL to Joe Burrow (20) in touchdown passes. Cousins even added a rushing score last Sunday against the New York Jets, further highlighting the kind of resurgence he is having. He is showing no signs of slowing down and ceding the job to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

RUNNING BACKS

Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals (52% owned)

In Week 8, Arizona's Jeremiyah Love (ankle) and Bam Knight (concussion) each left due to injuries, leaving the backfield touches all to Allgeier. He made the most of his opportunity, and head coach Mike LaFleur might have learned something very valuable. He rushed 11 times for 147 yards and a touchdown, averaging a ridiculous 13.4 yards per rushing attempt, and he added five receptions for 44 yards and a score. It would obviously be foolish to expect 191 scrimmage yards and two scores again anytime soon, as the Cowboys' defense is abysmal, but it's not foolish to still expect good production if he sees a majority of the backfield touches in Week 9 and beyond. We have already seen him be productive, even working in tandem with Bijan Robinson in Atlanta. We've seen Allgeier outproduce projections as well; he just needs to get his foot in the door and have his coach trust him.

Kenny Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (42% owned)

Gainwell is a player who has soft hands out of the backfield. He helps out his quarterback, at least when the quarterback chooses to throw the ball. In Week 8, the Buccaneers beat the Atlanta Falcons, 16-0, and they did not complete a pass in a rainstorm! Gainwell was leaned upon for 25 carries with 140 yards, and he has 228 rushing yards in the past two games after going for just 61 rushing yards in the first six games. It was Gainwell's first 100-yard game in a regular-season game, and the 140 yards against the Falcons shattered his previous career high, as he had 112 yards in a Divisional Playoff game against the New York Giants on Jan. 21, 2023. It looks like head coach Todd Bowles and his coaching staff have discovered something. Gainwell and backfield mate Bucky Irving look like they're going to be leaned upon until somebody can stop the run game.

Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs (19% owned)

We're not going to be able to rely upon Johnson for regular work, as long as Kenneth Walker III remains healthy and available. However, the rookie out of Nebraska proved that he could be productive, even with "K9" in the mix. He went for five receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs, while running once for 15 yards. So, six total touches isn't a reason to go out and drop a productive fantasy option. However, if you have Walker, you will certainly want Johnson as an insurance policy - assuming you haven't done so already. If another manager has Walker, you could ruin his day should the star ever go down, and you're holding stock in Johnson.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints (52% owned)

The Saints had a bye after their International Series trip to Paris, when Vele had five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Vele hasn't been amazing, but he has been consistent, especially for PPR managers. He has at least three receptions in each of his first seven games, averaging nearly five receptions per game, with 33 catches in seven outings. He also has touchdowns in Weeks 1, 4 and 7, so he has gelled nicely with Tyler Shough, and he performs well enough. If Chris Olave should ever go down, we could see Vele's production spike. However, we know what we're going to get with Olave around, and that's several receptions, 40-60 receiving yards and an occasional visit to the end zone.

DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots (37% owned)

Douglas has really built a nice rapport with Drake Maye, stepping up with Romeo Doubs on the shelf due to injury. "Pop" has stepped up with at least three receptions in each of the past four outings, and he has 65+ receiving yards in three of the past four games. He also has four touchdowns in the past four games, scoring in three of the outings. He can be safely trusted as a low-end WR3 or flex fantasy option in leagues of 12 or more teams in PPR formats, with lesser appeal in standard play.

Keenan Allen, Indianapolis Colts (51% owned)

Allen is rostered in approximately half of all leagues. The 34-year-old receiver has still been very productive despite his advanced age, and he has played well despite some uneven play at the quarterback position in Indianapolis, too. Allen went for seven receptions on seven targets in Jacksonville in Week 8, accounting for a target share of 33.33%. He is the only receiver that QB Daniel Jones is trusting right now, and with WR Josh Downs on the trade block heading into the deadline, Allen could be the only decent receiver left in Indianapolis in another week.

TIGHT ENDS

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals (19% owned)

Gesicki is on a team with a passing offense running hot, and arguably the best fantasy quarterback going right now. Joe Burrow is pulling the entire offense forward, and Gesicki will occasionally score touchdowns and give you a Griddy dance, too, and that alone puts a smile on the face of fantasy managers. In all seriousness, though, Gesicki ranks eighth at his position in fantasy points, and his six touchdown receptions rank No. 1 among all tight ends in the NFL. As it stands, he has risen to low-end TE1 status in fantasy leagues of 12 or more teams, and it sure would be nice if his targets and receptions would get bumped up a little.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (57% owned)

This might be a little bit of a contrarian play, but we all know what Johnson can do. Prior to the bye, he had managed just five receptions for 23 yards in his past three games, with no touchdowns in the past four outings. In his first four games, he produced an average of 5.3 receptions with at least 53 yards in each outing, while finding the end zone three times in the first three games. After a bye and two weeks for the coaching staff to push the reset button and get the offense going, I see Johnson returning to his previous lofty standards. Perhaps he was dealing with an injury leading up to the bye, which contributed to his lack of production. We'll quickly find out in Week 9.