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Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickup: WR Andrew Hawkins

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By @bradberreman24

Andrew Hawkins, Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Cleveland Browns

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins has been targeted at least nine times in six of seven games this season, and solid production has followed with at least five catches for 70 yards five times.  His first touchdown of the season did not come until Week 7, but Hawkins still has at least seven fantasy points (ESPN scoring) five times, including at least 11 in each of the last two weeks (25 total).

Is Hawkins worth the attention of fantasy football owners heading toward Week 9?

A very favorable matchup is coming for Hawkins in Week 9, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the week allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers (29.4 per game) and a tied for league-high 12 receiving touchdowns to the position. Add in a rushing touchdown allowed, and Tampa Bay has also allowed the most total touchdowns to wide receivers so far this season.

After this coming week, five of Cleveland’s final eight games come against teams that enter Week 9 in the bottom half of the league against wide receivers. Four of those opponents (Houston Texans-Week 11, Atlanta Falcons-Week 12, Carolina Panthers-Week 16, Baltimore Ravens-Week 17) enter this week in the bottom 10 of the league against wide receivers, so Hawkins has a chance to sustain success. Two matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 10 and Week 15) and a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts (Week 14) look tough, but it is notable that the Colts have allowed at least 20 fantasy points to wide receivers in two of their last three games and may continue to trend downward.

Josh Gordon is slated to return from suspension in Week 12, but his presence as a deep threat should help Hawkins find room to operate underneath against inferior defensive backs.

Hawkins is still available in over half of Yahoo! leagues (41 percent owned), but another solid game against the Buccaneers in Week 9 would bring a boost in his ownership percentage and make him difficult to find available regardless of your league host. Cleveland has already had their bye, so nothing is standing in the way of Hawkins being a factor in PPR leagues down the stretch of the fantasy season and he’s well worth adding this week.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Google +. 

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