Stashing players in fantasy football is like stockpiling beans in case of an apocalypse. You hope you never have to bust into the beans, but it’s good to have them just in case. Or perhaps it’s more like planting bean seeds, because you know eventually they’ll grow into a bean bush and then you can trade that bean bush for a chicken. [Note: this article is not paid for by Big Beans and we’re not sure why Jake is talking so much about legumes either.]

THE POINT IS not every player is ready to sprout fantasy points right now. But the best time to get those players on your team is before they start popping off.

With the NFL trade deadline less than a week away, some of these pickups will be based around trade speculation. And as always, you can pair this advice with our league sync tool to see which players are available on your waiver wire or how to value them in a trade if they’re already rostered.

All right, let’s comb through some stashes.

Week 9 Fantasy Football Stashes

High-Upside Stashes

Isaiah Davis, RB - Jets

• Upside Potential: 8.5/10

I’m happy for Jets fans that their team finally got off the schneid with a win… but let’s not pretend these guys are set up to run the table. If owner Woody Johnson is smart (please, contain your laughter) he’ll do whatever he can to trade away star running back Breece Hall, who would likely move on after this season anyhow.

That would leave the bulk of the backfield work to Davis. He hasn’t gotten many opportunities in his second year, but in Week 8 he racked up 109 yards on 12 touches. Granted, it was against the Bengals, but hey…you play who you play. With Braelon Allen on IR and recent signee Khalil Herbert yet to log a touch, Davis would be in for what serious analysts like to call “an arousing workload” should Hall be traded.

Gunnar Helm, TE - Titans

• Upside Potential: 8.0/10

Tennessee is rumored to be a major mover and shaker before the NFL trade deadline. (The audacity of 1-7 teams planning for the future.) Among those Titans with trade buzz is Chig Okonkwo, the last player standing from the team’s 2020-2022 draft picks. Okonkwo would be a free agent after this season and Helm has started to prove he’s capable of filling those shoes.

Helm’s utilization has been rising since Week 6, and in the last two weeks he’s surpassed Okonkwo in Targets Per Route Run, Target Share, Air Yards, and End Zone Targets. That last part is especially relevant as the rookie recently picked up his first touchdown against the Colts. Outside of Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard, who’ve also been discussed amid the trade gossip, the Titans have very few experienced pass-catchers. A more condensed passing offense would do wonders for Helm’s fantasy value.

Emanuel Wilson, RB - Packers

• Upside Potential: 8.0/10

Before I say anything else, let me be clear that I absolutely do not wish to cast any bad mojo onto Josh Jacobs. I repeat: Nothing but good vibes for Jacobs! But the dude’s been gutting it out through a calf injury and could probably use a little relief. Enter Emanuel Wilson, who’s made some critical plays for the Packers from his secondary role in the backfield.

In fact, he’s quietly put up 219 yards on a paltry 43 touches, 11 of which were for first downs. That, along with Jacobs’ injury, is likely why Wilson’s snap count increased to 33% in Week 7, then to 42% in Week 8. I’m not projecting a split backfield any time soon, but if Wilson can cobble together two double-digit fantasy performances with such a slim role, imagine what he might do with a bigger workload. He’s worth stashing as a handcuff and a desperation flex play.

Deeper Stashes

Cedric Tillman WR - Browns

• Upside Potential: 7.0/10

What’s the opposite of a gunslinger? A knifepoker? Whatever it is, that’s the best way to describe Dillon Gabriel, who’s averaged just 170 passing yards per game after replacing Joe Flacco. With that said, I understand if recommending an injured wide receiver who’s attached to a low-octane quarterback makes you want to throw tomatoes at me. BUT HEAR ME OUT!

• The Browns have the fourth-best remaining strength of schedule for receivers.
• Tillman cleared 10+ PPR points in two of his three healthy games.
• No one has stood out in this offense besides the tight ends, so there are few obstacles in the way of targets.

Cleveland has a Week 9 bye, but Tillman is expected to be activated off IR when their schedule resumes. If you have an open IR spot on your team, get him in there and hope he can provide a little juice to the offense when he returns.

Pat Bryant, WR - Broncos

• Upside Potential: 6.5/10

It’s possible that my irrational love of Pat Bryant will one day find its way into my eulogy. But when the guy who coached Michael Thomas calls a big-bodied rookie receiver the next Michael Thomas, you take notice.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned Bryant as a dynasty stash, in part because of his increasing route participation. The targets, I hoped, would soon follow. Since then, he’s seen eight targets and notched the first touchdown (and double-digit fantasy performance) of his career. He’s still a long way from being a reliable fantasy asset, but if Bryant continues this trajectory, the Broncos pass-heavy offense could easily turn him into a solid flex candidate.

Week 9 Big Brain Stash

Devin Neal, RB - Saints

• Upside Potential: 7.0/10

Oh look, another 1-7 team! New Orleans sits at the bottom of the NFC South and a shakeup is already underway at quarterback. Will Tyler Shough pull a Dr. Frankenstein and somehow provide the spark needed to resurrect their decayed corpse of a season? Probably not, which puts the backfield in a tricky situation. Alvin Kamara has stated repeatedly that he doesn’t want to be traded, but the 30-year-old might spend the rest of his playing days in New Orleans plummeting from the dreaded age cliff. He’s currently registering the lowest yards per game mark of his career and, frankly, looks worn down.

Someone else needs to step up — and with Kendre Miller on IR, that person should be Neal. The rookie played a season-high 45% of the backfield snaps in Week 8, and though he didn’t register a carry, he grabbed three receptions. Neal probably won’t be mistaken for prime Kamara in the passing game, but he showed some solid receiving chops at Kansas. Few expected Neal to fall to the sixth round, and now would be an opportune time for the Saints to prove they got one of the biggest steals of the draft.