The Bargain Bin: Week 9 Cheap Picks

Every fantasy manager knows the feeling: You finally open your SCS lineup page with a warm cup of confidence, only to be punched in the face by the cold reality of hitting up against your salary cap. Want a superstar? Cool. Want two superstars? Pick them, but enjoy the rest of your roster filled with practice-squad refugees and men whose target share is one throw per presidential term.

That’s why the real hunt every week is the cheap guys. The overlooked, underpriced, maybe-accidentally-talented sleepers who can buy you Justin Jefferson without forcing you to draft someone’s second cousin from the XFL as your RB2.

This week, four names sit in the fantasy bargain aisle. Some are delicious discounts. Some are discount-bin milk—looks fine now, spoils the second you trust it.

Let’s sort them out.

1. Troy Franklin (DEN): Cheap & Flashy… But Put the Brakes On

Last week, Troy Franklin made everyone who started him look like modern-day football prophets. WR1. Highlight catches. Twitter victory laps. He basically became the patron saint of bargain picks.

And yes, this is the part where reality walks in and ruins the party.

Houston’s defense is basically designed in a lab to bully wide receivers like Franklin. They run two-high safety looks at a ridiculous rate, and against that coverage, Franklin’s production goes from 'fantasy darling' to 'guy you reluctantly bench.' His target rate and yards per route fall off a cliff when defenses keep safeties deep, and Houston has quietly become one of the toughest teams for perimeter receivers.

So yes, Franklin might tempt you with last week’s stat line. He might wink at you from the waiver sheet. He might whisper, 'Start me, bro, I got you.'

Don’t fall for it.

Verdict: Bench him unless you enjoy disappointment. There’s upside, but not this week.

2. Tez Johnson (TB): Discount WR With A Green Light to Cook

Here’s a cheap option that doesn’t come with fear and sadness. Tez Johnson walks into Week 9 with more opportunity than a clearance-rack shopper on Black Friday.

Chris Godwin and Mike Evans? Out. Not limited. Not 'questionable.' Fully out—meaning somebody has to catch passes, and Johnson has quietly turned into the guy.

His last two weeks:

✅ 103 yards
✅ 2 touchdowns
✅ 12 targets
✅ And now he’s playing indoors in the Superdome, where offenses magically become better versions of themselves.

He is trending up, the matchup is friendly, and he’s no longer just a random cheap flier—he is a playable, reasonable FLEX who might steal a touchdown while defenders are busy covering air.

If you are running a salary cap roster and praying for points under $50M, Johnson is the kind of player who lets you roster superstars without sacrificing your dignity.

Verdict: Start as FLEX. Ceiling is sneaky high, especially with Tampa missing its top weapons.

3. Kimani Vidal (LAC): The Oh… He’s Actually Good Guy

Once in a while a bargain player goes from 'Who?' to 'Wait, is this guy legit?' Kimani Vidal is that guy.

Vidal is what fantasy managers pray for when digging through the budget bin—not a band-aid, not a desperation start, but someone who’s actually producing.

Since Week 6:

RB10 in fantasy points per game
19+ touches per week
100 yards per game
Explosive runs everywhere
Contact balance like he’s made of rubber and spite

And now he gets Tennessee, a defense that has been as intimidating against the run as a wet cardboard box. Big runs? They allow them. Missed tackles? Plenty. Running lanes? Wide enough to drive a bus through.

Vidal isn’t just a cheap play, he’s borderline underpriced for the production he is putting up. Salary cap managers should be circling his name in red marker like exam instructions.

Verdict: Automatic start. Cheap, productive, workload-secure. The opposite of a risk.

4. Oronde Gadsden II (LAC): The TE Who Doesn’t Play Like a TE

Tight ends in fantasy are either:

Travis Kelce,
A weekly prayer,
Or someone you never want to see in your lineup again.

Oronde Gadsden II is trying very hard to become the exception.

Since becoming a full-time starter, he’s been the TE3 in fantasy points per game. That’s not 'pretty good for a rookie.' That’s 'elite category.'

Here’s what makes him interesting:

• Nearly an 18% target share
• Over 100 yards per game over the last three weeks
•Red-zone volume
•Deep targets (which tight ends rarely get)

Basically, he is a WR who occasionally remembers he’s listed as a TE.

But, and there’s a but, Tennessee’s defense has been annoying against tight ends. Low yards, low fantasy points allowed, and generally not giving free production to players at that position.

So where does that leave us?

Gadsden probably won’t explode, but he doesn’t need to. If you are paying basement prices for a TE who gets targets, yardage, and scoring chances, you are already ahead of 70% of fantasy managers who are out there streaming tight ends like lottery scratches.

Verdict: Start him, but don’t expect fireworks. Safe floor, acceptable ceiling.

Final Call: Who’s a Steal & Who’s a Trap This Week?

Troy Franklin (DEN): Sit — Bad matchup, drops off against two-high, don’t chase last week’s points
Tez Johnson (TB): Start (FLEX) — Volume spike, indoor matchup, missing WRs means target feast
Kimani Vidal (LAC): Start (confidently) — Workhorse role, explosive metrics, soft run defense
Oronde Gadsden II (LAC): Start (safe) — Reliable usage, TE production rare, moderate matchup

If You Need One Line of Advice

Want upside? Tez Johnson
Want guaranteed production? Kimani Vidal
Need a tight end you won’t hate by halftime? Oronde Gadsden II
Want to roll dice that are almost definitely loaded against you? Troy Franklin

In salary cap fantasy football, the cheap picks matter more than the expensive ones. Anyone can draft superstars. The real art is squeezing points out of someone who cost you couch-change.

This week, the bargain bin has value—just choose wisely.