Should I Pickup John Metchie or Xavier Hutchinson? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 9

Houston Texans wide receivers John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson will be asked to step up into larger roles in their offense after starting WR Stefon Diggs (knee) tore his ACL. Diggs will now miss the rest of the season. In addition, star WR Nico Collins (hamstring) is set to miss at least one more game.

This means the Texans' top-3 wideouts for Week 9 will be Tank Dell, Metchie and Hutchinson, in a matchup against the New York Jets. Quarterback C.J. Stroud can't throw all his passes to Dell, who's been struggling this season anyway. He hasn't looked the same since breaking his leg last season and getting shot in the offseason.

So should you pick up Metchie or Hutchinson off waivers for fantasy football?

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John Metchie Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

It's now Metchie's second season of playing snaps for Houston, and he has yet to score double-digit fantasy points in a game. The third-year pro has never been able to carve out a significant role in the offense, and has just 36 receiving yards on the season. He caught three of four targets for 29 yards in Week 8.

Joe Mixon after CJ Stroud’s big throw to John Metchie:

“That boy SPECIAL” 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/HsjWbsjFn6

— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) October 30, 2024

At least in 2024, his lack of production isn't surprising. The presence of Collins, Diggs, and Dell left little work for the other receivers on the roster. Houston runs 2TE sets and runs the ball at a much higher rate than last season as well, so even Dell's playing time has been cut significantly.

The Jets also have an excellent pass defense, and with such a depleted pass-catching corps, Texans OC Bobby Slowik should be expected to lean on the run game with RB Joe Mixon even more. Stroud has not been productive this season, largely because of an offensive line that's struggled with pass-protection.

Xavier Hutchinson Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

There comes a point in every season where fantasy managers encounter tons of injuries or it becomes clear that many of the players they drafted won't live up to expectations. Often early-round picks end up being completely unstartable and often are dropped.

Those managers then look to the waiver wire or free agency to pick up players that are expected to fill in the roles of their injured teammates. There's a reason they're so low on depth charts, though -- the team doesn't prefer them to have prominent places in the offense.

The Texans are confident in all of their receivers, but Xavier Hutchinson was the guy a number of players told me could benefit the most.

He's come up clutch for the Texans in big spots in back to back weeks. Now he'll have even more opportunities moving forward. pic.twitter.com/aUlJhgcach

— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) October 30, 2024

Hutchinson had one catch for 19 yards against a porous Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. Those numbers do not inspire confidence. He struggles to separate from NFL-caliber coverage.

Should I Pickup John Metchie or Xavier Hutchinson For Fantasy Football?

No. There is almost no situation where they become valuable. Stroud isn't capable of carrying poor receiver talent behind such a porous offensive line. Week 9 could look more like a game from the 1940s than a modern-day NFL product, with a heavy emphasis on running the ball.

The matchups between Metchie, Hutchinson, and New York's fantastic cornerbacks is incredibly lopsided in the Jets' favor. In Week 10, Collins likely returns, and the majority of the pass volume should be funneled toward them and tight end Dalton Schultz.

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