Should I Pickup Xavier Legette or Adam Thielen? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 9

Carolina Panthers wide receivers Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen (hamstring) will likely be asked to step up and take on bigger roles in their offense with the departure of Diontae Johnson (ribs) to the Baltimore Ravens via trade. Thielen will technically be first on the depth chart, but he'll face significant competition from Legette.

Legette, a rookie, has had a few nice games but been largely inconsistent. The veteran Thielen has been a model of consistency for his team for years now, but is 34 years old and is recovering from a significant hamstring injury. He's missed five games so far, and it's fair to question how much he has left in the tank.

So should you pick up Legette or Thielen in Week 9 as a fantasy football waiver pickup?

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Xavier Legette Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

He clearly has juice, and is a freak athlete. The freshman player ran a 4.39 official 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and weighs 227 pounds. While he was knocked during the draft process for his rawness and unpolished route-running, there's always a place in the NFL for players with his physical talent.

Bah Gwad! That Dolla Bill’s music🐴

Xavier Legette finds the end zone!

pic.twitter.com/FTgmlA9234

— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) October 27, 2024

Also, he beat the incredibly skilled lockdown cornerback Patrick Surtain II on that route, which is impressive. No amount of skill at the CB position makes it easy to guard Legette's combination of size and speed. It's the reason he was drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

It will be interesting to see how consistent he can be in a larger role. The Panthers are one of the least consistent teams in the league this year, and their quarterback situation isn't making things any easier. They've pinballed back and forth between QBs Bryce Young and Andy Dalton.

Adam Thielen Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

It's unclear when he'll return or how close he'll be to 100% when he makes it back on to the field. He's also far past the wrong side of 30. It's interesting how he's remained relevant this late in his career, but it's hard to see him being consistent when you combine his age, injury, and how he fared late last season.

I thought Bryce Young had a good game today. He looked way better than the first couple of games of the season. He performed solid versus a top 5 defense without Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen. I’m excited for his next 2 matches (Saints, Giants).

pic.twitter.com/iHZbxEhgSe

— PatsSZN🔴 (@NewEraPatriots_) October 28, 2024

It's encouraging to see Young playing better, especially against a stiff Denver Broncos defense in Week 8. In deeper leagues, Thielen could still have some value.

Should I Pickup Xavier Legette or Adam Thielen For Fantasy Football?

Legette is the easy choice here. He's not dealing with injuries, is much younger, faster, and athletically gifted, and has shown us already that he can succeed. Usually rookies improve their performance in the second half of the season as well, so he could have a high ceiling down the stretch.

Come for the Xavier Legette amazing touchdown catch, stay for him riding the horse after

pic.twitter.com/dPtZ5WJYLZ

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 13, 2024

It's hard to recommend picking up Thielen outside of very deep leagues. Fellow Panthers WR Jalen Coker looks like a better option.

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