The midpoint of the 2022 NFL season is approaching, meaning the fantasy football campaign is quickly barreling toward a close. With only a handful of games left before the playoffs begin, it is crucial for managers to keep their rosters in tip-top shape.

Because injuries are taking their toll and bye weeks are a continuing factor, every team with championship hopes needs to have a strong bench at this point in the year. Even if your starting lineup looks unbeatable, there will almost certainly be times you'll need to dip into your bench to find a replacement or two.

There aren't many stars to be found in free agency right now, but wisely playing the waiver wire can help you field an impressive bench that can weather any storm and set you up for postseason success.

Keep that in mind as you check out five players who can bolster your depth heading into Week 9.

All suggested pickups are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears (41 Percent Rostered)

DraftKings DFS Value: $5,300

Although Justin Fields has taken plenty of criticism for his unpolished passing skills and lack of volume as a thrower, he's still a surprisingly strong fantasy option this year and should be rostered in most formats.

The Chicago Bears quarterback had another quality outing in Week 8. He connected on 17-of-23 passing attempts for 151 yards and two touchdowns and added another 60 yards and a score on eight carries. His 26.04 fantasy points were the fifth-most at the position this week heading into Monday night.

Fields also finished fifth overall amongst quarterbacks last week and hasn't finished worse than 13th in those rankings since Week 4.

While Fields isn't going to put up a ton of points with his arm, his dual-threat abilities make him a major asset for managers. While his legs alone couldn't sustain fantasy success, the second-year signal-caller finally seems to be developing into a decent enough passer to elevate him above backup status in fantasy.

With a vulnerable Miami Dolphins defense on tap in Week 9, Fields makes for an ideal bye-week fill-in and even a potential long-term replacement for any manager still trotting out an underwhelming starter on a weekly basis.

Kenyan Drake, RB, Baltimore Ravens (31 Percent Rostered)

DraftKings DFS Value: N/A

The Baltimore Ravens backfield has been an enigma this season. Despite a revolving door of talent cycling between the field and the injury report, the team remains one of the league's most run-heavy offenses.

With the Ravens rushing on 48.15 percent of their offensive snaps—the fifth-highest in the league—fantasy managers can confidently deploy whichever back appears to be in line for the lion's share of touches that week.

Although Kenyan Drake didn't draw the start on Thursday night—that distinction went to Gus Edwards following his breakout performance the previous Sunday—it's looking like he could be the go-to rusher for Baltimore in Week 9.

With Edwards exiting in the second half of the team’s 27-22 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a hamstring issue, Drake helped cinch up the victory by rushing seven times for 62 yards.

He was also the most involved he's been as a pass-catcher this year, reeling in all of his season-high four targets for five yards and a touchdown.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport did reveal that Edwards' injury is minor, but it's still an ailment that could keep him sidelined this week.

Fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on this situation leading up to Monday night. If Edwards can't give it a go against the New Orleans Saints, Drake will likely assume a high-volume role with high-end RB2 upside in the contest.

Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals (35 Percent Rostered)

DraftKings DFS Value: $5,200

The Arizona Cardinals' receiving corps hasn't been able to reach its full potential this year because of injuries and suspensions, but Rondale Moore is at least benefitting from increased usage in the slot following the team's recent acquisition of Robby Anderson.

With superstar DeAndre Hopkins back in the fold after serving a six-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs and Anderson taking over for the injured Marquise Brown on the outside, the Cardinals were able to keep Moore in his preferred role in Week 8.

Moore showed how dangerous he can be out of the slot against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, catching seven of his eight targets for 92 yards and a score. He also chipped in 12 yards and another touchdown on two totes in the contest.

The 22-year-old had been struggling with consistency prior to Week 8. He missed the first three games of the season with injury and had failed to find the end zone or eclipse the 68-yard receiving mark in any of the four games he had been active for upon his return.

The gadget plays Arizona dialed up to get him the ball also failed spectacularly, evidenced by Moore's negative-11 yards on three rushes heading into Sunday's matchup.

With Hopkins commanding an immense amount of defensive attention—he's turned 27 targets since his Week 7 return into an eye-popping 262 yards and a touchdown—Moore should continue to feast against weaker defenders.

While targets could dry up a bit if Brown does eventually return from a foot fracture, his stint on the IR guarantees Moore at least a month of high-end flex appeal in fantasy.

Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, Carolina Panthers (1 Percent Rostered)

DraftKings DFS Value: $3,900

Terrace Marshall Jr. was one of the more intriguing wideouts in the 2021 draft class, but the LSU product hasn't done much to warrant his lofty second-round draft status thus far.

That could change with the departure of Robby Anderson, a trade that opened the door for Marshall to assume a sizable workload within the Carolina Panthers offense.

Fantasy managers saw a glimpse of what Marshall could provide in an expanded role over the weekend. Against the rival Atlanta Falcons, the 22-year-old reached career highs in several key categories including total offensive snaps (74), snap percentage (92 percent), targets (nine), receptions (four) and receiving yardage (87).

While Marshall failed to score his first pro touchodown, he'll inevitably tally up some scores if he continues to be one of the top pass-catching options in Carolina.

At 6'2", 200 pounds, Marshall has the size and natural talent to be an elite NFL wideout. His skills are still raw and consistency is a concern, but the sophomore should benefit heavily from seeing more action with a lack of viable replacements behind him.

Marshall is well worth a speculative add in most leagues. He may not be deployable as a starter just yet, but the volume he saw in Week 8 is a promising sign he could become a valuable fantasy contributor down the stretch.

Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos (42 Percent Rostered)

DraftKings DFS Value: None (Bye Week)

Greg Dulcich is a star in the making and should be rostered in every fantasy league already, but somehow the Denver Broncos tight end is still a free agent in most formats.

Managers who haven't done so yet will want to capitalize on this shocking availability and make him a priority waiver pickup heading into Week 9. The rookie's roster percentage is poised to skyrocket following his third consecutive strong outing this past week.

The UCLA product spent the first five weeks of the campaign sidelined with an injury, but he burst onto the scene in Week 6 with his first touchdown catch. He followed that up with an impressive six-catch, 51-yard outing in Week 7 and continued his incredible trajectory with a four-catch, 87-yard outing in London on Sunday.

Not only is Dulcich putting up commendable individual numbers, but his presence is also lifting a Denver offense that went into the week as the lowest-scoring unit in the league. His performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars helped the slumping Broncos notch their first victory since Week 3 and could provide a spark for a midseason turnaround.

The coaching staff is keenly aware of what Dulcich brings to the table and is making him a fixture on the field. He played a career-high 80 percent of the offensive snaps (49 plays) in Week 8 and should only continue to grow that number as he gains more comfort and familiarity within the system.

Factoring in both his body of work and the massive lack of worthwhile fantasy tight ends, there is simply no excuse not to make Dulcich a top priority on waivers this week, even if he has a bye following Denver's trip across the pond.