Trashman’s Fantasy Fallout Going Into Week 9

It’s almost Week 9, and the NFL trade deadline is upon us. That being the case, some of this info may be outdated by the time you finish reading this. We’ll keep you updated through all the upcoming trades through Twitter though, so all your bases will be covered. Here’s the fallout…

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Dolphins – 23 @ Texans – 34

 

• The big news here is Devante Parker and his 6 catch, 134 yard day. Before Thursday evening, Parker was trade bait who’d lost his way as a Dolphin. After the game, he became indisposable to his team and possibly his fantasy owners. Kenny Stills won’t be out for long, but Albert Wilson will be, and a performance like this puts Parker back in the starting mix. The Dolphins don’t get another tough secondary for 4 weeks, so now is the time to see what Parker is made of.

 

• Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore had the same number of carries(12) and almost the exact same yardage on the ground(58, 53 yards), but Drake was more of an asset in the passing game and scored 2 TDs to Gore’s 0. They’ll still be used fairly evenly, but Drake is more explosive and seems to be on the rise in the Dolphins backfield. He’s someone to trade for while you still can.

 

• Will Fuller is out for the season with a torn ACL, making Keke Coutee a must own player, even if he’s not ready to go this week. TE Jordan Thomas(4 rec, 29 yards, 2 TD) filled in as the third receiver with Fuller hobbled and Ryan Griffin out with illness, and he’s a viable option this week for a pass-catcher needy Texans offense.

 

• Alfred Blue had 15 carries to Lamar Miller‘s 18, but Miller was running like a man possessed with 7.4 YPC, whil Blue managed a measly 2.8. If you own Blue, he can be dropped for a soon to be returning D’onta Foreman.

 

Eagles – 24 @ Jaguars – 18

 

• UDFA Josh Adams was the Eagles best rusher on Sunday morning with 61 yards on 9 carries. I’m not sure if Corey Clement isn’t healthy or just doesn’t have his edge, but Adams needs to be added where you can put him. A big back with surprising speed and agility, Adams doesn’t have to come off the field on 3rd downs.

 

• Jordan Matthews(4 rec, 93 yards) topped receiving for the Eagles in this one, but don’t go chasing rainbows. He had a goose egg in the previous week and 26 yards in the week prior to that. He’ll have games like this occasionally, but I’m not rushing to the waiver wire to get him.

 

• You know your running game is in bad shape when Blake Bortles is your leading rusher(47 yards), but that’s exactly what happened for the Jaguars on Sunday. Maybe it was the weirdness of playing in a place where the term “football” refers to an entirely different sport, but neither Carlos Hyde(6 car, 11 yards) nor T.J. Yeldon(2 car, 7 yards) did anything for your fantasy team on the ground in London. Yeldon did lead the Jags in receiving(8 rec, 43 yards), so maybe that’s telling as to who is the guy you’d rather own right now.

 

• Donte Moncrief(4 rec, 54 yards) is emerging as the top dog in Jacksonville, but that’s not a particularly valuable position to hold these days. The Jags get Indy this week though, so he’s not a bad flex play in that one.

 

Broncos – 23 @ Kansas City – 30

 

• Courtland Sutton(3 rec, 78 yards) led the Broncos in receiving this week. He still has yet to top 3 catches in a game, so his floor is low, but he’s someone to target on waivers, as there’s a good chance either Emmanuel Sanders or Demaryius Thomas gets traded by Tuesday’s trade deadline.

 

• Devontae Booker had a solid game in Royce Freeman‘s absence with 101 yards on 13 touches. Freeman could be back this week, but Booker is worth holding onto or picking up in the case that Freeman isn’t ready to return.

 

• Just when you thought it was safe to drop Sammy Watkins, he goes and puts up 107 yards and 2 TDs on 8 receptions. Tyreek Hill injured his groin in the 4th quarter, so Watkins could be in for another big one this week. Chris Conley also sees a big bump if Hill misses time. He’s worth adding as a potentially viable part of K.C.’s Week 9 offense.

 

Browns – 18 @ Steelers – 33

 

• Just in case you thought Duke Johnson(4 tou, 16 yards) would benefit from the absence of Carlos Hyde, he hasn’t. He’s droppable in most formats.

 

• Antonio Callaway has been up and down this season but managed to score in Week 8 against the Steelers. He was 2nd on the team in targets(6) behind Jarvis Landry(12), and though I wouldn’t normally endorse picking him up knowing his recent past, he makes for a sneaky upside play against the Chiefs this week.

 

• Not really much to comment on on the Steelers’ end other than another week, another no show for Le’Veon Bell. It’s now suggested he’ll return this week, after the trade deadline, but he could sit out til Week 10. If you’ve held onto James Conner this long, then another week won’t hurt.

 

Buccaneers – 34 @ Bengals – 37

 

• Ryan Fitzpatrick almost brought the Bucs back against the Bengals, going 11 of 15 for 194 yards and 2 TDs after Jameis Winston imploded for 4 INT over the first half. As of this afternoon, Fitz has been named the starter for Week 9 so stream him if you need a bye week filler.

 

• Peyton Barber(19 tou, 85 yards, 1 TD) played well ahead of Ronald Jones in this one, and now that Jones’ hamstring is injured, he’s a must hold/add. Jacquizz Rodgers is next up behind Barber.

 

• Adam Humphries(7 rec, 76 yards) remains viable in PPR leagues, despite the fantasy world’s unwillingness to give him his due. He could see a drop in targets now that Winston has lost his starting job, but that has yet to be seen.

 

• Tyler Boyd dispelled rumors of his demise in Week 8 posting a 9/138/1 line on Sunday. He’s proven to be more inconsistent than we’d like, but he shouldn’t be dropped in any format.

 

• TE C.J. Uzomah injured his shoulder early on Sunday, and was a non-factor from that point on(0 rec). I doubt he’ll miss time, but it was a disheartening performance against arguably the best TE matchup he’ll see this season.

 

Jets – 10 @ Bears – 24

 

• The Jets couldn’t get anything going on offense against the stalwart Bears defense, but TE Chris Herndon did score for the 3rd straight week. With few healthy pass-catching options in N.Y. , he can be streamed until further notice.

 

• No Jet offensive player did much outside of Deontay Burnett(?) who had 4 catches for 61 yards, but Trenton Cannon may have missed his shot as Elijah McGuire returns this week after being out the entire season up to this point. McGuire deserves to be added if you need RB help.

 

• No word yet on whether Allen Robinson‘s groin injury will keep him out any further. If he does sit in Week 9, Anthony Miller is worth flexing in most formats and even Josh Bellamy gets a boost.

 

Ravens – 21 @ Panthers – 36

 

• Joe Flacco(192 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) and the Ravens were as anemic as ever in Week 8 against a solid but not invincible Panthers defense. They’re only 4-4, so Flacco’s job isn’t yet on the line, but it makes sense for them include more packages for Lamar Jackson in their gameplans. John Brown is the only Raven pass catcher I’m bothering with right now, and that’s due to his impressive upside.

 

• D.J. Moore(129 yards) started for an injured Torrey Smith and showed the world why he needs to start over Smith even when Smith is healthy. I have been boggled by Smith’s ability to keep a starting job in the NFL for years and this just cements it for me. Pick up Moore where you can. He was my top WR coming into the draft and his arrow is pointing upward.

 

Redskins – 20 @ Giants – 13

 

• More middling offense for any Redskin other than Adrian Peterson(155 yards, 2 TD). Alex Smith does only what he needs to to keep the Skins in the game and nothing more. I guess Jordan Reed should be held, just for his large share of targets, but this is a startingly unproductive passing offense and one I want no part of.

 

• Evan Engram(5 rec, 25 yards, 1 TD) was 3rd in targets(9) in his first game back, sending Sterling Shepard back to 4th in line. Shepard still had 7 looks, but Eli Manning is inefficient enough to make that not matter. The Giants are tanking and would do well to see what they have in rookie QB Kyle Lauletta coming out of their Week 9 bye.

 

Seahawks – 28 @ Lions – 14

 

• Rashaad Penny didn’t record a touch, while Chris Carson had 27 of them on Sunday on the way to a 105 yard, 1 TD game. Mike Davis did have 11 touches but only managed 35 yards. Carson is a strong RB2, and Penny can be dropped outside of dynasty formats.

 

• David Moore keeps popping up in Seattle box scores as one of Russell Wilson‘s primary end-zone targets. He’s had 4 TDs in 3 games. I say one of because Tyler Lockett has scored in every game this season except Week 4. Doug Baldwin would have scored if not for being unable to get both feet inbounds on an end-zone catch. All Seattle receivers are in play this week against the Chargers in what should be a high scoring game.

 

• Kenny Golladay has fallen off over the past 2 weeks with only 3 catches and 49 yards over that span. I do think the matchups are playing a role, as Marvin Jones was in a slump before his 7/117/2 line, but it just goes to show that Matt Stafford isn’t playing well enough to support three good WRs every week. and/or Kerryon Johnson is eating into their targets on a regular basis.

 

Colts – 42 @ Raiders – 28

 

• I don’t care what anybody says, Marlon Mack(27 tou, 149 yards, 2 TD) is an RB1, even with Nyheim Hines in the mix. Hines did have a strong game with 85 yards on 13 touches, but that was against the Raiders. They have a bye this week, but both backs should see heavy volume against a Jacksonville team that is much more susceptible to the run than the pass.

 

• Jack Doyle stepped back in after a 5 game absence and put up 70 yards and a TD on 6 catches. This was Eric Ebron‘s owners’ nightmare come to life, as Ebron only saved his day with a TD. The good news is that with a shallow/inconsistent WR corps in Indy, bit TEs should retain considerable value moving forward.

 

• T.Y. Hilton(1 rec, 34 yards) may have some lingering effects from his recent hamstring injury, but it is more likely that his lackluster game was an artifact of the Colts’ strategy in this one. They ran the ball 40 times to 31 passes. Unfortunately for Hilton, the Colts may take a similar approach in Week 10 against the Jags.

 

• Well if you were wondering whether it would be Jordy Nelson or Martavis Bryant who would lead the Raiders in receiving in Week 9, than you were mistaken. Both were complete garbage on Sunday. Jared Cook, Seth Roberts, and Brandon LaFell all scored on Sunday, making Cook the only non-RB you can come close to counting on in Oakland.

 

• Both Doug Martin(15 tou, 89 yards) and Jalen Richard(10 tou, 64 yards) were productive without Marshawn Lynch in the mix. They’re both viable flex options moving forward.

 

49ers – 15 @ Cardinals – 18

 

• Matt Breida(42 yards) out-touched Alfred Morris(28 yards) and Raheem Mostert (16 yards) 16 to 6 and 2. Breida was “limited” going in, so his usage was a surprise. Even on a short week, Breida remains the top option in the 49ers backfield.

 

• 2nd year UDFA Kendrick Bourne paced all 49ers with 7 receptions for 71 yards on Sunday. Normally, this wouldn’t be very intriguing info, but there are trade rumors around Pierre Garcon, so it’s possible Bourne could move into a starting role overnight.

 

• The Cardinals didn’t turn into the Rams over the weekend, but they did move the ball markedly better with Byron Leftwich at the helm. Larry Fitzgerald had his best game of the season(8 rec, 102 yards, 1 TD) and needs to be picked up ASAP if he’s been dropped in your league.

 

Packers – 27 @ Rams – 29

 

• Marquez Valdes-Scantling( 2 rec, 45 yards, 1 TD) remained an integral part of the Packers offense, even after Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison returned from injury. He and Allison were on the field the same amount of time, yet he out-targeted Allison 5 to 1. He’s definitely a hold, even though it’s going to be a game of musical chairs behind Davante Adams.

 

• It was business as usual for the Rams, though Josh Reynolds( 3 rec, 42 yards, 2 TD) did get more action than last week in Cooper Kupp‘s stead, especially in the end-zone. Kupp was making good progress before he was deemed inactive in Week 8, so I’m not counting on Reynolds making another start. He should probably be picked up or held onto until we know for sure though, as the Rams face the Saints this week, in what is likely to be a shootout.

 

Saints – 30 @ Vikings – 20

 

• Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara split carries evenly at 13, but Kamara was more involved in the passing game, garnering 8 targets to Ingram’s 3 and scoring 2 TDs. They’ll continue to share the backfield close to evenly, but the Saints offense is productive enough to support them both.

 

• Tre’Quan Smith(3 rec, 18 yards) didn’t have much of a game, but he was 3rd in targets(4) behind Kamara(8) and Michael Thomas(6). He should have a much better Week 9 against the Rams as an upside flex.

 

• Dalvin Cook is expected to sit out through the Week 10 bye, so keep firing out Latavius Murray, who has even started to add value in the passing game. Murray should retain a role even when Dalvin Cook returns, so a trade is not the only reasonable possibility for him in fantasy.