Trashman’s Fantasy Fallout Going Into Week 9 of the NFL Season

It’s hard to believe we’re basically halfway through the fantasy season, though the grey hairs in my beard might indicate otherwise. Haha, it wouldn’t be fantasy if it didn’t rile us up a bit though, would it? Here’s the fallout going into Week 9…

 

Ravens – 27 @ Buccaneers – 22

• Gus Edwards led the Ravens in backfield touches, but Kenyan Drake got back on the fantasy map with an 11/67/1 line against Tampa, after a ho-hum Wk 7. Owned in 31% of leagues, Drake makes for a low floor flex this week against The Saints.

 

• Rookie TE Isaiah Likely (6/77/1) popped on Thursday due to Mark Andrews getting knocked out with a shoulder injury. Should the ravens decide to rest Andrews before their Wk 10 bye, Likely would be a high upside streamer this week against the Saints.

 

• New to the Ravens, Demarcus Robinson(6/64) led Ravens WRs in receiving, with Rashod Bateman sidelined. If Bateman misses Wk 9, Robinson has some juice as a deep league flex or DFS play.

 

• Cade Otton(2/15) started at TE, with Cameron Brate sidelined, but it didn’t amount to much. With Evans, Goodwin and Jones all back in the mix, Otton isn’t an advised TE play.

 

Broncos – 21 @ Jaguars – 17

• Melvin Gordon(12/52/1) is allegedly the lead back in Denver, but Latavius Murray(15/59/1) trumped him in most categories on Sunday. Murray is still available in 60% of leagues and has a bye this week, so he deserves a stash if you have a deep bench.

 

• Rookie TE Greg Dulcich(4/87) looks like the truth in Denver. Second on the team in targets(5) on Sunday, he needs to be rostered, even with the bye on deck.

 

• Evan Engram(4/55/1) has had at least 6 targets in every game over the last 4 weeks and at least 50 yards in 3 of those games. He’s developed into an weekly TE streamer and makes for a fine play against the Raiders in Week 9.

 

Steelers – 13 @ Eagles – 35

• Jaylen Warren(9/75) had his best game of the season thus far, but it was likely an artifact of the Steelers being blown out by the Eagles. That being said, he’s doing enough to make people second guess starting Najee Harris on a weekly basis. Warren looks like the more dynamic back, but we may have a Tony Pollard Zeke Elliott type of situation, where Warren needs to be owned but probably can’t be depended on unless Harris misses time.

 

• Boston Scott(7/21) had only 2 fewer carries than Miles Sanders, but the Eagles were in clock killing mode over the latter half of the game. Scott only needs to be added in the sense that he would have a major role on one of the leagues’ best offenses, should Sanders go down.

 

Raiders – 0 @ Saints – 24

• Mack Hollins(7/64) led the Raiders in targets(8) and receiving yards, but most of his action came on the last drive of the game with Jarret Stidham under center. Hollins gets plenty of snaps, but he’s nothing more than a deep league PPR flex.

 

• The Saints didn’t get much going on offense besides Alvin Kamara, but Rahid Shaheed(3/38) was 3rd in receiving behind Kamara and Chris Olave. Shaheed has come on as of late and deserves a look in dynasty formats.

 

Patriots – 22 @ Jets – 17

• Rookie Tyquan Thornton(1/21) was 2nd on targets(2) for Pats WRs, but that’s not saying much. Mac Jones fixated on Jakobi Meyers(9/60/1) all day, targeting him 12 times .Thornton is emerging as the no.2 WR in New England, but that’s to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

• James Robinson only had 5 touches for 17 yards on Sunday, in the wake of the loss of Breece Hall, playing behind Michael Carter(11/66). It may have been because it was Robinson’s first week as a Jet, but it looks as though Robinson is the clear backup to Carter. He’s worth having on your bench this week, just in case Wk 8 was just a warmup, but I don’t have high hopes for him.

 

• The Jets got pass happy on Sunday, in a response to losing Hall. Garrett Wilson had his highest yardage total(115 yards) of the season and looks to be worth adding in fantasy again. The Jets play the Bill this week, so he’ll have a low floor, but the Jets are going to have to put up some offense to hang with the Bills, so he’s worth a flex.

 

• The same could be said for Tyler Conklin(6/79/2), who was targeted 10 times on the day. One man’s loss is another man’s gain in fantasy, and Wilson and Conklin owners are reaping the benefits of Hall’s absence.

 

Bears – 29 @ Cowboys – 49

• Justin Fields(17/151/2),(8/60/1) just seems to get better every week, and this progression culminated in his best game of the season yet, against a stout Dallas defense. Fields needs to be owned in all formats going into what should be a competitive game with Miami in Wk 9.

 

• Khalil Herbert(16/99/1) out produced David Montgomery(18/75) again this week despite having fewer touches. The Bears seem to be getting wise to the fact that Herbert is the better back, enough so to get Herbert back into your lineups as a flex.

 

• Don’t look now, but Darnell Mooney(5/70) has quietly posted 50+ yards in each of his last 5 games. He’s worth a flex against Miami this week.

 

• Former practice squad RB Malik Davis(10/41) had a decent day behind Tony Pollard, with Zeke Elliott sitting out. The Cowboys have a bye this week, and Elliott should be back after that, so Davis can be left on the wire.

 

Dolphins – 31 @ Lions – 27

• Mike Gesicki(3/38/1) continued his run of fantasy relevance on Sunday, though he was saved by the TD. In this barren TE landscape, Gesicki is worth streaming this week against the Bears.

 

• Josh Reynolds(2/14) bounced back after an abysmal Wk 8, at least from a target perspective(6 targets). The Lions offense is less reliant on Jared Goff, for good reason, these days though so I’m not bullish on him this week versus the Packers.

 

Panthers – 34 @ Falcons – 37

• Terrace Marshall(4/87) had his best game of the season on Sunday, garnering 9 targets. He ran 1 fewer route than DJ Moore and has some juice going into Wk 9 against the Bengals, with an ever improving PJ Walker under center.

 

• D’Onta Foreman(26/118/3) is still unowned in 25% of leagues, which is absurd. He’ll flirt with RB1 numbers, even when Chuba Hubbard returns.

 

• Caleb Huntley(16/91) led the Falcons in rushing yards, though Tyler Allgeier(17/85/1) had the most touches(17). It’s a split backfield, and both backs can be flexed in plus matchups.

 

• Damiere Byrd(3/67/1) led Falcons WRs in receiving, though Drake London(4/31) did have more targets(5). Byrd deserves a long look in deeper formats, as he could emerge as the no.1 in this underwhelming passing offense.

 

Cardinals – 26 @ Vikings -34

• Rondale Moore(7/92/1) had his best game of this season, after bombing in Week 7. Hopefully the Cardinals have remembered how dynamic he can be after this performance and he gets more usage moving forward. He’s worth flexing this week against Seattle.

 

• Robbie Anderson had 3 targets, but none of them landed. He’s a low floor deep threat in an up and down offense.

 

Titans – 17 @ Texans – 10

• Malik Willis(6/55/0/1) only attempted 10 passes against the Texans, but when you can hand the ball off to Derrick Henry 32 times for 219 yards and 2 TDs, why would you deviate from that? I don’t know that the Titans will be able to go that route against KC this week, so Willis may be forced to throw, or better yet run if Ryan Tannehill still can’t go.

 

• Dontrell Hilliard(9/95) had a solid outing, with the Titans dedicating to the run early and often. Perhaps he’s worth flexing in PPR leagues that week, as it’ll be all hands on deck versus KC.

 

• Dameon Pierce(18/51/1) and Brandin Cooks(4/73) comprised the bulk of the Texans offense in Wk 8. There are really no moves to make, even with Nico Collins out for the time being.

 

49ers – 31 @ Rams – 14

• Jeff Wilson(6/35) is an afterthought in the 49ers offense now that Christian McCaffrey is up to speed. If he can’t pop with Deebo Samuel out, then he’s probably not going to.

 

• No clue who Ronnie Rivers(12/36) is, but he led the Rams in touches and yards on Sunday. It could be for naught, as Kyren Williams should be close to returning, but Rivers deserves to be a speculative addition this week, though I can’t advise starting any current Rams back against Tampa this week.

 

Giants – 13 @ Seahawks – 27

• Darius Slayton(5/66) seems to be the Giants No.1 WR these days, even with Wan’Dale Robinson(2/15) getting a full complement of snaps. Daniel Jones can’t be trusted to get the ball to any one player other than Saquon Barkley on a consistent basis.

 

• TE Tanner Hudson(3/58) was 2nd in targets(5) with Daniel Bellinger sidelined indefinitely. The Seattle defense is arguably the best matchup for TEs right now, so that could have had something to do with Hudson’s line, but with Bellinger out for the foreseeable future(eye), Hudson is worth streaming in plus matchups.

 

Commanders – 17 @ Colts – 16

• Hopefully the Commanders are starting to realize that Brian Robertson(8/20) is not the answer at RB for them. Antonio Gibson(14/77/1) is their best back and should be utilized as such.

 

• Terry McLaurin(6/113) has regained the no.1 WR role since Tayler Heinicke got back under center for the Commanders. Curtis Samuel(3/50) has taken a back seat to McLaurin and Gibson since Wentz went to IR and should be viewed more as a PPR flex moving forward.

 

• The Colts offensive scheme didn’t change with Sam Ehlinger under center, as he dinked and dunked to 201 yards. The outcome was lackluster, but he was effective at spreading the ball around to different receivers. Expect Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines to be busy this week against New England.

 

Packers – 17 @ Bills – 27

• Samori Toure(1/37/1) flashed a bit with Allen Lazard out and Sammy Watkins maybe playing injured. If neither Lazard nor Watkins can go this week, Toure would be an interesting DFS play against the lowly Lions. Romeo Doubs(4/62/1) and Robert Tonyan(5/35) are both better plays though.

 

• James Cook(6/76) had his best outing, yardage wise, against the Pack and seems to be getting more involved in the offense. That being said, he’s kind of redundant to Devin Singletary as far as their skill sets go, so I’m not terribly stoked on him.