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

 

The trade deadline is almost upon, so a lot of things may have changed by tomorrow afternoon, but we’re moving forward based off of the info we have available to us right now! Here’s the fallout going into Week 9 of the NFL season….

Falcons – 25 @ Panthers – 17

 

• Brian Hill has gotten double-digit touches in 2 of his last 3 games, and he actually out-rushed Gurley 55 to 46 yards. Gurley still gets the edge, due to his TD prowess, but Hill deserves to be owned in deeper formats as his usage could continue to go up.

 

• Russell Gage disappointed in Week 8, but with the news of Calvin Ridley‘s mid-foot sprain he deserves to stay on rosters, as Ridley could be out through the Falcons’ Week 10 bye.

 

• Curtis Samuel had his best game of the season on Sunday, scoring 2 TDs and amassing 54 all-purpose yards on the day. It’s a great confidence boost, but I wouldn’t go planning on it being a regular thing, as Christian McCaffrey is set to return this week and the offense runs through him. D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson are still the only other viable starts for Carolina.

 

Steelers – 28 @ Ravens – 24

 

• A week after putting up -2 yards on a 1 target, 1 catch day, Chase Claypool led the Steelers in targets(9), bringing in 5 catches for 42 yards and a TD. With Diontae Johnson back on the field, we’re going to see up and down days for Claypool, but his upside makes him worth flexing in most matchups. 

 

• Diontae Johnson did leave the game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury, but he returned seemingly unaffected, though he didn’t add anything in the box score on Sunday. He should be good to go this week. 

 

• J.K Dobbins had 15 carries to Gus Edwards‘ 16 and ended up with 113 yards to Edwards 87. Edwards got the score though, and retained short-yardage and goal line situations upon coming back into the game after an injury scare. Both players are worth flexing this week against Indy, if Ingram continues to sit.

 

• Marquise Brown complained about his role on the Ravens offense after a lackluster Week 8, meaning that the squeaky wheel might get greased this week. Even against Indy, he’s worth a shot. 

 

Rams – 17 @ Dolphins – 28

 

• Cooper Kupp had the first 20+ target game of the season on Sunday, with Josh Reynolds and Gerald Everett tying for 2nd with 9 behind him. Jared Goff threw an absurd 61 times on Sunday, so you might need to take it all with a grain of salt, but Everett seems to be the preferred TE in LA right now. Reynolds has gotten at least 8 targets in his last 2 games and scored twice in his last 3. He is worth picking up in deeper formats.

 

• Darrell Henderson hurt his thigh right before halftime, leaving Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers to pick up the pieces. The Rams have a bye this week, so maybe Henderson doesn’t miss any time, but with SEA, TB and SF coming up, I don’t really love playing any RB in what is going to continue to be a two-man timeshare at best. 

 

• Tua Tagovailoa pulled off a victory against the Rams, but he was barely breathing under center, throwing the ball only 22 times on the day. The game was won by the defense and special teams, and we could actually see a decrease in production from the Dolphins’ WRs for awhile. Arizona will be a big test for Tua. 

 

Jets – 9 @ Chiefs – 35

 

• The Jets’ offense is abysmal, but Denzel Mims did look their best athlete on the field on the 2 catches he had on the day. Braxton Berrios and Jeff Smith had 11 and 8 targets, but Jamison Crowder is likely to return this week, so neither of them is worth adding in any format. This offense can’t sustain them. 

 

• La’Mical Perine had 8 carries to Frank Gore‘s 10, and as long as the Jets continue to treat Gore like a “lead” back, there’s no reason to play either of them. There’s no TD upside here. 

 

• It was all air-attack for the Chiefs on Sunday, with no KC RB getting more than 6 carries and 21 yards on the ground. There was a juicy revenge narrative for Le’Veon Bell against his former Jets, but Patrick Mahomes was on fire and couldn’t be denied. Mecole Hardman was second in targets(9) to Travis Kelce, with Sammie Watkins still out, and there’s a decent chance they keep him out through the Week 10 bye. Any of the Chiefs pass-catchers is worth a deep league flex against Carolina this week. 

 

Vikings – 28 @ Packers – 22

 

• With Dalvin Cook doing his best LaDainian Tomlinson impression against the Packers, there was little else for other Vikings skill players to do. Minnesota might take a more evenhanded approach to Week 9’s matchup with the Lions, but then they might not. Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson are still WR2s. 

 

• There doesn’t seem to be another Packers WR behind Davante Adams worth rosterting right now. Robert Tonyan, Jace Sternberger and Jamaal Williams are the Green Bay offense otherwise, until Aaron Jones returns. 

 

Colts – 41 @ Lions – 21

 

• Jonathan Taylor finished the game, but he’s reportedly dealing with an ankle injury following Sunday’s drubbing of the Lions. Jordan Wilkins outcarried and outgained Taylor on the day, so there’s probably more than a bit of credence to the injury news. With T.Y. Hilton also injuring himself(groin), there should be a rush to grab Wilkins, Nyheim Hines, and Michael Pittman in that order. 

 

• With all the Indy TEs healthy, they’re cannibalizing each other’s opportunities. Trey Burton scored on a run, but Jack Doyle caught a TD and Mo Alie-Cox had the same number of targets(4) as Burton. This is a sketchy fantasy situation. 

 

• Kenny Golladay has already been declared inactive for Week 9, after injuring his hip Sunday. Marvin Hall had 7 receptions and 100+ yards, and Marvin Jones had 2 scores, but it’s Quintez Cephus who’s generally benefitted from Golladay’s absence this season. 

 

Raiders – 16 @ Browns – 6

 

• A week after going over 100 yards, Nelson Agholor failed to bring in either of the 2 targets he got on the day. The Raiders were playing with a lead, so they leaned on Josh Jacobs and little else in inclement weather. Only Hunter Henry was able to bring in a passing TD, and even he only had 26 yards on the day. Darren Waller is the only Raiders pass-catcher worth rolling with going up against the Chargers this week. 

 

• With no Odell Beckham to threaten defenses and a gimpy Jarvis Landry in tow, The Browns couldn’t get anything going against the Raiders in poor weather conditions. They get a bye this week, so fortunately you don’t have to worry about the headache of choosing which Brown you might want to give a go with, but they play Houston the following week so all is not lost. Austin Hooper should be back by then too. 

 

Titans – 20 @ Bengals – 31

 

• Corey Davis was the big winner in Week 9, with the Titans playing from behind and Adam Humphries going down to a concussion. Davis finished with 10 targets, 128 yards and a TD, so he’s gotten double-digit targets and a TD in each of his last 2 games. He’s still behind A.J. Brown, but with Humphries down and Anthony Firsker eating into Jonnu Smith‘s snaps, Davis makes for a more than reasonable flex this week, even against Chicago.

 

• Speaking of Smith, he’s been in a slump since injuring his ankle in Week 6, and A.J. Brown’s taking over of the passing game hasn’t helped his cause. You might want to shop Smith ahead of your league’s trade deadline.

 

• Gio Bernard was the starter for the Bengals, but Samaje Perine managed to get 10 carries for 32 yards and a TD as Cincy played with a lead over the Titans. This is likely of no consequence, as the Bengals have a bye this week, and Joe Mixon is slated to return the following week.

 

Patriots – 21 @ Bills – 24

 

• Without N’Keal Harry and Julian Edelman, Cam Newton was pretty helpless in the passing game. Jakobi Meyers did get 10 targets on the day, but he only came away with 58 yards. Damien Harris did have a breakout of sorts as he scampered for 102 yards on 16 carries. At only 47% ownership, Harris needs to be owned in all formats, as he’s the only things going for this offense right now. 

 

• Rookie Zack Moss matched Devin Singletary in carries(14) in Week 8 and came away with 81 rushing yards to Singletary’s 86, in addition to 2 TDs. Moss was used almost exclusively in the red-zone, but that’s more than enough in Buffalo’s high-scoring offense. Just as potent as Singletary in fantasy, Moss needs to be owned in more than the 55% of leagues he’s owned in currently. 

 

• John Brown has been spotty at best since Week 2, but he’s got a sky-high matchup with Seattle this week. If it’s a must-win week for you, this might be the time to trade for him.

 

Chargers – 30 @ Broncos – 31

 

• Justin Jackson looks like the best bet for fantasy out of the Chargers RBs going into Week 9, as his use in the passing game keeps him involved, whether Troymaine Pope or Joshua Kelley has the hot hand. Pope actually had the highest YPC(6.7) of any Chargers RB and might have some deep deep league flex value this week against the Raiders. 

 

• Mike Williams(5 rec, 99 yards, 1 TD) and Justin Herbert are starting to click. Williams will be up and down all season, that’s the nature of a field-stretcher’s game, but his upside is second to none in this offense as Herbert gets better and better. Speaking of Herbert, He’s an every-week QB1.  

 

• DaeSean Hamilton(4 rec, 82 yards, 1 TD) led the Broncos in receiving with Tim Patrick(hamstring) sidelined, though Hamilton was 4th in targets(5). If Patrick can’t go this week, Hamilton has an outside shot to do some damage against Atlanta this week. 

 

• Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon had 8 and 6 carries respectively, with Lindsay breaking a couple for big plays(83 yards, 1 TD). Gordon was able to stay fantasy relevant due to his usage in the passing game. Gordon remains the higher-floor, but Lindsay is worth flexing in plus matchups as the more explosive back. 

 

49ers – 27 @ Seahawks – 37

 

• Nick Mullens looks like a better QB than Jimmy Garoppolo right now, so I guess it’s not any surprise that Garoppolo is being shut down indefinitely with an ankle injury. The worst news out of SF is that George Kittle may be out for 8 weeks, which would make him useless for fantasy purposes for the rest of the season. Jordan Reed is set to return soon, so he definitely needs to be added, but Ross Dwelley deserves to be streamed in the meantime. Kendrick Bourne should be added in most formats as weel, as he finished behind on Brandon Aiyuk in receiving yards(81 to 91) for the 49ers on Sunday. 

 

• Tevin Coleman didn’t last long in his return to game action, as he injured his knee early on Sunday afternoon. The 49ers have a Thursday night game this week, so expect JaMycal Hasty and Jerrick McKinnon to shoulder the load for the 49ers. 

 

• Rookie RB DeeJay Dallas led the Seahawks backfield on Sunday, with Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde sidelined. With 23 touches on the day, Dallas underwhelmed on the ground(41 yards), but he served as the passing down back as well and managed to score twice on the day. At 25% ownership, Dallas needs to be added in all formats as we wait to hear news of Carson and Hyde this week. 

 

Saints – 26 @ Bears – 23

 

• Alvin Kamara led the Saints in rushing and receiving, with Thomas, Sanders, and Callaway sidelined. Behind him were Jared Cook(5 rec, 51 yards, 1 TD) and Tre’Quan Smith(5 rec, 43 yards). Chances are Thomas or Sanders can make it back for Week 9 against the Bucs, but if not Smith makes for a flex start in deeper leagues. 

 

• Anthony Miller(8 rec, 73 yards) led the Bears in targets(11) on Sunday, with Allen Robinson getting shadowed by Marshon Lattimore. Darnell Mooney also had a nice game with 69 yards and a TD on 5 receptions. It’s hard to take this game as anything more than an attempt to throw away from Lattimore, but perhaps Miller will see an uptick in looks against Tennessee this week. 

 

Cowboys – 9 @ Eagles – 23

 

• Well, it’s pretty apparent Ben DiNucci is not the answer for the Cowboys, as he couldn’t move the ball down the field. Andy Dalton should be back for Week 9, but I don’t expect him to do much better against Pittsburgh. Zeke Elliott and maybe Dalton Schultz are the only Cowboys I’m expecting anything out of this week. 

 

• The Eagles have a bye this week, but you should grab Zach Ertz, if he’s been dropped in your league. He could return in Week 10. Dallas Goedert may still have lingering effects from an ankle injury. 

 

• Jalen Reagor ended up with 6 targets and a TD against the Cowboys in his first game since Week 2. If you can afford to add him during his bye, he should pay dividends coming out of the break. 

Photo via AP