Fantasy Football Week 9: Deep Sleepers Who Can Help Win Your Matchup

The plague of bye weeks strikes in a big way this week with six teams sitting at home as we push toward the fantasy playoffs. Luckily, we have just two more byes to deal with after this week.

The Arizona Cardinals are the most fantasy-relevant team off this week, but you’re also playing without Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. If your lineup is without a top player, filling the last spot in your lineup might be rough.

That’s why I’m breaking down the best sleepers to consider if you’re stuck.

Often, you’ll hit the waiver wire, looking to grab the latest flavor of the week at running back without high expectations for fantasy output. Thanks to the injuries of Week 8, Week 9 was arguably the most important week to hit the waiver wire. Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams led the way, but not far behind was Chicago Bears running back Jeremy Langford.

Barring a major surprise, Langford will start for the injured Forte and gets to do so with one of the best possible matchups against a poor San Diego Chargers run defense. That’s fortuitous, as you’ll have a chance to replicate nearly all of Forte’s production if Langford is your replacement.

For the most part, the rest of the deep sleepers are just that—deep. You may find some of them still on the waiver wire this late in the week, such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, but all of them have cases to end up in your Week 9 lineup.

Jeremy Langford

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Even though Chicago Bears running back Jeremy Langford was among the top options to grab off the waiver wire, many have tweeted me to ask if he’s worthy of actually using against the San Diego Chargers. Picking up a fairly unknown player is one thing, but having the confidence to play him might need some convincing.

With starting running back Matt Forte battling an MCL injury, Langford steps in to start, so the volume would typically be enough reason to get him in your fantasy lineup. The reason to play him with confidence is the matchup. Over the last four weeks, the Chargers have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points and 443 rushing yards to running backs.

We haven’t seen much of Langford in his rookie season. He’s racked up just 27 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Thirty-three of Langford’s 77 snaps for the season came in Week 8, including all 26 that came after Forte went down. Langford doesn’t have any real competition for carries since Chicago placed veteran running back Jacquizz Rodgers on the injured reserve after just five games.

Because Forte’s long-term status is up in the air, who knows how much we’ll get to see of Langford, but at least his first crack at the starting job should be a busy and productive one. According to ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson, if Langford doesn’t touch the ball 20 times, it would be a surprise. Get him in your lineup.

Brandon LaFell

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Since coming off the PUP list to make his season debut in Week 7, New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell has been a major disappointment in the fantasy world, especially to those who stashed him for weeks before he was eligible to move to the active roster.

The frustration is understandable, but don’t let it cloud your judgment when it comes to LaFell. Based on his high level of participation in his first two games, LaFell’s first strong fantasy performance isn’t far off, and by not far off, I mean this weekend when the Patriots host the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins are coming off a bye week, and based on their play in the first seven weeks, it was sorely needed. The secondary has been marred by injuries and generally poor play. In the three games before Week 8, Washington gave up 33 receptions for 516 yards and four touchdowns to wide receivers. That’s why the team ranks eighth in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers in the last month.

So we know the matchup is in LaFell’s favor, but will he get the chances to come through? Based on his aforementioned participation, he should be busy and productive Sunday. LaFell has just six receptions for 72 yards but has already racked up 15 targets in two games. His snaps went from 72 percent against the New York Jets in Week 7 to 83 percent against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. 

I implore you to forget about LaFell’s weak fantasy performances and focus on the fact that he’s been involved and now gets a chance to have his first big game of the season in a superb matchup at home. You’ll be happy you picked up and played LaFell by the conclusion of Week 9.

Jameis Winston

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As a rookie, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jameis Winston has gone through the expected ups and downs that affect young quarterbacks, especially on rebuilding teams. However, there’s been a lot more good than bad in recent weeks. That’s why I’m pushing him as a legit fantasy option in Week 9 when he takes on the New York Giants at home in Tampa.

Thanks to the strong play of running back Doug Martin, the Buccaneers have been able to rely on their rushing attack more in the last month, which has taken some of the pressure off Winston. He had at least 30 passes attempts in three of the first four games. In the last three games, he hasn’t thrown more than 29 passes. He has completed at least 65 percent of his throws in two of the last three games.

The matchup is the key because each side of the football will benefit Winston. As we saw last week against the New Orleans Saints and basically all season, the New York Giants have a terrible defense. They’ve allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to QBs, thanks to 1,274 passing yards and eight touchdowns in the last four games.

Getting Martin going is wise because the Giants have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs. However, the reason Winston might be busier is because he may have to be out of necessity.

The Giants might be bad against the pass, but the Buccaneers have allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks in the last four weeks. I doubt they’ll slow quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this week.

If you’re streaming quarterbacks this weekend, Winston would be near the top of available options on the waiver wire. Basically, he has a lot working in his favor, and if he’s truly ascending, he should be able to put up good numbers in a fantasy-friendly matchup with the Giants.

Dorial Green-Beckham

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Opportunity hasn’t knocked often for Tennessee Titans wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham this season, but that may change Sunday when the Titans head to New Orleans to take on the Saints.

The Titans decided to fire head coach Ken Whisenhunt earlier this week, and that move may work out well for Green-Beckham. According to interim head coach Mike Mularkey, Green-Beckham will get more playing time this week per Jim Wyatt of TitansInsider.com. It’s probably not a coincidence that wide receiver Kendall Wright was ruled out with a knee injury. 

Playing more would continue a trend we’ve seen in the last three weeks. Green-Beckham hadn’t played more than 27 percent of the snaps in the first five weeks of the year, but in the last three weeks, he’s been on the field for 41, 67 and 62 percent of the snaps, respectively. If those numbers continue to rise this week, as Mularkey suggests, so would Green-Beckham’s fantasy value.

He has turned 14 targets into seven receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns in seven games. Because he should be on the field more, those numbers could look different in a great matchup with the Saints. They’ve allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers, thanks to 57 receptions, 789 yards and 10 touchdowns given up in the last four weeks. 

Opportunity is coming at the perfect time for the rookie. If the Titans can’t slow down the Saints, they’ll be throwing it even more, which means more targets for Green-Beckham. Snatch him up and plug him into your lineup for some upside in Week 9.

Orleans Darkwa

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Yes, I know New York Giants running back Orleans Darkwa failed to come through as one of my deep sleepers in Week 8, but it’s tough to do much when you have a badly bruised tailbone, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reported earlier this week (h/t CBS Sports). The good news is that Darkwa is back at practice and on track to play in Week 9. 

Darkwa played 10 snaps and had 23 yards on four carries before leaving with his injury, so he was off to a good start in somewhat of a rotation with Rashad Jennings. Even with the limited play of Darkwa, Jennings wound up with just 10 carries and has averaged only 3.9 yards per carry on the season.

The Giants face Tampa Bay this week, and to their credit, the Buccaneers have held running backs to just 168 rushing yards in the last four weeks. However, they didn’t see many attempts in those games (56 total carries). There’s been some improvement since the start of the season, but they also haven’t been tested as much.

In terms of reaching deep, Darkwa is digging way down there since he’s played a grand total of 26 snaps on the season. I’m willing to take another shot on him because in that limited time, he’s taken advantage of his opportunities, rushing for 71 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries (5.9 yards per carry). That’s a small sample size, but it’s more upside than the rest of this backfield. I’ll bet on upside.

Marcus Mariota

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Not only are the Tennessee Titans on track to get quarterback Marcus Mariota back from a knee injury this weekend, but the fantasy world gets another legitimate starting option in a week with six teams on the bye.

Before suffering an MCL injury in Week 6, Mariota was having a solid but far from spectacular season. Through five games, he’s completed nearly 64 percent of his passes for 1,239 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. His fantasy value has been depressed due to a lack of running, which is a surprise given how much of it he did in college. Mariota has just 72 yards on 10 carries.

So why is he worth a look in Week 9? The New Orleans Saints may have beaten the New York Giants last weekend, but it wasn’t because of their defense. They gave up 350 yards and six touchdowns to Eli Manning. Over the last four weeks, only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens have allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks. The Saints have allowed 1,311 yards and four touchdowns over that span. 

The Titans have an average pass defense, and I doubt they’ll put up much of a fight against a suddenly hot Saints aerial attack. That means Mariota will likely throw it more than normal, and why shouldn’t he? We know running back Antonio Andrews is average, so they won’t get much on the ground even in a favorable matchup.

Hunting for quarterbacks on the waiver wire can be risky, but hitting on a cheap pickup can be the difference between a win and a loss. Without much of a challenge from the Saints defense, Mariota should excel and is worthy of a spot in your lineup.

Fantasy stats via NFL.com. Snap information courtesy of Pro Football Focus.