Fantasy Football Week 9: Takeaways from Sunday's Action
This was a first for me: writing a fantasy football article while commuting eight hours from Baltimore back to my home state of New Hampshire—good thing we have mobile hot spots. That's all I've got to say.
Yeah, my rental car was incredibly uncomfortable, but hey, when duty calls you've gotta do what you've gotta do.
How did everyone do in fantasy this week? To be honest with you, I just did terribly. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry really took me for a ride in DraftKings.
Hopefully your week went better, though! Here are myriad takes from the Week 9 Sunday slate.
Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell Held to 70 Total Yards
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Thirty-eight yards though the air and 32 yards on the ground on 20 total touches—that sums up Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell's Week 9 performance.
All afternoon long, the Baltimore Ravens defense just appeared to be on its A game, and Bell was one of the casualties because of that.
Not only Bell, but the entire Steelers offense was stymied until midway in the fourth quarter.
Nothing more than a slight hiccup here, but with the first week back for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, we all thought this would be a game for Bell—the Ravens had other plans.
Steelers WR Sammie Coates with Egregious Drop
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Slammin' Sammie Coates (yeah, I just made that up) had yet another one of his signature drops in Week 9.
However, this wasn't just any drop; this was a drop in the end zone.
Definitely not good because Coates has a reputation for dropping passes.
One thing did go (unfortunately) in Coates' favor: fellow wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey suffered an injury and was forced out of the game. If the injury ends up costing him time, Coates will receive more snaps.
The Steelers will host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.
Coates is a WR4 at best in that spot.
Cowboys TE Jason Witten Goes over 100 Yards; First Time Since 2013
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Once upon a time, on Dec. 29, 2013, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten went over 100 yards receiving. Since then, some had thought Witten would never reach the milestone again, getting as close as 90 yards in 2014. But on Week 9 of the 2016 season, Witten had broken the curse and finally reached the 100-yard plateau once again, and everyone in fantasy football land laughed and rejoiced.
Witten was back!
Having seen the Chicago Cubs win a World Series just a week prior, the masses had thought they'd seen it all, but no one was prepared for a Witten outburst.
From this game on, people expect some regression, because hey—Witten never goes over 100 yards. But his fantasy football owners basked in the glory as long as they could, preparing for another stretch of TE16 production.
The end.
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Chiefs RB Charcandrick West Unimpressive in Week 9
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Kansas City Chiefs running back Charcandrick West was a great DraftKings play this week, they said. He's a steal at $4,400, they said.
Wrong.
With fellow running back Jamaal Charles on the shelf and Spencer Ware out with a concussion, West had a chance to really put his stamp on the Chiefs offense, but he just couldn't make it happen, going for a mere 39 yards on 13 carries.
There's a solid chance that Ware will back in Week 10, so I hope you enjoyed this one-week rental.
Bye bye, West.
Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin Re-Injures Groin; Leaves Game Early
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Sigh.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin left the teams' Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars early on after re-injuring his groin, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.
Dammit, Maclin! You had a real chance here with quarterback Nick Foles at the helm (what a crazy season this has been).
When fellow quarterback Alex Smith returns, it's just too tough to trust Maclin. He's talented, but the quarterback play is not great.
He's a WR3 in my book at the most.
Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi Continues to Destroy the NFL
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The New York Jets run defense? Eh, no problem here for Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi.
Yup, Ajayi continues to roll after going over 100 yards on the ground for the third straight game. However, Ajayi had over 200 in those other games, so this was clearly a down performance for the sophomore.
Hate to say I told you so, but Ajayi is a straight up beast, guys. He's an RB1.
Giants QB Eli Manning Does Eli Manning Things
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No matter the stat line, there always seems to be an interception or two thrown by New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, doesn't there?
In Week 9, Manning threw for over 250 yards and had four touchdowns, but still tossed two picks. Of course—you'll take this stat line in fantasy, but it's just Eli doing Eli things at the end of the day.
What was impressive is that Manning was able to do this against a stingy Eagles defense.
You could do a lot worse than Manning down the stretch.
Eagles TE Zach Ertz Is Alive
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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz posted season-high totals in both receptions (eight) and yards (97).
This is not a drill.
Of course, he wasn't able to find the end zone, but this comes just days after I decide, "you know what? I'm done with this crap" and send Ertz to the waiver wire.
There's no way of knowing if this was an anomaly or not, but the Eagles and Ertz will have a chance to repeat in Week 10 as the Eagles will host the Atlanta Falcons in what is likely to be some kind of a shootout.
Giants RBs Rashad Jennings and Paul Perkins Finish with Same Touches
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New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings out-snapped fellow running back Paul Perkins 37-to-22, but that didn't stop them from both having 14 total touches.
What was quite interesting is they had virtually the same stat line.
The Giants could be moving closer to a timeshare with these two backs. If that's the case, both are low-end RB2's/RB3's at best.
Maybe we'll get some rumblings during practice this week?
Message to Lions WR Marvin Jones: It Was Fun While It Lasted
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We need to rise up as a nation and make Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones great again!
(Don't get mad at me for that pun).
But seriously, though—the past two games have just been awful for Jones, especially Week 9 where he caught a pass for five yards.
That's it!
Yeah, I'm probably overreacting—Jones has faced the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings in back-to-back weeks and has at least five targets in every game, but these last two have been worthy of shouting curse words.
The next three games are definitely set up for Jones to start producing again, as the Lions will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, and New Orleans Saints, respectively.
Please don't turn into Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson 2.0, Jones!
Rams RB Todd Gurley's Days in Football Hell Continue
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What if I told you there was a Los Angeles Rams running back who was really good, but the team around him was so damn boring and predictable that opposing defenses completely shut him down in every game because they didn't have to worry about the Rams' mediocre quarterback play and made us lose faith in him to produce in fantasy every week?
You're right—I'm talking about Todd Gurley.
His single-game highest rushing total this season is 85 yards. For Gurley, that is just way too terrible.
Because of the lack of a threat in the passing game, opposing defenses are able to zero in on Gurley and make his life with the Rams a living hell.
Hate to say it, but Gurley is nothing more than an RB2 at this point.
I cannot believe I just said that.
Panthers QB Cam Newton Stinks Up Week 9
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Imma let you finish, but Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton straight up stinks this season.
If not for his rushing totals (207 yards, three touchdowns), Newton would be the QB29.
Just imagine that for a second.
Newton once again did nothing in Week 9, throwing for just 228 yards, one touchdown and adding 16 rushing yards.
Did you know Newton has just two multi-passing-touchdown games this season and five games under 265 yards passing?
His rushing upside keeps you intrigued, but Newton is almost on the verge of droppable in most leagues.
Saints RBs Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower Both Heavily Involved
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After fumbling in Week 8, New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram was in the dog house and never returned to the game. Also, fellow running back Tim Hightower was slated to get more carries in Week 9, which he did—out-carrying Ingram 23-to-15.
However, Ingram showed us why he is just downright better than Hightower, totaling 171 yards and two touchdowns, as opposed to Hightower's mere 85 rushing yards.
Hopefully this outing will make Saints head coach Sean Payton use Ingram exclusively again.
Get Hightower out of here!
49ers QB Colin Kaepernick Goes over 400 Total Yards
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Known for mostly accruing fantasy points with his legs, San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick shredded the New Orleans Saints for over 400 total yards in Week 9, with 398 of them coming through the air.
The 49ers lost, but hey, we don't care about that! Just get us the points, dammit!
This goes to show you that the Saints defense is definitely bad at their jobs.
In Week 10, the Saints will be taking on the Denver Broncos and quarterback Trevor Siemian. Is Siemian the next 300-passing-yard candidate against the Saints?
Tune in next week!
Will Kaepernick keep this stretch going against the Arizona Cardinals?
Maybe.
I'm Going to Say It: Saints WR Michael Thomas Is a WR1
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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is the best receiver the team has.
Yup, better than Brandin Cooks—don't @ me.
Thomas is also a legitimate PPR WR1 for the rest of the season—quarterback Drew Brees loves this kid.
Over his last three games, Thomas has no less than five receptions and has three receiving touchdowns.
I'll admit—Week 10 against the Denver Broncos could be tough, but Thomas is going to get his targets regardless of matchup.
He is an unquestioned must-start every week, especially in PPR leagues.
49ers RB DuJuan Harris Fills in Nicely
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly made the best coaching decision of his NFL career in Week 9: starting running back DuJuan Harris.
With fellow running back Carlos Hyde on the shelf with an AC joint sprain, Kelly looked to Harris to assume the starting role.
Well, Harris did just that and more, rushing for 59 yards and adding five receptions for 83 yards and a score.
If you picked him up early Sunday morning and started him when the news came out, you were sittin' pretty in Week 9.
Expect Hyde back soon, though.
Titans QB Marcus Mariota Is Good at Football
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Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is a legitimate top-seven-caliber fantasy quarterback and I'm sorry I ever questioned it.
Four more touchdowns in Week 9 for Mariota—three through the air and one on the ground.
This season, Mariota has three games with at least three total touchdowns and finally reached over 300 passing yards in a game.
The first four games of the season were fairly tough for Mariota, but since then he has been unstoppable.
Fire him up every week here on out.
Chargers RB Melvin Gordon Owns Week 9
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"But the Tennessee Titans have a pretty good run defense."
"But San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon just isn't that good."
Shush up, fools—Gordon laughs in your face this week.
Gordon completely owned the entire league in Week 9, rushing for 196 yards and posting over 60 receiving yards in the Chargers' Week 9 win over the Titans.
Gordon is a no-doubt RB1 who could very well finish as the best back this year after a horrendous 2015.
Colts QB Andrew Luck Stinks for Second Week in a Row
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Somehow, some way, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is the QB3 this season. After Weeks 8 and 9, you'd probably find that hard to believe—he's stunk.
After two juicy matchups in a row—the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers—Luck just prefers not to beat up on vulnerable defenses, I guess.
Where Luck is the QB3, he's obviously a worthy asset, but, man, are his duds frustrating and unpredictable.
Hopefully Luck can do some damage to his Week 10 opponent—the bye week (haha).
Packers WR Jordy Nelson Scores Again; Keeps Haters off His Back
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Two weeks in a row now that Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson has had 94 receiving yards and a score.
After fairly pedestrian outings in Weeks 6 and 7, people were calling for Nelson's head, though, you're right—he does have some trouble separating.
With the state of the Packers right now—which is indescribable—quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having to throw more than we're accustomed to, making this offense a fun target every week.
The Packers will be on the road in Week 10 against the Tennessee Titans and their scorching hot quarterback Marcus Mariota—this could be another high-scoring affair, which could in turn help Nelson (in theory anyways).
Start Nelson again in Week 10, of course.
Packers WR Randall Cobb Delivers a TD; Trolls Fantasy Owners
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After being presumed out for Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Green Bay Packers and wide receiver Randall Cobb decided he was good to go.
Just like we thought, Cobb would be a decoy in the first half, playing zero snaps.
Key words there? First. Half.
In the second half, Cobb didn't by any means light up the stat sheet, but he did score a touchdown, which I think was to just troll fantasy owners who ran away from him because of the potential he'd sit the entire game.
When he's healthy, Cobb is a solid WR2, especially in PPR.
Raiders RB Latavius Murray Steals the Show; Scores ThreeTDs
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How the heck did Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray manage to score three touchdowns and go over 100 rushing yards on the Denver Broncos in Week 9?
The world may never know.
Murray is just so frustrating to me because for one, he's not that good of a running back and two, who scores one touchdown—let alone three—on the Broncos defense?
Don't feel bad if you didn't play him, this just pretty much sums up the 2016 campaign.
The Raiders will get a bye week in Week 10, which is nice considering they'll be playing in Mexico City in Week 11, which has a 1,562-foot elevation advantage over Denver, where players frequently need oxygen on the sidelines.
Week 11 could be ugly.
Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and ESPN.com.
Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.
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