NFL Week 9 Picks: Predictions for Every Game, Best Bets for Fantasy Football

There are three distinct camps of teams through the first eight weeks of the 2015 NFL season—the haves, the have-nots and those stuck in purgatory on the fringe of the playoff race.

Those at the top have clearly distinguished themselves. The New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos are all going to make the playoffs barring a serious collapse down the stretch. On the flip side of the pendulum, the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears, among others, look like lost causes.

The most important games of Week 9 pit the teams in the middle against each other with games such as the 3-4 Miami Dolphins facing the 3-4 Buffalo Bills, the 4-3 St. Louis Rams facing the 5-2 Minnesota Vikings, the 4-3 Oakland Raiders facing the 4-4 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 4-4 New York Giants facing the 3-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Call it separation Sunday if you will.

Week 9 is also a time for fantasy football players to make a move, one way or the other, in their league standings. Most of the top free agents are long gone off the waiver wire, and rosters have taken shape. The next few weeks will determine playoff seedings across a number of leagues.

With that in mind, here is a look at some predictions for every critical Week 9 matchup, as well as some fantasy stars who can help you win your contest.

Matchup	Predicted Winner
Cleveland Browns (2-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-0)	Bengals
Green Bay Packers (6-1) at Carolina Panthers (7-0)	Panthers
Washington (3-4) at New England Patriots (7-0)	Patriots
Tennessee Titans (1-6) at New Orleans Saints (4-4)	Saints
Miami Dolphins (3-4) at Buffalo Bills (3-4)	Bills
St. Louis Rams (4-3) at Minnesota Vikings (5-2)	Rams
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) at New York Jets (4-3)	Jets
Oakland Raiders (4-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4)	Steelers
New York Giants (4-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)	Buccaneers
Atlanta Falcons (6-2) at San Francisco 49ers (2-6)	Falcons
Denver Broncos (7-0) at Indianapolis Colts (3-5)	Broncos
Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) at Dallas Cowboys (2-5)	Eagles
Chicago Bears (2-5) at San Diego Chargers (2-6)	Bears

Week 9 Fantasy Football Stars 

Quarterback: Jameis Winston vs. New York Giants

Many closed the book on Winston’s rookie season for fantasy purposes after he struggled in his first few games. However, he posted five total touchdowns and zero interceptions the last three outings and is taking care of the ball with safer throws. He recently tallied a career-high 297 passing yards against Washington in Week 7 and will likely top that number against the Giants.

New York’s defense is an absolute horror show that ranks dead last against the pass and is fresh off an embarrassing performance where Drew Brees torched its secondary for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. There will be plenty of opportunities for Winston and wideout Mike Evans to put up fantasy numbers against the Giants.

Additionally, New Orleans tight end Benjamin Watson notched 147 yards and a touchdown in that Saints game, and Tampa Bay’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins could be back for Sunday’s matchup. That is fortuitous timing for the tight end.

Winston seemed excited to add another weapon to his arsenal before this favorable showdown, per Andrew Astleford of ESPN.com:

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“Having Austin back in the mix is important for our offense, because in the first game [against the Tennessee Titans], he led our offense in receiving, touchdowns. It's just good to have your weapons back.” 

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Winston should put up impressive numbers on Sunday and offers daily fantasy players a better value than some of the established superstars who demand higher prices.

Running Back: Jonathan Stewart vs. Green Bay Packers

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

The thing opponents always fear against the Packers is their electrifying offense behind Aaron Rodgers. The best way to beat Rodgers is by keeping him off the field (unless you are the Denver Broncos), and the Carolina Panthers will look to do just that by establishing the run and controlling the clock.

Enter Stewart.

Stewart has posted 285 rushing yards and three touchdowns the last three weeks and scored two of those touchdowns against the feared Seattle Seahawks defense. More importantly for fantasy owners in terms of long-term projections, he reached the 20-carry plateau in each of those games and should once again tote the rock a number of times Sunday. 

Around the NFL has taken notice of his bruising running style:

Workload is clearly important for running backs in fantasy circles, and Stewart will get plenty of chances against a Green Bay defense that ranks 25th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game.

Wide Receiver: Julio Jones vs. San Francisco 49ers 

Jones has been so dominant this season that he is out-producing entire team’s wide receiver corps, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter highlighted:

In eight games, Jones posted 892 receiving yards and six touchdowns and is fresh off 162 yards and a score against Tampa Bay. He has also posted double-digit targets in all but one game this year and saw 20 targets against the Dallas Cowboys. Safe to say, there is some trust in place from quarterback Matt Ryan.

No other Falcons wide receiver has more than 291 yards on the campaign, and the second- and third-leading pass-catchers in terms of receiving yards for Atlanta are tight end Jacob Tamme and running back Devonta Freeman, respectively. 

Jones is arguably the safest fantasy football bet at wide receiver in the entire league on a week-to-week basis, and Ryan looks his way every single game.

What’s more, the 49ers defense ranks 27th in the league in passing yards allowed per contest. The combination of a vulnerable secondary and the NFL’s leading receiver is a recipe for fantasy gold.