Fantasy Football Week 9 Review

Even during a heavy bye week with six teams resting, we saw a wave of elite running back performances emerge in Week 9.

The top performance came from the San Diego Chargers' Melvin Gordon, who leads the league in touchdowns and tallied a career-high 261 yards from scrimmage against the Tennessee Titans. With consecutive strong showings against stout defenses, Gordon is making his charge for fantasy MVP honors this season.

Join us in canvassing the results of Week 9 with a specific eye on the fantasy football marketplace. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and questions about fantasy football in the comments below.

Star Signal-Callers

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Big box scores from quarterbacks can heavily influence matchups in fantasy football. In this section, we highlight the top quarterback performances of the slate.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan started the slate off with four touchdowns on Thursday on an effective 73.5 completion rate to lead the position in fantasy points in ESPN leagues. With meetings against the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints in the fantasy playoffs, Ryan has a strong shot at fantasy MVP honors this season.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers completed just 53 percent of his targets to receivers in the first three quarters on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, with one score and a pick. He then hit 72.7 percent of his passes for receivers with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the fourth in a close loss.

Even if the game was disappointing in real life for Packers fans, Rodgers' 43 yards rushing and three touchdowns delivered the highest quarterback score on Sunday. The Packers are struggling to protect Rodgers and still can't get their ground game going, so it's impressive and encouraging to note he's tallied 103 yards rushing over the past two games.

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

The Titans' second-year star had a shot at the fantasy crown at the position today thanks to four total touchdowns, but three turnovers detracted from the day to a degree. That said, the Oregon product now has multiple passing scores in five straight and is on pace for 28 passing touchdowns and 417 rushing yards on the season.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

The road woes for the Saints' offense didn't surface in San Francisco on Sunday, as they cruised to 41 points in a rousing win. Brees connected eight passes of at least 15 yards, tying for his most such completions in the past five seasons. Some tough games are ahead with the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers over the next two weeks, but Brees remains a high-floor QB1 given the awesome volume. After all, the Canton-bound star is on pace for nearly 5,400 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

We tried to pare this list down, but so many big outings behind center in Week 9 inflated this section. Prescott joins Cam Newton and Jameis Winston as the only quarterbacks with double-digit fantasy points in ESPN leagues in each of their first eight starts since at least 1950, per Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN.

Honorable Mention: The 49ers' Colin Kaepernick delivered 421 total yards and two touchdowns and is averaging an impressive 17 fantasy points in ESPN leagues as the starter in Chip Kelly's quarterback-friendly scheme. The New York Football Giants' Eli Manning tallied four touchdowns and his second game with at least 22 fantasy points in ESPN leagues of the season on Sunday. If Manning is floating in free agency in your league, stashing him for a trip to Cleveland in Week 12 could prove rewarding.

Top Tailbacks

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A run for glory in fantasy football often involves helpful production from your running backs.

Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers

Gordon has dominated two stout rush defenses in consecutive weeks, as he produced an impressive 196 yards on the ground and 261 yards from scrimmage in a win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The breakout campaign is entirely real, as Gordon's season pace for 1,870 yards and 19 touchdowns confirms. A soft rush schedule in Weeks 15 and 16 against the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns, respectively, could support title chases for Gordon's investors.

Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

Reports suggest Ingram was listening to Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" on repeat all week leading up to Sunday's game. While that's possibly not true, it's entirely accurate to paint Sunday's 171-yard performance as redemptive for Ingram's fantasy stock. The San Francisco 49ers are simply a great matchup for fixing a struggling ground game. That said, we might want to market Ingram as a sell-high of sorts given three straight sound rush defenses up next.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

While his streak of games with at least 140 yards from scrimmage came to an end, Elliott delivered the second career multi-touchdown outing of his young career. With at least 18 touches in every game and at least a touchdown or 160 yards from scrimmage in each outing, Elliott's high floor is only rivaled by the Arizona Cardinals' David Johnson.

Honorable Mention: Even though the Miami Dolphins' Jay Ajayi didn't crack 200 yards, he did produce 130 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, and he now has 553 total yards in his past three outings. A choice meeting with the Chargers could prove rewarding in Week 10. We also must mention the continued success of the New York Jets' Matt Forte, who now has five touchdowns over the past three weeks. If you can net a true WR1 for Forte, I'd consider marketing him at his current zenith.

With another strong day that included two touchdowns, Frank Gore of the Indianapolis Colts remains the ideal RB2. The Miami product entered rare statistical territory today, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan.

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#Colts F. Gore is 5th player in NFL history with at least 12,500 rushing yards and 400 recept (C. Martin, Tomlinson, E Dickerson, W. Payton)

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) November 7, 2016"

Winning Wideouts

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In an increasingly pass-happy NFL, it's vital to find difference-making receiving performances. In this section, we identify the top receiving mavens of the week.

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After his massive Thursday outing and with a touchdown in all but two games this season, last season's disappointing touchdown rate now screams outlier in an otherwise stellar start to this rising star's career. Keep an eye on Evans' status heading into Week 10's inviting meeting with the Chicago Bears. It's nice to note Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports he's expected to be cleared from concussion protocol as early as Monday.

Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

As a key playmaker in the red zone for Drew Brees, Thomas now has five touchdowns as a rookie. Such a valuable rapport drives WR2 stock for Thomas, who rates second in fantasy points among wideouts on the week in ESPN leagues after securing two touchdowns in San Francisco on Sunday. A tough matchup with the Denver Broncos is up next, but then an inviting finish to the season follows.

Mike Wallace, Baltimore Ravens

A 95-yard touchdown for Wallace fueled a strong fantasy showing and secured the longest play from scrimmage in team history on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the game's broadcast. With a rich rate of air yards per target this season around 14, Wallace remains a big-play maven and joins a rare club according to ESPN Stats & Info.

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Mike Wallace joins John Taylor and Gaynell Tinsley as the only players in NFL history with multiple 95-yard TD receptions

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 6, 2016"

Honorable Mention: The Tennessee Titans' Rishard Matthews tallied two scores against the San Diego Chargers and now has five over the past five games. With some inviting matchups against the Green Bay Packer and Indianapolis Colts over the next two weeks, Matthews is an intriguing commodity found in free agency in over 88 percent of ESPN leagues. Odell Beckham Jr. was held to just four catches for 46 yards for the New York Giants on Sunday, yet two of them went for touchdowns.

Top Tight Ends

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Tight end can be frustrating position given the variance we find in production for a player pool that often blocks in addition to running routes. That said, we should celebrate the top performances each week, given the fickle nature of the position.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

After ceding a score to Witten on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns have now allowed seven touchdowns to tight ends this season, suggesting they are a choice matchup for the position. Witten is now 14th in fantasy points per game among tight ends in ESPN leagues and is again in the streaming discussion for next week's meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Vance McDonald, San Francisco 49ers

With so many top tight ends on bye this week, McDonald's 65-yard score helped him finish second at the position in fantasy points in ESPN leagues. Owned in just 1.4 percent of ESPN leagues, we don’t advise deploying McDonald against a sound Arizona Cardinals' secondary in Week 10.

Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Leading the position in targets over the past month and the Chargers in target share since Week 5, Gates is again a surefire TE1 asset. Acquiring Gates for the playoffs could prove helpful, as he faces generous defensive foes in the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns in Week 15 and 16.

Honorable Mention: The Carolina Panthers' Greg Olsen produced another solid Sunday for his investors; proving last week's quiet line was an outlier. It was entirely encouraging to see Delanie Walker play for the Tennessee Titans and finish fifth in fantasy points at the position after dealing with an injury suffered in practice this week.

The Philadelphia Eagles' Zach Ertz entered the week just 29th in fantasy points per game at the position in ESPN leagues, but finally delivered a solid line on Sunday against the Giants. Available in nearly half of ESPN leagues, adding Ertz at this shallow position could prove rewarding against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10.

Fantasy Flops

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Not every player can deliver value every game, and some leave us in the lurch. The following crop of disappointing performances felled fantasy teams this week.

(For clarity, we don't count injuries in this section, as we don't blame players for getting hurt. We instead focus on poor performance and frustrating fantasy results.)

Quarterback

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

With just one touchdown and a modest 16 rushing yards, Newton's Week 9 proved decidedly disappointing. Outside of a trip to Seattle in Week 13, Newton's schedule in the second half appears quite promising, so buy-low shares are advisable.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Two turnovers and just a long touchdown limited Luck's fantasy appeal on Sunday in a tight win at Lambeau Field. Entering the team's bye week and with a tough finishing stretch, marketing Luck based on his elite name value could make sense for his investors.

Running Back

Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

We are often satisfied when a tailback produces 70 yards from scrimmage, but our expectations for Bell—who has tallied at least 100 total yards in each game this season—are a bit higher than your average back. We expect a bounce-back to elite form against the Dallas Cowboys next week, so any buy-low window should be exploited in the interim.

Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Entering the week, Gurley ranked just 28th in fantasy points per game among backs in ESPN leagues and was again held scoreless. Gurley hasn't entered the end zone since Week 5, further frustrating his investors. The market is soured on Gurley, so holding and hoping he finds his stride is likely the best solution for his owners.

Devontae Booker, Denver Broncos

Hyped for a big game against an Oakland Raiders defense that entered the week allowing the most yards per carry to backs in the AFC, Booker netted just 22 rushing yards and saw backup Kapri Bibbs out-produce him by 50 total yards. Get your offers in for Booker now, as he remains the team's top backfield asset.

Receiver

Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos

Both of the Broncos' wideouts struggled in Oakland on Sunday night, as the team's top trio of skill weapons let down their respective investors. We don't find any real cause for concern present, although it's clear both are WR2 commodities at this stage.

Brandon Marshall, New York Jets

Marshall hasn't scored since Week 5 and with a catch rate of just 46.5 percent on the season; his inefficient pattern has left a lot of numbers on the field.

Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

Landry's lean Week 9 production is due directly to Ryan Tannehill's struggles behind center on Sunday. With at least five receptions in all but two games this season, getting Landry at likely his low point could prove profitable.

Tight End

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Ejected for hitting a ref with a towel in Week 9, Kelce was en route to a strong statistical showing. A friendly finishing schedule signals we can trust Kelce and his steady target rate going forward.

Waiver Watch: Top Pickups to Consider

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The following assets are available in at least 40 percent of ESPN leagues and are capable of providing positive returns going forward.

Quarterback

The Denver Broncos' Trevor Siemian is likely available in all but the deepest of leagues and faces a soft New Orleans Saints secondary in the Superdome in Week 10. For those seeking another matchup to consider for streaming at the position, the Baltimore Ravens and Joe Flacco host the reeling Cleveland Browns' defense on Thursday night.

Running Back

The Green Bay Packers' James Starks is still available in more than 80 percent of ESPN leagues, yet he's trending towards a return given his participation in practice this past week. Get ahead of the market with a waiver bid on Starks before he's cleared to return. The Saints have run on over half their plays over the past two games as they look to protect their generous defense, thus we're still interested in shares of tailback Tim Hightower as a low-end flex at a shallow position.

DuJuan Harris easily topped 100 total yards as the San Francisco 49ers' feature back in Week 9. We're not sure if Carlos Hyde is trending towards a return this coming week, but he's emerged as a valuable insurance policy behind Hyde. Robert Kelley shined in his last performance in Week 8 in London for the Washington Redskins. We'd merely stash Kelley for now, but it's intriguing to consider he could challenge Matt Jones for early down duties.

The New York Giants' talented rookie rusher Paul Perkins looks spry and capable in limited touches in Week 9 and is an ideal stash for those with the room to wait on him to potentially emerge as the team's lead back.

Dion Lewis is on the mend and could return this coming week out of the New England Patriots' bye and you'll likely want to prove patient with him for the first game back, but the upside as the potential top back on the top offense is legitimate.

Receiver

Only the Tampa Bay Bucs' Mike Evans and the Tennessee Titans' Rishard Matthews have as many as five touchdowns among receivers over the past five weeks. Matthews is widely available and Marcus Mariota is surging with multiple touchdowns in five straight, thus our interest in him as a waiver addition.

Jamison Crowder leads the Washington Redskins in targets, catches and touchdowns over the past three games and given the team's recent bye week—he remains widely available. If your league didn't scoop up speedster J.J. Nelson from the Arizona Cardinals last week, pursue him now as he's overtaken Michael Floyd in three-receiver sets and leads the team in snaps over their past two games.

Tight End

The Detroit Lions' Eric Ebron has enjoyed 18 targets and 14 receptions since coming back from injury over the past two games. At a shallow position, Ebron is a fine addition to consider. A theme of this waiver section is netting talented players who are available in part because their team was on bye in Week 9. The Houston Texans' C.J. Fiedorowicz is a key example of this trend, as he's a top-five fantasy tight end from Week 5 to Week 8 and should be considered a borderline TE1 heading into Week 10.

Data such as targets, fantasy points and defensive allowance rates sourced from an ESPN database.