Fantasy Football Week 9 BS Meter

With eight weeks complete, the fantasy football year is halfway done. That also means NFL teams are evaluating where they stand, and that can lead to changes.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw enough of Jameis Winston after he threw four interceptions in just his third start since returning from a three-game suspension to open the season. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick relieved Winston and nearly led the Buccaneers to a comeback victory. On Monday, head coach Dirk Koetter named Fitzpatrick the starter for Week 9.

Despite winning two more games than all of last season, the Cleveland Browns decided to fire both head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley on Monday after the team's third straight loss. As a result, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was elevated to interim head coach while running backs coach Freddie Kitchens was promoted to offensive coordinator. 

Week 8 marked the first week of Byron Leftwich as the offensive coordinator and play-caller for the Arizona Cardinals. However, he wasn't able to turn David Johnson back into a fantasy superstar in just one game. That situations looks like a work in progress. 

The B.S. Meter breaks down 10 situations covering the most pressing issues in fantasy football heading into Week 9. The statements will be rated from 1 to 10 with 1 being completely true and 10 being total B.S.

Note: All fantasy stats used to calculate finishes are from FantasyPros. All advanced stats are calculated using data from Pro Football Reference. All stats are based on a points-per-reception (PPR) format. 

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Adrian Peterson Is the Only Reliable Fantasy Option for the Redskins

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Adrian Peterson is carrying the Redskins offense.

For a player who wasn't signed until mid-August, Adrian Peterson sure looks like one of the steals of free agency through the first eight weeks of the season after a monster performance against the New York Giants. 

Peterson gashed the Giants for 149 yards and a 64-yard touchdown run on 26 carries and gave his fantasy owners the rare bonus of a seven-yard receiving touchdown on his only target of the day. His 28.6 fantasy points gave him a top-five performance, and he's now a top-15 fantasy back for the season in points per week.

After eight weeks, Peterson is tied for fourth with 127 rushing attempts, but with seven games played, he's averaging 18.1 rushes per game, which is tied for third behind only Todd Gurley (21.1) and Ezekiel Elliott (18.9). Peterson is sixth in rushing yards per game at 83.9. These are staggering numbers for a player who entered the league in 2007, but they have been completely necessary to the success of the Washington Redskins.

Other than Peterson, the Redskins don't have consistent contributors in fantasy or reality. Chris Thompson has battled multiple injuries, including more than one rib issue, which has caused him to miss two games. He's not even a top-35 fantasy back in total points. 

Injuries have also been a problem for the entire receiving corps except Jordan Reed, yet he's managed just 29 receptions for 306 yards and one score on 47 targets. After hitting double-digit fantasy points in the first three games, he didn't reach that mark again until Week 8 when he turned 12 targets in seven receptions for 38 yards and 10.8 fantasy points. He's averaging just 9.1 fantasy points per game. Meanwhile, the team doesn't have a wide receiver in the top 60, and Alex Smith isn't even a top-20 quarterback. 

It seems a little dangerous for the Redskins to be relying so heavily on Peterson at this stage of his career, even if it is great for his fantasy value. He's the only quality fantasy option in this offense, so hopefully he holds up in the second half of the season.

B.S. Meter on Peterson being the only reliable fantasy option for the Redskins: 1/10

Ryan Fitzpatrick Is a Fantasy Starter Once Again

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The Buccaneers should turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Despite leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 2-1 record with wins over the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles, Ryan Fitzpatrick was pulled during a Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears and lost his starting job to Jameis Winston when the team came out of the Week 5 bye. A fun start to Fitzpatrick's season, especially for fantasy purposes, seemed destined to be a footnote in a record-setting year for passing numbers, but Week 8 put Fitzpatrick back on the fantasy radar.

Winston's first start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 didn't look great early on, but he wound up completing 30 of 41 passes for 395 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in addition to 29 rushing yards, which made him the No. 1 fantasy QB at 30.9 fantasy points.

He followed that up with a top-10 finish at 20.1 fantasy points, thanks to 365 yards on 32-of-52 passing with no passing touchdowns and two interceptions to go along with 55 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. It wasn't pretty, but Winston had two games with production worthy of being called a fantasy starter.

Week 8 provided Winston with another chance at a big game in a beatable matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. In less than three quarters of action, he hit on 18 of 35 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown, but he also had four interceptions, the last of which was returned for a score, which helped give the Bengals a 34-16 lead with 2:10 to go in the third quarter. 

The Buccaneers pulled Winston in favor of Fitzpatrick, and he proceeded to lead the team to 18 unanswered points to tie the game with 1:05 remaining before Randy Bullock hit a 44-yard field goal for a Bengals victory as time expired. In just over a quarter of action, Fitzpatrick completed 11 of 15 passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns and an 18-yard run. That was good enough for 17.6 fantasy points and a top-15 finish in Week 8. 

Over the first three weeks of the season, Fitzpatrick was the No. 1 fantasy quarterback with 97.4 fantasy points. If you take the total production of Fitzpatrick and Winston for the season, it comes out to 186.3 fantasy points, which is second only to Patrick Mahomes (216.9). That makes Fitzpatrick a locked-in fantasy starter for as long as he keeps the job in Tampa Bay. 

B.S. Meter on Fitzpatrick being a fantasy starter once again: 2/10

Keke Coutee Is the Top Waiver Add for Week 9

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With Will Fuller V out, Keke Coutee could be in for a big role in the second half of the season.

The rise of Keke Coutee was cutting into the production of Will Fuller V, which meant DeAndre Hopkins was the only consistent option in the Houston Texans receiving corps. With Coutee sidelined by a hamstring injury in Week 8, Fuller turned six targets into five receptions for 124 yards and a score while Hopkins had six receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets.

Unfortunately, Fuller suffered a torn ACL, so his season will end prematurely. That also leaves his 17.5 percent target share up for grabs, which could be a significant boost to Coutee's fantasy value. Coutee's 11.7 percent target share (30 targets) is third behind those of Fuller and Hopkins (30.4 percent). Of course, Coutee has played just four games, so he's been busy when active. 

The only issue with Coutee is the hamstring injury that kept him out in Week 8. According to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com, head coach Bill O'Brien said it's too early to know if Coutee would return to action in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos. The Texans played on Thursday in Week 8, so he didn't have much time to get healthy enough to play. The week off should help, so hopefully Coutee can return to action this week with a big role waiting for him in Fuller's absence. 

Even if he needs another week to rest, Coutee should still be a priority on the waiver wire with a great outlook for the rest of the season on a division-leading team. 

B.S. Meter on Coutee being the top waiver add for Week 9: 3/10

DeVante Parker Can Be More Than Just a 1-Week Wonder

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DeVante Parker had his best game as pro seemingly out of nowhere.

To say DeVante Parker's three seasons with the Miami Dolphins have been a disappointment would be an understatement. Injuries have plagued him since he was drafted 14th overall in 2015. and this season has been no exception, or has it?

A finger injury kept Parker on the sidelines for the first two games before he returned to catch two of three targets for 40 yards in Week 3. A quad injury kept him out the next two games before he came back in Week 6, although that resulted in a catchless effort. Parker remained on the injury report with the quad issue heading into Week 7, and despite fully practicing, he was inactive. 

According to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com, Parker's agent, Jimmy Gould, responded to his client's status by calling head coach Adam Gase "incompetent" and revealing that Parker was "totally healthy."

Injuries to Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills gave the Dolphins no choice but to put Parker on the active roster for Week 8. He turned that opportunity into a career-best 134 yards and six receptions on eight targets while playing every snap in a loss to the Houston Texans. His 19.4 fantasy points were good enough for a top-15 finish.

Whether it's because of the injuries or Parker's performance in Week 8 or a combination of both, Gase said he's "confident" Parker would remain with the Dolphins past the trade deadline, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

Parker may not be a fantasy superstar, but he's on a team that lacks playmakers and healthy bodies at wide receiver. That means opportunities should continue to be there, so at the very least, he's worth adding from the waiver wire to provide some solid bench depth. With six teams on the bye, Parker could be worth a look in some lineups this week against the New York Jets.

B.S. Meter on Parker being more than just a one-week wonder: 4/10

You Can Trust Aaron Jones to Be a Weekly Starter

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Aaron Jones made the most of his opportunities in Week 8.

Did the bye week give the Green Bay Packers enough time to figure out how badly they were utilizing their backfield, specifically Aaron Jones? Week 8 revealed that the answer to that question was maybe. 

The first three carries of the game went to Jones and resulted in gains of 13, seven and eight yards. On the next drive, Jamaal Williams had a carry for five yards, a target that went incomplete and a one-yard rushing touchdown. The loud sounds you heard across the world on that touchdown run were the collective fits of anger coming from those who decided to give Jones another shot in the starting lineup. 

Luckily, Williams would have just two more carries the rest of the way to finish with four carries for nine yards and a score and one incomplete target on a season-low 25 percent of the snaps. Basically, he did nothing more than steal a short touchdown.

Jones would see a season high in carries (12), rushing yards (86) and snaps (61.5 percent), which included a 33-yard rushing touchdown. He added two receptions on two targets for zero yards. At 16.6 fantasy points, he wound up as the No. 17 RB for the week, which made him a solid RB2.

In addition to a backbreaking fumble on the final kick return of the game, Ty Montgomery was on the field for just 11.5 percent of the offensive snaps with three touches for eight yards, so he was a nonfactor. 

Should we have more confidence in Jones after he clearly led the way? For the most part, the answer is yes. However, it's hard to get too excited about 12 carries being a season high and just 14 touches overall. He needs to be averaging 14-16 touches per game with a significant gap between him and the other two backs to be considered a reliable RB2 every week going forward. This is a step in the right direction, so you can be cautiously optimistic about Jones' future. 

B.S. Meter on trusting Jones to be a weekly starter: 5/10

David Johnson's Fantasy Value Is on the Rise

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David Johnson had only a slight improvement in his receiving numbers.

When the Arizona Cardinals mercifully relieved Mike McCoy of his duties as the team's offensive coordinator following Week 7, all the attention and hope shifted to Byron Leftwich. As the replacement for McCoy, Leftwich was tasked with fixing the offense and, most importantly, getting more out of David Johnson after he was woefully misused by McCoy. 

There was nothing scary about the matchup with the visiting San Francisco 49ers, so it seemed like Leftwich would have a good chance to get the offense on track. Johnson had another disappointing day on the ground with just 59 yards on 16 carries. To show how bad his season has gone as a rusher, that 59-yard effort was his second-best of the season behind 71 yards on 22 carries against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. 

It's hard to quickly fix Johnson's rushing woes behind such a poor offensive line, but there was hope on how he would be better utilized as a receiver. He did catch all four of his targets for 41 yards, which tied a season-high in receiving yards. However, he was tied with Ricky Seals-Jones in targets for third on the team behind Larry Fitzgerald (12) and Christian Kirk (7).

If Johnson was doing more on the ground, it would be easier to justify a four-catch, 41-yard performance as a receiver, but that's just not enough to boost his fantasy value any higher than we've already seen this season. His 14 fantasy points fell below his 14.6 FPG average coming into Week 8. Johnson has been surviving on touchdowns and he hasn't score in the last two weeks. 

If you were expecting Leftwich to resurrect Johnson's fantasy value, he didn't do it in the first week. Hopefully, it will get better, but you would be much better off calling Johnson a mid-range RB2 instead of getting your hopes too high. It's hard to fix a team that just isn't very good. 

B.S. Meter on Johnson's fantasy value being on the rise: 6/10

The Lions Can Support 3 Fantasy Wide Receivers

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Kenny Golladay has been quiet the last two weeks.

It seemed like the breakout season for Kenny Golladay wasn't a big problem for Golden Tate or Marvin Jones Jr., which meant all three players were viable fantasy starters. It may be time to rethink that philosophy with another Detroit Lion coming on strong.

In the first four games of the season, Tate, Golladay and Jones had at least 50 yards in every game. Tate was leading the way with 28 receptions for 389 yards and three touchdowns on 44 targets, which put him at 21.5 fantasy points per game (WR4). Golladay turned 32 targets into 23 receptions for 330 yards and a pair of scores, which made him WR20 at 17 FPG. Jones was WR38 with 12.6 FPG thanks to 15 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns on 29 targets. 

The last three games have been a different story. Not only have those three receivers failed to all post 50 yards in any game, but Week 8 was the only time two of them had at least 50 yards in the same game. Tate had seven receptions for 50 yards on 12 targets while Jones had seven receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 10 targets. Golladay had his worst game of the season with one catch for 12 yards on his only target. In the last three games, each player has just one game with at least 50 yards.

Kerryon Johnson is part of the reason for this dip in production from that group of wide receivers. In Week 8, Johnson had just eight carries for 22 yards, but he caught six of eight targets for 69 yards. In the two previous games, he carried 31 times for 228 yards and added four receptions for 36 yards on five targets. LeGarrette Blount has 25 carries for 75 yards and three touchdowns and a reception for 23 yards over the same span. 

This comes down to whether the Lions can support four fantasy starters from the RB and WR positions. Johnson has played himself into a solid RB2, but these WRs have struggled to play at a consistent level with none of them standing out for more than one game. It's a nice problem to have considering how bad the Lions have been at finding a reliable running back, but it's made the wide receivers an unpredictable fantasy nightmare.

B.S. Meter on the Lions supporting three fantasy wide receivers: 7/10

David Moore Has Taken Over as the Seahawks' Top Fantasy Wide Receiver

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David Moore keeps finding his way into the end zone.

The Seattle Seahawks passing attack is surviving on amazing efficiency. That also means both Russell Wilson and the receiving corps is relying on touchdowns for fantasy value, which can be dangerous. 

In the last three games, David Moore has four touchdowns, which has quickly put him on the fantasy radar. However, he has just nine receptions for 182 yards on 11 targets and one carry for five yards in that span. That means of his 51.7 fantasy points scored in those three games, 46.4 percent have came from touchdowns. It will be hard to keep that efficiency up considering the Seahawks are last in pass attempts per game (26). 

Doug Baldwin posted nine receptions for 118 yards on 12 targets over those same three games. For the season Baldwin has 14 receptions for 159 yards and no touchdowns on 20 targets in five games. Moore has 11 receptions for 221 yards and four scores on 14 targets in seven games. Moore is getting the most out of his targets, but Baldwin is getting the same opportunities. 

The most consistent contributor has been Tyler Lockett. He's turned 34 targets into 25 receptions for 394 yards and six touchdowns. He has just two games with at least five receptions and only three games with at least 60 yards. Of course, he's scored in six of seven games.

Wilson hasn't thrown more than 26 passes in the last five games. Over the last three games, nine of Wilson's 44 completions have gone for touchdowns. That's yet another example of extreme efficiency. Lockett has been the best of the group for the season, yet he's averaging less than five targets per game. Moore has been the best of the wide receivers in the last three games because of the four touchdowns. 

Riding what appears to be the hot hand in Moore can be dangerous because he is so touchdown-reliant, although any reliable production from a Seahawks WR will almost certainly be tied to touchdowns until the team starts attempting more passes. It's hard to say any of these wide receivers are head-and-shoulders above the rest. 

B.S. Meter on Moore taking over as the Seahawks' top fantasy wide receiver: 8/10

It's Time to Bail on David Njoku and the Browns

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Don't be so quick to bail on David Njoku and the Browns.

The Cleveland Browns front office apparently had seen enough after a third straight loss in Week 8. The Browns fired Hue Jackson and Todd Haley as the offensive brain trust, while Gregg Williams takes over as the interim head coach and Freddie Kitchens gets the bump up to offensive coordinator from his job as the running backs coach. This is not an ideal situation for Baker Mayfield and his development, but it doesn't mean you have to bail on the guys who have been producing for fantasy.

It's easy to be down after big changes following disappointing performances from Jarvis Landry, David Njoku and Nick Chubb. However, that would be ignoring that all three of these players came through with strong fantasy production just a week prior. No one is expecting the Browns to turn it all around and go on some big run, but they shouldn't be tossed aside, either.

Chubb couldn't replicate the 80 yards and a touchdown he had in Week 7, but he had his second straight game with 18 carries. There's no doubt Chubb will be in line for a big workload over the second half of the season because they don't have anyone else to handle that many carries and his workload helps take some pressure off Mayfield.

Landry's targets have never been a problem, and that won't be changing anytime soon. He has 94 in eight games, which is an average of 11.8 per game. You'd like more than 49 receptions, but that still means he's averaging more than six receptions a game. The biggest problem is the yards-per-catch average: He's at 10.8 YPC for the season. He does have three games with at least 97 yards, but he also has three games with less than nine yards per catch. Even without big upside, Landry is more than useful. 

Njoku has been Mayfield best target for a month, yet there seems to a lot of overreaction to him drawing no targets in Week 8. Sure, it was a major bummer after such a hot streak, but that doesn't wipe away all of the good will he earned over the previous four games with 22 receptions for 228 yards and two touchdowns on 35 targets. Njoku is part of the solution, so keep the faith after one bad game. 

The Browns may not have any superstar fantasy options, but they still have talent, and even though there was dysfunction over the first eight weeks, this team still provided fantasy production. Matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals over the next month are still appetizing, so don't be in a rush to sell off the aforementioned players. 

B.S. Meter on it being time to bail on Njoku and the Browns: 9/10

The Return of Jack Doyle Kills All of Eric Ebron's Fantasy Value

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Will Eric Ebron have to survive on touchdowns?

The combination of Eric Ebron's hot streak coming to an end in Week 7 and the return of Jack Doyle in Week 8 has caused widespread panic for those who were riding Ebron in the first half of the season. Expectations may need to be adjusted, but we may be back where we started the year, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. 

In his return, Doyle caught six of seven targets for 70 yards and a touchdown to wind up with 19 fantasy points and the second-best performance by a tight end in Week 8. Ebron was the No. 9 tight end with 12.7 fantasy points thanks to three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown. That means both Ebron and Doyle have been top-10 fantasy tight ends in two of the three games Doyle has been active. 

If you want to point to the biggest concern, it was the difference in snaps. Doyle played 73.1 percent, while Ebron was all the way down at 21.8 percent, his lowest of the season and lowest since playing 26.2 percent in Week 2, which was Doyle's last game before he went down with a hip injury.

However, Ebron has been an active red-zone target, and that should remain a big part of his fantasy value. He has 15 red-zone targets and has turned six of those into scores. That includes three touchdowns on four targets inside the 10-yard line. The only players with more red-zone targets than Ebron are Alvin Kamara (18) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (17). 

The Colts aren't loaded with talent in their receiving corps outside of T.Y. Hilton, so they have every reason to keep both Doyle and Ebron involved, especially since Ebron has been such a big part of the success in the passing game as a trusted target of Andrew Luck. Ebron may not be in the top-five tight end conversation anymore, but he's still a fantasy starter, and Doyle can be, too. 

B.S. Meter on the return of Doyle killing all of Ebron's fantasy value: 10/10