Fantasy Football Week 9: Big-Play Performers Sure To Be Point Machines
Fantasy football Week 9 is almost upon us, and with six teams on bye, big plays become more important than usual.
The big play is essential to just about any strong fantasy football week. One big catch or run can turn a mediocre or substandard week into a great one. And in many cases, a big play is the difference between a win and a loss.
These 20 players are the best big-play candidates of Week 9, and we'll break down just how well they'll fare, why they're a big-play candidate, and who they're up against. Let's get started.
20. Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys
1 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Witten's season has gotten a jumpstart in the last four weeks, posting 80-or-more receiving yards in three of his last four games. With Jon Kitna under center again for the Cowboys, Witten is the go-to target in the passing game.
Who’s the Matchup: Green Bay ranks 23rd in the NFL against opposing tight ends, and Witten is one of the best at exploiting favorable matchups.
The Verdict: With Kitna at the helm, you can expect Jason to have another big game: eight catches, 80 yards.
19. Jacob Tamme, TE, Indianapolis Colts
2 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Tamme showed fantasy owners that perhaps the Colts won't be quite so lost without Dallas Clark for the rest of the season, as he posted 64 yards and a touchdown against the Texans last week. His skill set is very similar to Clark's. As he gets more used to the offense, he'll only improve.
Who’s the Matchup: Philadelphia's defense is awful against opposing tight ends in 2010, ranking 26th against the position in 2010. The Eagles lack linebackers fast enough, and cornerbacks big enough, to keep up with most NFL tight ends.
The Verdict: Tamme showed he belonged last week. Expect him to build on that performance: six catches, 80 yards.
18. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
3 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Mendenhall's carries may have dipped with Ben Roethlisberger back, but his yard totals have still been solid. Rashard has shown himself capable of ripping off a big play now and then.
Who’s the Matchup: The Bengals defense is swiftly becoming a train wreck in 2010, and they've been incapable of stopping the run the last few weeks.
The Verdict: Big day for Mendenhall, even if he doesn't get as many carries as usual: 15 carries, 83 yards.
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17. Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans
4 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: When he's healthy, Johnson is the best wideout in the NFL, capable of ripping off a big play regardless of the coverage against him and the defense he's up against.
Who’s the Matchup: San Diego ranks second in the NFL against opposing wideouts, but the Chargers have shown an ability to get torched on occasion this season.
The Verdict: Johnson is down this far because we still aren't sure of the health of his injured ankle. Even so, Andre at 80 percent is better than four-fifths of the wideouts in the NFL: eight catches, 85 yards.
16. Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints
5 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Colston has come alive in recent weeks and he's the best big play threat in New Orleans' arsenal. His size, speed and hands make him a popular target for Drew Brees.
Who’s the Matchup: Carolina, which ranks third against opposing wideouts. But the Panthers have shown that they're vulnerable to the Saints' passing attack before. What's to say they won't be again?
The Verdict: With no one to fear in the Panthers' secondary, look for Brees to look for and find Colston early and often in this one: six catches, 85 yards.
15. Mike Williams, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Williams has developed into the most reliable receiver in Tampa Bay this season, and as such, he's always a threat to break off a big play or two.
Who’s the Matchup: Atlanta, which ranks 25th against opposing wideouts.
The Verdict: Williams will be counted on to come up big in a game. The Bucs need to win if they want to take the NFC South crown. Look for him to do just that: seven catches, 87 yards.
14. Anquan Boldin, WR, Baltimore Ravens
7 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Boldin is the best wideout in Baltimore and quarterback Joe Flacco loves calling his number on deep pass routes.
Who’s the Matchup: Miami has given up 200 yards receiving to wideouts in two of their last three opponents. And the Dolphins lack the cover corners to stop Anquan.
The Verdict: With no one capable of containing him, look for Boldin to run roughshod over the Dolphins this week: eight catches, 89 yards.
13. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears
8 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Forte's running skills might not be all that good, but he's the best receiving running back in football, making him difficult to shut down.
Who’s the Matchup: The Bills rank second-to-last against the run in 2010.
The Verdict: Even Forte can find room to run against the Bills' anemic defense: 15 carries, 65 yards, four receptions, 30 yards
12. Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders
9 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Run DMC has been one of the most versatile backs in the NFL in 2010. He has also been one of the most potent, as he has yet to be held under 100 total yards in any game he's played this season.
Who’s the Matchup: The Raiders square off against the Kansas City Chiefs, which rank 18th against opposing running backs in 2010.
The Verdict: The Chiefs have struggled to contain versatile backs in 2010, giving up a big day to Frank Gore in San Francisco. McFadden should continue that trend: 20 carries, 80 yards, three receptions, 20 yards.
11. Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons
10 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Turner has been a yardage eater in 2010, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He loves ripping off those 20-yard runs, and those have a tendency to add up.
Who’s the Matchup: Tampa Bay's defense has held just two opponents under 100 yards rushing in 2010.
The Verdict: Turner is one of the NFL's best backs, and with a soft defense this week, the yards should come easy: 20 carries, 100 yards.
10. Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts
11 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Wayne is the best wideout in Indianapolis, and with few other proven options to throw to right now in Indianapolis, Wayne is getting plenty of targets and big play opportunities.
Who’s the Matchup: Philadelphia's defense ranks 13th against the pass, but the Eagles are much more vulnerable over the top than that ranking would have you believe. They're a high-risk, high-reward secondary. And they get burned a lot.
The Verdict: Big day for Wayne, as Manning takes advantage of Philly's aggressive secondary: nine catches, 100 yards.
9. Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
12 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Charles is one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL. He's a threat to break off a massive play every time he touches the football, and he's had excellent games in 2010 despite the presence of Thomas Jones.
Who’s the Matchup: Oakland has been positively atrocious against the run in 2010, and they've been powerless to stop even the most punchless of rushing attacks.
The Verdict: This one could see lots of yards on the ground on both sides, with four running backs capable of chewing up turf like crazy: 15 carries, 100 yards.
8. Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay Packers
13 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: He's the only reliable, healthy wideout in Green Bay right now, and he's fully capable of taking full advantage of that situation.
Who’s the Matchup: Dallas' secondary has been a royal mess in 2010, and it's only gotten worse as the season has progressed. The Cowboys are powerless to stop the league's best receivers, and Jennings fits into that category.
The Verdict: A soft secondary, plus a lack of other healthy options, means Jennings is poised for another big game this week: nine catches, 100 yards.
7. Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants
14 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Nicks is Eli Manning's favorite target in 2010. He's shown himself capable of running up some big play totals, with three 100-yard receiving games in his last four outings.
Who’s the Matchup: The Seahawks' pass defense ranks 21st in the NFL, and they've looked much worse than that on occasion this season.
The Verdict: With a crappy secondary on the schedule and a week to rest his injured hamstring (which seemed fine before that, anyway), Nicks is primed for another stellar game this week: eight catches, 105 yards.
6. LaDanian Tomlinson, RB, New York Jets
15 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: LT has been fantastic for his owners in 2010, snagging the starting job and averaging five yards per carry this season, routinely breaking off the big plays he was known for in his prime.
Who’s the Matchup: Detroit has the NFL's worst run defense, and Tomlinson has re-emerged as one of the game's better runners. Mismatch much?
The Verdict: Look for Tomlinson's renaissance to continue against the hapless paper Lions this week: 20 carries, 105 yards.
5. LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
16 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: LeSean McCoy has proven to be one of the NFL's most dynamic runners this season. He's capable of bouncing outside or blasting up the middle for big gains, and he has averaged 4.5 yards per carry in 2010.
Who’s the Matchup: The Colts' defense ranks 27th against the run, and we've seen them get lit up by explosive backs like McCoy before.
The Verdict: With McCoy rolling and the Colts defense unable to stop the run, expect big things from the Eagles' runner this week: 25 carries, 110 yards.
4. Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons
17 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: White is one of the NFL's premier deep-threat wideouts. With his combination of size and speed, he routinely smokes double teams that opponents throw at him. With four games over 100 receiving yards (including last week's 201-yard masterpiece), White is capable of blowing up even the sturdiest of defenses.
Who’s the Matchup: Tampa Bay, which ranks just 25th against opposing wideouts. White should have a field day against the Bucs' soft secondary.
The Verdict: White has eviscerated much better defenses than Tampa's, so expect great things from Roddy this week: nine catches, 115 yards.
3. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions
18 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Johnson has become one of the NFL's top four wide receivers, capable of overpowering smaller opponents and smoking bigger ones. Megatron has some of the best hands in football, and he's capable of beating the obligatory double coverage every time a pass is thrown his way. He's posted back-to-back 100-yard games.
Who’s the Matchup: The Jets defense ranks a surprising 26th against opposing wide receivers, and neither Antonio Cromartie nor Darrelle Revis has a prayer of shutting down Johnson.
The Verdict: Megatron ought to continue his run of stellar play against a Jets' defense that looks shaky against the pass in 2010: eight catches, 115 yards.
2. Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers
19 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Gates has been flat-out dominant in 2010, ripping off big receptions and making plays all season long for San Diego. Sure, he's a little beat up right now. But if he plays, he'll have a monster game.
Who’s the Matchup: Houston's defense has been atrocious in 2010, ranking 31st against opposing tight ends. You don't think Gates can smoke them regardless of his injury status?
The Verdict: The injuries to his feet are cause for concern. But if he plays, expect another monster performance from Antonio this week: 10 catches, 115 yards.
1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
20 of 20
Why He’s a Big Play Performer: Peterson is one of the NFL's best backs (in case you hadn't been paying attention the last few years). He's explosive, powerful and holds on to the football better than ever. He's averaging 4.7 yards per carry in 2010, and he is capable of ripping off a 30-yard gain at any time.
Who’s the Matchup: Arizona has been downright awful against the run in 2010, ranking 29th against opposing running backs.
The Verdict: With a soft defense, a passing game that's in disarray, and the talent to take advantage, Peterson is in line for an epic performance: 25 carries, 125 yards.
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