NFL Reactions: Week 9 Recap

Fantasy managers hate nothing more than when nondescript players frequent the end zone on a given Sunday. It was one of those fantasy days. Some of today's touchdowns were scored by Patrick Ricard, Chris Manhertz, Quintin Morris, Nick Vannett, Mack Hollins, Ray Davis, Trey Benson, Zamir White, Joshua Palmer, Ray-Ray McCloud, Theo Johnson, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Andrei Iosivas, Foster Moreau and Mike Gesicki. Of course, some of those players helped those of us in deeper leagues, but you get my point. Let's look at the Week 9 action.
 

Lions at Packers

It rained throughout this entire game, which definitely foreshadowed the action on the field. As often is the case, the Lions ran the ball effectively and did not have to throw many passes. The only Detroit pass catcher with more than three targets or 28 yards was Amon-Ra St. Brown, who remains the only receiver we can count on each week. David Montgomery recorded 96 scrimmage yards while Jahmyr Gibbs  tallied 76 yards and a touchdown. The big losers were Jared Goff and Sam LaPorta. Goff attempted 22 passes and unlike other weeks, he only threw a single touchdown. LaPorta was targeted three times, which is a typical week for him. Unfortunately, there was no big play this week, and the tight end posted just 28 yards. Both Goff and LaPorta will be matchup options each week.

A ton of credit should be given to Jordan Love, who played this game on a wet field despite battling through a groin injury. However, facing a stout Detroit defense and playing from behind, the quarterback was unable to put many points on the scoreboard. The only receiver with more than 37 yards was Jayden Reed, who caught five passes for 113 yards, leading to his first good game in a number of weeks. Unfortunately, Reed is mostly a boom-or-bust weekly fantasy option. Also, Josh Jacobs recorded 108 scrimmage yards, but only caught two passes while failing to find the end zone. It was a  strong performance for real life, but a middling effort for fantasy. Jacobs still remains a strong weekly fantasy option. The good news for Love is that he will have next week off, which hopefully will help him recover from his injury.

Rams at Seahawks

Demarcus Robinson has been a beast whenever the Rams have Cooper Kupp and/or Puka Nacua on the field. Since last year when Robinson became the No. 3 WR, he has had a great floor when he's been paired up with his star teammates. When Kupp and Nacua were out, Robinson was ordinary. The bottom line: consider the veteran a high-floor fantasy option with upside. Kyren Williams pretty much scores a touchdown in every game he plays. However, against the Seahawks, he was stopped on multiple occasions near the goal line. Still, Williams posted 94 scrimmage yards and remains an elite weekly fantasy option. Puka Nacua was ejected in the first half for throwing a punch. Chalk it up as bad luck for fantasy managers. As long as the second-year receiver is healthy, he's obviously one of the best fantasy options in the league. Cooper Kupp led the team with 11 catches for 104 yards. It's difficult to predict the superstar's performance each week, but his upside remains apparent anytime he suits up. 

Seattle remains a weird team for fantasy. The team has had big-yardage games when they play with a deficit. Regardless, Geno Smith usually throws for one TD per game. That was not the case this week. Yes, Smith was sacked seven times and under pressure all day. Yes, the QB threw a trio of interceptions. However, Smith also passed for 363 yards and three scores. Although Tyler Lockett posted 63 yards and a TD, the huge story of the day was Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The second-year receiver had a massive second half. When the dust settled, Smith-Njigba had a career game with 180 yards and a pair of TD catches. For most of the season, Smith-Njigba has been a floor play. Don't expect many games like this, but it was great to see it is in his range of outcomes. Seattle has a bye next week and hopes to get DK Metcalf back from a knee injury the following week.

Broncos at Ravens

When looking at the records of these teams coming into this game, it looked like we'd have an instant classic. Instead, the Ravens showed the difference between a team with an elite offense against a squad that has looked great against weaker competition.

For the Ravens, only three players were needed to beat the Broncos. Lamar Jackson attempted just 19 passes, but three of those ended up in the end zone. Also, Zay Flowers posted another 100-yard game while scoring twice. And of course, Derrick Henry topped 100 rushing yards while scoring twice as well. We obviously can expect the stars on this team to do well just about every week. We can reasonably expect volatility from Mark Andrews, and he will remain a threat to post 50 yards and/or score a touchdown in many of his remaining games.

There's no doubt that the Broncos have a limited offense. Things could get particularly troubling for this unit when it falls behind on the scoreboard. Bo Nix certainly has weekly upside due to his rushing ability. The rookie should be considered a weekly matchup play with big upside when the matchup is favorable. Although there is plenty of volatility each week for Courtland Sutton, he is the leading receiver for Denver and should be considered a WR3. Fortunately for fantasy managers, both Sutton and Nix collected a few extra garbage-time points by playing long after the game was out of hand. Finally, Javonte Williams remains involved as both a runner and receiver. Although the running back frequently lacks upside, he should remain a reasonable floor play in PPR leagues. 

Cowboys at Falcons

This game was a nightmare scenario for the Cowboys. Both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb left this game early with injuries. If either of these players misses extended time, the entire offense will be in deep trouble. Surprisingly, Rico Dowdle turned 17 touches into 107 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown. On the touchdown, Dowdle lost control of the ball after it popped into the air, but fortunately it fell right back into the running back's stomach. The only other Dallas player who outperformed expectations was Jake Ferguson. The tight end was targeted 10 times, resulting in 71 yards. It's difficult to project this offense until the injury situation is cleared up. 

Drake London injured his hip after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter. Otherwise, the Falcons went with a run-heavy approach against a Dallas team they controlled throughout. Fortunately, Kirk Cousins turned 24 pass attempts into three touchdowns. With most of his production in the first half, Darnell Mooney ended with 88 yards and a touchdown. Even though Bijan Robinson didn't find the end zone, the running back handled 26 touches that turned into 145 yards. Overall, this offense has a high weekly floor, but the only games in which they've really exploded was when they faced the Buccaneers on two occasions. If London misses time with his injury, this offense will be much easier for opponents to defend.

Dolphins at Bills

Wow! Tyler Bass drilled a 61-yard field goal to beat the Dolphins in the waning seconds of this game. This has been the year of the long field goals. However, it was an interesting road for the Bills to get to that point. Buffalo used a conservative game script in the first half, possibly because the team was without Amari Cooper. However, the scoring was incredible throughout the second half. Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns. That said, with 235 passing yards and seven rushing yards, it wasn't the best fantasy day that he's had. It should be noted that the quarterback did have a rushing score overturned by penalty. In a weird offensive performance, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson had one fewer rushing yard than James Cook. Also, Davis had a 63-yard receiving touchdown. For those hoping for big fantasy output from the stars on this team, the other two touchdowns were scored by Quintin Morris and Mack Hollins. Hopefully, the bills get Cooper back in the lineup soon. His presence forces defenses to open up the field for others. 

It was an odd game on offense for the Dolphins. In the first half, their rushing attack was outstanding. De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert combined for more than 100 scrimmage yards. With the scoring kicking up in the second half, Tyreek Hill ended the day with 80 yards, though he was targeted just five times. Also, Jaylen Waddle  scored a late touchdown to salvage his fantasy day. However, the receiver had a weird stat line of -4 yards, but his yardage was impacted on the last play of a game when the team lateraled the ball, and Waddle ran backward about 20 yards. At this point, Achane is probably the only Miami player we're starting with confidence. Otherwise, Hill is basically a WR3 while Waddle is at the point where he cannot be trusted in lineups aside from expecting a few PPR points each week. 

Chargers at Browns

Cleveland could not have laid a bigger egg than it did at home against the Chargers. Jameis Winston reminded us of the quarterback who threw 30 interceptions back in his days with the Buccaneers by tossing a trio of picks. The Browns fell behind quickly and had to become one-dimensional on offense. That is definitely not a recipe for success, even though they did an amazing job playing from behind in the last couple games. Both Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy had double-digit targets. Tillman and Jeudy should continue to have solid scoring floors in PPR leagues. Tillman is the big-play option on this squad and looks like a top-30 WR option. Also, Nick Chubb had plenty of volume, but little space to run. At this point, the veteran may need positive matchups to be a useful fantasy option.

Justin Herbert had most of his 282 yards along with two touchdown passes in the first half of this game. The quarterback benefited from a pair of blown coverages by the Cleveland defense. Those mistakes led to touchdowns by Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer. Ladd McConkey had another solid PPR performance. Finally, late production when the game was out of hand allowed J.K. Dobbins to rush for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Aside from trusting McConkey as a high-floor PPR option, and Dobbins as a volume-based play, the rest of the Chargers offense likely will remain matchup plays. That said, when healthy, Johnston has been impressive in the majority of his games. He's had a few favorable circumstances lead to big plays, but that certainly is not his fault because he's taking advantage of them.

Bears at Cardinals

The Cardinals led throughout and needed to do little on offense in the second half. Kyler Murray attempted just 20 passes and was not needed as a runner. Although James Conner rushed for 107 yards, his backup running backs scored both of the team's rushing touchdowns. Trey McBride suffered from lack of pass attempts, but he ran in a short touchdown to salvage his fantasy day. Even though Marvin Harrison caught two passes for 34 yards, again the game was not conducive to him being productive. Overall, the Cardinals' offense is difficult to predict each week, and this game offered little insight to build on.

This was the second dreadful performance in a row by Caleb Williams. It appears that defenses are going to sell out to blitz the young quarterback. Unfortunately, the Chicago coaching staff has no answers on how to make things easy for Williams. The great games that Williams had weeks ago are far in the rear-view mirror. Unless this coaching staff gets fired, it's hard to count on much from the Chicago passing attack. Fortunately, D'Andre Swift received 22 touches, leading him to a solid yardage total. DJ Moore  has had four terrible performances in the last five games. It's difficult to recommend him as a fantasy option. 

Commanders at Giants

With Brian Robinson out with a hamstring injury, Austin Ekeler turned 14 touches into 83 yards and a touchdown. Aside from the running back having success, Terry McLaurin was only targeted three times. However, despite posting just 19 yards, both of the receiver's catches were touchdowns. Jayden Daniels and McLaurin are the two high-end weekly fantasy options on this team. Also, Ekeler remains a matchup play with his best value in PPR leagues. Hopefully, Robinson returns soon.

Although Tyrone Tracy didn't have a dominant game, he handled the ball 17 times, resulting in 69 yards. The only other New York player we're starting with confidence each week is Malik Nabers.  Although the rookie has not posted the eye-popping numbers he did earlier in the season, he usually flirts with double-digit targets, making him an excellent fantasy option each week. 

Jaguars at Eagles

The biggest story from this game is that A.J. Brown suffered a knee injury and didn't return. If the superstar misses time, it will be a massive loss for the entire Philadelphia offense. Otherwise, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith had excellent fantasy performances in leading the Eagles to 28 points. This game was actually a blowout until the Eagles made some late mistakes to let the Jaguars walk right back in. Before Philadelphia completely let the game slip away, Nakobi Dean had an incredible interception with less than two minutes to go to help his team win by five points.

Although the box score shows the Jaguars scored 23 points, one of those touchdowns was a defensive score. Also, Trevor Lawrence failed to reach 170 passing yards, but he did run in a pair of short touchdowns, making him the only strong fantasy producer on the team. The leading receiver was Evan Engram, who caught five passes for 45 yards. Finally, the backfield was a disaster. The three Jacksonville running backs combined for 44 scrimmage yards. It should be noted that Brian Thomas played this game at less than full health. Aside from Engram and Thomas, it is difficult to trust any Jaguars players in fantasy.

Raiders at Bengals

It's crazy to think that Joe Burrow tossed five touchdown passes, but not one of them went to Ja'Marr Chase. Of course, the Bengals were in control most of the game. As we talked about in the RotoWire Sunday "start/sit" livestream on YouTube, Mike Gesicki has been an excellent fantasy option in games that Tee Higgins sits out. True to form, the tight end posted 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Also, with Zack Moss sitting this one out, I didn't expect that Chase Brown would get all of the carries. I could not have been more wrong. Brown handled 27 rushes and five targets. That volume led to 157 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown. Still, when projecting Cincinnati players, it will be important to look at the individual matchups. Facing the Raiders is a treat they won't be able to enjoy every week.

Those who thought that Gardner Minshew's temporary job was safe were not correct. With Las Vegas getting blown out by the Bengals, Desmond Ridder ended the game with one fewer pass attempt than Minshew. Fortunately, the backup quarterback got Brock Bowers a garbage-time touchdown to salvage his fantasy day. The only other useful fantasy player was Jakobi Meyers, who caught eight passes for 105 yards. Fantasy managers should expect a high ceiling from both Meyers and Bowers. To trust any other player on this offense may not be wise.

Saints at Panthers

The Saints lost Chris Olave to a concussion early in this game. As soon as that happened, it became quite clear that Alvin Kamara would see as many touches as he could handle. The running back did not disappoint. Although Kamara did not score, he handled 35 touches for 215 yards. Also, those who trusted Taysom Hill were rewarded with 60 scrimmage yards, four receptions and a rushing touchdown. It's difficult to think that Olave will be back next week after suffering his second concussion of the season. Hopefully, the receiver gets back to full health soon. For fantasy, Kamara and Hill are probably the only players we can count on until Olave returns. That said, Hill is as boom-or-bust as they come.

Even though Bryce Young led the Panthers to victory, it was far from an impressive passing performance. The only strong fantasy producer in this game was Chuba Hubbard, who rushed 15 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Although Ja'Tavion Sanders continued to see regular target volume, an improbable 46-yard reception helped the rookie to an 87-yard  performance. The tight end has certainly worked his way into the conversation as a top-20 tight end. Hubbard will continue to be a volume-based option as long as Jonathon Brooks (knee) remains sidelined.

Patriots at Titans

Drake Maye continues to use his legs to keep him as a strong fantasy option. The biggest play of the day for the rookie was when he scrambled for at least 10 seconds at the end of regulation before tossing a TD strike to Rhamondre Stevenson to send this game to overtime. Stevenson's work as a receiver helped him have a great fantasy day. The running back rushed 10 times for 15 yards, but with 38  receiving yards to go with a pair of touchdowns, no fantasy manager will complain about the bottom line. Stevenson remains a volume based fantasy play. Finally, Hunter Henry has been a strong fantasy option in every game he's played with his rookie quarterback. In PPR leagues, Henry should be considered a top-12 option.

In one of the biggest oddities of the season, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has scored a touchdown in four consecutive games. This game made more sense than the last three, as the receiver was targeted six times, and the pass catcher may be working his way into a bigger role in the offense. In very deep leagues, Westbrook-Ikhine could be considered a depth option. Also, Tony Pollard has been outstanding all season. Despite missing the entire week of practice with the toe injury, the veteran handled 31 touches, resulting in 154 scrimmage yards. Calvin Ridley led the team with 73 receiving yards. The receiver has now had two good games in a row and tentatively can be considered back in the top-40 conversation at his position.

Injuries 

• CeeDee Lamb sustained a shoulder injury.
• A.J. Brown suffered a knee injury.
• Drake London injured his hip in the first quarter.
• Chris Olave suffered a concussion for the second time in about a month.
• Dak Prescott sustained a hamstring injury. Cooper Rush took over at quarterback.
• Darius Slayton was checked for a concussion in the fourth quarter.
• Erick All injured his knee.
• Cedrick Wilson sustained a shoulder injury.