Fantasy News & Analysis

Top fantasy takeaways from Week 9's action

HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 05: T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts runs the ball after a reception defended by Marcus Gilchrist #21 of the Houston Texans in the third quarter at NRG Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Week 9 of the 2017 NFL season is nearly in the books and there are a number of major fantasy takeaways. Here’s what you need to know from every game on the Sunday slate.

Baltimore @ Tennessee

DeMarco Murray owners shouldn’t panic … yet.

Yes, Murray’s Week 9 stat line was far from ideal, but it isn’t time to drop him. Murray remains in a committee with Derrick Henry, and actually out-touched Henry 11-10. We’ve seen this before with the Titans, but there’s been little consistent in how Tennessee distributes their backfield touches from week to week. While that can certainly be frustrating for fantasy purposes, Murray is still a starting running back with a favorable offensive line.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans

Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara with a 50:50 split.

Well, not exactly. But it was darn close with Ingram touching the ball 17 times and Kamara receiving 16 touches. Kamara had the bigger fantasy day, but that isn’t a reason to dislike Ingram. He was still productive as a runner with 77 yards on 16 carries, but did not find the end zone. Better days are ahead for Ingram. However, the bigger takeaway here is that Kamara is a borderline RB1 for the fantasy stretch run.

LA Rams @ NY Giants

Is Jared Goff a QB1 going forward?

It’s a question many fantasy owners are asking following Goff’s big production in Week 9. The second-year man threw 311 yards and four scores against a short-handed Giants secondary. Before getting too carried away with Goff, it’s important to consider that the Giants have allowed three or more passing scores in four of their last five games. At the same time, the Rams get a favorable stretch run with plus matchups in Week 10 against Houston, Week 13 against Arizona, Week 14 against Philly, and Week 16 against Tennessee. Goff will very much be in the QB1 conversation over the second half of the season.

Denver @ Philadelphia

Jay Ajayi shines in debut.

The newly acquired running back only touched the ball eight times, but he made quite an impression with 77 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Ajayi’s role will continue to increase going forward, and despite a crowded house in the Philly backfield, fantasy owners can consider him an RB2-plus with massive weekly upside.

Atlanta @ Carolina

Panthers final take the training wheels off of Christian McCaffrey.

The rookie running back saw a season-high 15 carries, notching 66 yards and a score to go along with five catches for 28 yards. More importantly, McCaffrey received four more carries than Jonathan Stewart. If this touch distribution continues, McCaffrey will be an RB1 for the fantasy stretch run. For now, it’s wise to continue to consider him an RB2-plus with backend RB1 potential in PPR formats.

Cincinnati @ Jacksonville

Joe Mixon remains a front-end RB2.

Sure, he only had 46 scrimmage yards on 16 touches, but Mixon did manage to find the end zone against a good Jaguars defense. While his yardage numbers aren’t encouraging, Mixon is still dominating the backfield touches

Indianapolis @ Houston

This is why you don’t bench T.Y. Hilton.

It’s been a frustrating season for Hilton owners. The Colts receiver has an extremely high ceiling, but an equally low floor. However, that high ceiling was on full display on Sunday, as Hilton put up 175 yards and two scores against the Texans. Every week won’t be like this one, but fantasy owners need to continue to start Hilton as a WR2 no matter what going forward.

Arizona @ San Francisco

Don’t get too carried away with Adrian Peterson.

The veteran back racked up 159 yards on a whopping 37 carries, but fantasy owners need to proceed with caution. This was the perfect matchup for Peterson with the 49ers surrendering the most fantasy points per game to running backs entering the week. Don’t take this as a sign to come for Peterson. He’s likely to come crashing back to earth against the Seahawks next week.

Washington @ Seattle

Chris Thompson posts a dud.

This is the danger of relying on a receiving back like Thompson. His big-play upside has made him a valuable asset in fantasy this season, but his role in the offense means a limited workload, especially when Rob Kelley is healthy. That volatility makes Thompson a less-than-ideal option to rely on over the last month of the fantasy regular season.

Kansas City @ Dallas

Buy low on Kareem Hunt.

There are a lot of panicking Hunt owners out there in fantasy land. Sure, he hasn’t scored a touchdown in a month and a half. But the rookie back is playing well and had a terrible game script in this contest. He also gets a soft schedule over the next seven weeks. Strike while the iron isn’t hot and trade for Hunt while you still can.

Oakland @ Miami

Marshawn Lynch finally delivers.

It took over two months, but Lynch finally managed to post an RB1 week for fantasy owners. Lynch doesn’t have a particularly high ceiling, but as the Raiders go, so does he. With Derek Carr seemingly out of the funk that plague his early-season play, Oakland is moving the ball much more effectively. That bodes well for Lynch who should be considered and every-week RB1 when the Raiders return from bye.

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit