NFL Week 9 Takeaways

In what seemed to be a low-scoring week with very close matchups in all of my leagues, I hope you were victorious as we inch closer to playoff contention. Let’s dive into Week 9 takeaways and look ahead to Week 10.

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Buccaneers at Texans

C.J. Stroud put Houston back on the map by completing 30/42 for 470 yards with five passing touchdowns. Stroud became the first QB to throw five TDs this season and just the fifth rookie QB in NFL history to throw five passing touchdowns in a single game since Daniel Jones in 2019. Stroud’s 470 passing yards are the most by a rookie since Marc Bulger’s 453 yards in 2002. What a day for him. One small caveat, Tampa Bay allows the second-most passing yards per game.

Noah Brown led the Texans’ WRs with six grabs for 153 yards and one TD. Dalton Shultz was TE1 this week with 10 receptions for 130 yards and one TD. Tank Dell caught six balls for 114 and two TDs. Shultz and Dell each saw a Week 9-high 11 targets. Nico Collins tallied three catches for 54 yards and one TD. If Dell is somehow available in your league, he should be the number one waiver add this week. Devin Singletary started at RB with Dameon Pierce out but tallied 13 carries for 26 yards and two catches for zero yards.

Tampa Bay fell short against Houston as they were paced by Rachaad White, who carried the ball 20 times for 76 yards with two rushing touchdowns and four catches for 46 yards. White was RB1 in Week 9 after getting a season-high in rushing attempts. Baker Mayfield tossed the ball 21/30 for 265 yards and two passing TDs. Cade Otton was the recipient of both passing TDs, finishing with six catches for 70 yards. Mike Evans added four grabs for 87 yards. Otton is an interesting TE waiver add.

Takeaway:

The Texans will hit the road to Cincinnati. In the last four, the Bengals are allowing 17 points per game. The Bengals’ defense allows the fourth most points to TEs, making Shultz a potential smash start and the 10th-most points to RBs. In the air, Cincinnati is middle of the pack, so Stroud and his WR corps should make for quality starts, as I anticipate a lot of points in the game.
The Buccaneers will host the Titans, who are middle of the pack defensively for fantasy purposes. I would start the Buc’s skill players with ease in this matchup.

Vikings at Falcons

Fresh off a trade from the Cardinals, Joshua Dobbs entered the game after Jaren Hall sustained a concussion in his first NFL start and led the Vikings to victory with a strong performance on short notice. Dobbs completed 20/30 for 158 yards with two passing touchdowns and led Minnesota in rushing with 66 rushing yards and a rushing score. T.J. Hockenson saw a team-high 12 targets for seven catches for 69 yards. Alexander Mattison totaled 18 touches for 93 yards and a receiving score.

Taylor Heinicke got his first start as a Falcon and nearly had a fourth-quarter comeback victory if it wasn’t for Dobbs’ heroics. Heinicke finished with 268 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. Bijan Robinson rushed 11 times for 51 yards, adding two catches for eight yards, and lost a fumble. Tyler Allgeier toted the ball 12 times for 39 yards and one score. This RB committee is a complete headache for all. The TE situation in ATL isn’t any different as Jonna Smith led all Falcon pass-catchers with five receptions for 100 yards and one TD on six targets. Kyle Pitts saw five targets on the afternoon, finishing with four catches for 56 yards. It should be noted that Drake London was out due to injury. Atlanta finds ways to score, but it’s less than ideal for fantasy.

Takeaway:

Dobbs will make his home start against the Saints, who allow the seventh-fewest fantasy points to QB and fifth yards passing yards per game. New Orleans allows the second-fewest yards per game to TEs, the sixth-fewest points to RBs, and the 11th-fewest to WRs. This matchup is dicey for the Vikings, especially if Hockenson misses the game due to a rib/oblique injury.
Atlanta hits the road to the desert, where they’re only 2.5-point favorites. For me, this concerning, considering the Cardinals allow the third-most fantasy points to RBs, the bread and butter for the Falcons. Arizona allows the ninth-most fantasy points to QBs and WRs but the sixth-fewest to TEs. I am sure ATL will score points, but where they come from is a coin flip with Arthur Smith.

Bears at Saints

Taysom Hill is the most diverse TE/QB I’ve ever seen in fantasy, and it’s almost annoying. Hill completed one pass for three yards with a passing TD. He led the Saints in rushing with 11 carries for 52 yards and added four catches for 13 yards and a receiving TD. Derek Carr proved to be a strong streamer completing 25/34 for 211 yards and two passing scores against the Bears, who allow the second-most points to QBs. Alvin Kamara had 13 touches for 70 all-purpose yards, which was a season-low in touches. Chris Olave caught six passes for 46 yards and one TD.

Tyson Bagent had his best Justin Fields impression going 18/30 for 220 yards with two TDs and three interceptions while adding 70 yards rushing. D’Onta Foreman carried the ball 20 times for 83 yards, while Roschon Johnson only saw two carries and one reception. Cole Kmet caught both TDs from Bagent and finished with six catches for 55 yards.

Takeaway:

The Saints travel to U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings are a middle-of-the-pack fantasy defense to QBs, TEs, and RBs. WRs score the fourth-most against the Vikings, making Chris Olave a great start and Rashid Shasheed a sneaky streamer start. My worry about the Saints is their struggles in the red zone.
Chicago will host the Panthers on Thursday Night Football, which should be a brutal game to watch. Justin Fields may be ready on a short week, but if he’s not, the Panthers surprisingly allow the second-fewest yards per game to QBs, the fifth-fewest fantasy points to WRs, and the second-fewest yards per game to TEs. Carolina does allow the second most fantasy points to RBs, making Foreman the only viable starter for the Bears should Fields not play.

Cowboys at Eagles

The Eagles outlasted the Cowboys by inches. Philadelphia was led by Jalen Hurts, who passed for 207 yards with two passing touchdowns and 36 rushing yards with one rushing TD. D’Andre Swift rushed 18 times for only 43 yards and added two catches for 31 yards, but Kenneth Gainwell got the lone rushing score. A.J. Brown caught seven balls for 66 yards and a TD on nine targets, but his streak of 125 receiving yards ends at six games. DeVonta Smith made the most of his three targets, catching all three for 51 yards and one score. Smith’s fortunes should rise. Unfortunately, Dallas Goedert fractured his right foreman and is expected to miss time.

Dak Prescott’s upswing continued with 29/44 for a season-high 374 passing yards and three touchdowns. Dak has now thrown 8 TDs while averaging 316 passing yards in his last three games. As expected, Ceedee Lamb drew a Week 9-high 16 targets with 11 receptions for 191 receiving yards. Lamb has drawn double-digit targets in consecutive weeks for the first time this season. Jake Ferguson was more involved with 10 targets, securing seven balls for 91 yards and one TD. Tony Pollard finished with 12 carries for 51 yards and three receptions for 12 yards.

Takeaway:

We will get a Super Bowl LVII rematch on Monday Night Football as the Eagles travel to Arrowhead. The Chiefs allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to QBs, ninth-fewest to WRs, the seventh-fewest to TEs, and the 12th-fewest to RBs. This is a different defense than the one we all saw in the Super Bowl and will be a true test for the Eagles, but you have to start your Eagles. Temper your expectations.
The Cowboys will host the NY Giants, who allow the sixth-most fantasy points to RBs. Pollard needs a big game for his fantasy faithful, given the matchup. New York allows the seventh-fewest points to QBs, and it will be interesting to see how Prescott fairs following his best three-game stretch of the season.

Bills at Bengals

Joe Burrow is that guy again. He completed 31/44 for 348 yards and two touchdowns while completing a pass to eight different pass catchers; Burrow has 10 passing TDs over his last four games, which is tied for first over that span. Tee Higgins had a team-high nine targets for eight receptions for 110 yards. Ja’Marr Chase tallied four grabs for 41 yards on eight targets. Joe Mixon added 11 carries for 25 yards and one rushing score.

Josh Allen did his best to keep it close on Sunday Night Football, posting 258 passing yards with one passing score and one interception. Allen led the Bills in rushing with 44 yards and a rushing TD. Dalton Kincaid was targeted a team-high 11 times, securing 10 receptions for 81 yards. Over the last three games, Kincaid is averaging 73.6 yards on 8.6 targets, and if this pace continues, he would rank third in targets amongst TEs. Stefon Diggs added six catches for 86 yards with one TD and a 2-point conversion on seven targets.

Takeaway:

Cincinnati continues their homestand in facing the Texans. This is one of my favorite matchups in Week 10, as Houston allows the third-fewest points to opposing WRs and 10th-most points to RBs. Each defense is good but not great, so I would expect some fireworks in this game. Start your Bengals with confidence.
Buffalo has the fortune to face the Broncos in Highmark Stadium and hopefully jump-start this offense. As we all know by now, the Broncos, on paper, allow the most points to RBs, so I hope the Bills brass get James Cook involved heavily. Denver allows the eighth-most to QBs and third-most to TEs but the 11th-fewest to WRs. Kincaid should continue to build as the number two pass-catcher for Allen.

Notables:

Sadly, Germany only saw four offensive TDs from the Chiefs and Dolphins. Each team would like to forget this one and get back to business after their bye week.
Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua each drew seven targets but combined for five catches for 50 yards behind Brett Rypien. It’s a shame, but I wouldn’t start either until Matthew Stafford returns.
Jerome Ford led the Browns with 20 carries for 44 yards and added five receptions for 33 yards on seven targets. Kareem Hunt saw 14 carries for 38 yards and one TD. Ford is the all-purpose back, while Hunt looks to be the red-zone back. Both are viable options moving forward with Deshaun Watson healthy despite a tough matchup next against Baltimore, who held Seattle to 28 yards on 15 carries.
Speaking of Watson being healthy, fire up Amari Cooper. Copper scored the fourth-most WR points in Week 9 with five grabs for 139 yards and one TD. Browns’ offense is trending upward and could be matchup-proof as the season moves along.
Aaron Jones was a welcome site for fantasy shareholders after getting 20 carries for 73 yards with a rushing score, adding four catches for 26 yards. This was Jones’ first time seeing 20 carries this season and just the seventh time in his career to have 20+ carries in a game. Hopefully, more to come for the Packers’ best player as he faces the Steelers, who allow the seventh-most points to RBs.
The Ravens ran for 298 yards against the Seahawks. Keaton Mitchell rushed nine times for 138 yards and one TD. Lamar Jackson ran for 60 yards, and Gus Edwards rushed five times for 52 yards and two scores. Justice Hill rushed for 40 yards on 13 times. Why pass the ball when you can run wild like this?
Saquon Barkley lost his QB again, carrying the ball 16 times for 90 yards while adding 23 receiving yards. Since returning from injury in Week 6, Barkley has over 100 all-purpose yards in four consecutive games. I would be surprised if he gets over the century mark against the Dallas defense in Week 10.
Jonathan Taylor reclaims the RB1 spot for the Colts after getting 18 carries for 47 yards to Zack Moss’ seven for 26 yards. Taylor added five catches for 22 yards and a score. If there was a buy low window, it’s now shut.
Josh Jacobs carried the ball 26 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns. This marked the third time he’s carried the ball 20+ times in a game this season. It’s hard to know if the Raiders will be run first under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, but if so, Jacobs could have a strong finish to the season.
Chuba Hubbard out carried Miles Sanders 16 to 6. Hubbard has at least 15 carries in three consecutive games, taking over RB1 duties.
Rhamondre Stevenson has his highest receiving total since Week 1, with 42 yards on four catches, and carried the ball nine times for 87 yards and one TD. Stevenson has drawn 22 targets over the last four weeks, which ranks second among RBs. The Patriots are scheduled to face five teams in the next seven weeks that are ranked within the top 10 in allowing the most points to RBs. Stevenson could be a league winner despite his early season slow start.

Bye Week Update

Week 10 Byes include the Dolphins, Chiefs, Rams, and Eagles. Adjust your lineups accordingly!
Week 9 Bye Week team schedule includes 49ers vs Jaguars, Lions at LA Chargers, and Broncos at Buffalo on Monday Night Football.

🚨 Red Zone TD Scoring Percentage Update 🚨

Miami leads the NFL with 75%. Rounding out the top 10 are Buffalo (69%), New England (67%), LA Chargers (67%), San Franciso (65%), Baltimore (65%), Chicago (64%), Cleveland (64%), Cincinnati (62%), and LA Rams (59%).
The bottom five teams in Red Zone TD Scoring Percentages are the NY Jets (26%), Tennessee (34%), NY Giants (36%), Dallas (43%), and New Orleans (45%).

Thanks for your time checking out Week 9 takeaways. While you are here, check out more fantasy goodness at Razzball. Follow me on Twitter/X @Jefferson__21.

If I did not mention your favorite team or players, please leave some comments or questions! I am here to answer any questions you may have. Cheers!