Fantasy Football: Between The Chains: Top Plays For Week 9
By Shaun Evans
Fantasy Football: Between The Chains: Top Plays For Week 9
Hey guys! Here is a new installment to my articles, it is a tad bit late on the season, but I want to give you multiple options at each position to lock in. You’ll find the “Lock Plays” here but also some Fantasy Football value plays! So lets dive in and get ready for Week 9!
Fantasy Football Quarterbacks
Jared Goff
Obviously our lock play at quarterback position is included here. Jared Goff gets to go against the New Orleans Saints who have a difficult time defending the pass. Ranking 28th against the pass, allowing on average 300 yards. Defending against the number one and number two receivers, the Saints are ranked dead last, allowing them to average close to a hundred yards per game. So look for Jared Goff to find Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, if he plays, early on and easily. The Saints do stop the run pretty well but when it comes to defending the running-back in the passing game, they rank 30th, giving Goff another weapon in the passing game with Todd Gurley II. While the Rams defense is top-notch, they just added Dante Folwer and they should just add Khalil Mack already, the Saints defense could be on the field majority of this game.
Now Kirk Cousins is priced higher than Jared Goff, which I don’t understand with Goff’s match-up this week, but Cousins is in play. Facing the Detroit Lions, who rank 7th in pass defense, Cousins does have a tough match-up but he has some top-notch weapons that make his job easier. The number one receiver against the Lions has averaged 56 yards per game, the number two receiver has averaged 26 yards, and the tight end has averaged 56 yards also. Now Cousins receivers are no ordinary receivers as one of them is Adam Thielen who is trying to break records and keep his hundred yards receiving every game streak alive. This will be a true challenge for Thielen and Cousins to keep their magic alive but with this week, going against the Lions, expect it to be close to where Cousins has to rely on his receivers.
Alex Smith hasn’t been close to anything great since joining the Washington Redskins but he’s in a good spot facing the Atlanta Falcons. Alex Smith has yet to break 20 fantasy points but by using him as your Quarterback, you’re only looking for salary relief. The Falcons do rank 30th in pass defense, allowing 306 yards through the air. The Falcons also have a tough time defending any receivers besides the tight end, who they rank 10th against. While defending the number one receiver, they allow 85 yards, defending the number two receiver, they allow 52 yards, and defending the running-back in passing situations, they allow 70 yards. With Alex Smith, you know exactly what you’ll get and never expect anything more. He’s here strictly for salary relief if you’re looking to stack at running-back or at the wide receiver position.
Fantasy Football Running-Backs
Todd Gurley II
Now Todd Gurley II has been dominating like no one has ever done. Maybe Jerry Rice would have had insane stats like him, who knows though. But for some reason DraftKings has dropped Gurley’s price once again and it’s at $9,500. Making him very playable without destroying your salary. FYI, I would even use him at $11,000. The New Orleans Saints stop the run very well as they rank number 1 and only allow an amazing 74 yards per game. But don’t worry because the Saints also rank 30th against running-backs in the passing game which Jared Goff can easily exploit this weekend. Gurley is averaging 44 yards in the passing game and already has 4 receiving touchdowns on the season. But in the running game, he is attempting to run 21 times per game, averaging 100 yards with 11 touchdowns. Can the Saints defense stop Gurley? Probably not because the Rams defense will most likely make sure that their offense is on the field majority of the game and controlling it.
Another “Lock Play”, Kareem Hunt is in a very good spot this weekend facing the Cleveland Browns. Hunt gets to face the 28th ranked rushing defense, who allow 138 yards on the ground. But another bright spot for Hunt’s match-up is that the Browns also allow 275 yards through the air which makes him that much more playable. The Cleveland Browns do rank 11th against the defending running-backs in the passing game but Hunt has Tyreke Hill and Travis Kelce to keep the focus off of him while Patrick MaGOAT does what he does best and that’s finding the end-zone. Kareem Hunt does keep the touchdowns balance as he has 5 rushing touchdowns and 5 receiving touchdowns. He’s averaging 74 yards on the ground and 32 yards through the air so with this struggling Browns team, Hunt should see a nice Sunday.
Staying in the game but on the opposite side, Nick Chubbs has a nice match-up also. The Kansas City Chiefs rank 25th in rushing defense, allowing 127 yards per game. Chubbs is now the main workhorse in Cleveland and can see his first big weekend. Like Hunt and Gurley, Chubbs can see a major opportunity in the passing game as the Chiefs rank 27th defending the running-back in the passing game as they usually average 70 yards per game. In his first two games, Chubbs has rushed on 18 attempts, one for 80 yards and the other for 65 yards. He has yet to actually be utilized in the passing game as last week he did see 3 targets, 2 of which he caught but for only 10 yards. Either way, being used in the passing game or not this weekend, Chubbs will carry the rock as the lead back but he also gives you salary relief to use elsewhere, either at the wide receiver position or the flex position.
Fantasy Football Wide Receivers
Adam Thielen
This could easily be the shortest write-up ever on a play but it’s Adam Thielen, what more do I have to say? 8 straight weeks of 100 or more receiving yards plus he has found the end-zone 5 straight weeks and has only been kept out of it twice on the season. The Detroit Lions have only allowed one receiver to break over a hundred yards and are ranked pretty well in stopping any position. But once again, it’s Adam Thielen. You trust this man and his quarterback until they actually fail which I don’t think anyone expects them too. Thielen gets to line up with Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph who help take the attention off of himself. You don’t fade Thielen or Gurley, and you roster him until he gives you a good enough reason not too.
Robert Woods
With a prime spot against the New Orleans Saints, Robert Woods can have a monstrous game with possible Cooper Kupp being out. With both, the number one and number two wide receivers, averaging close to or over a hundred yards per game, why not stack the Rams receivers? Woods is only at $7,000 which makes him a good WR1 or even Flex position guy depending on the route you go with your build. Woods is averaging 6 receptions per game with 84 yards receiving. The Rams also use Woods in the fancy running-game plays, where he is actually averaging 11 yards rushing per game, with at least one attempt per game. I would move Woods to a “lock play” if Cooper Kupp is officially ruled out but even if he isn’t, still play him this weekend.
Devin Funchess comes in this week at a great salary relief price of $5,600 but he’s also in a great spot! Facing the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, who rank 31st in the passing game and allow on average 318 yards through the air. The Buccaneers can’t defend anything, honestly, as they rank 27th against the number 1 receiver, averaging 96 yards, and rank 31st against the number two receiver, averaging 83 yards. Funchess is averaging 5 receptions per game and 57 yards through the air but he has only found the end-zone 3 times this year. He wasn’t able to find the end-zone last week but had back to back touchdowns in Week 6 and Week 7. Plus, the last time we used him as a “Lock Play”, he scored. Lets continue that streak this weekend where Funchess is a cheap play with a high reward ceiling.
Fantasy Football Tight Ends
Greg Olsen
Being one of the “lock Plays”, Greg Olsen is the next one to exploit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I am in the motion of never fading a tight end against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to the fact that their defense just can’t figure it out. Greg Olsen is questionable so obviously that is the news to watch for leading up to Sunday. The Buccaneers are allowing Tight Ends to average 80 yards per game against them while allowing them to find the end-zone at least once, which Olsen has now done two straight weeks. Olsen isn’t the tight end he used to be but we don’t need that as long as he keeps on par with his 35 yards per game with a score. If Olsen doesn’t play and you’re feeling brave, play Ian Thomas as he is only $2,500 and should be able to do something to hit value against the Buccaneers.
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Staying in the same game but on the opposite side, O.J. Howard also has a nice match-up and not only that, Fitzmagic is back as the starter. The Carolina Panthers do rank 17th against the pass with only allowing 255 yards through the air and rank 18th against tight ends. Howard is averaging 3 receptions per game but for 60 yards which is impressive. Two out of his three touchdowns do come from Ryan Fitzpatrick as he tends to bemore favorable but if it’s Jameis Winston, then Cameron Brate is the main target out of the tight ends. Howard has had a more impressive year this season but with the confusion at quarterback, it has held him back. With Fitzmagic being the starter this week, expect Howard to be utilized more as that’s who Fitz feels more comfortable with.
Now this is a huge risk play at $2,900 as Jordan Thomas had a great showcase last weekend with Ryan Griffin out but Griffin is expected to be put back into the starting role. But this is where all we need is Jordan Thomas to have one big play and his playing time will see a huge lift. Thomas went off for two touchdowns off of 4 targets, which he caught all of them, for 29 yards. With Fuller going down and out for the season, the Texans expected to use the tight end role more heavily but that quickly changed with the trade for Demaryius Thomas. Demaryius Thomas will most likely not be fully ready to be a huge force in the offense so Watson will rely on Hopkins and Griffin but hopefully Jordan Thomas more. The Denver Broncos rank 11th in pass defense, allowing only 237 yards through the air. But against the tight ends, Broncos rank 19th and allow 60 yards per game. This is a play that is based on complete risk and helps hugely with salary relief, but be very cautious if you do play Jordan Thomas.
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