Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 9 boom or bust

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Fantasy Football - Bears WR Allen Robinson

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 27: Allen Robinson #12 of the Chicago Bears rects after catching a pass during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Soldier Field on October 27, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /

Wide Receiver

Boom: Allen Robinson, CHI @ PHI

Although the Bears’ offense has been putrid due to lackluster player from QB Mitchell Trubisky, Robinson is one guy that’s been a consistent factor for Chicago all season. He’s currently on pace for over 100 catches and 1,200 yards, averaging 19.8 FPPG over his last four on nearly 10 targets per game. He’s Trubisky’s unquestioned top target, something that won’t change anytime soon.

In Week 9, he gets a leaky Eagles secondary that I’ve loved to pick on in this column this season. While John Brown wasn’t able to make much of this plus matchup last week, I expect Robinson to take full advantage. Philadelphia has been terrorized by WRs for 42.5 fantasy points per game, tied for third-most in the league. When these two teams met in the playoffs last season, Robinson got loose for 143 on 10 catches.

Boom: Marvin Jones Jr., DET @ OAK

It was back to playing second-fiddle to Kenny Golladay last week, but Jones remains one of the top options on Detroit’s high-octane passing attack. Being the No. 2 target on this offense has appeared to be no problem, as the Lions have thrown the ball over 36 times per game over the past three weeks. Jones is just two games removed from a remarkable four-touchdown effort against the Vikings and should be able to get back on track Sunday afternoon.

Matthew Stafford and co. will have their work cut out for them in Week 9 against an underrated Raiders squad. With Kerryon Johnson sidelined, the Lions should be busy through the air with a less-potent rushing-attack. Oakland is durable against the run, but have shown poorly against the pass, allowing wideouts an average of 42 FPPG (bottom-five in the league). The volume should be there for MJJ, and owners should expect him to capitalize.

Bust: Courtland Sutton, DEN vs. CLE

As I mentioned previously, Brandon Allen will now be lining up under center for the Broncos (at least until Drew Lock returns). While this may work in Lindsay’s favor, it should have the exact opposite effect for Sutton. His breakout season may be put on hold with concerns of inadequate quarterback play in his future. To be fair, Flacco wasn’t performing at a high level before his “injury,” but at the very least, he was a veteran QB who knew how to get the ball to his top wideout.

Owners who start Sutton instead of taking a wait-and-see approach with him this week are playing with fire. Cleveland has held up well against opposing WRs thus far, ranking as a top-12 unit against the position. Now that both starting cornerbacks Denzel Ward and talented rookie Greedy Williams are back in action, this group is even scarier. Sutton has been a revelation for Denver this season, but owners will have to swallow their pride this time around.

Bust: Corey Davis, TEN @ CAR

After Marcus Mariota was benched in favor of journeyman Ryan Tannehill, it appeared Davis could be in for a bounce-back second-half of the season after catching six passes for 80 yards and a TD in their first game together. However, the underperforming 2017 first-rounder fell back to Earth in Week 8, securing just two balls for nine yards in what should’ve been a smash-spot against a terrible Tampa Bay secondary. The reality is that Davis is still raw as a receiver and will continue to struggle with consistency on a bottom-feeding Tennessee offense.

When the Bucs travel to Carolina, Davis will likely be shadowed by James Bradberry. Tannehill likes to spread the ball around, and there’ll be no need to force looks to Davis if he’s not open. The Panthers were pummeled last week by the Niners, but this secondary still projects as an above-average group. They won’t need to be anything better than average to limit the Titans.

Sleeper: Preston Williams, MIA vs. NYJ

A beacon of light in dark times, rookie pass-catcher Preston Williams has looked the part of a future building piece in Miami this season. While that hasn’t exactly translated to fantasy points, he’s seen no less than six targets in any game since Week 1. The Jets’ pass-defense hasn’t been good (allowing 38.7 FPPG to WRs), and the offense is at least a tad better with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm.