5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 9

1. Top fantasy football pickups for Week 9 – Philadelphia Eagles RB Jordan Howard

Teams in need of running back help will continue to look at the Philadelphia Eagles’ backfield. Boston Scott, who we mentioned in this space last week, registered 12 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns but the big surprise was the re-emergence of Jordan Howard.

The Eagles elevated Howard from their practice squad this week and gave him significant reps with the starters as Philadelphia employed a three-man committee with Howard, Scott and Kenneth Gainwell. All three backs received at least 12 carries but Howard did the most with his, registering 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Eagles imposed their will on the Detroit Lions in a 44-6 laugher.

The backfield is definitely a mess for fantasy purposes but Howard did have a significant role in the Eagles’ run-heavy offense, which is worth monitoring with starter Miles Sanders on injured reserve for at least two more games. Howard, who is rostered in just two percent of Yahoo leagues, could be a nice flex option for the next few weeks.

This option also does apply to Scott, who started this game and played 45 percent of the snaps for Philadelphia, and is rostered in only 19 percent of Yahoo leagues. With the Eagles set to try and slow down the Chargers’ high-powered offense next week there should be plenty of carries to go around for all of Philadelphia’s backs, making either Howard or Scott the top pickup of the week.