5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 9

1. Top Fantasy Football Pickups For Week 9 – Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields

It hasn’t been a good year for the 2021 class of quarterbacks with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Mac Jones struggling while Trey Lance ended up on injured reserve due to a nasty ankle injury. The one first-rounder from the class who appears to be ascending right now is Justin Fields, which is a stunning development since the Bears did little to surround him with talent.

Fields had his breakout game in Week 7, gashing Bill Belichick’s New England defense for 179 passing yards and a touchdown while rushing 14 times for 82 yards and another score. That performance offered some confidence for Fields, who built on it with a solid effort against Dallas’ rugged defense in Week 8.

The Bears got an efficient passing day from Fields, who completed 17-of-23 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and also saw him run eight more times for 60 yards and another score. The designed runs offer tremendous fantasy value for Fields, making him playable as a QB1 with the rushing yards offsetting lower passing totals.

Fields is rostered in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues, offering plenty of potential to pick him up for Week 9’s matchup against a Miami Dolphins’ defense that struggled against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Teams in need of a boost at quarterback should take a shot on Fields, whose evolution as a dual-threat quarterback makes him a playable fantasy commodity even if the overall performance doesn’t look pretty.