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Mike Fanelli gives his fantasy football bold predictions for Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season. Should you start or sit Patrick Mahomes, Chase Brown, Chris Olave?
Week 9 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Patrick Mahomes, Chase Brown, Chris Olave, Courtland Sutton, and Travis Kelce.
Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely outcomes, they are things I believe could happen this week.
Let’s look at my five bold predictions for Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season.
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Patrick Mahomes…
Finishes the week as a top-three quarterback
Mahomes is the top quarterback in the NFL. However, he has been far from the highest-scoring fantasy football quarterback this season. The superstar is the QB21, averaging 14.4 fantasy points per game. He has scored fewer than 14.7 fantasy points in all but one of his first six contests.
However, Mahomes is coming off his best performance this year. The former Texas Tech star completed 71.1% of his pass attempts for 262 yards, two touchdowns, and 18.2 fantasy points, setting season-highs in touchdowns and fantasy points. Yet, fantasy players should expect an even better performance in Week 9.
Mahomes to Worthy to extend the @Chiefs lead!
📺: #KCvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/WXBzB5otzg— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
The Kansas City Chiefs face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. While the Buccaneers are down their top two wide receivers because of injuries, Baker Mayfield has been outstanding. Therefore, fantasy players should expect Tampa Bay to move the ball and put up points on the Chiefs defense.
More importantly, the Buccaneers' defense has been awful. They have given up 22.8 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, the most in the NFL. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has surrendered at least four passing touchdowns and 28.6 fantasy points to quarterbacks in three of their past four games. The lone exception was the matchup against Spencer Rattler.
Chase Brown…
Scores over 20 half-point PPR fantasy points
Brown is one of my favorite running backs to start in Week 9. The second-year pro started the season as Zack Moss’s backup, totaling 14 rushing attempts over the first three weeks. However, he has been productive since the slow start, seeing double-digit rushing attempts in every game since Week 3.
The former Illinois running back has averaged 12.8 rushing attempts for 51 yards per game over the past five weeks. Furthermore, Brown has averaged one touchdown and 13.4 half-point PPR fantasy points per game over the past five weeks, totaling 13.4 or more fantasy points in 60% of the contests.
More importantly, the second-year pro has played well despite facing several elite run defenses over the past five weeks, including the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8, totaling double-digit fantasy points. Fantasy players who stuck with Brown over the past few weeks will be rewarded on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Las Vegas has surrendered 22.7 fantasy points per game to running backs, the 10th-most in the NFL. They have allowed running backs to score four rushing touchdowns over the past four weeks and seven this year. Don’t be surprised if Brown has two touchdowns this week.
Chris Olave…
Ends the week as the overall WR1
Fantasy players should be concerned about Olave. The star receiver had eight receptions on 14 targets for 107 receiving yards and 14.7 half-point PPR fantasy points in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, he briefly left the game to get checked for a concussion after taking a hit to the head. Olave had missed the Week 7 matchup because of a concussion.
#ChrisOlave just off concussion protocol and now being evaluated for head again. pic.twitter.com/EojKgo2gg6
— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) October 27, 2024
The star wide receiver left the Week 6 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in the game because of a concussion, totaling negative fantasy points. Hopefully, Olave can avoid any more hits to the hit this season. The former Ohio State star has an excellent matchup this weekend.
When the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers met in Week 1, Olave had a quiet performance. He saw only two targets, catching both for 11 receiving yards and 2.1 fantasy points. The Saints obliterated the Panthers in that match. However, Carolina has been a fantasy goldmine for No. 1 wide receivers lately.
Over the past four weeks, DJ Moore, Drake London, Terry McLaurin, and Courtland Sutton have averaged 6.3 receptions on 8.8 targets for 94.3 receiving yards and 16.8 fantasy points per game against the Panthers, totaling three touchdowns. Expect Olave to have a massive performance against the division rivals.
Courtland Sutton…
Has over 100 receiving yards for the second consecutive week
Speaking of Sutton, the veteran wide receiver has been a fantasy football headache this season. The veteran is the WR41 for the year, averaging 7.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. However, Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos offense have played better lately.
Sutton had zero targets and zero fantasy points two weeks ago in the blowout win over the New Orleans Saints. However, the veteran wide receiver scored 13 or more fantasy points in the other two games over the past three weeks, totaling 100 receiving yards or a touchdown in both contests.
Last week, Sutton saw double-digit targets for the third time this year against the Carolina Panthers, totaling eight receptions for 100 receiving yards and 13.1 fantasy points. He had over 68 receiving yards for the first time this season, as Nix looked comfortable throwing him the ball.
More importantly, Sutton has an excellent matchup against the Baltimore Ravens this week. They have surrendered the most receiving yards to wide receivers, giving up 190.1 per game. Last week, Cedric Tillman (99 receiving yards), Elijah Moore (85), and Jerry Jeudy (79) had strong performances against the Ravens.
Travis Kelce…
And Cade Otton end the week as the top two scoring tight ends
Kelce and Otton were two of the top four scoring tight ends during National Tight Ends Day in Week 8. The future Hall of Famer was the TE4, totaling 10 receptions on 12 targets for 90 receiving yards, a touchdown, and 20 half-point PPR fantasy points. He set season-highs in every category.
Meanwhile, Otton was the TE1 last week, totaling nine receptions on 10 targets for 81 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and 24.6 fantasy points against the Atlanta Falcons. The veteran tight end stepped up with Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) out of the lineup.
Cade Otton's second TD on #NationalTightEndsDay!
Bucs are back in it.
📺: #ATLvsTB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/ZZDLInY3RP— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
These two tight ends will face off on Monday night. Both tight ends are their teams’ No. 1 option in the passing game. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have severely struggled to slow down tight ends this year. Therefore, expect Kelce and Otton to have massive fantasy performances.
The Chiefs have surrendered 12 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the fourth-most in the NFL. They’ve given up four touchdowns to tight ends over the past two weeks. By comparison, the Buccaneers have allowed tight ends to average 13.3 fantasy points per game, the second-most in the league. Tight ends have scored 22 or more fantasy points against the Buccaneers twice this season.
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