RADIO
Nico Collins Is In a Strong Bounce-Back Spot Against Chargers
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins had a quiet few weeks before his Week 8 bye, totaling only 10 catches for 136 yards without a touchdown over his last three games. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley emphasized earlier in the week that Collins will "always be a focal point of the offense" and that the team intends to find more ways to get him the ball. Collins had a huge seven-catch, two-touchdown, 118-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 when he returned from a two-week injury absence, but he has been quiet since then and only caught two passes for six yards in Week 7. He should be in a good bounce-back spot after the bye as he faces the winless Chargers, and he is the WR12 in RotoBaller's rankings this week, making him a low-end WR1 or high-end WR2 depending on the size of your league.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Harold Fannin Jr. Should Continue Hot Stretch In Week 9
Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is starting to emerge in the Browns' passing game and should continue his hot stretch with another good game in Week 9 at New Orleans. With Shedeur Sanders stepping in at quarterback, he should look to Fannin Jr. as his main target against a Saints defense that ranks near the bottom of the league against the pass. Fannin Jr. is coming off a 10-catch, 154-yard performance in the Week 8 loss to the Steelers and had six catches for 91 yards two weeks ago at Tennessee. Fannin Jr. is racking up the targets the last two weeks with Deshuan Watson as his quarterback with nine against Tennessee and 12 against Pittsburgh. Fannin Jr. has shown that he is a reliable target and with inexperienced wide receivers in Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion Jr., he could come through as the main option for Sanders. Fannin Jr. is reliable on short-field targets and is an option down the middle of the field on deeper targets. He is averaging 11.7 yards per reception this season and has three receiving touchdowns. He hasn't scored since the first matchup with Pittsburgh in Week 4. Fannin Jr. looks like a very dependable tight end play this week. Start with confidence.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Foster Moreau A Very Touchdown-Dependent Long Shot
Houston Texans tight end Foster Moreau caught a pair of touchdowns in Week 6 against the Jaguars in London, but did not have a catch or a target in Week 7 against the Giants. He continues to play well behind Houston's top tight end, Dalton Schultz, and is only a viable fantasy option if he gets more work or gets back into the end zone. Moreau does have three touchdowns in seven games this season, even though he only has 11 catches. He will look to bounce back from that catchless game before the bye week as he faces the Chargers, who have been solid against tight ends, despite their other struggles in their 0-7 start to the season. Moreau is only the TE45 in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, so he's best left out of lineups this week in almost all formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Isaac Brown Downgraded to Questionable
Louisville running back Isaac Brown (lower body) has been downgraded to questionable, according to the ACC availability report. The Cardinals are preparing to take on Georgia Tech on Saturday and may have to do so without their leading ball carrier. Brown has amassed 707 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on 92 carries and is RotoBaller's second-ranked running back in Week 10. He is projected to score 32.1 fantasy points against the Yellowjackets defense, which has allowed its opponents to average a whopping 219.3 yards rushing per game. Brown is coming off a nine-carry, 139-yard performance against Stanford last week, which included three receptions for 33 yards and four total touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving).
Source: ACC availability report
Source: ACC availability report
Dalton Schultz Only a Deep-League Option in Week 9
Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz has been a steady but unspectacular PPR producer this season. He had a massive, 12-catch performance in Week 2, but with the team adding pass-catching options since then, he has played a smaller role. He has 33 catches for 322 yards in seven games, with at least three catches in all but one game this season. In Week 7, he had five catches for 45 yards against the Giants, but he still has not found the end zone this season. After the bye, he'll go on the road to face the Chargers, who have been one of the better teams in the league at defending TEs. This season, the Bolts have allowed just one tight-end touchdown, so it's hard to count on Schultz to break through for a score this week. He is RotoBaller's No. 21 TE in the Week 9 rankings, making him worth considering as a starter in two-tight end formats or desperate situations.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
KC Concepcion Jr. Still A Risky Play Against Saints
Cleveland Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion Jr. is starting to emerge a bit in the passing game, but is still a risky play in Week 9 at the New Orleans Saints. Concepcion Jr. has a good matchup overall against a Saints pass defense that is near the bottom of the NFL, but he lacks the overall consistency and touchdown potential needed to be a safe starting wide receiver. Concepcion Jr. had a breakout game two weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans with eight catches for 129 receiving yards, but he has yet to catch a touchdown pass this season and he averages just 10.7 yards per catch this season. The rookie out of Texas A&M needs to show more consistency and more outings like Week 7 at Tennessee before he can be counted on as a starting fantasy receiver. He also has yet to show any chemistry with backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders could look for Concepcion Jr. as a short-field target but that is still an unknown with the two players yet to play with one another. Look elsewhere for a starting option this week.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
KJ Duff Out vs. Wisconsin
Rutgers wide receiver KJ Duff (lower body) has been declared out for the Scarlet Knights' matchup with Wisconsin, according to the Big Ten availability report. Duff is Rutgers' leading receiver, having totaled 45 receptions for 774 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. In his absence, more work will go the way of fellow wide receivers Jordan Houston, Ben Black III, and Antwan Raymond, each of whom has yet to tally 20 total receptions. The Knights take on a Wisconsin pass defense that has allowed a slim average of 188.3 yards passing per game this season.
Source: Big Ten availability report
Source: Big Ten availability report
Ka'imi Fairbairn An Elite Kicker in Week 9
Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn has been one of the most reliable producers in the league again this season, converting 15 of his 16 field goal attempts and all 16 of his 16 extra point attempts. He made multiple field goals in four straight games before the team's Week 8 bye and has kicked six field goals from over 50 yards in his seven games this season. Fairbairn and the Texans are in a favorable spot in Week 9 as they travel to Los Angeles to take on the 0-7 Chargers indoors at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers have allowed 14 made field goals in their seven games while allowing a total of 25 points per game. Fairbairn is the No. 2 kicker in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, and it's worth checking to see if he was dropped during the bye week. He's a weekly set-and-forget option in the kicker spot.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Denzel Boston A Good Play In Week 9 At New Orleans
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston looks like a promising fantasy play in Week 9 at the New Orleans Saints. Boston will look to develop some chemistry with Shedeur Sanders, who is starting at quarterback over Deshaun Watson. Boston was targeted 12 times in the Week 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and caught six passes for 37 receiving yards. The yards per catch were much lower than the norm for Boston who had established himself as a big-play wide receiver with Watson throwing him passes. Boston still averages 15.7 yards per catch this season and has 26 catches for 409 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Boston hasn't caught a touchdown pass in his last three outings and will look to find the end zone with Sanders throwing him the ball. He has a nice matchup with the Saints pass defense that is near the bottom of the league. Saints starting cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Martin Emerson Jr. are beatable and Boston will be looking for a big play or two out of the hands of Sanders. Fantasy managers should start Boston with confidence.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Houston Texans D/ST An Elite Play in Week 9
The Houston Texans D/ST is one of the best options available this week as they return from a bye week and visit the Chargers in Week 9. The Chargers are the last winless team in the NFL at 0-7 and have yet to reach 100 total points this season, averaging just 14.1 points per game. The Bolts have turned the ball over 17 times in seven games and allowed 23 sacks, making them one of the best D/ST matchups available, even though they have not allowed a D/ST touchdown yet. The Texans had 21 sacks and six takeaways in their seven games before their bye week. They haven't been quite as dominant as they were last year, but the unit is still stuffed with playmakers and has the ability to take advantage of this favorable spot in Week 9. In RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings, the Texans are the No. 2 D/ST, so start them with confidence this week in all formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Quinshon Judkins Looks Like RB1 Against Saints
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins is a good start in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints and should end the week as an RB1. Judkins should rebound on the road at New Orleans after a tough Week 8 at the Pittsburgh Steelers. At Pittsburgh, Judkins managed just 25 yards on 11 carries as he was stymied in the run game. He did add two catches for 24 yards in the passing game. It was a difficult game for Judkins and the Browns offense, but he carries a much better matchup in Week 9 despite it being a road game. The Saints rank No. 29 in the NFL against the run, giving up 139.4 rushing yards per game. They have allowed 11 rushing touchdowns this season. With Judkins acting as the lead back for the Browns, he should be able to manage a nice rushing output in Week 9 against a generous rush defense. Backup running back Dylan Sampson is back active for the Browns and was involved in the passing game at Pittsburgh last week, but had just one carry. Judkins should remain as the main ball-carrier and has the potential for a big week against a bottom-half rush NFL rush defense.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Greg Dulcich Rising In the Rankings as a Deep-League Streamer
Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich has caught at least four passes in three straight games and in four of his last five. He was held catchless against the Vikings but has bounced back with solid games against the Jets and Patriots since the team's Week 6 bye. Dulcich tied for the team lead with six targets last week and caught four passes for 43 receiving yards. The 26-year-old from UCLA is in a great matchup this week against the Lions, who have allowed the most PPR points per game to tight ends this season. Dulcich is a viable streaming option in that matchup with his consistent volume lately, and he's RotoBaller's No. 17 TE this week, as he continues to trend up with more work coming his way.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kelly Oubre Jr. Could Miss Another Game Saturday
Indiana Pacers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (calf) is questionable for Saturday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets in Mexico City. Oubre has not played since Nov. 1, when he finished with 11 points and two rebounds in 20 minutes against Brooklyn. The 30-year-old is averaging 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 23.1 minutes during his first season with Indiana, but his 25.9% shooting from deep has limited his fantasy appeal. If Oubre sits again, Jarace Walker should remain in line for additional wing and frontcourt minutes.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Kevin Coleman Jr. Best Left on the Bench in Week 9
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. led the team in receiving yards and scored his first NFL touchdown last week. The rookie caught all three of his targets for 46 yards and a touchdown in Miami's loss to New England, but he still worked as the team's fourth receiver behind Malik Washington, Caleb Douglas, and Chris Bell. Coleman only has eight catches for 82 yards this season, although he does have a pair of receiving touchdowns, which ties him for the team lead. Even in a favorable matchup against Detroit, which has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to WR in PPR scoring, Coleman isn't in a good starting spot since he is only RotoBaller's No. 68 WR for Week 9. He's worth monitoring in deep leagues, but not someone to start in his current role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Shedeur Sanders To Start, Has Good Matchup Vs. Saints
Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders will start Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints and has a nice matchup against a porous pass defense. Sanders gets the start with Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol and questionable to be available against the Saints. Sanders draws a matchup against the No. 28 ranked pass defense in the NFL as the Saints allow 372.7 pass yards per game and have given up 22 passing touchdowns this season. Sanders is a dual-threat quarterback and not only has the good passing matchup but he also carries the threat to run and scramble if plays break down. Sanders has yet to start this season and this is a big opportunity for him to show what he can do. He remains a risky spot start in fantasy but with the excellent matchup he carries a bit of promise as a low-end starting fantasy quarterback. As a fantasy manager, if you are bitten by the injury bug at the quarterback position, look to Sanders as a quarterback to plug into the lineup as a decent one-week option.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
