X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Under-the-Radar Booms/Busts: Week 9

Craig Rondinone analyzes the under-the-radar booms and busts for Week 9 in fantasy football. These players could be high upside flex plays or players to bench and sit in Week 9.

It is going to take a little longer than usual to fill out a fantasy football lineup this week.

Unfortunately for fantasy football players, a half-dozen NFL teams are on bye this week. Fantasy footballers will not be able to plug Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz, New York’s Odell Beckham and Saquon Barkley, Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck, Arizona’s David Johnson, or Cincinnati’s Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon and A.J. Green into their lineups in standard and DFS leagues this week. This means finding the under-the-radar booms and avoiding the under-the-radar busts is paramount!

Here are some under-the-radar booms and busts for the ninth week of NFL action to help you set a winning lineup. Good luck RotoBallers!

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Week 9 Under-the-Radar Booms

Marvin Jones Jr. (WR, DET) at MIN

Detroit’s passing attack is harder to figure out than the plot of Vanilla Sky. One week quarterback Matthew Stafford zones in on Golden Tate. The next week it is Kenny Golladay that is featured as Stafford’s top target. Then the week after that tight end Michael Roberts hauls in two touchdown tosses. This past weekend it was finally Jones Jr. who was the focus as he had his best game of the season with 117 receiving yards a pair of touchdowns.

Remember how things went for Jones Jr. last year? He did not have a 60-yard game during the first five weeks of the season, then suddenly flipped the switch and had a seven-game stretch where he had 637 yards and six scores. I think this streaky receiver is ready for an encore. Look for him to have another great game at Minnesota against a Vikings pass defense that allowed to have 109 yards and two touchdowns last time they tried to cover him in 2017, especially since he no longer needs to worry about Tate taking his targets now that the veteran slot receiver was traded at the deadline to the Philadelphia Eagles.     

Courtland Sutton (WR, DEN) vs. HOU

Denver deciding to trade longtime No. 1 receiver Demaryius Thomas to their opponent this week was a slap in the face to Thomas and the Texans, but it was also the same as giving Sutton a nice warm hug – along with a fat promotion! Sutton has been scintillating as Denver's No. 3 receiver in his rookie campaign, averaging 19.1 yards per catch and showing the Broncos that he had the tools and talent to be their No. 2 WR.

Before you start fearing that Sutton will be stuffed by Houston’s 12th-ranked pass defense this weekend, delve deeper into the moribund passing attacks J.J. Watt has faced so far. Six of Houston’s eight games were against Tennessee, Dallas, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Miami, and the New York Giants. None of those passing attacks have struck much fear into defenses this season, so the Texans secondary is overrated with what they have done stats-wise. Sutton should be a smashing success in his first start. Expect 8-12 targets, 80-100 yards, and a touchdown.

Jamaal Williams (RB, GB) at NE

All the fantasy experts have been anointing Aaron Jones as the Packers running back that will benefit the most now that third-down specialist/kickoff return failure Ty Montgomery has been traded away. Yes, Jones will get even more touches, playing time, and scoring opportunities now that Montgomery has been shipped away, but the better buy this week might be Mr. Williams.

Williams is the better receiver out of the backfield and should see plenty of passes this week in what is shaping up to be a shootout with Tom Brady and Co. Williams might only get 30-45 yards rushing since Jones will dominate the early-down carries, but Williams could have a half-dozen catches for 50-80 receiving yards and find his way into the end zone once or twice.

 

Week 9 Under-the-Radar Busts

Peyton Barber (RB, TB) at CAR

Barber has been mismanaged and misused this season by Tampa Bay’s coaching staff. He has been the top tailback throughout the year and has more rushing attempts than the rest of the roster combined, yet he has only been averaging 14 touches per game. He has been doing better in recent weeks with touchdowns and 80-yard rushing efforts in two of his past three outings.

Barber will run smack into Carolina’s above-average defense this weekend, a unit ranked eighth against the run that has only allowed one 100-yard rusher in half a season. Another thing going against Barber is that he did more damage when Jameis Winston was Tampa Bay’s starting signal caller and has done diddly when Ryan “Fitzmagic” Fitzpatrick is running the offense. Barber’s mini hot streak will be stopped cold by Carolina.

Michael Crabtree (WR, BAL) vs. PIT

Crabtree has been okay with Baltimore and leads the team in targets, yet he has 146 fewer receiving yards than greyhound-like John Brown and has just as many receptions as Willie Snead. With first-round pick Hayden Hurst becoming more of a help at tight end with every passing week, Crabtree’s fantasy value might get pinched even tighter.

Pittsburgh’s secondary struggled during the opening month of action but has improved and has been one of the underrated reasons why the Steelers top the NFC North. When the Steelers have had trouble covering pass catchers, it has been speedsters (Kansas City’s Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill for example) or tight ends who have given them problems, not possession receivers with average speed like Crabtree. Crabtree only managed three catches for 29 yards the first time he dealt with Pittsburgh this season, and he may only do slightly better in meeting No. 2. 

Brandon LaFell (WR, OAK) at SF (Thursday)

The fantasy football community probably assumed that Martavis Bryant was going to be the man slipping into Oakland’s starting receiver rotation when Amari Cooper was unceremoniously sent to Dallas. Fantasy football is harder to predict than a bipolar person’s mood swings, though. Against Indianapolis last Sunday, Bryant warmed up the bench while LaFell played in Cooper’s place and had 39 yards and a touchdown.

LaFell is a veteran role receiver at this stage of his career, so you should not get too excited when you see a cheap price tag attached to his name in DFS leagues this Thursday night. He could leave the Raiders receiver rotation as quickly as he entered it. San Francisco only has the 21st-best pass defense in the NFL, but in a winnable Thursday night home game, I’d expect the 49ers secondary to play to the best of their abilities. It is hard to trust LaFell until he gets a couple decent games under his belt.

 

That’s it for another week!  Follow me on Twitter @craigrondinone!

More Week 9 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Baltimore Ravens

Emery Jones to Start Training Camp on NFI List
Von Miller

Signs With Commanders
Alfred Collins

Agrees to Four-Year Rookie Deal
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Rashawn Slater

Likely Practicing During Extension Talks
Stefon Diggs

Trending Towards Being Available Week 1
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Cleveland Browns

Elerson Smith Retires From Football
Justyn Ross

Chiefs Waive Justyn Ross
Tre Harris

Chargers Hope to Get Tre Harris on the Field Soon
Najee Harris

Likely to Begin Training Camp on NFI List
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Darren Waller

Signs $2 Million Deal With Dolphins
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
C.J. Stroud

Working on Speed, Pocket Mobility Entering Year 3
Daiyan Henley

Daiyan Henley Full-Go for Training Camp
Bradley Beal

Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Kurtis Rourke

Starting Training Camp on NFI List
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
Micah Parsons

Not Worried About Extension Talks
Jahdae Barron

Broncos Agree to Terms With Jahdae Barron on Rookie Deal
Tyrone Broden

Seahawks Place Tyrone Broden, Montorie Foster on NFI List
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Landon Jackson

Lands on PUP List
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Ja'Kobe Walter

Produces Big Numbers at Both Ends Against Nuggets
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Ajay Mitchell

Outstanding Against Magic Tuesday
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
VJ Edgecombe

Busy in Las Vegas Summer League Debut
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Dominick Barlow

to Sit Out Rest of Summer League
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
NBA

Oshae Brissett Links Up with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Charlotte Hornets

Josh Okogie Waived by Hornets
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Junior Colson

Competing for Starting Job
Isaiah Likely

Ravens Looking to Extend Isaiah Likely
Kyle Pitts

Not in Falcons' Long-Term Plans?
Quinshon Judkins

Browns in "No Rush" to Sign Quinshon Judkins to Rookie Deal
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF