Panthers Edge Brian Burns suffered a concussion in Sunday's loss to the Colts. That likely means he'll miss a high-ceiling Week 10 matchup with the Bears, as players nearly always need at least the following week to pass through the concussion protocol. We'll watch for more details this week on Burns' situation, but make sure you have an IDP replacement option ready.
Chargers LBs Kenneth Murray and Eric Kendricks are both questionable for tonight's game against the Jets. Murray looks like the iffier of the two after sustaining a shoulder injury in Friday's practice that limited him Saturday. Kendricks is dealing with a rib injury that limited him Thursday and Friday. But he finished the week with a full Saturday workout. Nick Niemann would likely be the next LB up if either starter misses the game, with rookie Daiyan Henley at No. 4.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert suffered a fracture in his right forearm in Sunday's win over the Cowboys, according to multiple reports. Goedert will have an MRI Monday morning to determine the severity of the damage and how long he'll be out. A Week 10 bye can only help, of course, but we'll be surprised if he doesn't land on IR for at least the minimum of four games. TE Jack Stoll gained the most playing time after Goedert left, with TE Grant Calcaterra out. TE Albert Okwuegbunam would also be in the replacement mix. That likely replacement committee will make it tough for any single player to emerge as fantasy relevant. We'll update as we hear more on Goedert's expected return timeline.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins entered Week 9 vs. the Bills with a 47.5% catch rate that ranked lowest among 48 WRs who've seen at least 40 targets this season. Those who stood patient with him were rewarded as his fortunes changed on Sunday night with 8 catches on 9 targets for a team-high 110 receiving yards. This is the first time that Higgins went for 100+ yards in a regular season game since Week 16 of 2022. While it’s disappointing that teammate Ja’Marr Chase didn’t post major stats (4 catches, 41 yards), fantasy managers ought to be encouraged to see the Cincinnati passing game as a unit firing on all cylinders for the fourth game in a row. The duo should be considered top-15 options next week vs. a Texans defense that ranks 24th in pass defense DVOA.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon logged 14 carries for 37 rushing yards and a TD in Week 9 vs. the Bills. The veteran also added 5 catches for 31 yards as a pass-catcher in the contest. He’s now seen no fewer than 15 touch opportunities in all eight games played in 2023. Mixon’s volume-laden role is about as safe as it gets barring injury. Next week’s showdown against the Texans (12th-best matchup for RBs in adjusted fantasy points allowed) should present Mixon with solid RB2 fantasy value.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow completed 31 of 44 passes for 348 yards with 2 TDs in Week 9 vs. the Bills. It’s evident at this point that he’s over that right calf injury that slowed him down early in the year. Over the past four games, Burrow ranks fourth in passing yards per game (283.2), third in fantasy points per game (21.8), and first with 2.5 passing TDs per game. The former No. 1 overall pick can now be safely treated as a high-end QB1 regardless of matchup.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs roped in 6 of 7 targets for 86 yards and a TD in Week 9 vs. the Bengals. His teammate TE Dalton Kincaid also delivered on Sunday with 81 receiving yards on 10 catches. Among 31 TEs who’ve seen at least 20 targets in 2023, Kincaid’s 88.9% catch rate ranks first. This duo will be must-start options in Week 10 vs. the Broncos, a defense that ranks 32nd in pass defense DVOA.
Bills RB James Cook had a tough outing in Week 9 vs. the Bengals. The second-year back racked up just 39 total yards on a combined 10 touches in the contest. Fellow RB Latavius Murray was also minimally impactful, contributing a mere 10 total yards on 3 touches. It’s also notable that recent free agent signee Leonard Fournette was not promoted to the active roster on Sunday. The Bills’ run game has been largely ineffective of late, but there’s reason for fantasy managers to be optimistic moving forward. Buffalo’s remaining schedule ranks 12th-easiest for RB in adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Bills QB Josh Allen completed 26 of 38 passes for 258 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Week 9 vs. the Bengals. The veteran also added 44 yards and a rushing TD in the contest. Allen has now thrown an INT in five straight games. Still, his strong running floor and high volume passing make his 23.4 points per game the highest among QBs in 2023. Allen is a reliable fantasy starter regardless of matchup. Next week, he’ll face the Broncos.
Cardinals QB Clayton Tune completed 11 of 20 passes for 58 yards and 2 INTs in Week 9 vs. the Ravens. The rookie wasn’t very successful on Sunday. The same can be said for the rest of the Arizona offense. WR Marquise Brown hauled 4 of 8 targets for 24 yards, and TE Trey McBride accumulated 22 yards on 3 receptions. These two were the only Cardinals who totaled greater than 10 yards gained, rushing or receiving, in the contest. There’s not much fantasy-wise to take away from this contest, though it’s very likely that Week 10 will see the season debut of QB Kyler Murray (ACL). Next weekend’s matchup against the Falcons should be a good spot for both Murray and McBride as Atlanta ranks within the top 10-easiest matchups in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs and TEs this season.
Browns WR Amari Cooper hauled all 5 of his targets for a team-high 139 receiving yards in Week 9’s win vs. the Ravens. QB Deshaun Watson’s return to the lineup was a welcomed change of pace for Cooper, as he’s now averaged 5.5 catches and 95.5 receiving yards in four games with Watson under center. In four games without Watson, Cooper only mustered 3.2 catches and 58.7 yards per game. TE David Njoku was also effective Sunday, logging 26 receiving yards and a TD on 4 catches in the contest. Next week’s matchup against the Ravens (first in pass defense DVOA in 2023) will bring them down a bit in fantasy value, however.
Browns RB Jerome Ford tallied 20 carries for 44 rushing yards in Week 9 vs. the Cardinals. The second-year back also added 5 catches and 33 yards as a pass-catcher on Sunday. Ford had seen a team-leading 41.6% of the Browns RB touch opportunities over the past four games and out-touched his teammate Kareem Hunt 25 to 14 this week. It seems the issues Ford had with his high ankle sprain of late are behind him. Week 10’s matchup vs. the Ravens (fifth in run defense DVOA) won’t be easy, but he should be involved enough to warrant RB2 consideration.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson completed 19 of 30 passes for 219 yards with 2 TD in Week 9’s win vs. the Cardinals. He also added 22 rushing yards on the ground in the contest. Watson was reasonably efficient in his return from a right shoulder injury, though he’ll have a much tougher test in Week 10. The Ravens’ defense ranks as the fourth-toughest QB matchups per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. He’s best viewed as a passable QB2 in superflex leagues only.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson hauled 7 of 12 targets for 69 receiving yards in Week 9 vs. the Falcons. WR Jordan Addison also had a strong performance, logging 52 yards on 5 catches in the contest. As painful as losing QB Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles was, it seems as though the recently acquired Joshua Dobbs is going to be able to float the fantasy viability of both. Next week, Hockenson and Addison will face a stingy Saints’ defense (ninth in pass defense DVOA).
In one of the most impressive performances in recent history, Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs completed 20 or 30 passes for 158 yards with 2 TDs in Week 9 vs. the Falcons. He also added a team-leading 66 rushing yards with another score on the ground in the contest. Dobbs was acquired in a trade from the Cardinals this past Tuesday and had only been with the Vikings for five days before a first-quarter concussion forced QB Jaren Hall out of the game. Without knowing the playbook, Dobbs took over and put together a 24.9-point performance that ranked fourth among QBs by Sunday’s end. The journeyman has a realistic shot at being a quality QB2/streaming option down the stretch of 2023. He’ll likely get star WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) sometime soon, and the Vikings’ remaining schedule ranks 11th-easiest for QBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Falcons TE Jonnu Smith hauled 5 of 6 targets for a team-high 100 receiving yards in Week 9 vs. the Vikings. Most of that production game on a 60-yard TD on a screen pass in the third quarter. Sunday was the first time he out-targeted teammate Kyle Pitts over the past four games. Pitts was fine (4 catches, 56 yards), though it’s disappointing that he didn’t see a more significant role without WR Drake London (groin) in the lineup. The duo of Smith and Pitts rank as the TE14 and 17 in PPR points per game, respectively. Both are relatively decent lineup options, though the frustrating nature of HC Arthur Smith’s offense makes them hard to count on for consistency. Their prospects won’t be any easier for the rest of the season, either. The Falcons’ remaining schedule ranks as the ninth-toughest for TEs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson saw 11 carries for 51 rushing yards and 2 catches for 8 receiving yards in Week 9 vs. the Vikings. Fellow RB Tyler Allgeier was again a thorn in the side of the rookie, tallying 30 total yards and a rushing TD on a combined 14 touches in the contest. Allgeier’s involvement has cut into Robinson’s fantasy scoring lately. Over the past four games, Robinson only accounts for 34% of the Falcons’ RB touch opportunities. With how frustrating this offense is in the hands of HC Arthur Smith, it’s become tougher to project whether or not the former Texas standout is a low-end RB1 or middling RB2 each week. At least Week 10’s showdown vs. the Cardinals (third-easiest RB matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed) should present a get-right spot for Robinson.
Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke completed 21 of 38 passes for 268 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Week 9 vs. the Vikings. His 14.7 fantasy points in this contest aren’t remarkable, though they were passable enough to finish as a high-end QB2 this week. Between 2021-22, Heinicke averaged 13.5 fantasy points per game in 25 games played with the Commanders, so these are the sorts of results that are reasonable for fantasy managers to expect. Next week, he’ll face a Cardinals defense that ranks as the sixth-easiest matchup for QBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Heinicke will be in the deep-league streaming discussion for Week 10.
Bills LB Terrel Bernard left Sunday night's game against the Bengals with a concussion. He'll need to pass through the league protocol before returning. LB Tyrel Dodson ran second among Buffalo LBs the previous two weeks and figures to lead playing time at the position while Bernard is out. Most guys have missed at least the following week after suffering concussions this year, so expect to find Dodson among the top 36 LBs in our updated Week 10 rankings. The matchup with Denver has been positive for LB scoring.
Saints WR Chris Olave hauled 6 of 8 targets for 46 receiving yards with 1 TD in Week 9 vs. the Bears. He’s the only non-RB to exceed 30 receiving yards in this contest. The biggest takeaway from Sunday’s action is the continued dominance of TE hybrid Taysom Hill. He accumulated 65 total yards with 4 catches and a receiving TD, totaling 20.6 PPR points. It’s difficult to know when to trust Hill, but he’s worth starting as long as he stays hot.
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