Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. tallied 63 yards and a TD on 18 carries in Sunday's victory over the Patriots. His 3.5 yards per carry weren't remarkable, but the 18 attempts were his most since Week 2. Robinson had averaged just 9.7 rushes per game since then, a stretch that saw the Commanders go 1-5. Robinson's high of 14 carries in that stretch came in an OT loss at Philly that Washington led most of the way. Sunday did mark the fifth game among the past six in which Robinson averaged 3.5 yards per rush or less. And he's likely to continue seeing game flow significantly impact his touch counts. Robinson drew just 2 targets against New England, his fourth straight game with 2 or fewer. He has exceeded 2 in a game just twice all year and caught more than two passes in a game only once. A Week 10 meeting with Seattle -- which struggled mightily at Baltimore on Sunday -- looks fairly neutral for Robinson. A Week 11 date with the Giants looks good. Matchups with the Cowboys and Dolphins the following two weeks don't look favorable and precede a Week 14 bye. Look for worthwhile opportunities to sell Robinson over these next few weeks, if you have him.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield was not the best QB on the field in the Week 9 shootout loss to the Texans -- but he played well. Mayfield completed 21 of 30 passes (70%) for 265 yards (8.8 YPA), two TDs, and 0 INTs. He connected with TE Cade Otton for a 14-yard TD with less than a minute to go to give the Bucs a short-lived lead that QB C.J. Stroud would eventually erase. But it was another solid showing from Mayfield in what's been a generally solid season. He's now tossed multiple TDs in four of eight games. Week 10 brings a Titans defense that entered this week ranked eighth in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. But Tennessee sits 25th in pass defense DVOA (vs. second in run defense DVOA). It’s a matchup that’ll have Mayfield on the spot-start radar.
Bucs TE Cade Otton tallied a 6-70-2 line in the 39-37 Week 9 loss to the Texans. The second TD was a particularly tough catch in tight coverage to give Tampa Bay a short-lived lead with less than one minute to go. Otton's nine targets in this one led the team and were a big 30% share. This will very likely go down as the best game of Otton’s season (maybe his career). But he’d totaled nine catches on 12 targets over the previous two games, so his role might be growing. Otton might be worth adding in deeper fantasy leagues, although the next two weeks bring negative matchups against the Bucs and 49ers. Otton does still get positive draws vs. the Colts (Week 12) and Falcons (Week 14).
Texans TE Dalton Schultz caught 10 balls for 130 yards and a TD in the 39-37 Week 9 win over the Bucs. The catches and yards were both career highs. Schultz tied for the team lead with 11 targets (26% share). This will very likely go down as Schultz's best game of the season. But he's now found the end zone in four of Houston's last five games while averaging 7.2 targets per game. The Texans gave Schultz a one-year, $6.25 million deal in free agency, so it's not a major surprise that he's emerged as a big part of this passing game. Schultz looks like a weekly TE1 going forward. There's nothing scary on the upcoming schedule, with games against the Bengals, Cardinals, Jaguars, and Broncos.
Seahawks rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the team with 6 receptions and 63 yards in Sunday's loss to the Ravens. His 7 targets trailed only WR Tyler Lockett's 8. Seattle kept three WRs on the field more than usual in a game that found the Seahawks down 17-3 at the half and 30-3 by the end of the third quarter. Four of JSN's receptions came after Baltimore had pushed the lead to 30-3. The rookie has seen more usage since the Week 5 bye, but this game likely elevated that further with such negative game script for Seattle. JSN still shouldn't be in starting consideration for most leagues going forward, though he's closer since the bye than he was before. A Week 10 matchup with Washington adds upside to everyone in the passing game.
Texans WR Tank Dell hauled in six balls for 114 yards and two scores in the 39-37 Week 9 win over the Bucs. The rookie came up clutch on the game-winning drive, catching a 26-yarder to get the Texans down to Tampa's 15-yard line -- and then securing a 15-yard TD on the very next play. Dell tied TE Dalton Schultz with a team-high 11 targets and also carried twice. It was a strong bounce-back effort from Dell, who'd been mostly quiet since posting 7-72-1 and 5-145-1 lines in Weeks 2 and 3. We'll still need to check on Dell's playing time once WR Robert Woods returns from his foot injury. Dell played behind Woods and WR Noah Brown back in Week 1. But it'd be malpractice for the Texans to cut Dell's snaps considering how explosive he's been this season. The upcoming schedule is favorable: Bengals, Cardinals, Jaguars, and Broncos.
We didn't expect Seahawks QB Geno Smith to have a good game against the Ravens on Sunday. But he was bad enough that we might need to worry about Smith even in better matchups. He completed just 13 of 28 attempts at Baltimore, taking 4 sacks, tossing 1 INT and losing a fumble. Smith's 157 yards marked his third game this season with less than 200. And he how has 6 INTs vs. just 4 TD passes over the past four games. Smith's next two matchups look positive, including a Week 10 spot against Washington, which entered Sunday as the second-best scoring matchup for QBs by our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Don't be surprised if Smith still doesn't get into the top 12 when we update our Week 10 rankings Tuesday. But fantasy teams will be losing Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Tua Tagovailoa to byes. So Smith might actually make sense as your starter in plenty of cases.
Packers WR Christian Watson managed only 1 catch for 37 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Rams. That was a sweet leaping grab deep downfield. Watson nearly added a downfield TD, but the pass arrived underthrown. The young WR exited this one banged up with chest and back injuries. He was also checked for a concussion, but HC Matt LaFleur said the team is confident he avoided a head injury. We'll check his practice participation ahead of Sunday's meeting with a beatable Pittsburgh secondary. After that comes another favorable opponent in the Chargers.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud set a single-game rookie record with 470 passing yards in the 39-37 Week 9 win over the Bucs. Stroud completed 71% of his 42 passes, averaged 11.2 yards per attempt, and tossed five TDs vs. 0 INTs. It was as impressive of a QB performance as we've seen all season. Stroud had cooled off in his last few games heading into this one. But he's generally played excellent football this season -- and not just for a rookie. He's finished as a top-12 fantasy QB in five of his last seven outings now and will remain a QB1 option for at least the next four weeks vs. the Bengals, Cardinals, Jaguars, and Broncos. The Jets will present a tough test in Week 14.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III managed just 16 yards on 9 carries in Sunday's lopsided loss to the Ravens. The 1.8 yards per carry marked the second-lowest average of Walker's career, while it was the second straight game in which he has logged single-digit carries. Also for the second straight game, RB Zach Charbonnet played more snaps. It's tough to know how much we can draw from a game Seattle lost 37-3. But we certainly can't ignore the past two weeks of usage. Walker becomes a shakier fantasy play in the short term, and the remaining schedule could exacerbate that issue. It's the league's worst RB schedule from Week 10 on, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Charbonnet is still worth stashing, though, given his more favorable passing-game role. And a Walker injury would give Charbonnet control of backfield work.
Packers RB Aaron Jones enjoyed a breakout game in Week 9. The veteran back tallied 99 total yards on 24 touches -- his highest mark since Week 10 of last season. He added his first TD since Week 1 on a power run up the middle. Jones will be challenged this week at Pittsburgh. Going forward, though, his schedule looks neutral in terms of fantasy points allowed.
Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. caught his first TD Sunday since January 2022. The score came from Tyler Huntley in the fourth quarter of Sunday's lopsided win over the Seahawks, after Baltimore pulled Lamar Jackson at the end of the third quarter. It came on 1 of 2 targets he drew from Huntley, after Jackson targeted Beckham five times. Even that number would mark Beckham's second-highest single-game target total this season. His usage remains a little light for a regular starting fantasy option. A Week 10 matchup with Cleveland won't help Beckham's outlook, and his best remaining matchup (Chargers) sits in Week 12, with no teams on bye.
Colts WR Josh Downs is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Panthers due to a knee injury. This is presumably the same knee that had Downs listed as questionable heading into this one. We'll update his status when we know more.
Update: Downs has been ruled out.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson played fine in Sunday's lopsided win over the Seahawks, completing 21 of 26 passes (80.8%) for 187 yards (7.2 per attempt) and running for 60 yards on 10 rushes. But Jackson missed out on the team's 4 offensive TDs. Gus Edwards ran for two scores. Keaton Mitchell added another from 40 yards out. And then QB Tyler Huntley threw the team's lone TD pass to Odell Beckham Jr. after Jackson had been pulled late. That all made for a frustrating fantasy day for Jackson. But there's nothing to worry about here going forward, and it wasn't wrong to play Jackson against a Seattle defense that has been friendlier to offensive passing than rushing on the season. Jackson gets a tough matchup with the Browns in Week 10, but he threw for 2 TDs and ran for 2 more at Cleveland back in Week 4.
Giants QB Daniel Jones left Sunday’s game in the first half with an apparent right knee injury. He went to the blue medical tent for further evaluation. We’ll let you know when there’s an update on Jones’ status.
Update: Jones has been ruled out.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco handled 16 of 18 team rush attempts for 66 scoreless yards in Week 9. The Chiefs’ offense struggled in this one. They ran only 56 plays at 4.8 yards per pop, as no Chiefs RB saw a goal line attempt. Still, Pacheco enters a Week 10 bye with 13+ carries in six of his past seven outings. The Eagles await on the other side. But after that tough matchup, Pacheco’s schedule looks ultra-favorable.
Ravens RB Justice Hill tallied a team-high 13 carries in Sunday's win over the Seahawks. He took those for just 40 yards (3.1 per rush), though, ranking fourth on the team in that category. Don't read too much into that workload, though. Hill, Gus Edwards, and rookie Keaton Mitchell all finished the first half with 4 carries. Edwards ran just one more time after the break before sitting out the rest of the game. Mitchell led Hill 9-8 in carries before Hill claimed the team's final 5 RB rushing attempts of the game. That came with QB Tyler Huntley in the game, after Baltimore pulled Lamar Jackson amid a lopsided victory. Hill also drew just a single target, which fell incomplete. It was Mitchell's first game of significant use. And we're guessing the Ravens took the opportunity to rest Edwards for the second half because of the toe issue that kept him out of Wednesday's practice. Hill will need to do more to become a fantasy option again. Mitchell looks more interesting for Week 10 waivers.
The Vikings fear a torn Achilles for RB Cam Akers, HC Kevin O'Connell said after Sunday's win over the Falcons. This would be Akers' left Achilles. He tore his right Achilles in July 2021, eventually making it back in January 2022. This latest injury would end Akers' 2023 campaign, leaving Minnesota's backfield to Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler. We should get confirmation on the injury on Monday.
Update: The Monday MRi confirmed the injury. Unfortunately, this makes Akers droppable across fantasy formats, including dynasty.
Ravens RB Gus Edwards rewarded you with a pair of TDs if you started him Sunday against the Seahawks. But he totaled just 5 touches in the lopsided victory. Edwards sat tied with RBs Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill at 4 carries when the first half ended. He then ran for 42 yards on the first play of the second half but never touched the ball again after that. There's been no indication Edwards got hurt in the game. Baltimore kicked a FG at the end of that drive to go up 20-3. So perhaps the Ravens simply chose to rest him after that. Edwards missed Wednesday's practice with a toe issue before putting in full workouts the next two days. His second-half inactivity against Seattle allowed both Hill (13) and Mitchell (9) to finish the game with more carries. We'll watch for any revelation of backfield plans going forward. No Baltimore RB looks attractive for a Week 10 matchup with the Browns. But Edwards should remain helpful to fantasy lineups beyond that.
Bet you didn't guess who would lead the Ravens in rushing yards in Sunday's win over the Seahawks. Undrafted rookie RB Keaton Mitchel racked up 138 yards and a TD on 9 carries in the lopsided victory. The speedster delivered a 40-yard TD sprint in the third quarter, as well as a 60-yard fourth-quarter run. Mitchell logged his final 2 carries in the fourth quarter, after QB Tyler Huntley had entered the game. But he finished the first half tied with RBs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill at 4 carries. Mitchell finished 4 carries ahead of Edwards for the game and led Hill as well before Hill handled the team's final 5 RB rushing attempts. This should be enough to keep Mitchell involved going forward. If he stays involved to the same degree he did against Seattle, this will become a frustrating backfield to project and use in fantasy football lineups. Baltimore gets a negative RB-scoring matchup with Cleveland in Week 10, so you'll probably want to keep Ravens RBs out of your lineup. A more neutral spot against Cincinnati follows before an upside matchup with the Chargers. Let's hope for role clarity at least ahead of that one.
Search
