Week 9 was a doozy with crazy games, big performances, and plenty of disappointments. What are the biggest fantasy takeaways from all of the mid-season madness that we saw? Whose role changed for the better or worse?
Pick up, Pat Bryant?
Pat Bryant returned from IR and made an immediate impact against the Panthers, finishing with a 4/56/1 line. The 56 yards led the team, while the 5 targets he had were tied for the second-highest on the team. With Jaylen Waddle suffering a concussion, Bryant might have a path forward within the Broncos’ passing game, even though it might be inconsistent.
Is Tyler Goodson worth stashing?
Goodson is carving out a nice role for himself within the Cowboys’ running game, racking up 77 yards on 12 carries. While his last two weeks don’t look super impressive, with 7 carries for 14
yards and 10 carries for 38 yards, the Cowboys are willing to give him the ball. If Javonte Williams were to miss time, Goodson would be in for a big role.
Burrow, Chase, Higgins continue to dominate
A fantasy wonderland. That’s what we saw in Madrid on Sunday morning from Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. What’s looking like the best fantasy offense in the league poured in 34 points, led by Burrow’s 4 total touchdowns. While Chase will always be a PPR monster ahead of Higgins, the TD upside Higgins has gives him WR1 upside.
Where was the offense, Lions?
Three straight weeks with 20 points or fewer. I can get the 20 points against the Packers and 19 points against the Vikings – two divisional opponents. But 19 points against the Dolphins is unacceptable. The Lions had a 28.0 implied team total this week, and were essentially an offensive no-show. Jared Goff failed to throw for 200 yards. Jahmyr Gibbs failed to run for 100 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown failed to reach 100 yards. Not good enough.
Kenneth Walker and Patrick Mahomes are back to form
It was a slow start, and even with an injury scare, the Chiefs look back on track. A big three-touchdown performance from Kenneth Walker put him back en route to overall RB1 status. Walker had two slow weeks, but after this performance and a potential arm issue for Mahomes, the Chiefs should lean into Walker for big usage coming up.
Blake Corum is a startable running back every week
For the third straight week, Corum has a touchdown and has out-gained Kyren Williams in each of the last two games. While Kyren Williams often has out-touched Corum, the production is still there for Corum. With a potential injury to Puka Nacua, the Rams’ run game might take front and center in the coming weeks. Corum has solid RB2 potential going forward.
Keep an eye on Justice Hill
The Ravens offense is a mess; we can all agree on that. But if it causes them to play from behind, Hill will have a role in the passing game. Zay Flowers is lost in this offense. Derrick Henry doesn’t play in passing situations, and easy check-downs to Hill give him PPR potential; however, it also comes with a very low floor due to the offense being bad overall.
Houston, we don't have a problem?
C.J. Stroud masterclass. After the best performance of the season, the Houston Texans' offense looks to be back on track. Stroud finished with a 384/5/1 line against the lowly Chargers, but it was the distribution of the ball that was the biggest takeaway. Seeing Kayshon Boutte and Tank Dell both go for over 100 receiving yards is the most inspiring part of the performance. We know how good Nico Collins is, but he needs a running mate, and having two solid options is huge for Stroud.
A Golden Watson duo
In what might be the top fantasy storyline of the week, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden torch the Patriots' secondary for 7/171/7 and 10/164/1 lines, respectively. This duo has been crushing it all season, and with a fractured finger for Josh Jacobs, the passing game should take the front foot for the Packers offense. Jordan Love has been fantastic and can clearly support two top-end fantasy wide receivers. Trust the passing game in Green Bay.
DeMario Douglas has a clear path to production
While things got out of hand early, forcing the Patriots into a heavy passing game script, DeMario Douglas is a clear option for them in the passing game and thus has plenty of fantasy value. Seeing 105 yards on 5 catches is great, but it's the team-high 9 targets that caught my eye. With A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs still sidelined, the Patriots need a consistent pass-catcher for Drake Maye, and it appears Douglas is comfortable stepping into that role.
Have patience with Jordyn Tyson
Yes, he fumbled his first career NFL reception for a turnover, but that's a minor blip on the radar when it's all said and done. The Saints have a horrible run game, 86 yards per game, putting them in the bottom five in the league. In Tyson's first game, he earned 5 targets, which was the second-highest on the team behind Chris Olave's 12. The point being: the Saints can't run the ball, and Tyler Shough and the offense need someone else to pass the ball to besides Olave. He's a first-round pick and has an opportunity for plenty of catches.
Put Ashton Jeanty on a milk carton
Jeanty has gone missing in fantasy football. Over the first seven weeks, Jeanty had weekly finishes in the top 14 running backs seven times in PPR formats, including three in the top 10. Since then, he's been 25 or worse. A total of 6 carries for 25 yards and 5 catches for minus-5 receiving yards, and this is all after he got out-carried 25-2 by Mike Washington Jr. last week. It's only a two-game sample size, but it's a dramatic departure compared to what we saw in the first half of the season, and we're approaching an important portion of the fantasy year.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 12 instant fantasy football takeaways from Week 9
