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| Sunday, November 6, 2022 |
The Fantasy Football Today team is here to help you get your lineups set for Week 9, and with six teams on bye plus our typically packed injury report, you surely need the help. Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings, and Dave Richard are live on CBS Sports HQ right now until kickoff to cover the Week 9 slate from every ankle. |
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| For more Week 9 help, here's the rest of our preview content to get you ready: |
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| Quarterbacks
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Tannehill is questionable for tonight's game against the Chiefs, and he's being viewed as a game-time decision. The Titans promoted Logan Woodside from the practice squad, so they are at least preparing for the possibility that rookie Malik Willis will have to start a second straight game. His rushing ability gives him some theoretical Fantasy upside, but the Titans were pretty dead set against him throwing last week, which suggests a lack of faith we should take note of. Willis would only be worth using in deeper 2QB leagues. |
| Running backs |
There are three situations worth really focusing on this morning at RB, and I'll address each one individually. First, we've got the return of Cordarelle Patterson to the Falcons backfield after missing the past four weeks with a knee injury. Patterson was averaging 14.7 PPR points per game before the injury, and we know this is a Falcons team that wants to run the ball a ton, especially against a Chargers defense allowing a league-high 5.7 yards per carry. However, we also know the Falcons want to use multiple running backs, and we just don't know how much work Patterson is going to be ready for coming off IR; they've spoken openly about needing to limit his role to keep him healthy and he's already gotten hurt once, so I don't necessarily expect him to return to a 15-plus carry role. Patterson is a top-30 RB, but not necessarily a must-start for me. |
We also have the expected return of James Conner for the first time since Week 5, at least per Sunday morning reports. Conner is a game-time decision and he'll test it out in pre-game warmups; assuming he makes it through that, he'll be back in the lineup against the Seahawks, which should be a good matchup. I'd expect Conner to split reps with Eno Benjamin, but I'm hoping he'll get a decent chunk of the passing game role plus whatever short-yardage work there is, and he's a top-24 RB for me. |
And finally we have Jonathan Taylor's absence due to an ankle injury, which should once again push Deon Jackson into a prominent role. We have two games where Jackson was the team's primary back, in Weeks 5 and 6, and he played 58% and 67% of the snaps, so they had no problem trusting him as a three-down back. I don't expect a repeat of Week 6's 10-catch game from Jackson, but he had 13 carries and four targets in Week 5, and that feels like a pretty reasonable expectation. He's a top-20 back. |
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Another key one here is McKissic's injury. Over the past three weeks, the Commanders have used a full-blown, three-way committee in the backfield, with Brian Robinson playing 74 total snaps, Antonio Gibson getting 65, and McKissic playing 49. McKissic has been the primary back on passing plays, however, and now I expect most of his snaps to go to Antonio Gibson, who is a top-20 RB for me in PPR scoring this week -- and could work his way into top-15 value if McKissic has to miss time moving forward. Robinson also gets a slight bump, but I think Gibson is the primary beneficiary of McKissic being out. |
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Swift is going to play this week, however he's expected to have a limited role. He had five carries and five targets last week, and Lions coach Dan Campbell said after the game he probably gave Swift one carry too many, so that probably tells you what to expect. Swift is still an explosive enough playmaker to be worth using with just one touch, if he breaks one, but he's certainly a risk right now. He's more like a low-end RB2 for me. |
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| Wide receivers |
| The wide receiver position is kind of in rough shape right now, in terms of injuries. I mean, just look at the list of players ruled out already for Week 9: |
- Out: Keenan Allen (hamstring) Mike Williams (ankle), Ja'Marr Chase (hip), Michael Thomas (toe; IR), Rashod Bateman (foot), Corey Davis (knee), DeVante Parker (knee), Josh Reynolds (back), Jahan Dotson (hamstring), Russell Gage (hamstring), Marquise Goodwin (groin),
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Josh Palmer is expected to serve as the top option in the Chargers passing game -- though Austin Ekeler might just lead them in targets -- and Gerald Everett should see an increased role as well. There's a chance the Chargers offense could just struggle without Allen and Williams, but the matchup against the Falcons makes it pretty hard to go away from Palmer or Everett. You should be starting both. |
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| The only one of these guys you should be planning on using if they are active is Lazard, though I think Jefferson, Landry and Watson are all worth stashing just in case they get healthy and can start to make an impact. And, for what it's worth, I am using the speedy Carter in one deeper league in the hopes I can catch lightning in a bottle with him. |
| Tight ends |
- Out: Mark Andrews (shoulder/ankle; DOUBTFUL), Cameron Brate (neck)
- Questionable: Darren Waller (hamstring), Brock Wright (concussion)
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Andrews isn't technically out, but given that he doesn't play until Monday night, you probably want to proceed as if he is out unless you have Isaiah Likely to slot in his place. I'm starting Likely even with the uncertainty around Andrews -- there just aren't enough tight ends out there I feel good about, so I'll just roll the dice on Likely, who could be useful even if Andrews does play. If you can pivot to Juwan Johnson or Taysom Hill on Monday night if Andrews is inactive, that's also fine, though neither is as exciting as Likely. |
If Waller can't play, Foster Moreau is a viable, albeit boring, streamer. I'm interested to see if fifth-round rookie James Mitchell gets a chance to play an expanded role for the Lions after the T.J. Hockenson trade, which would likely happen even if Wright is able to play. |
| Rankings Updates |
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| Flex |
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 | |  | | | | | This Saturday, it’s the biggest game of the season! Watch as #1 Tennessee challenges #3 Georgia in Athens. Catch the most anticipated day of SEC football at 3:30 PM ET, only on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Watch Live
| | Sunday, It’s an NFL on CBS doubleheader with a key AFC East matchup between the Bills and Jets and a crucial NFC battle featuring the Rams and the Bucs. The day begins at 12:00 PM ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Watch Live
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