web analytics

Fantasy Football Week 9 Rankings: Final Flex, PPR Predictions for Each Game

Fantasy Football
November 8, 2015

An oddly organized NFL schedule assigned six teams a Week 9 bye, giving fantasy football managers fewer options than usual.

No more than four teams take any other week off, but the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans were the only two squads unfortunate enough to draw a Week 4 bye. Add in the Thursday-night showdown, and 12 games remain on a light schedule.

Gamers will have to dig deeper into the roster and waiver wire, and Week 9’s rankings for both standard and point-per-reception leagues will seem shallower than the typical order. Yet plenty of sturdy players will take the gridiron on Sunday and Monday in a crucial week for real and fake teams alike.

 

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Whether fantasy managers stashed DeAngelo Williams or spent every last penny of their remaining free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB), they won’t feel vindicated by benching the new Pittsburgh Steelers starting running back.

A tough matchup could leave those owners shunning their new cornerstone and begging for Le’Veon Bell’s return. The Oakland Raiders rank No. 2 in rushing defense while allowing 3.6 yards per carry. Sunday will test Williams’ status as a must-start, but don’t risk missing a resounding “yes” to that query.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Ben Roethlisberger said the team won’t change its offense with Williams taking Bell’s spot. Considering Bell averaged 22.8 touches per game, Fowler identified 20 touches as a “reasonable standard to set” for his replacement.

It’s even more reasonable looking at the opening weeks, when Williams recorded 41 carries and five receptions while Bell served a two-game suspension. Those weren’t empty calories either: the 32-year-old registered 224 total yards and three touchdowns.

Even against a strong rushing defense, the lore of opportunity makes him an intriguing No. 2 running back or high-end flex play in all formats.

 

LeGarrette Blount, RB, New England Patriots

New England’s second featured running back behind Dion Lewis, LeGarrette Blount still often gets as many touches as a typical starter.

His floor is astronomically low, opening the season with four yards and compiling minus-three yards on three touches against the New York Jets in Week 7. In the other four games, however, the 28-year-old rusher has averaged 79 rushing yards on 16 handoffs.

For Blount to produce, the Patriots must bludgeon their opponent into oblivion before pounding the rock late. This isn’t a problem for the reigning champions, who outscored the opposition by a combined 94 points during Blount‘s four positive performances.

Vegas expects another blowout on Sunday. According to OddsShark, New England is favored by 14 at home against Washington, who allows 4.9 yards per carry. The big back doesn’t derive any value as a pass-catcher like Lewis, but Yahoo Sports’ Scott Pianowski noted his touchdown proficiency with the Pats:

Expect another lopsided New England victory with enough points to go around for everyone. He’s the team’s fifth-best fantasy option, far behind the top stars, but Blount is a solid No. 2 back in standard leagues.

 

Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Playing his first game since Week 1, Dez Bryant recorded a dozen yards against the Seattle Seahawks. The Dallas Cowboys star wideout will have to catch passes from Matt Cassel—who averaged a putrid 3.88 yards per attempt a week after surrendering three picks—for at least another game.

He’s also free from Richard Sherman’s shadow. Per ESPN’s Ed Werder, the star cornerback said Bryant didn’t look fully recovered from a foot injury which cost him five games:

The returning star wasn’t used as a decoy, receiving seven targets during a 13-12 loss. An elite defense clobbered Cassel, but the last-ditch starting quarterback only mustered 227 yards against the New York Giants’ NFL-worst passing defense. Until Tony Romo returns, Bryant finds himself in a purgatory occupied by Antonio Brown without Roethlisberger. Yet he doesn’t rely as much on volume as his smaller star counterpart.

A healthy Bryant is a touchdown machine, scoring 41 times over his last 50 games. Against the Giants, Cassel led then top wideout Terrance Williams to a solid four catches and 70 yards. Ranked No. 17 against the pass, the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t nearly as bad as New York, but they’re also not in the same stratosphere as Seattle. They do, however, yield 95.3 receiving yards per game to No. 1 wideouts, per Football Outsiders.

Don’t expect the moon from Bryant, but start the star and hope for the best. Or at least his first touchdown of the season.

Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com

NFL

Fantasy Football

Fantasy

You Might Also Like