We made it through Byemageddon (did we though?)! Another week of football, another week of injuries. Pour one out for Cam Skattebo. That was a tough one to see. Even if you’re not a Giants fan, I think most of us were rooting for the Dart and Bo duo. They were just so fun to watch.
Other injuries to keep an eye on are Drake London, Michael Penix Jr., Daniel Bellinger, the usual suspects (read: the entire 49ers offense except Bourne, Kittle and CMC); and the two notable players on bye this week: Quinshon Judkins and Saquon Barkley.
While Week 9 only has four teams as opposed to six on a bye, we have effectively the same number of starters out. The Eagles, Browns, Jets, and Buccaneers are leaving some hefty shoes to fill this week. So let’s get to it and see who we can use to fill those voids.
Quarterbacks
Sam Darnold (QB – SEA): 26.9% Rostered | Last Week: BYE
Every week I ask myself why Darnold isn’t rostered in more leagues, and this week is no different. Darnold has been the epitome of consistent with the exception of Week 7 against the Texans and Week 1 against the 49ers. Coming out of their Bye Week, the Seahawks are facing the Commanders who struggle to limit big passing plays. Opposing QBs have an average passer rating of 110.5 going up against the struggling Commanders defense.
JJ McCarthy (QB – MIN): 23.2% Rostered | Last Week: N/A
McCarthy hasn’t played since Week 2 when he went down with a high ankle sprain. It’s hard to say what he will look like, as we’ve only seen really one full game out of him (he missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury). With receivers like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson to target, I feel pretty confident in taking a flyer McCarthy. He can’t possibly be worse than Andy Dalton or Geno Smith, right????
Running Backs
Brashard Smith (RB – KC): 21.7% Rostered | Last Week: RB63
The last time Smith filled in for an injured RB, he took on 35% of the snap share with 14 rush attempts and 5 targets. News just broke that Isaiah Pachecco day-to-day with an MCL sprain, so it’s Brashard Smith time again.
Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN): 40.9% Rostered | Last Week: RB12
Every week I have been yelling to anyone who would listen that Spears was going to continue to take work from Tony Pollard. Lo and behold, he’s done it again. Spears played over 50% of the snaps on offense, and he finally got his first (and definitely not last) touchdown. He has done more with his opportunities than Pollard has, and he will continue to do so. Safe floor and consistency is what we’re striving for here.
Zonovan Knight (RB – ARI): 19.4% Rostered | Last Week: BYE
Michael Carter has been released by Arizona. Trey Benson isn’t ready to return to action. Who’s left? Bam Knight and Emari Demercado (who was benched). Oh, and D’Ernest Johnson. That’s it. That’s the list. Even before Carter was released, Knight was getting the majority of the carries. Now, there’s literally no one else to run the ball.
Wide Receivers
Kayshon Boutte (WR – NE): 24.8% Rostered | Last Week: WR13
Boutte has carved himself a roll on this offense. With his only real competition being Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry, he should have plenty more opportunities. Drake Maye is having a season, and he’s bringing Boutte along for the ride. Over the last five games, Boutte has averaged 20.46 yards per reception, and he’s had 4 touchdowns. On top of that, the Patriots get the Falcons this week who got routed by the Miami Dolphins last week.
Christian Watson (WR – GB): 11.3% Rostered | Last Week: N/A
Welcome back Christian Watson. I wouldn’t call it an amazing stat line, but Watson had a fairly decent showing for his first game back in action. Watson has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but he’s been plagued by injuries throughout his short career. If he can stay healthy, he could easily become one of Jordan Love’s favorite targets. We’d all love Matthew Golden to bust out, but he and Love just don’t seem to be on the same page. That leaves just Romeo Doubs and Tucker Kraft to contend with.
Jaylin Noel (WR – HOU): 12.9% Rostered | Last Week: WR34
Houston’s WR room is looking as muddled as Denver’s, with us playing a guessing game of “who’s turn is it to go off this week.” The difference here is that Jaylen Noel is the only player that’s sustainable for the rest of the season. Once Nico Collins comes back, Jayden Higgins returns to non-existence. Xavier Hutchinson is the definition of boom or bust: he’s big play or nothing. Jaylen Noel has been getting increased looks over the last three games, and I expect his target share to improve once Collins returns to the lineup.
Tight Ends
Theo Johnson (TE – NYG): 21.1% Rostered | Last Week: TE24
Last week’s game was an outlier, so I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the performance of any Giants players. With Cam Skattebo out for the year, the Giants playbook might look a little different. I already noted that Johnson is Jaxon Dart’s security blanket, and that will only increase now. Not to mention, Daniel Bellinger reaggrivated his previous neck injury and will be out for at least this week, if not longer. Theo Johnson remains a must-add player this week.
Other Players to Consider
Roman Wilson, Troy Franklin, Mason Taylor (BYE), Tank Bigsby (Saquon Barkley groin- BYE), Dylan Sampson (Quinshon Judkins shoulder- BYE), Jahan Dotson (AJ Brown- BYE)
