Below-average quarterback play can obviously affect the production of a top wide receiver. Just ask those who relied on Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last season, a longtime star whose awesome production cratered in 2016 because the team’s quarterbacks couldn’t get him the football. Much of the time, however, a top wide receiver can overcome virtually anything. Those relying on Hopkins had to enter Week 9 with concerns after starting quarterback Deshaun Watson shredded a knee this week, rendering him out for rest of the season and forcing backup Tom Savage back into play.
Hopkins would have been the top wide receiver in ESPN Fantasy’s Week 9 rankings with Watson. Without Watson, he clearly wasn’t, but Sunday’s 20-14 Texans loss to the Indianapolis Colts gave hope -- and similarly reminded fantasy managers how top receivers can (and often do) remain relevant regardless of outside circumstance. No, Hopkins and Colts star T.Y. Hilton aren’t likely to attain previous statistical heights with the likes of Savage and Colts backup Jacoby Brissett slinging the passes, but let’s not disregard them as weekly WR2 options and perhaps more in appealing matchups.
Sunday was actually quite the appealing matchup for Hopkins, and while it took much of the game for him to make an impact, Hopkins ended up with a solid 20.6 PPR points on six receptions for 86 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to make the actual game interesting. Hopkins came close to a second touchdown in the final minute. It would have helped if Watson was in there -- the Texans scored 38 points with him in Seattle a week earlier -- or if Savage was more competent, but nobody can complain about 16 targets. Hopkins feels more like a high-end WR2 the rest of the way, which is still extremely valuable. Colleague Will Fuller V also saw plenty of attention, with eight targets, but converted only two of them. Fuller is going to struggle to score touchdowns with Savage but boasts flex status.
Then there’s Hilton, who wasn’t regarded cumulatively as a WR2 for the Texans game by the ESPN Fantasy staff, though this writer trusted him enough -- and didn’t trust others enough -- to rank him 17th. Hilton totaled five receptions and 11.1 PPR points over his past three games, and that was enough to send fantasy managers and many analysts looking for other options. My theory for more than a decade has been that the skills of a top wide receiver matter more than the lack of them for a backup quarterback, and Hilton proved it yet again, though it’s probably too much to ask for consistency.
Still, Hilton followed up fantastic performances in Weeks 3 and 5 -- also sans Andrew Luck -- with Sunday’s season-best 34.5 PPR points on five grabs for 175 yards and two touchdowns. On the second score Hilton did much of the work himself, taking a short pass 80 yards. Sit Hilton for future contests at your own peril. I won’t predict more than regular, mid-tier WR2 placement the rest of the way, but it would be tough for me to leave him out of my top 20, even for future meetings with the defensively strong Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and, well, the Denver Broncos.
Second down: Wide receivers for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams sure don’t need to worry about quarterback play. Sophomore quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Jared Goff each led their teams to 51 points Sunday, as the Eagles made the mighty Broncos look just terrible, while the Rams went to New Jersey and embarrassed the lowly New York Giants. For Philly, Wentz continued his potential MVP campaign -- perhaps in real life, as well as fantasy -- with four touchdown passes, and there’s little doubt among fantasy managers he’s a top-five option regardless of matchup. He did this against the Broncos -- and sans his top weapon, tight end Zach Ertz! Alshon Jeffery entered play with three touchdowns and added two more, perhaps solidifying WR2 status for him the rest of the way, as well.
Goff led all quarterbacks in scoring for the early Sunday game by providing his first four-touchdown effort of the season, although rummaging through the awful Giants defense isn’t quite like embarrassing the Broncos. Veteran Robert Woods continued his relative emergence with a season-best 23 points on four catches for 70 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season. Even Sammy Watkins found the end zone for just the second game in his rough season, hauling in a 67-yarder on his lone reception -- but don’t get any ideas of WR2 relevance there. These Rams are more matchup plays than sure things in fantasy; only running back Todd Gurley is a weekly play, and he had another fine day, as he’s close to reaching his entire season total of fantasy points from 2016 despite half the season remaining.
Back to the Philadelphia running game for a minute: Recently acquired Jay Ajayi scored his first touchdown of the season on a 46-yard jaunt late in the first half. As expected, Ajayi didn’t see major snaps, but he looked rejuvenated on his eight touches just days after his acquisition from the Dolphins. LeGarrette Blount is still an Eagle and still involved, while rookie Corey Clement scored three touchdowns Sunday. But after the team serves its bye in Week 10, look for Ajayi to handle a considerably larger role. In other words, don’t rush to add Clement in redraft formats.
Third down: The big stories Sunday morning involved the Jaguars' benching top-10 running back Leonard Fournette for violating team rules and the Eagles' deeming top fantasy tight end Ertz too injured to play through a hamstring issue. Neither team struggled to score points -- and each looks terrific defensively -- and as of now, those relying on Fournette and Ertz shouldn’t panic. Fournette, who last played in Week 6 thanks to an ankle injury and the bye week, should be healthy enough and motivated for an appealing schedule the rest of the way. He’s someone to trade for, not run away from. Chris Ivory provided 13.3 PPR points in his place, but again, knowing the circumstances, that was a bit disappointing.
While Ertz’s usual production was replaced by Trey Burton and Brent Celek, the Eagles are approaching their bye, and that should permit plenty of time for Ertz to recover physically. The Eagles are so deep offensively it might concern those relying on individual players, but remember, Ertz still hasn’t scored in single-digits for PPR in any game he’s played in this season. Plenty of tight ends stepped up with Ertz and Rob Gronkowski (bye week) out, including top-10 options Evan Engram and Jack Doyle, plus Washington fill-in Vernon Davis and Baltimore’s Benjamin Watson.
Fourth down: As for a few others who did suit up but left their games prematurely, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green was ejected in the second quarter against the Jaguars for throwing punches at Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Green might not have had a great statistical effort to start with, but he ended up with 1.6 PPR points. That’s a temporary problem. Green surely remains a top-five WR option despite the difficult Sunday and, barring a suspension for his behavior, remains reliable. The Bengals managed a mere one touchdown at Jacksonville, and rookie Joe Mixon provided it -- just his second of a frustrating season. Mixon remains a late-tier RB2 most weeks, and things should get better.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston scored 3.5 points for a road game at the New Orleans Saints before a recurrence of his shoulder injury ended his afternoon. Winston is oozing with statistical upside, but fantasy managers can’t rely on him until he proves safer health. And by the way, the Saints have really improved defensively, so any perceived narrative that future foes such as Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor, Washington’s Kirk Cousins and Goff will automatically thrive should be dispelled. Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans -- the most active receiver in ESPN formats -- was held to one catch on six targets while running back Doug Martin turned eight carries into 7 yards. Keep Evans and Martin in starting lineups for Week 10 against the New York Jets, but shaky quarterback play limits their upside.