With 152 total yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, New Orleans rookie running back Alvin Kamara continues to pump out high-end fantasy production. He's a rising star -- an RB1 with proven versatility. But along with Kamara, what else jumped out from the Week 9 slate of games? Let's take a look at Alshon Jeffery's fit in Philadelphia's high-powered offense, break down the negative impact of Tom Savage in Houston's passing game, discuss Adrian Peterson's monster workload and much more.
Here are the Week 9 fantasy takeaways.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara is a rising fantasy star
Kamara's amazing production in the win over the Buccaneers was good for 31.2 points in PPR leagues and 25.2 points in non-PPR scoring. Really, it's all about the versatility Kamara brings to Sean Payton's offense in New Orleans. He's a legit weapon, a chess piece for Payton in the passing game and a player who should carry RB1 value again this week versus Buffalo.
The rookie consistently pops on the tape. Just look at his touchdown on the screen pass Sunday. The vision in the open field, the quick burst and the body control to shake off a tackle. That's good football. As for the touchdown run, he hit the hole with speed, slipped a tackle attempt and put the ball in the end zone. That works.
Given Kamara's skill set and the true fit he has in New Orleans, he could have a David Johnson-type impact if Mark Ingram were to go down with an injury. The ability is there in a modern NFL offense. He's a rising star.
The Tom Savage effect on DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V
We knew that the Texans' game plan would look a little stale without Deshaun Watson under center. Gone would be the creativity, the movement, the play-action out of the shotgun/pistol -- everything that opens up windows in the passing game. With Watson, Houston's offense was tough to prepare for, and it created a lot of opportunities for both Hopkins and Fuller.
However, with Savage running the offense, the quarterback struggled in the passing game (19-of-44, 219 yards, one touchdown), and he was consistently putting the ball into almost nonexistent windows against a really poor Colts defense. The targets were there for Hopkins (16) and Fuller (eight), and Savage did throw a solid ball on the fade route to Hopkins for his lone touchdown pass of the day. Still, I think we can all see where this is going.
Hopkins (six receptions, 86 yards, one touchdown) is going to stay in the mix as a WR1. He can win one-on-one battles on the outside, and the target volume will be there. He'll get his red zone throws, too. Fuller (two catches, 32 yards), on the other hand, is going to drop down in my ranks next week against the Rams defense. Even with the speed to run post routes and fly routes all day long, it was the Watson-facilitated offense that created a ton of production for Fuller. He's going to slide into the WR3 range until I see some consistency and better field vision from Savage.
Alshon Jeffery emerging as a consistent WR2 in Philadelphia's high-powered offense
With the addition of running back Jay Ajayi, and so many weapons already on this Eagles offense, it's tough for fantasy managers to key in on which players are going to see consistent touches/targets outside of tight end Zach Ertz (when he comes back from that hamstring injury). However, that's why I'm looking at Jeffery here. In his last four games, Jeffery has seen 35 targets from Carson Wentz and has three touchdowns during that stretch -- with two coming on Sunday against the Broncos secondary.
Jeffery's first score came on a smooth call from Doug Pederson. It was a run-pass option for Wentz -- the inside zone plus the QB keep and the fade route. It was a modern-day triple-option, really. You pull the ball and hit Jeffery on the fade when the cornerback bites. Wentz showcased perfect execution. Then the quarterback came back to Jeffery again off the bootleg look in the red zone when the wide receiver separated on the crossing route. Those were two great calls to get him the ball.
Look, this Eagles offense is very similar to the Kansas City system under Andy Reid. It's a mix of West Coast concepts and some spread looks. That creates stress for opposing defenses and puts Wentz in a position to produce. Jeffery is a fit for that game plan, which is why I'm counting on him to be a consistent option in Philadelphia. Think volume here and WR2 numbers moving forward in a high-powered offense when the Eagles come back from the bye in Week 11.
Can Adrian Peterson sustain his heavy workload against Seattle in Week 10?
Even with a short week coming up against that Seahawks defensive front on Thursday night, managers are going to put Peterson in the lineup as an RB1 -- and why shouldn't they? The guy just carried the ball 37 times -- a career-high number -- for 159 yards in a win over the 49ers. He also had two grabs in the passing game. It was monster-level volume.
Besides, with Drew Stanton now at quarterback for the Cardinals, the Arizona offense is very dependent on Peterson's running. If the Cardinals want to compete down the stretch, Peterson has to carry this unit. That's going to be reflected in both the game plan and the workload we are going to see with the veteran running back. It's also going to grind him down.
That means more carries and more total touches for Peterson. That's really my main concern on a short week versus a much tougher Seahawks defense. This is a 32-year-old running back. Even though Peterson did rip off some runs on Sunday, Seattle is going to load the box and play eight-man fronts with Kam Chancellor rolled down in an effort to squeeze that Cardinals offense. Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised if Peterson puts up only midtier RB2 numbers -- even with another heavy workload.
Is there concern over Kareem Hunt's touchdown drought?
Now Hunt hasn't scored a touchdown in six straight weeks. That's a long drought for an RB1 in any format, and his volume has fluctuated, too. In his last four games, Hunt has dipped below double-digit carries twice (Steelers, Cowboys), and he has only five red zone touches in that span. Yes, game flow plays a major role in terms of total carries and red zone touches, especially for a Kansas City offense that will use a lot of creativity and window dressing to move the ball around. Andy Reid loves to go deep into his playbook in scoring situations. You're bound to see some wild stuff.
All that said, I'm still betting on the talent with Hunt here. I love his game on tape. He's averaging over 5.2 yards per carry and he can be a factor in the passing game. If I'm Reid, I use this bye week to get back to the scripted red zone targets out of the backfield we saw with Hunt earlier in the season and to use those shotgun runs/spread schemes to get him going inside the 10-yard line. He will no doubt be a high-end RB1 in my ranks versus the Giants' suspect defense in Week 11 when the Chiefs come off the bye.
Lock in Robby Anderson as a WR3/flex in Week 10
In his last three games, Anderson has caught 13 of 16 targets for 187 yards (14.8 yards per catch), and he's scored a touchdown in all three matchups. The volume is there with the Jets wide receiver and so is the speed. This guy can really move. He's a blazer, a big-play target who is also working with a veteran quarterback in Josh McCown.
Just go back to New York's win over the Bills on Thursday night. With the ball between the 20- and 35-yard line, and Buffalo showing a single-high-safety look, McCown checked to a four verticals concept. That was smart football there, with the inside seams now holding the free safety in the deep middle of the field. That created a one-on-one for Anderson outside the numbers. He beat the coverage, separated over the top and glided to the ball. That's worth six points.
Looking ahead to Week 10, Anderson has a really good matchup against the Buccaneers. The Tampa Bay defense simply cannot rush the passer with any consistency, and the secondary play has been subpar this season. He's going to see targets, and he brings a pretty high ceiling to the lineup because of his speed over the top. Give me Anderson as a solid WR3/flex this week.
Beware of the pass defense in New Orleans
At the start of the season, fantasy managers were falling all over themselves to get their guys in the lineup when the Saints defense was on the schedule. In Weeks 1 and 2, the Saints ranked dead last in the NFL with an average of 388.5 passing yards allowed per game and a total QBR of 95.2. That young secondary was getting destroyed.
Then came this current six-game winning streak, and New Orleans now leads the NFL with an average of only 151.2 passing yards allowed per game -- and that total QBR has plummeted to 26.4. The Saints are pressuring like crazy (blitzing on 44 percent of snaps heading into Week 9), the defensive front is getting home, and the play of rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore jumps off the film. He's for real.
Yes, Jameis Winston left the game early on Sunday, but Mike Evans was held to just one grab for 13 yards on six targets, DeSean Jackson caught two passes for 25 yards and Cameron Brate was a no-show versus the Saints defense. This is a consistent trend with New Orleans. The tape doesn't lie. That has to impact lineups moving forward, starting with a matchup against the Bills in Week 10.