Week 9 of the fantasy football season featured a little bit of everything, from Christian McCaffrey returning to the field and exceeding 100 yards from scrimmage to Josh Allen and a number of high-profile quarterbacks having rough days.
What should we make of it all? Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis.
Concerns with Josh Allen?
In an absolute stunner of an upset, easily the biggest of Week 9 and perhaps of the entire 2021 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated Allen and the Bills, 9-6, holding the quarterback to a mere 9.56 fantasy points. It was Allen's worst point total in a single game since he scored 0.20 in Week 17 of 2019 (a game in which he played just six snaps), his worst in a game he played fully since he scored 8.72 in Week 4 of that same 2019 season and his sixth-worst in any of his 51 career NFL starts. Of note in that same game, Josh Allen -- the Jaguars defender, that is -- had a sack, interception and fumble recovery of the Bills quarterback of the same name, resulting in a significantly larger fantasy point total of the two: 30.5, if you're using the IDP (individual defensive players) scoring system we do for our weekly rankings. This wasn't a damning performance by the quarterback, but it's something to acknowledge, given that he has a handful of tricky matchups ahead, including both of his games against the Patriots -- they have held him to three of his nine worst single-game fantasy point totals -- as well as one against the Saints in Week 12. -- Cockcroft
Tristan, Josh Allen threw 47 passes on Sunday -- in a 9-6 loss. The lack of a meaningful running game in Buffalo is a real issue; so is the pass protection. And both were exposed today by a Jacksonville team with a lower-tier roster. I would look for more play-action throws with Allen moving forward, plus a dedicated effort to create a more viable run-game element within this offense. Both should be viewed as positives to generating consistent production at the quarterback position. -- Bowen
Christian McCaffrey plays well in return
In his first game back since Week 3, McCaffrey only played 47% of the offensive snaps in the Week 9 loss to the Patriots. However, he still totaled 18 touches and put up 14.6 PPR points (with 52 yards rushing and 54 receiving). While we want to see more volume moving forward for CMC in the pass game (4-of-5 targets on Sunday), I fully expect his usage to climb, which includes his deployment as a receiving target. He'll be a top-five running back for me next week with a matchup versus the Cardinals defense. -- Bowen
All James Conner does is score touchdowns
Say hello to your one-man machine from the Sunday games, as Conner scored a league-leading and career-best 40.3 PPR fantasy points. Conner's three touchdowns at least temporarily gave him the league lead with 11, one more than Derrick Henry and Cooper Kupp (10 apiece), with all of those coming in the past seven weeks alone. Much of the reason for Conner's big day was the early injury departure of Chase Edmonds, and if Edmonds is forced to miss additional time, Conner would certainly benefit. He saw a season-high five targets, after all, finally involved in that facet of the game and much closer to the receiving usage he had during his Steelers days. But even if Edmonds is fine and returns to their timeshare, Conner has established himself as this team's short-yardage back, meaning he's the ultimate touchdown vulture. That role alone makes him a viable RB2 when the matchup is right, and while Week 10 doesn't offer an elite matchup (Panthers), Week 11 does: the Seattle Seahawks. -- Cockcroft
Nick Chubb back to full speed
After missing Weeks 6 and 7 with a calf injury and registering only 7.9 PPR points in the Week 8 loss to the Steelers, Chubb dropped a season-high 30.3 PPR points on the Bengals in the Week 9 win. And I think the 70-yard touchdown run on Sunday tells us that Chubb is playing at top speed. He shifted gears on that run, attacking open daylight to split the top of the secondary. With a Week 10 matchup against the Patriots defense, Chubb should be viewed as a mid-tier RB1, with top-five upside in non-PPR formats. -- Bowen
Hunter Renfrow remains consistent
Renfrow posted 17.9 PPR points in the Week 9 loss to the Giants, and he's now scored at least 10 PPR points in seven of his eight games this season. If you need a WR3 in deeper leagues, one with PPR upside, then take a look at Renfrow. We know how the Raiders scheme for Renfrow (especially in critical down-and-distance situations): bunch sets and motion/movement to get him free access off the ball there. The route running is clean, too. Renfrow can win underneath one-on-ones. And the upcoming schedule -- with games versus the Chiefs, Bengals and Cowboys -- sets Renfrow up for pretty favorable matchups. -- Bowen
Quick hitters
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers: After back-to-back subpar games for Herbert, the Chargers quarterback posted 31.6 fantasy points in the Week 9 win over the Eagles. It was another volume throwing day for Herbert, as he was 32-of-37 passing against the zone-heavy Philly defense. Plus, he picked up a score on the ground too, off a second-reaction play inside the low red zone. Given the Chargers' inability to create efficiency in their own run game, Herbert has now thrown at least 35 passes in every start this season. And I don't see how that changes with this offense moving forward. -- Bowen
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers: In an otherwise disappointing performance by the 49ers, Kittle's return to the lineup was a positive, as he scored a team-leading 20.1 PPR fantasy points. Though his 73% snap share fell considerably short of the near 100% he typically plays when fully healthy, he saw eight targets for a 21% share and even got a goal-line look that he converted for a 6-yard touchdown. Whether Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance is under center in the coming weeks could have an influence on Kittle's numbers -- Lance's inexperience could cause more weekly volatility, for one -- but there's no reason to expect any less usage than this. His bye is in the rearview and he has a pretty decent remaining schedule, so there's every reason to believe he's back as a top-three tight end. -- Cockcroft
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: After posting three consecutive 20-point fantasy performances, Burrow put forth a stinker in Week 9, scoring only 7.38 points in what was an above-average matchup against the Browns. Only once in his 19 career NFL starts has he scored fewer points, recording 4.32 in Week 5 of 2020, and his streak of multi-touchdown performances to begin the season is now over. It's possible that Burrow, who is still working his way back from a knee reconstruction, has reached the perfect time for his bye-week breather, which arrives in Week 10, so this isn't a game from which to panic. He remains a borderline, yet matchups-dependent, top-10 fantasy quarterback. -- Cockcroft
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens: It wasn't always the prettiest of games, one that was slow-starting statistically for the mobile quarterback, but Jackson continued his rushing-oriented tear through the record books in Week 9. His 30.64 fantasy points represented the 11th game of 30-plus in his young career, moving him into the all-time top 10 at his position. This was his 12th career 100-yard rushing performance (postseason included), breaking a tie he previously shared with Michael Vick. -- Cockcroft
Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: His 28.0 PPR fantasy points represented a season high and his fourth-best total in 59 career NFL games, not to mention gave him a third week of 25-plus points in his past four. Recent ankle problems haven't seemed to hamper Mixon at all, as he even broke off a 21-yard second-quarter run in which his maximum speed exceeded 20 mph, and he now gets a bye week's rest to recharge. Mixon will get the Raiders, a great matchup, in his return to the field in Week 11, and his Week 13 assignment against the Chargers is another solid one, too. -- Cockcroft
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos: I love the running style with the rookie. He's downhill. The physical element is there, too. And we saw that in the Broncos' Week 9 win over the Cowboys, with Williams rushing for 111 yards on 17 carries. However, we also know the drill with the Broncos backfield. Melvin Gordon finished with 23 total touches in this one, which keeps Williams as a flex option only. -- Bowen
Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos: Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy seem to get almost all of the press among Broncos wide receivers, but once the dust settled on this laugher of a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Patrick was their offensive standout, scoring 18.5 PPR fantasy points on five targets. The big catch was a 44-yard touchdown score on a second-quarter deep ball, and all four of his receptions went for at least 11 yards. Still, Jeudy earned more targets (8) and Teddy Bridgewater continued to spread the ball around, keeping Patrick's share to a mere 20%, so be careful not to read too much into it. For example, cornerback Darius Slay and the Eagles are up next. Jeudy is the one who traditionally runs his routes out of the slot, a spot where Slay rarely aligns, so Patrick's next matchup appears suboptimal, and he then has a bye. There are some matchups in the final six weeks, however, that might elevate him into WR3 territory (@KC, Week 13; DET, Week 14; CIN, Week 15). -- Cockcroft
Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens: With 20.6 PPR points in the Week 9 win over the Vikings, Brown has now scored 19 or more points in six of his game eight games this season. Look, we know that Brown can stretch defenses vertically. And the Ravens will scheme him up, too. But don't forget about the volume here, as Brown has now seen 12 or more targets in his last two games. Screens, crossers, intermediate throws. Catch and run. Up next for Brown? The Dolphins defense. I'll take him as a WR2 in that one. -- Bowen
Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Among Week 9's many "where did that come from" performances was Zaccheaus' career-best 20.8 PPR fantasy point showing. While it came on only three targets, note that two of them were red-zone looks and the third was a 49-yard catch on a deep throw, and Calvin Ridley's absence has opened up opportunity in the passing game. Tuck the name away if you're in a larger league and need to exploit matchups. -- Cockcroft