Week 9 of the 2023 fantasy football season featured big surprises. Who were the big winners and losers? Which players received "A" and "F" grades?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis, and Seth Walder provides his grades. We also asked NFL Nation reporters to answer questions about what happened in the Thursday and Sunday games.
Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Who got an A | Who got an F
Biggest injuries and what's next
Top questions from Week 9
Ranking fantasy winners of Week 9
1. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
What a game, and what a comeback! Stroud was a star all day in Week 9, setting rookie records for passing yards (470) and fantasy points in a game (41.4). He's only the 20th rookie in history to pass for at least 450 yards and five touchdowns. Stroud made good use of all of his receivers, threw the deep ball with confidence and continues to be one of the most exciting stories at a position that has taken some severe hits of late. He needs to be regarded as a top-10-capable quarterback regardless of matchup -- and he has a lot of good ones left. -- Cockcroft
2. Gus Edwards, RB; Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Edwards continued his three-week scoring run, and Mitchell emerged as a potential pickup in the win over Seattle. Despite logging just five carries, Edwards rushed for two scores, giving him a total of six touchdowns in the past three games. He finished with 17.2 fantasy points, while Mitchell, the rookie, logged 20.4 points on nine touches. He ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run and displayed his home run speed. He can roll, now. This Ravens rushing attack gets the Browns' defense up next in Week 10. -- Bowen
3. Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
White's 27.9 fantasy points and 24 touches were both seasons highs in the loss to the Texans. Sure, the run game efficiency wasn't there yet again for White (3.7 YPC), but he cashed in on two goal-line carries for touchdowns, and his ability to produce in the pass game remains consistent. With four receptions on Sunday, White has logged a total of 17 catches in his past three games. He should stay in the RB2 mix for the Week 10 game against Tennessee. -- Bowen
4. Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
Just as he did in Week 9 a year ago, Kmet scored a pair of receiving touchdowns, but it was his quarterback -- fill-in Tyson Bagent, who has shown enough in the role to raise some questions whether he should remain the starter even once Justin Fields is healthy, plus be a prospective fantasy matchups candidate -- who made this such a surprising score. Kmet has 18 targets and 41.4 PPR fantasy points in his past two games working with Bagent, his consistent usage in the red zone keeping him on the borderline of the TE1 class. -- Cockcroft
5. Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
His season-best 24.9 PPR fantasy point performance came in a 27-0 blowout victory over the Arizona Cardinals, which makes it all the more impressive considering the game script. Cooper caught all five targets and had a 59-yard reception, further underscoring how favorable a matchup all-around that facing the Cardinals' defense is for fantasy. -- Cockcroft
6. Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
Hill finished with 20.62 points in the win over the Bears, his second straight week with 20 or more points. And the red zone package continues to expand for Hill as a multidimensional threat. Hill caught a touchdown on a quick out and also threw for a score off a play-action concept. With Hill producing yet again as a runner on designed carries (11 carries, 52 yards), in addition to the touchdown production for the third straight week, he should enter the TE1 discussion in Week 10 versus Minnesota. -- Bowen
7. Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans
Stroud's impressive performance largely fueled Schultz's season-best 26.6 PPR fantasy point score on 11 targets, but the tight end has been a force at the goal line in recent weeks. He has four touchdowns in his past five games to vault himself into the back-end TE1 class. -- Cockcroft
8. Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys
The second-year player was a force in the Cowboys' comeback that wasn't, catching many of his 10 targets in key spots while totaling 22.2 PPR fantasy points. The targets were second most on the team, an encouraging sign that could (and should) make him a popular Week 10 pickup. -- Cockcroft
9. Kansas City Chiefs defense
The Chiefs logged 14 fantasy points in the win over the Dolphins, while scoring on defense and holding Tua Tagovailoa to just 163 yards passing. Kansas City had a dedicated plan to limit Miami's vertical passing concepts, allowing just one explosive play throw on Sunday. And the pressure was there yet again. The Chiefs have now recorded at least three sacks in seven of nine games played this season. Steve Spagnuolo's unit is legit, and it is rostered in only 56.2% of ESPN leagues. -- Bowen
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 9
1. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Queue the "Taylor Swift wasn't in attendance" quips, as Kelce, fantasy football's otherworldly tight end, was a nonfactor in the Chiefs' game in Germany. Kelce's 4.4 PPR fantasy points, on four targets, was his sixth-lowest score in any of his 151 career games. Fantasy managers might now worry that the Chiefs' lack of receiving depth might be making it easier for defenses to contain Kelce, but this outcome seems the exception rather than the rule. He'll now enjoy his bye week and should be a big factor in Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles. -- Cockcroft
2. Tua Tagovailoa, QB; Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
Hill especially warrants the blame here, as his critical fumble led to a Chiefs touchdown to put the Dolphins in a 21-0 hole heading into halftime. Hill saw 10 targets and finished with a far-from-catastrophic 12.5 PPR fantasy points, but he struggled to make big plays against a strong-performing Chiefs pass defense. With it, his 163.3 points place him eighth among wide receivers (since at least 1950) through his team's first nine games, after he ranked seventh through eight contests. Tagovailoa's production was down accordingly, his 12.42 fantasy points his third-worst score of 2023. -- Cockcroft
3. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Make that back-to-back weeks that both Kupp and Nacua were held beneath 10 PPR fantasy points, as the pair converted a combined 14 targets into 13.0 points. Brett Rypien's struggles pulled down the performance of both of his receivers, as the Rams were in negative passing yardage as a team deep into this contest. Kupp's and Nacua's fantasy managers will surely hope that Matthew Stafford can heal during the Week 10 bye. -- Cockcroft
4. Lamar Jackson, QB; Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
When your team races to an early 14-0 lead and ultimately wins by 34, you can expect the running backs to be the focal point, and that was exactly the case for the Ravens in Week 9. Jackson scored only 11.48 fantasy points, not to mention rested for the majority of the fourth quarter, while his top target Flowers saw only one target and scored 2.1 PPR fantasy points. It's frustrating for both with a tough-as-nails matchup ahead with the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, but both should still be started in fantasy leagues. -- Cockcroft
5. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons opted to roll with Tyler Allgeier as lead back in the second half versus Minnesota after a Robinson fumble, and the rookie is surprisingly not producing in the pass game despite his dynamic route running traits. Robinson did log 11 carries for 51 yards, but with just two receptions on Sunday, after going without a reception in Week 9, he finished with only 5.9 points. He'll look to get back on track in the Week 10 game against Arizona. -- Bowen
6. Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
After posting six straight games with at least 15 fantasy points, Thielen logged only 7.9 points in the Panthers' Week 9 loss to Carolina. On a day when rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the Carolina passing game struggled to push the ball to the second and third level of the field with any consistency, Thielen caught five of six targets but averaged just 5.8 yards per catch. Thielen gets the Bears' zone-heavy defense on Thursday night. -- Bowen
7. Kenneth Walker III, RB; DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
In the blowout loss to the Ravens, Walker saw 10 touches but finished with just 1.8 yards per carry and 17 total yards. Metcalf did produce an explosive play, taking his one reception for 50 yards. But with limited usage (four targets), he wasn't a primary option in the Seahawks' route tree on Sunday. Both players will look to get back on track as volume contributors in the Week 10 game versus Washington. -- Bowen
8. Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Despite seeing 16 carries in the win over Miami, Pacheco totaled only 6.6 points. And that's two straight weeks with Pacheco failing to top the 7-point scoring mark. I'd like to see a bump in targets for Pacheco here (only one target on Sunday). Swings, screens, checkdowns to utilize his open-field speed. And that's one area the Chiefs can address as they head into the bye week. -- Bowen
Injury impact
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
What's next: Tommy DeVito replaced Jones, completing 15 of 20 passes for 175 yards with one touchdown throw and two interceptions. With No. 2 quarterback Tyrod Taylor still on injured reserve, DeVito would be in line to start the Giants' Week 10 game at Dallas. -- Bowen
Jaren Hall, QB, Minnesota Vikings
What we know: Hall suffered a concussion on the final drive of the first quarter and was quickly ruled out for the day.
What's next: The rate of return for players from a concussion the following week is poor, but the Vikings were likely to turn to newly acquired Joshua Dobbs as their Week 10 quarterback regardless. Hall's early exit put the managers in the 1.3% of ESPN leagues in which he was added to start this week in a tough spot. -- Cockcroft
K.J. Osborn, WR, Minnesota Vikings
What we know: Osborn took a nasty hit in the second quarter and was quickly ruled out for the day due to a concussion.
What's next: Like Hall's, Osborn's odds of a Week 10 return now aren't great, and if he must sit, Jordan Addison would probably dominate Vikings targets with Brandon Powell seeing a notable uptick as well. -- Cockcroft
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
What we know: Watson left the game versus the Rams in the second half with a chest and back injury, while he was also evaluated for a concussion.
What's next: The injuries continue to limit Watson's availability in his second pro season. If he is down for the Week 10 game, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed would see an increase in target volume. -- Bowen
Cam Akers, RB, Minnesota Vikings
What we know: Akers suffered an injury near the end of the third quarter, one that coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters afterward was to the running back's Achilles.
What's next: The Vikings will run tests to confirm the injury, but it's a likely season-ender if the tendon is torn. Alexander Mattison would remain the team's clear starter if Akers misses significant time, and rookie Ty Chandler could see a larger role as the backup. -- Cockcroft
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
What we know: Downs left Sunday's game in the second quarter because of a knee injury and was unable to return.
What's next: Downs will presumably undergo tests to determine his Week 10 availability. Isaiah McKenzie and Alec Pierce could see more targets if Downs is unable to play. -- Cockcroft
Who earned an 'A' this weekend?
Marlon Humphrey, CB, Baltimore Ravens
Facing the usually productive duo of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Humphrey was a key component in the Ravens' lockdown defense of Seattle on Sunday. Humphrey allowed zero receptions on four targets over 32 coverage snaps, per NFL Next Gen Stats. -- Walder
Paulson Adebo, CB, New Orleans Saints
Sometimes, the simple stats tell the story. Adebo twice picked off Tyson Bagent and forced and recovered a fumble in the Saints' 24-17 victory over the Bears. In what ended up being a one-score game, those three turnovers created were huge. -- Walder
Who earned an 'F' this weekend?
Clayton Tune, QB, Arizona Cardinals
He simply couldn't hang. Tune was 11-for-20 for 58 yards, threw two interceptions and was sacked seven times. Not only were the results not there, but he attempted only two passes 10 or more yards downfield, per NFL Next Gen Stats. A related F also goes to Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort for dealing Joshua Dobbs this past week for virtually nothing. Dobbs had been competent as the Cardinals QB while Kyler Murray recovered, and Arizona -- if it's actually trying to win -- could have really used him in Week 9. I'd have understood trading Dobbs if they got something for him, but they basically didn't. -- Walder
Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams
Without Matthew Stafford, the Rams' offense was deeply diminished. But Henderson did not help: He managed just 19 yards on 10 carries, resulting in a remarkably poor negative-42 rush yards over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats (he did add 16 receiving yards). Henderson is in a timeshare with Royce Freeman while Kyren Williams is out, and was out-carried by Freeman, 12 to 10. -- Walder
Lingering questions from Sunday's games
Should fantasy managers be worried about the performances of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua in Week 9, or are they likely to return to normal volume when Matthew Stafford returns?
There's certainly reason to be concerned after Kupp's last three games and Nacua's last two. Kupp caught just 29% of his targets on Sunday, his worst in a game with five or more targets, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Sean McVay said Sunday that the receiver is healthy, so the lack of success is not related to the hamstring injury that kept him out for the first four games of the season. Kupp said it's a frustrating feeling when "things aren't working" because "there's not one person that can flip the switch and change this." The Rams' offensive woes go beyond Stafford absence, but it will obviously be a big boost for both pass-catchers when their starting quarterback returns. -- Sarah Barshop
How did Keaton Mitchell earn a much bigger role in Week 9, and has he earned more reps going forward?
There's no threat to Gus Edwards' starting job, but Mitchell has a chance to supplant Justice Hill as the team's No. 2 back. Hill hasn't been as explosive as early in the season, and he had another fumbled exchange with Lamar Jackson on Sunday. Mitchell's speed on the outside is the perfect compliment to Edwards' power running in between the tackles. "He just fights through it every single day, and then [to] see it pay off for him is great," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He knows the next challenge. Now, they know who he is, so it's going to be a new challenge next week. He's looking forward to that. Yes, [I'm] proud of him." But Mitchell, who is 5 feet 8, 191 pounds, has to prove his durability. He has dealt with injuries throughout his rookie season. -- Jamison Hensley