Week 9 of the 2024 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, Saturday 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. De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Achane's 31.2 points in the loss to the Bills led all players in the early window. Yes, Achane saw 12 carries in this one, totaling 63 yards and a score, but we need to focus on his receiving production. Achane caught all eight of his targets for 58 yards plus a touchdown. And in his past two games, with Tua Tagovailoa back in the mix, Achane has caught 14 passes for 108 yards, plus two touchdowns. With this type of dual-threat impact, Achane is a locked-in RB1 moving forward. -- Bowen
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
With DK Metcalf out, Smith-Njigba played like a No. 1, posting a career-high 37.0 points in the Week 9 loss to the Rams. Smith-Njigba caught 7 of 13 targets for 180 yards, adding two touchdowns. And we saw Smith-Njigba deployed as a three-level target, creating big plays in critical moments of that football game. The Seahawks head into the bye and then return in Week 11 for a matchup versus the 49ers. Let's see if Smith-Njigba can continue to run an expanded route tree with Metcalf most likely back from the knee injury. -- Bowen
3. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
His first round-caliber season continued with another elite fantasy score, as Barkley's 32.9 PPR points represented his third 30-point performance of 2024. It was the best individual score heading into "Sunday Night Football," and it gave him 177.1 points for the season, third best among running backs (Derrick Henry 201.5, Alvin Kamara 190.7). Barkley should again deliver the goods in Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys. -- Cockcroft
4. Joe Burrow, QB; Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow's 29.14 points led all quarterbacks in the early window, as he threw five touchdowns (which tied a season high) in the win over the Raiders. Burrow threw four red zone touchdowns in this one, showing his field vision and pocket mobility. And with Tee Higgins (quad) out again, Gesicki saw more work, scoring a season-high 27.0 points. Gesicki caught 5 of 6 targets for 100 yards, and he added two touchdown receptions. Burrow will be in the QB1 mix for the Week 10 game at Baltimore, and Gesicki could continue to see volume if Higgins remains out. -- Bowen
5. Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
In a performance that screamed "great timing," Flowers scored 29.7 PPR fantasy points, tops among wide receivers from the 1 p.m. ET games, despite what was a tough on-paper matchup against the Denver Broncos due primarily to the presence of cornerback Pat Surtain II. Fortunately for Flowers, the Ravens moved him around the formation, aligning him with Surtain on only 4 of 15 routes, and Flowers delivered multiple second-quarter receiving touchdowns, the second a 53-yarder that effectively clinched the victory. As for the timing part, Diontae Johnson's acquisition casts future doubts on Flowers' target share, so this against-the-grain performance eases some of the worry that this team WR1, and fantasy WR2, is destined to crater statistically. How the Ravens divvy up targets will bear watching over the next few weeks, but Flowers is a locked-in fantasy WR2 for an extremely favorable Cincinnati Bengals matchup next week. -- Cockcroft
6. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Highlighted by the catch of the year, Wilson scored a season-best 30.0 PPR fantasy points on "Thursday Night Football" and looked much more like the borderline first-round pick that he was during the preseason. He now has 113.2 points and 60 targets combined in his past five games, and this game finally gave us a look at the kind of opportunities he'll see in coverage with Davante Adams around to deflect defensive attention. Wilson will be a locked-in fantasy WR1 for Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals. -- Cockcroft
7. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Considering how poorly Derek Carr and the rest of his team played in a 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers -- it's quite the contrast to their 47-10 blowout win in Week 1 -- Kamara's 27.5 PPR fantasy points at least appeased his fantasy managers. It was mostly volume- and matchup-driven -- he had 35 touches and was facing the league's worst defense -- but we'll take the stats. He'll be in a tougher spot for Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons. -- Cockcroft
8. Chase Brown, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
His matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders was a dream on paper, and he got the opportunity to start with Zack Moss (neck) sidelined, but give kudos to Brown for fully capitalizing on both. Brown scored a career-best 26.7 PPR fantasy points, played 79% of the offensive snaps, had six runs clocked at 15-plus mph and totaled 27 more rushing yards than expected, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He's looking plenty capable of serving as the team's lead back and might well be just that for the next few weeks while Moss heals. Even a tough Week 10 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens won't keep Brown from midrange fantasy RB2 status. -- Cockcroft
9. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Dobbins hit the 20-point mark (24.5) for the first time since Week 2 in the road win over the Browns. Dobbins totaled 105 yards on 16 touches, and he found the end zone twice on red zone carries. Dobbins has now scored at least one touchdown in three of his past four games. He'll remain a touchdown-dependent RB2 for the Week 10 game versus the Titans. -- Bowen
10. Davante Adams, WR, New York Jets
Adams, playing in his third game with the Jets, scored 22.1 points in the Thursday night win over the Texans. I thought we saw some vintage moments from Adams here, too. That's the route running and the ability to set up coverage. Adams caught 7 of a team-high 11 targets for 91 yards, and he added a touchdown on a slot fade. Adams has now seen 17 targets from quarterback Aaron Rodgers over his past two games, and should be slotted as a WR2 for the Week 10 matchup versus the Cardinals. -- Bowen
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 9
1. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
After four straight games of double-digit production, including the 25.1 points he scored last week, Pitts was a nonfactor in the Falcons' win over the Cowboys. Pitts caught his only target for 11 yards, finishing with just 2.1 points. Rough. And that's a hard one to figure out, especially with Drake London leaving the game early due to a hip injury. But with Darnell Mooney (nine targets) and Bijan Robinson (seven targets) pacing the Falcons in the pass game, Pitts simply didn't play a role in this one. He'll look to bounce back in Week 10 against the Saints. -- Bowen
2. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
Hall saw steady volume in the Thursday night win over the Texans, logging 17 touches, but he scored just 10.5 points. And the recent lack of receiving production is a little concerning. Hall did rush for 74 yards on 15 carries; however, he had just two receptions for 11 yards. That means Hall has recorded only three receptions over his past two games. With a positive run game matchup versus the Cardinals in Week 10, Hall will remain in the RB1 discussion, but he needs to add more numbers as a pass catcher to produce breakout games. -- Bowen
3. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
To be fair, the Dolphins have had a poor history against the Buffalo Bills during the Tua Tagovailoa era, but it's a concern that Waddle's statistical output in Tagovailoa's two games since returning from a concussion has been right in line with how he performed during the quarterback's absence. Sure, Waddle scored a touchdown, but he had two catches for minus-4 yards on the day (note that much of that was the minus-23 yards he had on a game-ending lateral). He's a fantasy WR3 at best for Week 10 against the Los Angeles Rams. -- Cockcroft
4. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
There was surprising optimism surrounding him entering Week 9 -- he was started in 35.0% of ESPN leagues despite sub-10 PPR fantasy point scores in each of his first two games of 2024 -- but Chubb flopped facing a tough Los Angeles Chargers defense, scoring 4.0 points while averaging 2.6 yards per carry. He was stuffed at or behind the line on 4 of 15 carries and didn't have a single carry clocked as quick as 15 mph. Chubb now heads into his bye week, and there's little reason to trust him as a locked-in fantasy RB2 yet. -- Cockcroft
5. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
In a game that was sluggish to get going during the first half, Williams finished a close-fought, overtime Rams victory with only 10.5 PPR fantasy points. It was his worst output of 2024, in what seemed to be a favorable matchup on the surface. Williams should be more involved and aligned for a bounce-back Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins. -- Cockcroft
6. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Murray posted a season-low 4.76 points in the blowout win over the Bears. Murray completed just 13 of 20 throws for 154 yards, and he failed to record a touchdown pass. Plus, with just 6 yards rushing, on two carries, the QB run element didn't factor into the Cardinals' game plan. With Arizona controlling the line of scrimmage, rushing for 213 yards at 6.3 YPC, Murray played the role of a game manager in this one. He gets the Jets' defense next Sunday in another home matchup. -- Bowen
7. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Coming off an 18.1 PPR fantasy point return to action in Week 8, Nacua scored a mere 2.1 points on four targets and was ejected from Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks near the end of the second quarter after throwing an apparent punch following an interception. He should be back for his regular workload against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10, barring further penalty, though the matchup will keep him a fantasy WR2. -- Cockcroft
Injury impact
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
What we know: He left Sunday's game late in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury suffered when he landed hard on the turf attempting to catch a pass.
What's next: The Cowboys didn't indicate the severity of the injury initially, but it appeared to be one that'll have him on the Week 10 injury report. Dak Prescott's status -- see below -- has a bearing on Lamb's and the team's fantasy prospects, but the Cowboys would lean much more heavily upon Jalen Tolbert, and to a lesser degree KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks, if Lamb can't play. -- Cockcroft
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
What we know: Prescott suffered a hamstring injury during the fourth quarter against Atlanta, and he was ruled out for the game. Before the injury, Prescott threw for 133 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 30 yards on three carries (12.32 points).
What's next: We will monitor Prescott's status throughout the week. If he is unable to go versus the Eagles in Week 10, however, backup Cooper Rush would get the start for the Cowboys. -- Bowen
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
What we know: After taking an illegal hit on a middle-of-the-field throw versus the Panthers, medical personnel immediately tended to Olave on the field. Olave left the game on a cart, and he was later ruled out with a concussion.
What's next: This is the second conclusion of the season for Olave, so we will wait for the updates this week on a potential return. If Olave is out for an extended period of time, deeper league managers could turn to Cedrick Wilson Jr. (0.3% rostered), Mason Tipton (0.5% rostered) or Marquez Valdes-Scantling (0.2% rostered) as potential streaming options. -- Bowen
Drake London, WR. Atlanta Falcons
What we know: London left the game after catching a touchdown in the first quarter with a hip injury. He was later declared out for the day. London finished with 27 yards receiving and a score on two receptions (10.7 points).
What's next: If London is out for the Week 10 game versus the Saints, Darnell Mooney would elevate to the WR2/Flex ranks, while Ray-Ray McCloud III would fit as a WR3 in a strong matchup for the Falcons' pass game. -- Bowen
Who earned an A this weekend?
Trey Hendrickson, Edge, Cincinnati Bengals
Hendrickson was absolutely dominant in Cincinnati's 41-24 win over the Raiders Sunday. The edge rusher recorded 3.0 sacks and forced a fumble, and the advanced stats backed up the box score numbers as well. Hendrickson had a massive 50% pass rush win rate in the game -- highest of any player in Week 9 through the early Sunday window. Hendrickson now ranks second on the season in pass rush win rate, behind only the now-injured Aidan Hutchinson.
Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, CBs, Carolina Panthers
I'm pretty confident I've never seen this before: Both outside corners in the Panthers' defense allowed zero receptions as the nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Being the nearest defender doesn't always mean the receiver was the defender's responsibility, but it's a reasonable approximation, and if you look at the other side of the box score, Saints wide receivers totaled only four receptions all game. Yes, the Saints were mostly without Chris Olave in this game, but again: The numbers here were extreme and surely helped the Panthers earn their upset victory Sunday.
Who earned an F this weekend?
Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns
Well, the Browns' rejuvenation with Winston under center was fun while it lasted. In Sunday's blowout loss to the Chargers, Winston perhaps showed why the Cleveland coaching staff stubbornly kept him on the bench while Deshaun Watson was healthy. Winston threw three interceptions and fumbled once (which he recovered himself) in the 27-10 loss that wasn't even as close as it sounds because Winston hit Cedric Tillman for a garbage-time touchdown at the end of the game. Even with that late score, Winston recorded negative-22 EPA in the contest, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
Coleman has been coming on in recent weeks, but Sunday was a bit of a step back. Perhaps most troubling for fantasy managers, Coleman earned only two targets in the game, and his 7% target rate was tied for the lowest among all receivers who ran at least 25 routes in Week 9 through the early Sunday window. Worse for the Bills in the game was that one of Coleman's targets was a quick slant in the red zone that he dropped, popping the ball up into the arms of Jalen Ramsey.
Lingering questions from Week 9's games
Two big games in a row for Courtland Sutton. What are you seeing out of the chemistry between him and Bo Nix, and what has led to the big games the past two weeks?
Sutton has been the biggest beneficiary, of late, of the Broncos' continued adjustments on offense as they work Nix through the learning curve. The team has used play-action far more often over the past four games -- the Broncos were as low as 24th and 26th in the league over the first month of the season and heading into Sunday's game they were up to 12th in play-action usage. It has smoothed out some of the rough spots for Nix, and as the Broncos have used rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele more in the three-wide receiver sets, defenses have had to adjust to the rookies' speed and Sutton has gotten more coverage looks he can take advantage of. His back-to-back 100-yard games, though against the struggling defenses of Carolina and Baltimore, were the first such consecutive games in his career. -- Jeff Legwold