Fantasy Football Week 9 Recap: 14 Things You Need To Know
Week 9 was a mixed bag for fantasy. A week that saw six teams out on bye left us without numerous fantasy options. While there may have been slightly fewer fantasy stars on display, the ones we saw left quite an impression.
Bright Stars
Joe Mixon did not save many fantasy points for anyone else this week. If you started Mixon, you are likely feeling fine. If you faced him, well, you feel differently. Mixon rewrote fantasy history by scoring five touchdowns. He scored four on the ground, rushing for 153 yards on 22 carries. He added a fifth through the air, catching four passes for 58 yards.
Joe Mixon currently has the 2nd best fantasy football game OF ALL TIME
— Luke Sawhook 🪚🪝 (@lukesawhook) November 6, 2022
Cordarrelle Patterson strolled back into fantasy lineups in Week 9. Not since Mr. Kotter has somebody been more welcomed back. Patterson returned to the Falcons and the hearts of fantasy managers by scoring a pair of touchdowns. Despite attaining only 53 total yards, the two tuddies were enough for managers who have been waiting on Patterson’s return from IR.
Just a few weeks ago, Ken Walker was a potentially rising star, exceeding expectations in his first start. Now, he is a bonafide fantasy superstar. Since Week 5, Walker is the fourth-leading scorer in PPR formats among running backs. Despite a quiet first half, Walker delivered in a big way again for fantasy managers. He recorded 109 rushing yards on 26 carries, including two rushing scores. Walker also pulled down three receptions for 20 yards.
Tua Tagovailoa had another impressive outing. Topping 300 yards passing for the third time this season, Tagovailoa lit up the Bears for three passing scores. It was the third time he has thrown at least three touchdowns in a game this year. Teammate Tyreek Hill is on pace to break the single-season record for receiving yards. He added another colossal 143 yards on Sunday. He also snatched his third touchdown catch of 2022.
Derrick Henry kept on trucking. In a Sunday evening slog that lasted nearly four hours, Henry was a horse for the Titans. He carried the ball 17 times for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It took overtime for the Chiefs to knock off the Titans, but Henry delivered the goods even in a loss. Only Nick Chubb has scored more touchdowns than Henry. His 870 rushing yards lead the NFL.
Dim Stars
Aaron Rodgers is a shell of himself. Packer fans and fantasy managers alike are dismayed with Rodgers’ performance to date. Despite collecting some garbage time scoring, Rodgers turned in another stinker, tossing three interceptions against the league’s worst team. He managed to amass 291 yards passing and did toss a touchdown pass. It took his season-high 43 pass attempts to finish 15th among fantasy quarterbacks.
The Lions told us to expect D’Andre Swift to have a limited role on Sunday. They were not kidding. He only touched the ball five times. He was able to tally 50 yards with those touches. It’s hard to argue with that efficiency, but if you spent a first-round pick on him, you want more than efficiency. Despite returning from injury, he has yet to actually return from injury. It may be hard to count on much from Swift as the fantasy playoffs approach.
Rising Stars?
Travis Etienne is arguably the fastest-rising star in fantasy football. Taking the starting job in Jacksonville and running with it, Etienne now has three consecutive weeks of 100+ yards rushing. He has four rushing scores over those three games. Against Las Vegas on Sunday, he saw his season-high of 30 touches. He continues to be a focal point of the offense and will be a key contributor in fantasy down the stretch.
Justin Fields blew our collective minds this week. Showing up and showing off, Fields was responsible for four total touchdowns. Despite passing for just 123 yards, Fields tossed three scores. He added another with his feet as he rushed for an absurd 178 yards on 15 carries.
Jeff Wilson lost no time catching on with his new squad. Suiting up as a Dolphin for the first time, Wilson saw 12 touches, collecting 72 total yards and reaching the end zone through the air. It was not the most explosive fantasy performance of the week, but Wilson had been practically written off following the McCaffrey trade. Now with new life in Miami, Wilson may provide fantasy depth for the remainder of the season.
Tyler Allgeier maintained a role even with Cordarrelle Patterson healthy. The Falcons' rushing game was a confusing puzzle heading into Week 9. With Patterson returning, the workload was unclear with Allgeier and Caleb Huntley both having success while the starter was sidelined. Allgeier earned 10 carries and took them for 99 yards. Managers in deeper leagues will be pleased to see Allgeier retain some fantasy value into the late season.
Injury Concerns
Romeo Doubs left Sunday’s game against Detroit after making just one catch. He needed help to reach the sideline and was later seen in a walking boot with crutches. He is believed to have sustained a foot or ankle injury and there are concerns that it may be severe.
Christian Watson exited the game to be evaluated for a concussion. He did not return.
Aaron Jones added to the Packers’ injury woes leaving with an apparent ankle injury. He was seen in a walking boot following the game. There is no word on the severity of his injury yet.
The Packers must be about out of walking boots and crutches:
Aaron Jones: left foot in boot.
Romeo Doubs: right foot in boot plus crutches.
Eric Stokes: right foot in boot plus crutches.— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 6, 2022
