- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Week 9 Fantasy Football Projections: Top 100 Players and PPR Predictions
- Updated: November 1, 2016
We have reached the halfway point in the NFL season, which means it might be time to start getting aggressive in fantasy football.
It’s fine to keep players stashed on your roster while waiting for a breakout, but after a certain point, you know exactly what you are going to get from these players. It might be time to start making trades or dropping players if that is what it takes to improve your roster.
Unfortunately, Week 9 might be a tough one to do too much with six teams on bye, including the 7-1 New England Patriots and all their weapons. The good news is there are always replacements as we head into the upcoming week of action.
Quarterbacks
The options appear quite limited this week, but there could be a boost to a lot of fantasy teams with Ben Roethlisberger expected to return for Week 9, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
While it will be important to follow his progress throughout the week, the Pittsburgh Steelers star always seems to come back quickly from injuries. When he is in the lineup, he should be in yours as well.
There are also some fresher names this week, including the red-hot Dak Prescott. Dallas Cowboys teammate Dez Bryant did a great job of summing up the rookie’s performance, per Bleacher Report’s Jason King:
Dez on Dak shaking off struggles to lead winning drive: “He didn’t blink. The guy is amazing. We’ve said it from Day 1. The guy is special.”
— Jason King (@JasonKingBR) October 31, 2016
You don’t get extra fantasy points for clutch efforts, but what Prescott has provided is consistency, scoring at least 17 points in standard leagues in each of the last six games. With a favorable matchup against the Cleveland Browns, he becomes a great option for fantasy leagues.
Other hot starts like Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford would be in the top 10 but face tough opponents, making them better options for your bench unless you are desperate.
Finally, watch out for Ryan Tannehill as a possible sleeper against a bad New York Jets secondary.
Running Backs
The Week 9 bye weeks are especially rough at running back with David Johnson, Lamar Miller, LeGarrette Blount, Jeremy Hill and others unavailable.
Things only get tougher with potential injuries to Spencer Ware, Jacquizz Rodgers and DeMarco Murray, among others. These three are in solid situations in Week 9, which makes their backups great additions if they are to miss time.
Charcandrick West, Antone Smith (who got the majority of snaps with Rodgers hurt) and Derrick Henry should all be owned and would be worth starting if they get an opportunity.
Another interesting backup to monitor is Tim Hightower, …
