Fantasy Football Week 9 Expert Picks: Christian McCaffrey, Justin Herbert, and More
The experts at FantasySP answer five questions in the lead-up to Week 9 of the NFL season.
After this week, we will be halfway through the NFL regular season. On top of passing Week 9 out of 18, less than half the league will have their bye remaining, meaning the home stretch is just around the corner. It's already November; Thanksgiving will be here before you know it.
There are still more questions than answers in fantasy football most weeks, as injuries keep building while other previously injured guys are returning to the lineup and shifting around the depth chart. It's a lot to keep track of midway through the season.
Luckily, the experts here at FantasySP are here to help. Morgan Rode and Daniel Hepner answered five questions pertaining to fantasy football in advance of Week 9 of the NFL season.
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Who is your favorite streaming quarterback in Week 9?
Morgan: I'd have to go with Kyler Murray. He's not usually a streaming option, but coming off an injury, he isn't owned in all leagues and fits the streaming category. He has a stellar matchup against the Cowboys that you should be salivating over.
Daniel: Sam Darnold has been my go-to quarterback all week. He has been outstanding, and the Commanders offer one of the best matchups around, allowing the most yards per pass attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Washington hasn't been beaten by the QB run (generally a big source of fantasy points), but Darnold doesn't run much anyway, so that doesn't affect him much.
Do you have a mid-level running back who you are expecting big things from because of his matchup?
Morgan: It has to be Bam Knight. I still don't know why he isn't owned in all leagues going into a stellar matchup against the Cowboys, but that's what the numbers say. He should be added and started in a lot more leagues than he currently is.
Daniel: Kareem Hunt is likely to carry the load in Kansas City this week with Isiah Pacheco out, and it couldn't come in a better matchup. Buffalo has given up the second-most yards per rush attempt and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to running backs. Hunt probably won't do much work in the passing game, but he should get plenty of touches for a successful offensive team with a great matchup; Hunt has a good chance to find the end zone.
How about a wide receiver likely to disappoint fantasy owners?
Morgan: I could see all of the Packers' wide receivers disappointing this week. The matchup against Carolina is tough, and tight end Tucker Kraft is probably already the team's best fantasy pass catcher. He could lead the way again and leave a balanced and uninspiring group behind him at receiver.
Daniel: Denver has one of the toughest matchups of the week against Houston, a team that has allowed the third-fewest yards per pass attempt and the third-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Both Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin have been useful fantasy players to different degrees, with Sutton as a weekly starter and Franklin as a streamer, but they both might be better left out of your lineup if you have other options (some can't bench Sutton).
Which tight end has the right matchup to maybe find the end zone this week?
Morgan: Colston Loveland has a fantastic matchup against the Bengals this weekend. The only problem is that Loveland has barely done anything all season, so he's tough to trust. The matchup says he could go off or at least has a high ceiling with a good chance to find the end zone.
Daniel: Cincinnati is the best tight end matchup, so both Loveland and Cole Kmet are interesting, though like Morgan said, they have been totally uninvolved in Chicago's offense. Elsewhere, Kyle Pitts Sr. has his own positive matchup against the New England Patriots, who have given up the eighth-most yards per pass attempt and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Pitts is better in PPR than standard, but he can be valuable in either format here.
Who will be the fantasy MVP of Week 9?
Morgan: Christian McCaffrey has a great chance to finish as the top fantasy player in Week 9. He has been good this season and has a stellar matchup against the Giants in which he could really excel. CMC has a chance at 30-plus fantasy points.
Daniel: Justin Herbert is coming off a QB3 performance against the Vikings last Thursday, and now he has a good matchup against a Titans team that could be the worst in the league. Tennessee has given up the fourth-most yards per pass attempt, and while they are in the middle in fantasy points allowed to QBs, that has to do with volume, not efficiency. Herbert is set up for another strong game and could throw multiple touchdowns again.
