Notable Injuries from week 9:
- Josh Jacobs (Fractured finger)
- Rhamondre Stevenson (Knee)
- Puka Nacua (Knee)
- Michael Wilson (Neck)
- Luther Burden (Concussion)
- Xavier Worthy (Hamstring)
- Jaylen Waddle (Concussion)
- Ladd McConkey (Back spasms)
- Jake Ferguson (Knee)
- Chig Okonkwo (Hip)
- Patrick Mahomes (Elbow sprain)
- Justin Herbert (Finger)
- Drew Locke (Oblique)
- Malik Willis (Groin tightness)
- Gardner Minshew (UCL)
- J.J. McCarthy (Hip)
BYE Week:
- Chicago Bears
- Denver Broncos
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Running Back
Audric Estime (Rostered in 9.3% of ESPN leagues)
Traded to the Browns, traded back to the Saints, Estime’s 2026 NFL journey has been a roller coaster. The same could be said for the Saints running back room as a whole. Etienne went on IR, Kendre Miller got released out of the blue and Alvin Kamara is just hanging out. Estime is an interesting pick up this week but one that could yield fantasy success. The Panthers cannot stop the run and these NFC South divisional games always get a bit spicy. It’s also worth mentioning that in his first game back in New Orleans, Estime out carried Kamara 15 to 6. Definitely a good fill in for the week.
Seth McGowan (Rostered in 20.6% of ESPN leagues)
As much as I hate to put McGowan on this list, it’s seeming like he may have some fantasy relevance as the season progresses. And I should clarify that I say that not because I think Jonathan Taylor will be traded, I don’t think that, I say it because there is a large chance that the Colts shut him down for the season instead. That opens the door for McGowan to play garbage time football for the rest of their pitiful season. Keep an eye on DJ Giddens (Rostered in 0.3% of ESPN leagues) as well as I imagine the Colts would split the backfield reps should my envisioned scenario play out.
Kaleb Johnson (Rostered in 1.0% of ESPN leagues)
Is it finally time? One of the most hyped rookies last year for fantasy, Johnson never seemed to find his place in Pittsburgh. Now in a new home with the Packers, Johnson still has yet to get any sort of work. That changed on Sunday as Josh Jacobs sustained a fractured finger and Marshawn Llyod remained inactive with a knee injury. Johnson rushed 14 times for 68 yards and a touchdown in the win against the Patriots. He didn’t get any targets but there is some potential usage here with people hurt. Minnesota has been crazy on the defensive side of the ball but with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden providing a stout aerial attack, perhaps Johnson will be able to run free.
Corey Kiner (Rostered in 5.3% of ESPN leagues)
I’m sure everyone had Corey Kiner RB1 on their fantasy football bingo card this year. With Rhamondre Stevenson suffering a knee injury and TreVeyon Henderson dealing with neurological issues, Kiner is suddenly thrown into the starting gig. Keep an eye on on the injury report before putting in your claim but Kiner would be a decent option, should you need an RB, against a struggling Lions defense.
Emmett Johnson (Rostered in 23.5% of ESPN leagues) and Kaelon Black (Rostered in 37% of ESPN leagues)
Weekly reminder to pick these dudes up if you have Kenneth Walker or CMC.
Wide Receiver
Caleb Douglas (Rostered in 27.4% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
Last week I highlighted Caleb Douglas as a matchup dependent player and he delivered against the Lions putting up a respectable 13 fantasy points. Well this week’s matchup is against the Colts which are equally as bad as the Dolphins. I have no issue putting Douglas in my flex if needed.
Keenan Allen (Rostered in 46.3% of ESPN leagues)
A bit of a dud from Allen this week, the veteran wide receiver was only able to bring in 4 of his 8 targets for 26 yards which was good for 7.6 fantasy points. I’ve been a bit bullish on him purely because of the opportunity and target share. I’m still on that wagon as he faces a struggling Dolphins team. He continues to lead the team in targets and that is enough for me to use him as a flex play. Assuming your options are thin of course.
Jordyn Tyson
In his first NFL game, Jordyn Tyson caught 4 of his 5 targets for 30 yards. He also lost a fumble bringing his point total to 5. While that’s not great, it was his first NFL game ever after missing the first 7 games of the season with a hamstring injury. If you choose to add him this week it’s purely because of the first round pedigree and his potential talent. I see no reason why the Saints won’t get him more involved over the coming weeks.
Tight End
Tyler Higbee (Rostered in 10.1% of ESPN leagues)
In all honesty, I’ve swung and missed twice now with Tyler Higbee but they say the third time is the charm. The main point here is that the Rams are now without their top 2 receiving options after Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury on the final drive in Sunday’s win over the Commanders that is trending towards him being placed on IR for at least the minimum 4 games. Maybe the Rams get active before today’s trade deadline but as of right now they will be trotting out a depleted group further opening the door for Higbee. Since week 4, Higbee has led all Rams tight ends in snap share. Fellow tight end Colby Parkinson (Rostered in 3.4% of ESPN leagues) may also be a decent waiver wire addition this week as he has been seeing more targets than Higbee in recent weeks regardless of the smaller snap share. It should help both guys that the Rams play the Cardinals this week.
Chig Okonkwo (Rostered in 13.7% of ESPN leagues)
Okonkwo is an interesting play mostly because the Commanders are pretty up and down offensively. However, he does maintain a good level of involvement within this offense and it also helps the wide receiver core is less than stellar. Also, over his last 4 games, Okonkwo has seen 6, 7, 4 and 6 targets in those outings. That’s yielded him 10+ fantasy points 3 times. The Giants are bit stingy to TEs but there may be value purely because of the need for pass catchers. It’s also worth looking ahead to his next matchups. Games against the Bengals, Cardinals and Titans prime Okonkwo for a productive fantasy run. He did pop up on the injury report with a hip injury so keep an eye on that before submitting a waiver claim.
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers (Rostered in 32.9% of ESPN leagues)
For me, this is all about what is happening on the other team. The Bengals are throwing the ball at a high rate and are averaging 37 pass attempts a game which is good for 7th most in the league. The 8th most, the Pittsburgh Steelers. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Bengals are passing the ball like crazy and are doing so efficiently with great offensive weapons. The Steelers are going to have to reciprocate if they have any hope of trying to win. Prior to his week 9 debacle against the Browns, Aaron Rodgers was actually providing fantasy managers decent points. I think the need to keep up offensively with the Bengals is enough to warrant starting Rodgers but injuries at a tough BYE week make it reasonable as well.
Jacoby Brissett (Rostered in 13.5% of ESPN leagues)
This week’s Monday night game may be the worst prime time game to ever be played. The QB barren Ravens will take on an 0-8 Chargers team devoid of any hope. With that being said, Brissett at least has some fantasy potential against the NFL’s worst team. In my mind, Brissett is an upgrade over Tyler Huntlye, at least for fantasy. This is certainly a gamble as there is no way he has a handle on the Ravens playbook after being traded less than a week ago. This is more of a desperation play that has some upside should you need a QB to get you through injuries or BYE week.
Daniel Jones (Rostered in 11.2% of ESPN leagues)
This one is for the fantasy football sickos out there. You know him, you probably hate him if you’re a Colts fan, it’s Danny Dimes time. There is almost zero indication that Jones will be able to get you more than 12ish points. However, desperate times call for desperate measures and one would hope that Jones could put something together against a Dolphins team that is mid tank. While I don’t think the Colts will rebound tremendously, I do think they can rebound just enough to beat the Dolphins and with that bring you some fantasy points.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring.
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