Fantasy Impact of Week 9

Fantasy Impact of Week 9

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Fantasy Impact of Week 9

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Running down Sunday’s fantasy movers, shakers and heartbreakers:

Browns 22, Buccaneers 17
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
Yeah, it’s definitely time to worry about Ben Tate and the Browns’ ground game. Tate started but gained all of 3 yards on 10 carries and 29 yards on four receptions and, unlike last week, didn’t get the late TD to bail his fantasy day out. This time, that was scored on a 2-yard reception by rookie Terrance West, who dominated the second-half touches and finished with 15 rushes for 48 yards. Fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell didn’t touch the ball.
Extra points: Playing without concussed TE Jordan Cameron, Brian Hoyer had his first 300-yard game of the season, hitting the total exactly and throwing for two TDs and a pair of interceptions. … Rookie wideout Taylor Gabriel (5-87) caught Hoyer’s other TD pass, but the most-started Cleveland fantasy WR, Andrew Hawkins, finished with only three receptions for 34 on a team-high eight targets. … Vincent Jackson caught six passes for 86 yards on a team-high 12 targets for the Bucs, but the Tampa wideout to own, right now, is rookie Mike Evans (7-124-2), who hit career highs in receptions and yards and has now caught a scoring pass in three of the last four games he’s played. … With Doug Martin (ankle) and the just-activated Charles Sims inactive, Bobby Rainey had a big yardage day with 87 on 19 rushes and a 34-yard reception.


Cardinals 28, Cowboys 17
AT&T Stadium; Arlington, Texas
Tony Romo and his injured back were unable to go, and the fantasy fears of Cowboys’ offensive-player owners were realized as the struggling Brandon Weeden (18-of-33, 183 yards, TD, 2 interceptions) didn’t get the Dallas offense into the end zone until the 1:08 mark of the fourth quarter when he connected with WR Dez Bryant (2-15 on a team-high 10 targets) on a 3-yard scoring pass.
Extra points: DeMarco Murray also saw his run of 100-yard rushing games end at eight as he was limited to 79 yards and no scores on 19 carries. … Jason Witten (6-62) hit a season- high for receptions, but WR Terrance Williams (2-19 on 7 targets) had his worst outing of the season. … For the now 7-1 visitors, Carson Palmer overcame his early pick-6 to throw for 249 and three scores. … One of the TD tosses went to steadily efficient RB Andre Ellington, who caught four passes for 39 yards and led the team in rushing with 95 yards on 21 carries. … TE John Carlson (2-19 on a team-high 8 targets) and WR Jaron – not John — Brown (2-15) accounted for the other two touchdown receptions, while WRs Michael Floyd (4-36) and John Brown (2-10) disappointed on five targets apiece. Larry Fitzgerald (5-70) led the Cards in receptions and yards for the second straight week.


Eagles 31, Texans 21
NRG Stadium, Houston
The biggest fantasy impact of Week 9 very well could be felt for the rest of the season as Philly QB Nick Foles (10-of-13, 124 yards, TD, interception) went out with what was called a shoulder injury late in the first quarter. The Eagles hadn’t confirmed anything as of Sunday night, but various media reports say it’s a broken collarbone, which could sideline Foles for the rest of the fantasy season. Mark Sanchez (15-of-22, 202 yards, 2 TDs, 2 picks) finished up.
Extra points: Of course, most any QB is going to look good throwing to red-hot Eagles wideout Jeremy Maclin (6-158 on team-leading 7 targets), who has caught 18 passes for 345 yards and four scores over the last 2 weeks and now has eight scoring grabs on the season. … LeSean McCoy (23-117 rushing, 2-6 receiving) had his second 100-yard game in the last three, but it was reserve Chris Polk (8-50) who scored the Eagles’ lone rushing TD, keeping Shady stuck on a single score for the season. … Rookie wideout Jordan Matthews (3-40) had Philly’s other scoring reception, while RB Darren Sproles returned from a one-game injury absence with 63 total yards on seven touches, including 4-46 receiving. … For the Texans, Arian Foster (15-56, 2-63-1) had his fifth straight game with at least 100 total yards and a TD, but he left in the third quarter with a groin injury and didn’t return. An MRI is upcoming. … Ryan Ftizpatrick was, well, Ryan Fitzpatrick, finishing 13-of-27 for 203 yards, two TDs and an interception, and DeAndre Hopkins (6-115-1 on a team-high 11 targets) continues to be his most productive pass-catcher. … Andre Johnson, meanwhile, caught only two of his seven targets for 12 yards – his first game with 12 or fewer receiving yards since Dec. 31, 2006. 


Chiefs 24, Jets 10
Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City, Mo.
Nothing unexpected here: A K.C. home win, another Jets loss, a TD for Jamaal Charles (20-78, 2-10), an efficient but unspectacular fantasy day for Alex Smith (199 yards, 2 TDs) and the fourth receiving TD in six games for TE Travis Kelce (4-67).
Extra points: WR Dwayne Bowe was targeted a team-high 10 times and caught six passes for 55 yards, but the Chiefs remain the only team in the league without a TD catch from a WR. … Meanwhile, TE Anthony Fasano (3-24) had the flukiest scoring reception of the season as a deflected pass landed in his lap while he was on the ground and all he had to do was lunge forward into the end zone. … For the Jets, Michael Vick was 21-of-28 for 196 yards and a TD and had four rushes for 18 yards, and most importantly, didn’t turn the ball over in his first start of the season. He did leave with a head injury in the fourth quarter was replaced by Matt Simms (3-of-8, 39-yards). … Not that he still was in many fantasy lineups or anything, but Chris Johnson (11-69, 2-32) decided to have his best game of the season. Chris Ivory, meanwhile, was a lackluster 8-22 on the ground. … Percy Harvin was targeted a game-high 13 times and he responded with his first 100-yard receiving game (11-129) since 2012. He also rushed once for 8 yards. … Fellow wideout Eric Decker (9-63 on 12 targets) scored the team’s lone TD, while TE Jace Amaro didn’t receive a target.


Bengals 33, Jaguars 23
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
The opportunity was there with injured fellow RB Giovanni Bernard missing his first game as a pro, and rookie Jeremy Hill took it and literally ran with it, rushing for 154 yards and a pair of scores.
Extra points: A.J. Green (3-44) was back and made his fantasy day with a fourth-quarter TD catch, while fellow WR Mohamed Sanu (4-95-1 on a team-high 8 targets) continued to produce. … Speaking of production, J’ville RB Denard Robinson (17-94-1, 2-10) continues to shine, while rookie wideout Allen Hurns (7-112-2 on team-high 9 targets) found the end zone for the first time since Week 3, stealing a lot of the fantasy thunder from fellow rookie Allen Robinson (4-35 on 8 targets).


Dolphins 37, Chargers 0
Sun Life Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
Ryan Tannehill (24-of-34, 288 yards, 3 TDs; 4-47 rushing) had his finest fantasy performance of an already solid season, completing passes to 10 different pass-catchers, including TD tosses to TE Charles Clay (5-65), WR Jarvis Landry (5-46) and WR Rishard Matthews (1-21).
Extra points: On the ground, Lamar Miller rushed 11 times for 49 yards and a score before leaving in the third quarter with what later was a called a shoulder stinger. … Mike Wallace matched Clay with a team-high eight targets but struggled through a 3-50 performance. … The Bolts? Ugh. Philip Rivers was sacked four times and harassed into a horrific 12-of-23, 138-yard, three-interception, one-fumble outing. … As a result, Keenan Allen (4-47 on a team-high 9 targets), Antonio Gates (3-28) and Malcom Floyd (4-60) had limited success. … On the ground, Branden Oliver (13-19 rushing, 1-7 receiving) was stifled for the second straight game, and Donald Brown (4-23, 1-6) wound up leading the team in rushing in his first game in a month. … And as you might’ve guessed, the Dolphins’ D (shutout, 4 sacks, 4 turnovers) finished as the weekend’s top-scoring fantasy defense in most every league.


Vikings 29, Redskins 26
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
If you hadn’t heard, RGIII was back, throwing for 251 yards,  a TD and an interception and rushing for 24 yards on seven carries, but Vikings’ RB Matt Asiata (10-26, 4-31), of all players, stole the show with his third three-TD game (all rushing) in his last 12 outings.
Extra points: Teddy Bridgewater (26-of-42, 268 yards, TD; 3-20 rushing) was solid, and his favorite targets were TE Chase Ford (5-66-1) and WR Greg Jennings (6-76 on a team-high 10 targets). … RB Jerick McKinnon (14-54, 3-14) only got three more touches than Asiata, but saw the latter hog all the RB TDs. … Alfred Morris (19-92, 2-17) scored two of Washington’s three TDs, while big-play WR DeSean Jackson (4-120 on a team-high 7 targets) got the other. … Meanwhile, WR Pierre Garcon (3-15) and TEs Niles Paul (2-18) and Jordan Reed (1-17) disappointed.


Rams 13, 49ers 10
Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, Calif.
Fantasy studs were few and far between here with WRs Anquan Boldin (6-93) and Kenny Britt (2-32) accounting for the only TDs.
Extra points: Colin Kaepernick insisted he scored on 1-yard sneak on the final play, but he bobbled the snap early, and it wound up being his second lost fumble and an upset win for the Rams. Kaepernick finished 22-of-33 for 237 yards and a TD and added 14 rushing yards on five carries. … Frank Gore (14-49, 1-9), Michael Crabtree (5-40 on a team-most 9 targets) and Vernon Davis (2-19 on 3 targets) continue to underwhelm for the Niners. … For the Rams, winning QB Austin Davis threw for all of 105 yards and the TD on 13 completions in 24 attempts. He also was picked off twice. … The St. Louis running game had some clarity for a change with rookie Tre Mason (65 yards) accumulating 19 of the team’s 23 RB carries. Benny Cunningham (4-10, 3-38) got the other four while Zac Stacy was a stat-sheet no-show. … TE Jared Cook was targeted a team-high five times but finished with only two receptions for 12 yards. … Finally, the Rams’ D came into the contest with six sacks but left with 14 after bringing down Kaepernick eight times. If you’re counting, that’s a worrisome 14 sacks allowed by the Niners in the last two games.


Patriots 43, Broncos 21
Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass.
Despite the dire early-morning weather reports and the supposedly stout defenses, Tom Brady (33-of-53 333 yards, 4 TDs, interception) and Peyton Manning (34-of-57, 438 yards, 2 TDs, 2 picks) assumed their usual places among the week’s fantasy QB leaders. In the combined 110 attempts, they were only sacked once apiece.
Extra points: Predictably, TE Rob Gronkowski (9-105), RB Shane Vereen (5-38), WRs Julian Edelman (9-89) and Brandon LaFell (6-53 on a team-high 13 targets) reeled in Brady’s TD tosses. … Meanwhile, the N.E. ground game wasn’t a factor with Jonas Gray (12-33) and Vereen (11-29) accounting for 62 of the team’s 66 rushing yards. … For the Broncs, Emmanuel Sanders caught 10 of his game-high 16 targets for a career-high 151 yards and Demaryius Thomas had 7-127 on 11 targets, but it was RB Ronnie Hillman (7-47) and TE Julius Thomas (2-33) who had touchdown grabs. … WR Wes Welker caught only three of his eight targets for 31 yards and left after taking a hard shot to the back in the third quarter. … Hillman rushed for only 16 yards on 10 carries but did score a TD on the ground as well.


Seahawks 30, Raiders 24
CenturyLink Field, Seattle
You figured slumping Marshawn Lynch might break out here and he did with 26.3 fantasy points. He failed to top 100 rushing yards, though, for the seventh straight game, finishing with 67 on 21 carries, but his two rushing scores were his first trips to the end zone in a month. He also had a season-high and game-high 76 receiving yards on five catches.
Extra points: Rookie Derek Carr (24-of-41, 194 yards, 2 TDs) threw two picks – one of which was returned to the house by Bruce Irvin – but actually had a better fantasy day than counterpart Russell Wilson (17-of-35, 179 yards; 8-31 rushing), who failed to produce a TD for the first game this season. … WRs Doug Baldwin (5-38) and Paul Richardson (3-12) led the ‘Hawks with six targets apiece. … For the Raiders, Darren McFadden was the leading rusher (13-20) and receiver (4-47), but TE Mychal Rivera (8-38 on a team-high 11 targets) scored the team’s only two offensive TDs. That left little for WRs Andre Holmes (2-28) and James Jones (3-18).


Steelers 43, Ravens 23
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
No, last week’s Steelers game report didn’t get left in here my accident. That means Ben Roethlisberger did throw six TD passes for the second straight week. He was 25-of-37 for 340 yards, connecting with rookie revelation Martavis Bryant (3-44) on a pair of TDs and Antonio Brown (11-144), Markus Wheaton (2-62), Le’Veon Bell (5-38) and TE Matt Spaeth (1-33) for a score apiece.
Extra points: Bell, however, was limited to a 10-20 night rushing and a 5-38 receiving performance to finish with fewer than 100 total yards for the first time this season. LeGarrette Blount (10-23) led the team in rushing. … Meanwhile, TE Heath Miller (1-14) was quiet after a big Week 8. … For the Ravens, Joe Flacco threw for 303 yards and a pair of scores to Torrey Smith (4-63) and rookie TE Crockett Gillmore (1-1). … TE Owen Daniels (6-53) was back after a week’s absence and led the team with nine targets. WR Steve Smith Sr. (5-36 on 8 targets) had his third straight single-digit fantasy-point game. … As for the Baltimore RBs, Justin Forsett led the team in rushing (9-38) and receiving (5-67), while rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro (7-21, 3-34) lost a fumble.


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