Here’s a look at Week 9 fantasy football rankings from our most accurate experts so far this season. These rankings are for standard scoring fantasy football formats.
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Rank | Quarterbacks | Team | Opp | Best | Worst | Avg | Std Dev | Proj. Pts |
1 | Russell Wilson | SEA | vs. TB | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22.1 |
2 | Deshaun Watson | HOU | at JAC | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 20.7 |
3 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | at LAC | 3 | 7 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 20 |
4 | Dak Prescott | DAL | at NYG | 2 | 5 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 19.4 |
5 | Matthew Stafford | DET | at OAK | 4 | 8 | 5.3 | 0.4 | 19 |
6 | Lamar Jackson | BAL | vs. NE | 4 | 12 | 6.1 | 0.8 | 18.8 |
7 | Josh Allen | BUF | vs. WAS | 5 | 9 | 6.7 | 0.7 | 18.8 |
8 | Gardner Minshew | JAC | vs. HOU | 7 | 11 | 8.2 | 0.6 | 18 |
9 | Tom Brady | NE | at BAL | 8 | 16 | 9.6 | 0.8 | 17.6 |
10 | Jameis Winston | TB | at SEA | 8 | 12 | 10.1 | 0.8 | 17.2 |
11 | Kirk Cousins | MIN | at KC | 9 | 16 | 11.2 | 0.9 | 16.8 |
12 | Derek Carr | OAK | vs. DET | 6 | 14 | 11.5 | 1.3 | 16.6 |
13 | Carson Wentz | PHI | vs. CHI | 11 | 17 | 14 | 1.3 | 16.2 |
14 | Sam Darnold | NYJ | at MIA | 11 | 24 | 15.3 | 2.7 | 16.1 |
15 | Philip Rivers | LAC | vs. GB | 13 | 18 | 15.5 | 1.1 | 16 |
16 | Jimmy Garoppolo | SF | at ARI | 14 | 19 | 15.5 | 1.3 | 15.4 |
17 | Daniel Jones | NYG | vs. DAL | 13 | 18 | 16.4 | 1.4 | 15.3 |
18 | Jacoby Brissett | IND | at PIT | 16 | 20 | 18 | 1 | 15.2 |
19 | Kyler Murray | ARI | vs. SF | 12 | 22 | 18.5 | 1.5 | 15.1 |
20 | Mason Rudolph | PIT | vs. IND | 19 | 24 | 21.2 | 0.6 | 14.7 |
Gardner Minshew (JAC)
Minshew magic continued last week when he posted another 24 fantasy points versus the Jets and with the upcoming matchup against Houston, there is no reason to believe anything will change. They were a weak secondary to begin with then suffered multiple injuries plus J.J. Watt is now out for the season for their pass rush.
Kirk Cousins (MIN)
We’ve watched him be what might be the most efficient quarterback in football over the last four weeks, but does it end here? During that four-game stretch, he’s completed 91-of-116 passes (78.4 percent) for 1,262 yards (10.9 yards per attempt) and 10 touchdowns (8.6 percent touchdown-rate). He’s yet to throw more than 36 passes this year, which could be a problem against the Chiefs. Sure, we just watched Aaron Rodgers tag them for 305 yards and three touchdowns, but just 42 percent of his yardage came before the catch. The teams Cousins has played over the last four weeks have been the Giants (31st), Eagles (20th), Lions (17th), and Redskins (23rd), who are all in the bottom-half of the league when it comes to yards per attempt. The Chiefs have allowed the 13th fewest yards per attempt this year at just 7.19. If you were to remove Gardner Minshew‘s surprise in Week 1, they’ve allowed just 6.82 yards per attempt over the last seven games. Now, the hidden thing we need to watch is whether defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive tackle Frank Clark are available for this game, as both missed last week’s game against the Packers. If they’re both able to take the field, Cousins will be under a bit more pressure, and limit his appeal. For now, consider him a low-end QB1/high-end QB2.
Carson Wentz (PHI)
Wentz now has fewer than 200 passing yards in four of his last five games and is averaging only 1.6 touchdown passes per game this year. Facing an Angry Chicago Bears team this week, Wentz is not likely to turn this around before his Week 10 bye. He should be benched this week, if you can help it.
Rank | Running Backs | Team | Opp | Best | Worst | Avg | Std Dev | Proj. Pts |
1 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | vs. TEN | 1 | 3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 18.5 |
2 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | at KC | 1 | 3 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 17.7 |
3 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | at NYG | 1 | 4 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 16.4 |
4 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | vs. DAL | 2 | 9 | 5 | 1.7 | 15.9 |
5 | Aaron Jones | GB | at LAC | 4 | 8 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 14.9 |
6 | Nick Chubb | CLE | at DEN | 4 | 6 | 5.6 | 0.5 | 14.8 |
7 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | vs. HOU | 4 | 9 | 7 | 0.9 | 14.7 |
8 | Josh Jacobs | OAK | vs. DET | 8 | 11 | 9 | 0.7 | 14.6 |
9 | Derrick Henry | TEN | at CAR | 5 | 12 | 9.6 | 2.1 | 14.4 |
10 | Chris Carson | SEA | vs. TB | 6 | 12 | 9.6 | 2.1 | 14 |
11 | Le’Veon Bell | NYJ | at MIA | 8 | 11 | 9.9 | 0.8 | 13.8 |
12 | Tevin Coleman | SF | at ARI | 9 | 15 | 11.8 | 1.3 | 13 |
13 | Marlon Mack | IND | at PIT | 12 | 15 | 13.1 | 0.3 | 12.9 |
14 | Phillip Lindsay | DEN | vs. CLE | 14 | 17 | 15.1 | 0.8 | 12.4 |
15 | Sony Michel | NE | at BAL | 12 | 24 | 15.3 | 2 | 12.3 |
16 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | vs. GB | 14 | 21 | 17.3 | 2 | 11.8 |
17 | Royce Freeman | DEN | vs. CLE | 16 | 21 | 18.4 | 0.7 | 11.1 |
18 | Mark Ingram | BAL | vs. NE | 16 | 29 | 19 | 2.6 | 10.6 |
19 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | vs. GB | 17 | 22 | 19.4 | 1.3 | 10.4 |
20 | Jordan Howard | PHI | vs. CHI | 17 | 27 | 20.5 | 2.1 | 10 |
21 | Carlos Hyde | HOU | at JAC | 20 | 24 | 21.6 | 0.5 | 9.8 |
22 | Adrian Peterson | WAS | at BUF | 18 | 33 | 22.1 | 2.4 | 9.8 |
23 | David Montgomery | CHI | at PHI | 19 | 25 | 22.9 | 1.3 | 9.7 |
24 | Mark Walton | MIA | vs. NYJ | 16 | 28 | 25.8 | 1 | 9.2 |
25 | James White | NE | at BAL | 25 | 32 | 27.1 | 2.1 | 9.1 |
26 | LeSean McCoy | KC | vs. MIN | 24 | 35 | 27.4 | 2.1 | 9 |
27 | Devin Singletary | BUF | vs. WAS | 24 | 32 | 27.6 | 2.4 | 8.6 |
28 | Jaylen Samuels | PIT | vs. IND | 12 | 43 | 28.3 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
29 | Frank Gore | BUF | vs. WAS | 23 | 33 | 29 | 2.1 | 8.6 |
30 | Jamaal Williams | GB | at LAC | 26 | 33 | 29 | 0.9 | 8.3 |
31 | Miles Sanders | PHI | vs. CHI | 28 | 34 | 30.9 | 1.4 | 8 |
32 | Matt Breida | SF | at ARI | 26 | 48 | 31.1 | 2.3 | 7.8 |
33 | Kenyan Drake | ARI | vs. SF | 22 | 35 | 31.4 | 1.3 | 7.8 |
34 | Damien Williams | KC | vs. MIN | 23 | 39 | 34.1 | 0.9 | 7.2 |
35 | Ty Johnson | DET | at OAK | 32 | 42 | 36.1 | 1.9 | 7 |
36 | Tra Carson | DET | at OAK | 36 | 40 | 37 | 1.3 | 7 |
37 | Ronald Jones II | TB | at SEA | 35 | 42 | 37.3 | 0.7 | 6.9 |
38 | Duke Johnson | HOU | at JAC | 34 | 43 | 37.8 | 2.4 | 6.7 |
39 | Peyton Barber | TB | at SEA | 36 | 41 | 39.4 | 0.5 | 6.7 |
40 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | at PHI | 34 | 50 | 39.5 | 2.6 | 6.5 |
41 | Alexander Mattison | MIN | at KC | 39 | 44 | 41 | 1 | 6.3 |
42 | Zach Zenner | ARI | vs. SF | 38 | 46 | 41.9 | 1.8 | 6.3 |
43 | Kalen Ballage | MIA | vs. NYJ | 40 | 51 | 43.1 | 0.6 | 6.2 |
44 | Rashaad Penny | SEA | vs. TB | 42 | 48 | 44.8 | 1.6 | 5.9 |
45 | James Conner | PIT | vs. IND | 11 | 41 | 27 | 10.2 | 5.7 |
46 | J.D. McKissic | DET | at OAK | 44 | 52 | 46.5 | 1.7 | 5.1 |
47 | DeAndre Washington | OAK | vs. DET | 44 | 54 | 47.8 | 1.9 | 5.1 |
48 | Raheem Mostert | SF | at ARI | 45 | 64 | 49.5 | 3 | 4.8 |
49 | Nyheim Hines | IND | at PIT | 45 | 54 | 49.9 | 1.5 | 4.7 |
50 | Wendell Smallwood | WAS | at BUF | 44 | 64 | 50.5 | 2.2 | 4.6 |
Derrick Henry (TEN)
The Titans offensive success under Tannehill hasn’t bled much into Henry just yet but knowing how tough of a matchup the Bucs were on the ground, he deserves a pass. A big part of that is due to the fact that Dion Lewis has received exactly two touches over the last two games. Henry’s tallied at least 18 opportunities (carries and targets) in every game and is about to go against a defense that allows their opponents an average of 68.7 plays per game, the second-highest number in the league. Not just that, either. They have allowed plenty of efficiency too, as the 4.91 yards per carry they’ve allowed is the third-most in football, while the 10 rushing touchdowns is the most in football. The only area they’ve slowed opposing running backs is through the air, as they’ve allowed the second-fewest fantasy points through the air to running backs. We know that Henry has totaled at least 15 carries in every game, so when we combine that with the Panthers allowing a touchdown every 15.5 carries (most often), we should expect massive results. Henry should be the sixth top-15 running back performance they’ve allowed this week, so start him as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2.
Melvin Gordon (LAC)
What will the coaching change mean for the Chargers backfield? My guess would be more carries as a whole. Since Gordon came back to the team, they’ve run the ball just 60 times in four games. That’s 15.0 rushing attempts per game. Many have ragged on Gordon for his 2.5 yards per carry, but the 1.9 yards per carry for Ekeler over that time goes unnoticed. Why? It’ll be interesting to say the least. The Packers defense has allowed at least 22 points to their opponents in five straight games, which should present plenty of scoring opportunities for Gordon and company. The Packers have also allowed 4.94 yards per carry, which is tied for the most in the NFL. They’ve also allowed eight rushing touchdowns, which is the second-highest mark in the league. They’ve been pretty neutral when it comes to production through the air to running backs, so this matchup should technically favor Gordon’s skill-set. With the change in coaching, you have to understand there could be drastic changes, but for Gordon, that’d be a good thing. He should be in lineups as an RB2.
Jordan Howard (PHI)
Howard is facing his former team, who have gotten pushed around by talented offensive lines recently. With the Eagles also getting DeSean Jackson back, they should be able to find some success moving the football, increasing the likelihood of a Howard red-zone TD. Because of TD opportunity and the revenge game narrative, Howard is a low-end RB2 this week.
Jamaal Williams (GB)
Williams is getting about half of the backfield snaps and he has scored in three straight games. He continues to be underrated by most, but Williams is an RB2 or solid flex play against a Chargers defense that got run over by David Montgomery last week.
Devin Singletary (BUF)
Singletary seems to be the option they’ll use when they fall behind, as he’s seen six targets in two separate games. He’s still yet to top nine touches in an NFL game. Because of the hold that Gore has in carries, combined with the game script, Singletary is a high-end RB4 at best who needs to break a big play with his limited touches. Will the Bills start to move the early-down work to him? It doesn’t appear so.
Rank | Wide Receivers | Team | Opp | Best | Worst | Avg | Std Dev | Proj. Pts |
1 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | at JAC | 1 | 4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 14.2 |
2 | Amari Cooper | DAL | at NYG | 2 | 5 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 11.7 |
3 | Chris Godwin | TB | at SEA | 2 | 8 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 11.7 |
4 | Tyler Lockett | SEA | vs. TB | 1 | 4 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 11.4 |
5 | Mike Evans | TB | at SEA | 3 | 7 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 11.3 |
6 | Kenny Golladay | DET | at OAK | 5 | 11 | 6.5 | 1 | 11.3 |
7 | Tyreek Hill | KC | vs. MIN | 2 | 9 | 7.1 | 0.6 | 11.2 |
8 | Julian Edelman | NE | at BAL | 6 | 11 | 8.3 | 0.8 | 10.8 |
9 | Stefon Diggs | MIN | at KC | 6 | 14 | 10.6 | 1.5 | 10.5 |
10 | D.J. Chark | JAC | vs. HOU | 7 | 15 | 10.9 | 1.8 | 10.3 |
11 | Allen Robinson | CHI | at PHI | 9 | 18 | 11.9 | 2.1 | 10.1 |
12 | Adam Thielen | MIN | at KC | 5 | 16 | 13 | 1.7 | 10 |
13 | John Brown | BUF | vs. WAS | 9 | 21 | 13.9 | 2.4 | 9.8 |
14 | Keenan Allen | LAC | vs. GB | 9 | 18 | 15.1 | 2.6 | 9.3 |
15 | Odell Beckham Jr. | CLE | at DEN | 13 | 20 | 16.9 | 2.1 | 9.2 |
16 | Marvin Jones | DET | at OAK | 16 | 22 | 17.6 | 1.6 | 9.1 |
17 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | PIT | vs. IND | 15 | 21 | 17.9 | 1.3 | 9.1 |
18 | Tyrell Williams | OAK | vs. DET | 14 | 23 | 19.5 | 2.3 | 9 |
19 | Michael Gallup | DAL | at NYG | 15 | 23 | 20 | 1.1 | 9 |
20 | D.K. Metcalf | SEA | vs. TB | 7 | 24 | 20.6 | 1.5 | 9 |
21 | Courtland Sutton | DEN | vs. CLE | 17 | 27 | 23 | 1.6 | 8.9 |
22 | Mike Williams | LAC | vs. GB | 22 | 28 | 24.1 | 1.3 | 8.8 |
23 | Kenny Stills | HOU | at JAC | 22 | 37 | 24.3 | 0.7 | 8.8 |
24 | D.J. Moore | CAR | vs. TEN | 24 | 30 | 26.5 | 0.9 | 8.8 |
25 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | at MIA | 24 | 35 | 26.8 | 2.4 | 8.7 |
26 | Curtis Samuel | CAR | vs. TEN | 25 | 32 | 29.1 | 1.9 | 8.7 |
27 | Alshon Jeffery | PHI | vs. CHI | 16 | 33 | 29.3 | 1.6 | 8.6 |
28 | Terry McLaurin | WAS | at BUF | 23 | 44 | 29.5 | 3.3 | 8.5 |
29 | Golden Tate | NYG | vs. DAL | 20 | 40 | 29.9 | 1.5 | 8.2 |
30 | Christian Kirk | ARI | vs. SF | 26 | 34 | 31.8 | 1.9 | 8.2 |
31 | Davante Adams | GB | at LAC | 6 | 30 | 17.4 | 6.1 | 7.9 |
32 | Jarvis Landry | CLE | at DEN | 28 | 38 | 33.1 | 2.1 | 7.8 |
33 | Emmanuel Sanders | SF | at ARI | 31 | 41 | 33.1 | 2.6 | 7.7 |
34 | Chris Conley | JAC | vs. HOU | 29 | 47 | 36.1 | 1.6 | 7.7 |
35 | Marquise Brown | BAL | vs. NE | 33 | 44 | 37.1 | 2.3 | 7.7 |
36 | Jamison Crowder | NYJ | at MIA | 35 | 40 | 37.1 | 0.8 | 7.6 |
37 | Preston Williams | MIA | vs. NYJ | 34 | 46 | 37.4 | 2.2 | 7.6 |
38 | Phillip Dorsett | NE | at BAL | 31 | 45 | 39.3 | 3.7 | 7.6 |
39 | Devante Parker | MIA | vs. NYJ | 36 | 48 | 39.9 | 3.5 | 7.5 |
40 | Sammy Watkins | KC | vs. MIN | 25 | 48 | 40.6 | 4 | 7.4 |
41 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | vs. SF | 33 | 50 | 41 | 3 | 7.2 |
42 | Diontae Johnson | PIT | vs. IND | 30 | 46 | 41.9 | 1.6 | 7.1 |
43 | Corey Davis | TEN | at CAR | 34 | 49 | 43.1 | 3.1 | 7 |
44 | Demaryius Thomas | NYJ | at MIA | 39 | 49 | 45.9 | 2.6 | 6.9 |
45 | A.J. Brown | TEN | at CAR | 45 | 58 | 48.1 | 3.5 | 6.9 |
46 | Cole Beasley | BUF | vs. WAS | 30 | 56 | 49.1 | 5 | 6.9 |
47 | Mohamed Sanu | NE | at BAL | 43 | 56 | 49.9 | 2 | 6.8 |
48 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | GB | at LAC | 45 | 74 | 50 | 4.6 | 6.4 |
49 | Danny Amendola | DET | at OAK | 38 | 58 | 50.6 | 4.2 | 6.4 |
50 | Sterling Shepard | NYG | vs. DAL | 37 | 63 | 51.4 | 6.7 | 6.4 |
51 | Dede Westbrook | JAC | vs. HOU | 41 | 67 | 51.9 | 6.5 | 6.3 |
52 | Anthony Miller | CHI | at PHI | 46 | 70 | 52 | 6 | 6.2 |
53 | Zach Pascal | IND | at PIT | 44 | 65 | 53.9 | 4 | 6.2 |
54 | Allen Lazard | GB | at LAC | 48 | 66 | 54.3 | 2.2 | 6.2 |
55 | Deebo Samuel | SF | at ARI | 51 | 60 | 54.9 | 1.7 | 6.1 |
56 | Darius Slayton | NYG | vs. DAL | 51 | 61 | 55.1 | 2.1 | 5.9 |
57 | Adam Humphries | TEN | at CAR | 54 | 60 | 58.1 | 1.1 | 5.8 |
58 | Nelson Agholor | PHI | vs. CHI | 50 | 67 | 58.3 | 2.7 | 5.7 |
59 | Geronimo Allison | GB | at LAC | 47 | 81 | 61.8 | 2.8 | 5.6 |
60 | Randall Cobb | DAL | at NYG | 52 | 74 | 63.5 | 4.2 | 5.6 |
Amari Cooper (DAL)
It’ll be good for fantasy owners to get their stud back into lineups, as he was missed. He’s finished as a top-34 receiver in 6-of-7 games with four top-18 finishes and two top-eight finishes. He’s been very Michael Thomas-like this year, hauling in a massive 76 percent of his targets. It helps because he’s seen more than five targets in just 4-of-7 games. The Giants are a team he mauled back in Week 1 for 106 yards and a touchdown while seeing nine targets. While Janoris Jenkins is solid, he cannot cover Cooper one-on-one, and they cannot leave rookie DeAndre Baker alone with Gallup. They seem to be keeping Jenkins at LCB most of the time, which allows the Cowboys to pick who’ll go against him. The Cowboys move Cooper around quite a bit, so it’ll be a mix of the two who’ve combined to allow six different receivers to tally 100-plus yards, and that’s not even including Danny Amendola‘s 95 yards or Cole Beasley‘s 83 yards. This is an A-plus matchup for receivers, so start Cooper as a WR1 with confidence.
Kenny Golladay (DET)
After notching just two targets in the Week 7 matchup with the Vikings, Stafford went right back to his No. 1 option last week, hitting him six times for 123 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. It was the third time over the last six games he’s topped 115 yards and the second time in the last four games he’s finished with multiple touchdowns. Now on to play the Raiders who’ve allowed four 100-yard receivers and two multiple-touchdown games through seven games, it kind of syncs up with Golladay’s performances to this point. The Raiders are also down one of their starting cornerbacks, as they traded Gareon Conley to the Texans, so they’ll be relying on Daryl Worley and rookie Trayvon Mullen to cover the duo of Golladay and Jones. They both move around the formation, so there’s not a particular matchup Golladay will see. Knowing they’ve allowed 11 different wide receivers finish as top-32 options through seven games should give you an idea as to the fantasy floor Golladay should have in this game. In a game with a projected total of 51 points, there’s a lot to like with Golladay, who should be in lineups as a WR1.
D.J. Chark (JAC)
It was good to see the Chark and Minshew connection back last week, as he saw a season-high 12 targets. The Texans were without both of their starting cornerbacks last week, and it showed as they allowed the Raiders to combined for 10 catches, 221 yards, and two touchdowns on just 14 targets. Tyrell Williams didn’t even look like he was moving that well, yet he was able to post 3/91/1 while coming off a multi-week injury. Even one of their backups (Lonnie Johnson) suffered a concussion. With the Texans bye week coming after this game, you must wonder if Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby, who are both dealing with hamstring injuries, make it out to London to play. Whatever the case, there’s been just one game all year where the Texans didn’t allow at least one receiver to hit 18-plus PPR points against them. Over their last four games, there have been eight wide receivers/tight ends who’ve scored at least 15 PPR points. Chark should be in lineups as a borderline WR1 in this game.
Tyrell Williams (OAK)
He returned to the lineup in Week 8 and to no one’s surprise, he scored a touchdown. He’s scored a touchdown in every game he’s played, which stands at five games. The Texans were incredibly shorthanded last week, allowing Williams to tally 91 yards and a touchdown, but he finished with just three catches for his third game in a row. There’s a big wildcard for Williams in this game, and his name is Darius Slay. He was forced to leave the game in Week 7 and then miss Week 8 altogether, which happen to be the two games the Lions allowed four passing touchdowns apiece. If Slay is out, it pushes Mike Ford into the starting lineup and forces Rashaan Melvin to deal with opposing No. 1 receivers in coverage. Melvin has allowed three touchdowns on 10 targets with Slay out of the lineup, but has allowed no touchdowns on 32 targets with Slay in the lineup. If Slay is ruled out, Williams can be played as a WR3 in a plus-matchup. If Slay is able to make it back from his hamstring injury, Williams would be nudged down into WR4 territory and no longer someone you need to play.
Robby Anderson (NYJ)
It’s not going to make fantasy owners happy but targeting Anderson hasn’t been a good thing for Darnold. When targeting him, he’s posted a 46.0 QB Rating, as three interceptions have come when targeting him. Still, he’s done it with regularity, as Anderson has totaled 7-8-8-6 targets in the four games Darnold’s played. He’s had some tough matchups without a doubt, so if there’s a chance to get back on track, it’s in this game against the Dolphins who have allowed 22.8 percent of receptions go for 20-plus yards, which is the second-highest mark in the NFL, behind only the Bengals. Their top cornerback Xavien Howard is going to be out for this game, leaving them starting some combination of Eric Rowe, Jomal Wiltz, Ryan Lewis, and Nik Needham. No, I didn’t make those names up. The Jets have played nine receivers who’ve seen six or more targets, and eight of them have finished as top-36 options. If Anderson is on your team, stick him in your lineup as a WR3 with upside.
Rank | Tight Ends | Team | Opp | Best | Worst | Avg | Std Dev | Proj. Pts |
1 | George Kittle | SF | at ARI | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10.2 |
2 | Darren Waller | OAK | vs. DET | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9.8 |
3 | Travis Kelce | KC | vs. MIN | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9.6 |
4 | Hunter Henry | LAC | vs. GB | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 9.5 |
5 | Evan Engram | NYG | vs. DAL | 5 | 7 | 5.1 | 0.3 | 8.5 |
6 | Zach Ertz | PHI | vs. CHI | 6 | 7 | 6.3 | 0.4 | 8.3 |
7 | Mark Andrews | BAL | vs. NE | 5 | 7 | 6.5 | 0.7 | 8.3 |
8 | Greg Olsen | CAR | vs. TEN | 8 | 9 | 8.4 | 0.5 | 7 |
9 | T.J. Hockenson | DET | at OAK | 8 | 13 | 9.9 | 0.3 | 5.8 |
10 | Eric Ebron | IND | at PIT | 9 | 17 | 10.6 | 1 | 4.9 |
11 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | vs. CHI | 8 | 13 | 11.4 | 1.4 | 4.7 |
12 | Jonnu Smith | TEN | at CAR | 8 | 15 | 11.8 | 2.3 | 4.7 |
13 | Jimmy Graham | GB | at LAC | 10 | 15 | 13.3 | 1.7 | 4.4 |
14 | Darren Fells | HOU | at JAC | 12 | 18 | 13.5 | 1.4 | 4.4 |
15 | Cameron Brate | TB | at SEA | 11 | 16 | 14 | 0.9 | 4.4 |
16 | Vance McDonald | PIT | vs. IND | 15 | 23 | 16.3 | 0.7 | 4 |
17 | Jason Witten | DAL | at NYG | 16 | 20 | 17.1 | 0.8 | 4 |
18 | Noah Fant | DEN | vs. CLE | 14 | 20 | 18.6 | 0.7 | 3.9 |
19 | Jack Doyle | IND | at PIT | 17 | 20 | 19.1 | 0.6 | 3.8 |
20 | Jordan Akins | HOU | at JAC | 18 | 23 | 20.8 | 0.7 | 3.8 |
Hunter Henry (LAC)
We’d discussed how tough of a matchup it was for Henry last week, so to see him walk out of that Bears game with four catches for 47 yards, it’s not that bad. The Packers were a brutal matchup for tight ends last year, but with the new safety duo of Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage, it hasn’t been a matchup to worry about. They’ve allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the tight end position this year which has been aided by three 63-plus-yard performances by Zach Ertz, Darrel Waller, and Travis Kelce. Each of them was able to post top-seven numbers against the Packers, with two of them coming over the last two weeks. Henry has averaged 7.7 targets per game since coming back to the lineup and knowing Allen is playing through a hamstring injury, that should remain intact. Henry is a top-eight play every week and this matchup is a plus, so don’t hesitate when slotting him in as a top-five play.
Eric Ebron (IND)
This tight end duo is one of the worst to project every week, as they seemingly alternate production without any sense of reason. Doyle has played nearly double the snaps, has run 20 more routes, and one more target, but Ebron has 22 more yards and two more touchdowns. This is similar to the way things were last year, as all the vitals had Doyle as the better tight end to play, but Ebron has produced when called upon. The Steelers have allowed top-12 tight end performances in 4-of-7 games this year, including the TE1 performance to Hunter Henry when he posted 8/100/2 against them in Week 6. They’ve had a brutal schedule to this point, which has to be taken into consideration, as the four tight ends who’ve performed well against them were Henry, Will Dissly, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews, all stud tight ends. Despite that tough competition, they’ve allowed a below-average 7.04 yards per target. The reason they’ve allowed so many fantasy points is due to the four touchdowns they’ve allowed to the position. We know that’s Ebron’s territory, so he’s the one I’d say should be the high-end TE2 here.
Cameron Brate (TB)
The Bruce Arians offense hasn’t been what you’d call tight end friendly no matter who’s been on the field, as Brate and Howard have combined for just 39 targets through seven games. There are nine tight ends who have more targets on their own. With Howard out of the lineup last week, we saw a season-high six targets, which is definitely a step in the right direction and streamer-worthy territory. On top of that, the Seahawks have been one of the premier matchups for tight ends. There have been four different tight ends who’ve totaled at least five receptions against them, which provides a high floor. The marks across the board are good for tight ends, as they’ve allowed a 69.7 percent completion-rate, 12.35 yards per reception, and a touchdown every 16.5 targets, which all amounts to 1.92 PPR points per target, the sixth-highest mark in the league. Brate should be in the low-end TE1/high-end TE2 conversation.
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