Kyle Yates’ Week 9 Fantasy Projections (2020 Fantasy Football)

Chicago Bears vs Tennessee Titans

Date/Time: November 8, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Titans -6.5
Over/Under: 47 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Titans 26.75, Bears 20.25

Chicago Bears

Tennessee Titans

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Quarterback

Chicago: Foles and the Bears opened up the offense a little bit last week, but it’s still not enough to push Foles into fantasy relevance. He’s a mid-range QB2 in this matchup.

Tennessee: Tannehill’s been steady for fantasy purposes recently, but he hasn’t delivered the huge performances that would vault him into a top-5 QB finish. Against the Bears pass defense, it might be best to view Tannehill as a high-end QB2 this week.

Running Backs

Chicago: Montgomery only has one rushing touchdown on the season, but he’s still providing an extremely safe floor every single week. It’s not pretty, but Montgomery needs to be in your starting lineup due to the volume he’s getting. Against the Titans run defense, Montgomery can be viewed as a mid-range RB2.

Tennessee: The Bears are a stout defense, but they’ve been gashed by opposing RBs this season. The Titans should look to lean on Henry heavily in this matchup and he can be viewed as a top-5 option at the RB position again in week nine.

Wide Receivers

Chicago: Robinson is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL. His route-running savvy was on full display last week against New Orleans and he should put on a clinic against the Titans secondary in this one. The Titans are currently allowing an average of 29.1 fantasy points to opposing WRs and Robinson should draw coverage from Malcolm Butler in this game. Butler’s still a fine CB, but he’s nowhere near as dominant as he was a couple of years ago. Robinson has an excellent chance of finding the end zone again in this game and he should be fired up as a solid WR1. Miller was featured last week against the Saints and saw 11 total targets. His usage has been incredibly up-and-down this season, but the Bears are currently trying to figure out who they are on offense. If they’re smart, which is absolutely up for debate, Miller should be a focal point of this offense yet again this week. In a great matchup for opposing WRs, Miller can be viewed as a high-end FLEX play that has upside if his snap percentage stays around what it was last week. For context, Miller jumped up from 61% snap percentage in week seven to 81% in week eight. Mooney continues to see his involvement in this offense increase week after week and it looks like the Bears found a hidden gem in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Mooney’s hard to trust, due to the way the offense in Chicago looks as a whole right now, but he’s a full-time player and he hasn’t seen less than five targets since week three. Mooney should be viewed as a solid FLEX play in this matchup against the Titans corners that are currently struggling to slow down anyone.

Tennessee: Brown has taken a back seat to Davis recently in this offense, but he’s still producing for fantasy football thanks to his nose for the end zone. Brown now has five touchdowns in his last four games and he’s been the overall WR2 in that time frame. Brown is a rock-solid, automatic start every single week, but he does get a slight downgrade here due to the matchup against the Bears corners. The Bears are currently the third toughest matchup for opposing fantasy WRs, but Brown is simply too talented to sit. He can be viewed as a low-end WR1 this week that comes with a safe floor, but not much of a ceiling in this matchup. Davis has been on fire recently and has been soaking up targets from Ryan Tannehill in this offense. While it’s hard to say that he’s “in the circle of trust” right now, this matchup is going to be extremely telling. If Davis can continue to succeed for fantasy against the Bears defense, he should be viewed as a locked-and-loaded WR2 with upside every single week moving forward. However, because we haven’t seen him truly put to the test just yet, Davis should be downgraded slightly to a high-end WR3. He should still see a high target total, but what he can do with it against these Bears corners remains to be seen.

Tight Ends

Chicago: Graham’s simply a liability in the middle of the field with the way he’s dropping the football. At this point, I expect the Bears to begin rolling in Cole Kmet in between the 20’s and bringing on Graham purely as a red zone option. If that’s the case, Graham is nothing more than a touchdown-or-bust option and I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

Tennessee: Smith’s routes run has decreased significantly since the first part of the season when he went nuclear from a fantasy perspective. There are a lot of factors that could be playing a role in that though, but the bottom line is that Smith is no longer being utilized the way that fantasy managers want to see. He’s being asked to stay in and block a significant portion of the time, which pushes him down outside the top-12. If he’s not going to be asked to run routes in this offense, he’s not going to see enough targets to be fantasy relevant. The arrow is certainly trending downward and it’s hard to trust him with only eight total targets the past three weeks. He can be viewed as a low-end TE1 this week against Chicago.

FantasyProjection Buster: Davis’ projections are certainly aggressive in a tough matchup, but the touchdowns have to go somewhere in my projections. There’s a good chance that the Bears defense stifles the Titans pass attack, which could make it difficult for Davis to meet his lofty projection totals.

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Carolina Panthers vs Kansas City Chiefs

Date/Time: November 8, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Chiefs -10
Over/Under: 52.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Chiefs 31.25, Panthers 21.25

Carolina Panthers

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Kansas City Chiefs

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Quarterback

Carolina: Bridgewater has looked great this season, but he’s not doing enough to push his way into top-12 QB consideration from a fantasy perspective. In a tough matchup, Bridgewater should be viewed as a mid-range QB2.

Kansas City: Mahomes is unstoppable and should have no problems picking apart a solid Panthers pass defense. Start him as a top-3 option every single week.

Running Backs

Carolina: Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we’re getting CMC back on the field this week. With that being the case, he gets inserted right back into fantasy football rankings as a top-3 option. He should be fully healed and ready to assume his full workload. While there’s reason to believe that Mike Davis could steal some touches in this backfield, it’s not going to be enough to hurt CMC’s value. McCaffrey’s a top-tier play this week against the Chiefs.

Kansas City: While the matchup screams to start CEH confidently, this backfield has become extremely difficult to project. The Panthers have been shredded consistently on the ground this season, but the Chiefs may choose to throw the ball 40+ times every single game like they did last week. With the shared workload now with Bell, CEH is nothing more than a mid-range RB2 that you’re hoping can find the end zone. Bell should see enough volume to be a bye week fill-in option, but you’re going to need him to find the end zone to finish within the top-24 this week.

Wide Receivers

Carolina: Anderson continues to see plenty of targets in this Panthers offense, but it hasn’t led to the elite production recently that we had grown used to expecting. With that being said, Anderson is still an extremely talented receiver and he’s seeing enough targets to be a trustworthy start every single week. In this matchup, Anderson can be started as a low-end WR2 with upside if he can connect on a big play. Moore came crashing back down to earth last week and was barely involved in this offense until the fourth quarter. He finished with only two receptions for 55 yards in week eight, which was good enough for a WR51 finish on the week. While it’s hard to see Moore finishing that low again, he does have a wide range of outcomes every single week. In this matchup, Moore can be viewed as a WR3 that will need to find the end zone to finish much higher than that. Samuel was able to cash in twice last week and the Panthers are starting to utilize him the same way that he was deployed back at Ohio State. They’re moving him all around the formation, but CMC’s return to the lineup most likely means that Samuel’s not going to be lining up in the backfield anymore. Samuel’s a FLEX play this week that will need to find the end zone to finish within the top-36 at the WR position.

Kansas City: Hill and the Chiefs receivers have a tough matchup on paper here, but there’s no way the Panthers are slowing down this passing attack. Hill can be started as a top-5 option with ridiculous upside yet again. Watkins should be returning to the lineup here this week, which puts him squarely back in the FLEX conversation. He’s a risky play if he does suit up, due to his injury concerns, but he’s seen plenty of targets and opportunity when he is on the field. Hardman put up a huge performance last week against the Jets, but it’s not worth chasing points here. We’ve been down this road before and he presents more volatility than any other fantasy option out there. He’s fine as a dart-throw option in your FLEX that could explode, but you need to be prepared for the potential that he lets you down yet again.

Tight Ends

Carolina: None of the Panthers TEs are worth considering for fantasy football this week.

Kansas City: With George Kittle out for essentially the season, Kelce’s the last man standing in the top-tier of fantasy tight ends. For those who drafted him early in your drafts, congratulations. You don’t have to worry and mess around with the messy TE landscape below. Kelce’s an automatic start every single week.

FantasyProjection Buster: All logic points towards the Chiefs RBs putting together solid performances in this game. However, there’s always the possibility that Mahomes throws for five touchdowns and CEH and Bell are left with no scoring opportunities.

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Seattle Seahawks vs Buffalo Bills

Date/Time: November 8, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Seahawks -3
Over/Under: 54.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Seahawks 28.75, Bills 25.75

Seattle Seahawks

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Buffalo Bills

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Quarterback

Seattle: Wilson continues to dominate and set the NFL on fire. He’s a top-tier option every single week, no matter the matchup.

Buffalo: Allen has regressed as a passer, but he’s gone back to running the football more, which is good news for fantasy football. As long as Allen continues to utilize his mobility, he’s a locked-in QB1 every week.

Running Backs

Seattle: Carson is apparently going to test his ankle in practice on Friday, so we’re not quite certain right now as to whether or not he’ll play in this game. If he does, he should be viewed as a mid-range RB2 due to the uncertainty regarding his workload. If Carson is not able to suit up, DeeJay Dallas should step in and receive a significant workload in a plus matchup. He can be viewed as a low-end RB2 in that instance.

Buffalo: Moss has continued to see his snap percentage rise since coming back from his injury, while Singletary’s continues to plummet. While both backs were effective last week against the Patriots, Moss offers more upside due to his involvement around the goal line. Moss appears to be trending towards taking over this backfield, which puts him squarely in the low-end RB2 conversation. It’s a tough matchup for opposing fantasy RBs, but Moss should see enough volume to come through. Singletary continues to see his snap percentage decline in this offense and he offers very little upside due to his lack of involvement around the goal line. Singletary’s a middling RB3 every single week that will need to break off a big play in order to finish much higher than that.

Wide Receivers

Seattle: Metcalf is establishing himself as one of the league’s best receivers. He’s tied to one of the greatest QBs to ever play the sport and he always has the chance of finding the end zone or breaking off a big play. Metcalf belongs in your starting lineup as a locked-and-loaded WR1 with upside every single week. Lockett’s been on fire this season and he’s currently the WR4 in all of fantasy football. Continue to plug him into your lineup as a top-tier option every single week.

Buffalo: This is a matchup that you want to play Stefon Diggs in. The Seahawks are inept at guarding opposing WRs and Diggs should have a field day against them here. Diggs can be viewed as a WR1 with ridiculous upside this week. Brown’s disappointed the past several weeks, but the Bills barely threw the ball last week, where we assume that Brown was fully healthy for the first time in a while. It’s not worth completely moving off of him just yet and this is a matchup that you’re most likely going to want to play him in. Brown can be viewed as a FLEX play this week with ridiculous upside. Beasley continues to be involved in this offense and he should see enough work in this plus matchup to be viewed as a solid FLEX play in Full PPR formats.

Tight Ends

Seattle: Olsen hasn’t exactly done much, if anything, for fantasy football recently. With that being said, if you’re absolutely desperate at the position and need a dart throw option, the Bills are currently the 5th easiest matchup for opposing TEs. Olsen shouldn’t be considered if you have better options available, but if you’re in a deep league and need a pivot option, Olsen’s a good dart throw option in the event that he finds the end zone.

Buffalo: None of the Bills TEs should be considered for fantasy football this week.

FantasyProjection Buster: Brown’s been unreliable recently for fantasy football after getting off to a hot start this season. This is a great matchup and all signs point to him having a good game, but his recent track record puts him in this section.

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Denver Broncos vs Atlanta Falcons

Date/Time: November 8, 1:00pm ET
Spread: Falcons -4
Over/Under: 50 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Falcons 27, Broncos 23

Denver Broncos

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Atlanta Falcons

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Quarterback

Denver: Lock assisted in a huge comeback last week against the Chargers and he now has an extremely favorable matchup in front of him with Atlanta. However, it’s going to be hard to trust Lock after the performances we’ve seen from him previously. Lock’s a mid-range QB2 this week that could be plugged in as a streaming option if you’re in a pinch, but it certainly comes with its risks.

Atlanta: Ryan got held in check last week by the Panthers, but he should bounce back here against the Broncos. With the receiving weapons that Ryan has at his disposal, he should always be viewed as a potential start. Ryan currently falls just outside my top-12 QBs on the week, but he can certainly be plugged into your lineup, if needed.

Running Backs

Denver: With Lindsay back in the lineup, Gordon’s fantasy outlook certainly takes a hit. However, this is a game that you’re going to want to plug Gordon into your starting lineup. The Falcons defense has improved under Raheem Morris slightly, but they’re still a defense that gives up plenty of points. Gordon should be put in scoring opportunities in this game and he’ll be the unquestioned goal line back. Gordon can be played as a low-end RB2 this week that has a good chance of finding the end zone. Lindsay’s long run sparked the comeback for the Broncos last week and he continuously provides a spark plug for this offense. While Lindsay has only played in four games this season, he’s averaging an absurd 6.4 YPC. Even though Lindsay will split time in this backfield with Melvin Gordon, he should see enough work to return solid RB3 value. He’ll have to score on a long breakaway run, like he did last week, to finish much higher than that, but he’s still a solid option for your fantasy football roster.

Atlanta: Gurley continues to find the end zone every single game, but last week, we saw his snap percentage dive down significantly. In week seven, Gurley played 73.5% of the snaps. Meanwhile, Brian Hill only played 23.5% of the snaps that game. However, in week eight, Gurley’s snap percentage was only 54.5%, while Hill’s shot up to 39.4%. Gurley still is the lead option in this backfield, but his stranglehold on the job seems to be loosening as the season progresses. Because of this, Gurley is merely a low-end RB2 that will need to score to return that value. He’s struggling with efficiency and Hill’s starting to see more work in this backfield.

Wide Receivers

Denver: Jeudy saw 10 targets last week as the Broncos were in comeback mode against the Chargers. He absolutely benefited from having Tim Patrick out of the lineup and there’s still a question as to whether or not Patrick suits up in this game. If Patrick does not play, Jeudy should be viewed as a solid WR3 in a great matchup for fantasy WRs. If Patrick does suit up, Jeudy can be downgraded to a FLEX play. Otherwise, any other Broncos WR is simply a dart throw option that you’re hoping finds the end zone in a plus matchup.

Atlanta: Julio is a top-5 lock this week with ridiculous upside in this matchup. He always belongs in your starting lineup, but even if Ridley suits up, Jones is a fantastic play. Ridley is currently listed as day-to-day and he has a chance of playing in this week’s game against Denver. If Ridley is well enough to play, he should be viewed as a low-end WR2 that has upside in this matchup. Gage has a good CB matchup this week, but he still can’t be trusted as anything more than a FLEX option. If Ridley misses this game, Gage would see an uptick in volume, but he’d still be a low-end WR3 in that instance.

Tight Ends

Denver: Fant has been an extremely steady contributor for fantasy lineups this season and he’s being heavily utilized in this offense with Drew Lock at QB. Over the past two weeks, Fant has seen 16 targets. With that in mind, Fant should be plugged into your lineup as a borderline top-5 option this week against the Falcons defense that is currently the easiest matchup in the NFL for opposing fantasy TEs. Albert Okwuegbunam has been involved in this offense, but it hasn’t been enough to necessarily feel confident plugging him into your lineup this week. The matchup gives him some appeal, but as nothing more than a dart throw option that you’re hoping is able to find the end zone.

Atlanta: Hurst has been consistently producing for your fantasy lineups lately and there’s little reason to doubt that that continues here. Even if Ridley suits up, Hurst should be viewed as a low-end TE1.

FantasyProjection Buster: Patrick’s projection right now is a bit conservative, but there’s the possibility that he breaks out in this game if he’s fully healthy. He can certainly finish much higher than my projection total, but it all depends on his health status.