Chase Claypool Week 9 Outlook -

By Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros), Thu, Nov 4th 2021, 8:46am EDT

When JuJu Smith-Schuster went down with what would prove to be a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, Claypool had 5-130-1 that game. It seemed as if Smith-Schuster's absence would clear the runway for a Claypool takeoff, but it hasn't happened yet. In the two games since JuJu's injury, Claypool has 6-62-0 on 12 targets. The deterioration of QB Ben Roethlisberger's play is a big part of the problem. Claypool's average depth of target this season is 11.9 yards, and longer throws are a tough ask for Big Ben these days. Claypool is going to be a monster - he's a physical mismatch for almost every cornerback he faces - but he's destined for a roller-coaster ride this season because he's tethered to Roethlisberger. Claypool is a low-end WR2 this week.