Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Daniel Jones, Rico Dowdle, Demarcus Robinson, Quentin Johnston, Mike Gesicki

Week 9 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the ninth week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players?

Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous week were better than expected. I'll analyze their games and consider their showings in the larger scheme.

Below, you'll find an analysis of the biggest fantasy football surprises of Week 9. Are those surprising results a fact, i.e., a sign of good things to come, or a fiction, i.e., an anomalous result?

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Daniel Jones - QB, New York Giants

Week 9 stats: 20-of-26 for 174 yards and two touchdowns, seven carries for 54 yards and one touchdown - overall QB5

Daniel Jones had his best game of the season against Washington, accounting for three touchdowns in the game, including his first rushing score of the season.

DANIEL JONES HAS FINALLY DONE IT 🙌

His first pass TD at home since JANUARY 1, 2023 😅#Giants100 | #NFL pic.twitter.com/NpL72iAq8J

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) November 3, 2024

Jones threw for just 174 yards but connected on a pair of touchdown passes and he was only sacked twice. All in all, it was an improvement over what we usually get from the sixth-year pro.

But the fact that this game represented a high point for the season should say enough here. Jones has had five games this season where he failed to throw a single touchdown pass. You've been avoiding him in fantasy this year for a reason, and after this game, you should continue to avoid him.

Verdict: Fiction

Rico Dowdle - RB, Dallas Cowboys

Week 9 stats: 12 carries for 75 yards, five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown - overall RB9

For the third time in three games, Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle found the end zone in the receiving game. And in all three of those games, Dowdle has had double-digit carries.

Sure, he had one disappointing game sandwiched in there as he had just five carries for 25 yards against the Lions, but overall, Dowdle is trending up right now. Dallas has abandoned this whole "Ezekiel Elliott" thing, and Dowdle has benefited greatly from that.

With Dak Prescott injured, the Cowboys will likely need to lean on the run game. They didn't make any addition at running back at the trade deadline, so I'd expect that to mean Dowdle gets the bulk of the backfield touches going forward.

He should be considered a solid RB2 play going forward.

Verdict: Fact

Demarcus Robinson - WR, Los Angeles Rams

Week 9 stats: six catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns - overall WR5

For the second game in a row, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson found the end zone twice. It's been a big couple of showings in a row for Robinson, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect this to be something that continues.

DEMARCUS ROBINSON ARE YOU KIDDING ME pic.twitter.com/GxQILHwi6E

— Rams Bros. (@RamsBrothers) November 4, 2024

Part of what helped Robinson out this week was that Puka Nacua was ejected from the game. That's not something that's going to happen every week. And the week before when he also caught two scores, Robinson was only targeted three times.

So while fantasy managers who threw Robinson in as a desperation play this week have to feel pretty good about that, his production feels a little bit random. Nacua and Cooper Kupp, when the two are both on the field and healthy, are one of the top receiver duos in the league. There's no room for Robinson to make much of an impact with them out there.

Verdict: Fiction

Quentin Johnston - WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Week 9 stats: four receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown - overall WR6

Quentin Johnston returned after missing the past two games with an ankle injury. He was back in a big way, catching four of his five targets for 118 yards and a touchdown. That included a 66-yard touchdown.

Johnston has shown a strong ability to reach the end zone this season. In the six games that the former TCU star has played, he's found the end zone four times.

Rookie Ladd McConkey has established himself as the top receiver for the Chargers, but Johnston could certainly continue to carve out a key role because of his scoring upside.

I wouldn't go out and stick Johnston in my lineup every week, but if I need a bye week or injury replacement, his scoring upside makes him appealing.

It also helps his case that in his first game back from injury, he already had more snaps than Joshua Palmer, leading 39-35 in that category.

Verdict: Fact-ish

Mike Gesicki - TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Week 9 stats: five receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns - overall TE1

For the second week in a row, Mike Gesicki had a huge game for the Bengals. After catching seven of eight targets for 73 yards against the Eagles, Gesicki bettered that in Week 9 against the Raiders, catching five passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

The Mike Gesicki griddy is one of the best traditions in football pic.twitter.com/b1eIsnl4Gh

— Billy Moy (@PFF_Billy) November 3, 2024

Look, we've seen this before in 2024. Back in the second game of the season, Gesicki had seven catches for 91 yards and looked like he was going to be well-positioned to have some more strong games for the Bengals. But over the next five games, Gesicki averaged 1.6 receptions for 14.2 yards per game. Yikes.

Still, Gesicki has 14 targets over the past two games and has looked like he's got a little bit of explosiveness left in him. He's at least playable as a tight-end streamer, though don't expect games like his Week 9 showing to be the norm.

Verdict: Fact...?

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