8 hours agoChicago Bears running back
Roschon Johnson is eager for increased opportunities this week as he takes on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9. Though he has been primarily used sparingly as a backup, he has established himself as the team's go-to goal-line back, showcasing his potential in that role. Last week, Johnson had a limited outing with just two carries for 6 yards, but he managed to find the end zone on a crucial goal-line carry. As he prepares for the matchup against the Cardinals, Johnson will be looking to capitalize on more red-zone opportunities. A favorable factor for him is that the Cardinals' defense currently ranks 24th in EPA per rush, indicating vulnerability against the run. This could allow Johnson to build on his solid play and become a more impactful contributor to the Bears' offense this week.
--Martin Grisko - RotoBallerSource: Bill Zimmerman
8 hours agoChicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift is poised to be a strong RB2 for Sunday’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, a game that presents an excellent opportunity for him to shine. Last week, Swift was the driving force behind Chicago’s offense, especially when their passing game struggled to find any rhythm. He delivered an impressive performance against the Washington Commanders, racking up 18 carries for 131 yards and finding the end zone. Now, he faces a Cardinals defense that ranks 24th in EPA per rush, which bodes well for his continued success. With the potential for substantial yardage and passing work opportunities, Swift has all the makings of a must-start player this week. As long as he maintains this level of production, don’t hesitate to keep him in your lineup—ride the wave of his performance until it dies. --Martin Grisko - RotoBallerSource: Bill Zimmerman
8 hours agoThis Sunday, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback
Caleb Williams presents a compelling fantasy option as he faces off against the Arizona Cardinals. Williams is eager to bounce back after a disappointing outing against the Washington Commanders in Week 8, where he completed just ten of 24 passes for 131 yards without any touchdowns. While the growing pains of a rookie quarterback often include fluctuating performances, a mere 131 passing yards is far from ideal. Fortunately for Williams, he'll be up against a Cardinals defense that currently ranks 30th in EPA per pass this season, providing a favorable matchup. While there are certainly more reliable quarterbacks to consider this week, don't overlook the potential for Williams to surprise and finish as a QB1. His talent and the Cardinals' defensive struggles could create the perfect storm for a strong fantasy performance.
--Martin Grisko - RotoBallerSource: Bill Zimmerman
9 hours agoLas Vegas Raiders running back
Zamir White (quad) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a full participant in Friday's practice and is expected to be active in Week 9. White lost his starting job to his former backup,
Alexander Mattison, ahead of his Week 8 matchup. He proceeded to rush the ball two times for a loss of one yard after playing just 3% of the snaps in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He's unlikely to earn his job back. Head coach Antonio Pierce expressed his desire to continue getting White the ball, but it's unlikely he'll earn meaningful touches moving forward after such an ineffective performance. He's averaged just 3 yards per carry on the season. He's not startable in any leagues for now.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: Paul Gutierrez of ESPN
9 hours agoThe Las Vegas Raiders face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. Las Vegas' defense will be tasked with stopping the 11th ranked offense in points per game in 2024. They haven't been particularly effective at stopping anyone this season, and rank poorly in turnovers forced, severely limiting their upside. LV's D/ST ranks 31st in fantasy football this season, second-to-last in the NFL, and it's unlikely things will change. They typically face uphill battles, as the Raiders offense isn't good at sustaining drives and often loses the time of possession battle with opponents. Bengals QB
Joe Burrow, WR
Ja'Marr Chase, and RB
Chase Brown will present significant challenges on Sunday. This D/ST shouldn't be started in any leagues.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: FantasySP
9 hours agoLas Vegas Raiders wide receiver
Jakobi Meyers (ankle) was a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday and doesn't carry an injury designation in his Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Meyers continues to be one of the most underrated wideouts in football, likely because of his poor quarterback situation. He caught six passes on seven targets for 52 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He'll face a softer Bengals defense that isn't quite as lockdown against receivers. He had solid production before garbage time against the Chiefs, making his game more impressive. He's an easy WR3/FLEX starter with WR2 upside in PPR fantasy leagues this week.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoLas Vegas Raiders kicker
Daniel Carlson could see another week of solid volume in his Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati ranks just next to the Kansas City Chiefs, who the Raiders played in Week 8, in fantasy points allowed to opposing teams' kickers. Carlson scored 10 fantasy points as he sent field goals of 32 and 54 yards and two extra point attempts through the uprights successfully. He hasn't missed an extra point so far and has converted on 88.2% of his field goal attempts to this point. He's an excellent kicker, but the problem has always been lack of opportunity. He's a risky start in fantasy lineups due to his inconsistent volume, though. Las Vegas' inability to consistently get within scoring range on offense limits his upside.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoLas Vegas Raiders wide receiver
Tre Tucker is looking to bounce back to better production after two lackluster performances in Weeks 7 and 8. He's scored just 7.7 and 5.3 PPR fantasy points in his last two games. The extra defensive attention he's drawn due to the absence of the team's current WR1 didn't benefit him in Week 7, and Week 8 he faced one of the toughest pass defenses in the league in the Kansas City Chiefs. His Week 9 opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, allow the 14th-fewest PPR fantasy points to opposing wideouts, making them significantly softer than KC's unit. Tucker is a WR4 for this week's contest, so he'll only be viable in very deep leagues.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoLas Vegas Raiders running back
Alexander Mattison will keep his duties as the lead RB for the Raiders for their Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. He's been inefficient as a runner, averaging just over 3.1 yards per carry on the season. Most of his value has come from rushing touchdowns and receiving work this season. He rushed 14 times for 15 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, though they're the toughest run defense in the NFL this year. The Bengals present an easier matchup for him as they're closer to the middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Mattison is an RB3/FLEX in PPR leagues for this matchup.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoLas Vegas Raiders quarterback
Gardner Minshew II was actually fringe-startable in his Week 8 loss with the Kansas City Chiefs, but that was mainly due to him authoring a garbage time drive that went for a touchdown. He faces the Cincinnati Bengals this week, though. They boast a high-powered offense that could have the game out of hand before the fourth quarter, which would give him more opportunities for meaningless scores. Still, considering his penchant for turnovers (five of them in the last two games), he's a risky player to set in lineups in 1QB leagues. In 2QB or Superflex leagues, he's a decent start. Unsurprisingly, he appears to play better when his No. 1 wide receiver,
Jakobi Meyers (ankle) plays, and he's expected to play Sunday.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoLas Vegas Raiders tight end
Brock Bowers remains an absolute must-start in all fantasy football leagues ahead of his Week 9 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. The rookie star has racked up 52 receptions for 535 yards and one touchdown through eight weeks of NFL action. He's the TE2 overall in full-PPR fantasy scoring. He seems to be a lock to finish top-5 at his position on the season, though the return of wideout
Jakobi Meyers (ankle) could siphon a few targets away from him. With Meyers on the field, double-digit targets for Bowers becomes less likely. Regardless, he won't need many to finish as a TE1 this week, and can't be left out of fantasy lineups.
--John Johnson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
11 hours agoThe New Orleans Saints D/ST struggled again in Week 8, giving up 26 points to the Los Angeles Chargers. The team did record three sacks (which matched their output over their last three games) and a safety to salvage the day but failed to crack double-digits in fantasy points for the sixth time this season. In Week 9, the Saints get a rematch against the Carolina Panthers, who delivered the Saints' highest-scoring performance in 2024. In that game, New Orleans held Carolina to 10 points, had four sacks, and picked up three takeaways. Unfortunately, New Orleans is missing some key pieces in their secondary. Paulson Adebo (leg) broke his femur last week and both Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) and Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring) have already been declared out. Still, until
Bryce Young gives cause to do otherwise it is safe to bet against him.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: New Orleans Saints
11 hours agoNew Orleans Saints kicker
Blake Grupe converted field goal attempts from 40 and 43 yards out in Week 8 before missing a 44-yarder in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was his first missed field goal attempt of the season. He was not able to try for an extra point as the Saints were held out of the end zone in the 26-8 loss and remains a perfect 20-for-20 on the season. In Week 9, Grupe and the Saints take on the Panthers in a rematch of their Week 1 blowout wherein Grupe had his highest-scoring game of the season. In that matchup, he converted five extra points and had four field goals, including two from over 50 yards away. New Orleans figures to put up big numbers once more against Carolina's soft defense, paving the way for another big day for Grupe. Fantasy managers in need of a streaming option can plug him into their Week 9 lineups.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
11
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Taysom
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11 hours agoNew Orleans Saints tight end
Juwan Johnson had three catches for 48 yards in Week 8, matching his season highs in both categories set in Week 6. Johnson is in line to better those numbers in Week 9 when the Saints go up against the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed more fantasy points per game and touchdowns to opposing tight ends than any other team. In Week 1 against the Panthers Johnson had two catches for 26 yards and his only touchdown of the season to date. Johnson showed good rapport with quarterback
Spencer Rattler while he filled in for
Derek Carr (oblique) but he will be better served by the former, who is set to return to action for the first time since Week 5. Johnson might be viable as a streamer in fantasy lineups tested by injuries and bye weeks and is an intriguing option for DFS players.
--Dan Stephens - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
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