RADIO
The Dolphins have become quite the train wreck, haven't they...
After suffering a 40-point blowout loss last Thursday night, it should become abundantly clear for fantasy owners that there are next to no reliable players to be found in the Miami Dolphins offense (especially with the departure of Jay Ajayi for Philadelphia). The returns of Jay Cutler and DeVante Parker for next week's tilt with the Oakland Raiders might help to some degree, but that offense is simply a fantasy wasteland. Looking at Baltimore, Alex Collins looked exceptional against the Miami front-seven, carrying the ball 18 times for 113 yards. As a surprising stat of the day, Collins is tied with Kareem Hunt with a league-high 10 runs of 15+ yards (on 44 fewer carries, no less). He will undoubtedly get more playing time and should be picked up as a sneaky matchup-based play in fantasy football.
Thankfully, Week 9 features an AFC East matchup sans Miami on Thursday night between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. Both teams are surprisingly pushing for a playoff berth as part of their 5-2 record. Don't let the Jets' 3-5 record fool you though, as they have plenty of fantasy relevant players thanks to quarterback Josh McCown being under center. Let's not waste any time; time to dive into the mid-season Thursday Night Football Matchup article!
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Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Date and Start Time: Thursday, November 2 at 8:00 PM ET
Notable Injuries and Status:
- Charles Clay (TE, BUF) - Knee - Inactive
- E.J. Gaines (CB, BUF) - Hamstring - Inactive
- Muhammad Wilkerson - Shoulder/Foot - Inactive
- Matt Forte - Knee - Active
Offensive and Defensive Rankings (2017):
| Bills | Jets | |
| Passing Yards | 29th | 21st |
| Rushing Yards | 9th | 22nd |
| Pass Defense | 28th | 20th |
| Run Defense | 3rd | 28th |
Must Starts
Top Performers That Have To Be In Your Lineup
LeSean McCoy (RB, BUF)
It goes without saying, but McCoy is one of the most reliable workhorse backs in the league and is a must-start no matter the matchup. The Bills currently rank seventh in rush attempts, with McCoy receiving 18 or more carries in five of his seven starts this season. Expect more of the same against a bottom-tier Jets' run defense this Thursday with a few receptions sprinkled in for good measure.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE, NYJ)
With quarterback Josh McCown's propensity to spread the ball around, it's tough to trust most of his receiving options on a consistent basis. However, Seferian-Jenkins has been one of his go-to targets as the team leader in receptions and red zone targets. The Bills have been giving up chunk yardage to tight ends over the previous two weeks in games against the Buccaneers and Raiders to the tune of 10 receptions for 117 yards. Seferian-Jenkins may have had a touchdown vultured from him in Week 8 that snapped his consecutive scoring streak, but there is a good chance he will get back on track and reward owners who start him.
Must Sits
Players To Avoid Putting In Your Lineup
Jordan Matthews (WR, BUF)
The Bills' offense runs through LeSean McCoy and the ground game, as is evident by the team running the fewest passing plays in the league. Although Matthews is important to the Bills as their leading possession receiver to help move the chains, his fantasy value is simply non-existent by-and-large due to the lack of overall targets to go around. Leave him and his 32.2 yards per game on your waiver wire, nothing to see here.
Nick O'Leary (TE, BUF)
O'Leary's big game back in Week 5 was thought to have signaled a healthy floor for the big-bodied tight end in the wake of an injury to No. 1 option Charles Clay. Even though the Jets defense has been especially vulnerable over the middle, it's tough to rely on a tight end who has a one reception floor and is primarily heralded for his run blocking. When you start O'Leary, you are hoping for boom or bust production that has characterized his last two weeks against Tampa Bay and Oakland. Outside of really deep leagues, it would be much better to seek out a better streaming option that will play on the weekend rather than force the issue on Thursday.
Jets' Running Backs
The New York Jets' running back carousel is spinning between Bilal Powell, Matt Forte, and Elijah McGuire without signs of stopping. Now that all three are fairly healthy, it's anyone's guess as to how backfield work will be split up in coming weeks. Buffalo's run defense has stymied much better backs in the past, meaning it would be unwise for any fantasy owner to bet on rushing totals or touchdowns from a Jets' rusher in Week 9. There might be some value in PPR for Forte based on his 6 receptions last week, but all three of the Jets' runners figure to step in at some point with no clear passing down back.
Other Notable Must Sits: Zay Jones (WR, BUF), Jeremy Kerley (WR, NYJ)
Solid Options/Sleepers
Which Players Will Have Solid Games and Which Could Surprise?
Solid Option: Tyrod Taylor (QB, BUF)
Tyrod has been the poster-child for quarterback streamers in 2017 and draws another favorable matchup with potential for QB1 output against the Jets. While his passing yardage numbers haven't been spectacular, he has thrown for at least one touchdown over his last five games and has a rushing floor to further bolster his fantasy production. Add that he now gets a rangy target in Kelvin Benjamin and you have a quarterback with immense streaming appeal.
Solid Options: Robby Anderson / Jermaine Kearse (WRs, NYJ)
If you have to lean on a Jets pass-catcher for Week 9, Anderson is the ideal selection as he has out-targeted Kearse 40-to-27 over the last six games as the clear top option. Kearse, while more touchdown dependent, is ultimately not a bad option either considering he will be lining up against cornerback Shareece Wright who hasn't been particularly impressive in recent weeks. Both are worth flex consideration with so many wideouts on the bye.
Sleeper: Kelvin Benjamin (WR, BUF)
Odds are slim that Benjamin will see many snaps after coming over to Buffalo on a short week, but the one thing that the Bills lack on offense at present is a tall red zone threat to keep teams on their toes. Benjamin brings that flexibility and could haul in a touchdown to go with one or two receptions, but expectations should definitely be kept to a minimum.
Sleeper: Josh McCown (QB, NYJ)
McCown is riding a hot streak of 18-plus fantasy points in his last three contests and is being gifted the opportunity to build on that production against a banged up Bills' secondary. Although Buffalo hasn't been giving up much in the way of passing touchdowns, McCown will certainly get his in the yardage department and should manage to find the end zone with his myriad of pass catchers helping out along the way.
