In the past three games with Caleb Williams back from his hamstring injury, Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze have come alive. And both should do well again in Week 9 against Tampa Bay.
It's not an easy matchup since the Buccaneers are No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. But the Bears didn't have an easy matchup in Week 8 at Seattle.
Burden had seven catches for 56 yards and a touchdown on nine targets against the Seahawks, and he has now scored at least 17.5 PPR points in three games in a row. He's worth using as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
Odunze had four catches for 87 yards on six targets against Seattle, and he has now scored at least 10.7 PPR points in each of his past two outings. I would start Odunze in all three-receiver leagues.
Tampa Bay shut down the passing attacks of Carolina and Atlanta in the past two games, but prior to that, Dallas and Pittsburgh each had a pair of receivers score at least 12 PPR points in the same game with George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy and DK Metcalf and Germie Bernard.
Burden and Odunze are capable of similar production. And I'm excited to see both perform at a high level against the Buccaneers in Week 9.
WRs to Start
Projections powered by
Sportsline
 
DET
Detroit
• #1
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs.
I thought Williams would struggle in Week 8 against Minnesota given the matchup, but he stayed hot with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He has now scored at least 16.2 PPR points in four games in a row, and he should be considered a borderline No. 1 Fantasy option in Week 9 at Miami. The Dolphins are No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but four receivers have scored at least 11.3 PPR points against Miami in the past three games. I don't think the Dolphins will stop Amon-Ra St. Brown and Williams in Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
Rashee Rice
WR
KC
Kansas City
• #4
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Rice returned from his two-game absence with a hamstring injury in Week 8 at Denver and had his best game of the season with seven catches for 53 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He has now scored at least 12.3 PPR points in each of his past three healthy games -- he left Week 4 at Las Vegas in the first quarter when he initially hurt his hamstring -- and I like Rice as a borderline No. 1 Fantasy receiver against the Jets. A receiver has scored at least 13.6 PPR points against the Jets in five games in a row, and eight receivers have scored at least 10.4 PPR points against New York over that span. Rice should have another solid stat line in Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
JAC
Jacksonville
• #11
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs.
I thought Washington would play well in Week 8 against Indianapolis, but he struggled with one catch for 16 yards on two targets, along with one carry for 10 yards. The Jaguars blew out the Colts 42-7, and no receiver had more than three targets in Week 8. Washington has scored 10.4 PPR points or less in three of his past four games, but I'm still confident in him as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. The Ravens are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and eight receivers have scored at least 15.2 PPR points against Baltimore this season. The blowout factor is there again for Jacksonville, but I'm hopeful Trevor Lawrence will get Washington back on track in prime time Thursday.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
DEN
Denver
• #17
Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs.
Waddle played through a chest injury in Week 8 against Kansas City and had three catches for 39 yards and a touchdown, along with a two-point conversion, for 14.9 PPR points. It was his best game since Week 4, and I hope Waddle will take advantage of this matchup against Carolina in Week 9. The Panthers have allowed seven receivers to score at least 12.7 PPR points in their past four games, and Waddle has at least six targets in three games in a row. I'm willing to trust Waddle as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues in Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
Keenan Allen
WR
IND
Indianapolis
• #10
Age: 34 • Experience: 14 yrs.
Allen just had seven catches for 67 yards on seven targets in Week 8 against Jacksonville, and he has now scored at least 13.7 PPR points in three of his past five games. Dallas is No. 7 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and nine receivers have scored at least 11.9 PPR points against the Cowboys this year. It's tough to trust any of Daniel Jones' receivers right now, but Allen should be productive in this matchup at home. He's worth using as a low-end No. 2 PPR receiver in Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Projections powered by
Sportsline
 
MIA
Miami
• #7
Age: 23 • Experience: Rookie
Douglas didn't have a great game in Week 8 against New England with four catches for 43 yards on six targets, but that was a tough matchup against the Patriots. He has scored at least 14.4 PPR points in two of his past three outings, and I love his matchup against the Lions, who are No. 4 in most Fantasy points against opposing receivers. Eight receivers have scored at least 11.3 PPR points against Detroit this season, which bodes well for Douglas and Malik Washington, who has scored at least 11.1 PPR points in three of his past four games. Douglas and Washington are worth starting in all three-receiver leagues.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
Makai Lemon
WR
PHI
Philadelphia
• #9
Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie
DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) both missed practice Wednesday after being out for each of the past two games, which should keep Lemon locked into his role as the No. 1 receiver for the Eagles in Week 9 against the Giants. He will have a new quarterback in Joe Milton III, and that should increase Lemon's value. He has played well in the past two games against Dallas and Washington with 13 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets, and he scored at least 11.7 PPR points in each outing. The Giants have allowed seven receivers to score at least 11.8 PPR points this season, and Lemon should be considered a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
NYJ
N.Y. Jets
• #15
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Garrett Wilson is in the concussion protocol, and he could be out for Week 9 at Kansas City. If that happens, then Mitchell and Cooper would be high-end No. 3 Fantasy receivers in all leagues. Mitchell just had a monster game in Week 8 against Las Vegas with seven catches for 142 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and he has scored at least 12.3 PPR points in two of his past three games. Cooper had no targets against the Raiders, but he scored at least 22.3 PPR points in each of his previous two games against New England and Miami. The Chiefs are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but Mitchell and Cooper would be heavily targeted if Wilson can't play. I'd lean Mitchell over Cooper if you have to decide between the two, but both are starters in three-receiver leagues if Wilson is out.
| ||||||||||||||||||
NYJ
N.Y. Jets
• #11
Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
NE
New England
• #3
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.
It appears that A.J. Brown (ankle/knee) will be out again in Week 9, and Douglas should remain a go-to target for Drake Maye. Hunter Henry (foot) is also hurt, and Douglas has scored at least 16.6 PPR points in three of his past four games. He has four touchdowns over that span, and the Packers are No. 9 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Seven receivers have scored at least 11.6 PPR points against Green Bay in the past three games, and I like Douglas as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
DAL
Dallas
• #19
Age: 27 • Experience: 3 yrs.
George Pickens is dealing with shoulder and hamstring injuries, and Jake Ferguson (ankle) was injured in Week 8 against Arizona. Flournoy has scored at least 11 PPR points in four games in a row, with two touchdowns over that span, and he's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. The Colts are No. 7 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but I have no problem gambling on Flournoy in this matchup, especially if Pickens is less than 100 percent.
| ||||||||||||||||||
WRs to Sit
Projections powered by
Sportsline
 
ARI
Arizona
• #14
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Wilson was awesome in Week 8 at Dallas with eight catches for 111 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets, and he scored 26.8 PPR points. But he's dealing with two broken ribs, and he has a much tougher matchup in Week 9 at Seattle. The Seahawks are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Wilson was limited to 3.8 PPR points against Seattle in Week 2 with just two catches for 18 yards on seven targets. Gardner Minshew should continue to look for Wilson in Week 9, especially with Kendrick Bourne (ankle) out. But given Wilson's injury and the matchup, I would only start Wilson in three-receiver leagues.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
Jalen Coker
WR
CAR
Carolina
• #18
Age: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs.
Coker has cooled off heading into Week 9 against Denver, and he's only worth starting in three-receiver leagues. In his past two games against Tampa Bay and Green Bay, Coker has combined for three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and he has just 11.5 PPR points over that span. The Broncos are No. 8 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Tetairoa McMillan is even a risky Fantasy option. But I would still start McMillan in two-receiver leagues, and I'm worried about Coker given his recent lack of production.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
Tre Tucker
WR
LV
Las Vegas
• #1
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Tucker showed his boom-or-bust nature in Week 8 at the Jets with no catches on one target. That was after he scored at least 21.3 PPR points in each of his two previous games against the Bills and Rams, with a combined 10 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 19 targets. The 49ers have struggled with No. 1 receivers this season, but that's Brock Bowers and not Tucker. He could always score on a big play, but he's not worth trusting in two-receiver leagues. Go back to treating him as a boom-or-bust option in three-receiver leagues at best in Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
 
LAC
L.A. Chargers
• #15
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs.
McConkey's stat line in Week 8 against the Rams was great with four catches for 86 yards on six targets, but that's a little misleading. He caught a deflected pass off a Hail Mary at halftime for 54 yards, which boosted his production. McConkey has had a hard time staying healthy, but he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1, along with Justin Herbert continuing to struggle. The Texans are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but there's little reason to trust McConkey in most formats heading into Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
Projections powered by
Sportsline
 
Zay Flowers
WR
BAL
Baltimore
• #4
Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Flowers might be rescued with the Ravens trading for Jacoby Brissett, but he's not going to play Thursday night against Jacksonville. Joe Fagnano will start in Week 9, and we saw what that looked like in Week 8 at Buffalo when he replaced Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (toe). Flowers had five targets against the Bills and finished with no catches. He could easily have a standout game against the Jaguars, who are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Or Fagnano could have a hard time connecting with Flowers once again. I would still start him in most formats, but he's a low-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver at best given Baltimore's quarterback situation in Week 9.
| ||||||||||||||||||
