NFL: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
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If there's one thing the past few weeks have taught me, it's that just because a player returns to a game with an injury doesn't mean we can just ignore it. We got a stark reminder of that when Ja'Marr Chase suffered a serious hip injury after missing just a few snaps in Week 7, and we might have gotten another one this past week with Jonathan Taylor.

I noted Taylor left Sunday's game briefly to get his ankle re-taped, but he came back without missing too much time, so it didn't seem like much to be concerned with. However, Taylor missed Wednesday's practice with the injury, and while there isn't necessarily much reason to think it's a serious setback, Colts coach Frank Reich did acknowledge that his status for Sunday's game against the Patriots isn't clear yet.

The Colts just traded Nyheim Hines at Tuesday's deadline, so this could shape up to be another week where Deon Jackson takes on a significant role. Jackson played 67% of the snaps the last time the Colts were without Taylor and Hines, and while I don't think we can or should expect a repeat of that game's 10 catches, he does figure to be the lead back with 15-touch upside if Taylor is out, an that makes him a viable starting option even against a tough matchup. 

We can't make that call yet, of course, and if you have to decide between Jackson and either Dameon Pierce or Miles Sanders in tonight's game, you go with the TNF guys and don't think twice about it. Otherwise, Jackson could force you into some tough calls this weekend. If you have any questions you need answers to, make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Football Today YouTube channel and join Adam Aizer, Dave Richard and I at 2 p.m. ET for our start/sit live stream. We'll be discussing all of the latest news and answering your toughest lineup questions there. 

In tomorrow's newsletter, I'll have previews of every game on the Week 9 schedule, including the latest injury updates, plus all of the key takeaways from tonight's game. Get ready for Week 9 with all of our preview content here:  

Here's what else today's newsletter will cover:

9️⃣Dave Richard's Week 9 Preview

There are the obvious calls, and then there are the ones you need help with. Dave Richard goes through each game to identify the most interesting matchups and biggest lineup dilemmas for Week 9. Here are some of his top picks for this week. You can find the rest of his advice for Week 9 here:

Starts

  • Josh Palmer -- "Palmer's a pretty good player with a very good opportunity. He's much safer in PPR where he should be able to compile solid stats in a favorable matchup. Once it's clear he's out of the concussion protocol, use him as at worst a flex."
  • Mike Gesicki -- "Gesicki has been one of the best tight ends in the touchdown-or-bust streaming tier, but his minimal usage in general caps any shot of him being a great option. There's also a tiny bit of worry about Jeff Wilson stealing some of Gesicki's touches inside the 10 since he's a physical runner with short-yardage experience. All that said, Gesicki's role lately has been bountiful for Fantasy purposes and shouldn't be ignored. I'd roll with him over Hayden Hurst, Robert Tonyan and Dawson Knox." 

Sits

  • Brandin Cooks -- "Cooks was a disappointment for Fantasy last week in one of the easiest matchups possible. Now he'll play in one of the toughest on a short week. He's at best a bye-week replacement."
  • Garrett Wilson -- "If Garrett Wilson had a steadier quarterback, I'd recommend taking a chance on him as a starter. He's a thrilling receiver to watch and gets open frequently but has such an inconsistent, frantic passer that worked out on one big play last week but has had countless misfires and bad reads last week and this season. I wouldn't chance it with Wilson unless it's as a bye-week replacement receiver who could come through for 10 PPR points." 

Sleeper

  • Terrace Marshall Jr. -- "Marshall warrants mild consideration as a bye-week replacement in PPR leagues and as a DFS dart throw. He's making progress in his second season and definitely getting the right kind of attention from his quarterback. A favorable matchup shouldn't hurt. If you're stuck, I like his upside more than other bye-week guys like Alec Pierce, Julio Jones or Josh Reynolds."

Bust Candidate

  • Hayden Hurst -- "Even with a halfway-decent matchup, Hurst qualifies as a touchdown-or-bust tight end, but not one with high potential for yardage (he's topped 50 yards once this year). I'd rather start Evan Engram, Mike Gesicki or Tyler Conklin."

🆚TNF Preview: Eagles at Texans 

All lines from Caesars Sportsbook

  • Line: Eagles -14; 45 O/U
  • Implied totals: Eagles 29.5-Texans 15.5

The Eagles have blown out pretty much every team they've faced so far this season, and they probably haven't faced a team as overmatched as this Texans team right now. I'm pretty sure the 14-point line here is the largest for any game this season, and it's in favor of a road team, which goes to show how big Vegas thinks the gap between these two is. The Texans managed just 161 yards of total offense last week -- 90 of which came on their final drive. This offense feels pretty hopeless right now, especially with Nico Collins out and Brandin Cooks in doubt. Dameon Pierce is worth starting as an RB2, but he needed that last drive to get anywhere close to a good game last week. This offense is limiting his upside and giving him a very low floor. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: DeVonta Smith -- Start. It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Smith, who sandwiched games of 18.7 and 15.4 PPR points between games of 4.7 and 7.7. It's been like that all season for Smith, more or less, and the Eagles probably won't need to throw much to beat the Texans tonight. But, here's the thing: The Eagles aren't the same team that would avoid throwing the ball at all costs last season. They beat the Steelers by 22 in Week 8, with an 11-point halftime edge, and they still called 33 pass plays to 17 runs. I would expect to see them run more often this week, but there should still be plenty of opportunities for Smith to put up numbers. 
  • Injuries: Brandin Cooks (personal) -- Cooks was listed on the injury report with a wrist injury, but his absence Tuesday and Wednesday from practice was due to personal reasons -- presumably his discontent after not being traded at Tuesday's deadline. It's not clear if he's expected to play, but given how mediocre he's been this season and the tough matchup, you're probably best just avoiding him if you can ... Nico Collins (groin) -- Collins was unable to practice this week and has been ruled out for tonight's game. We'll probably see the likes of Chris Moore, Tyron Johnson, and Phillip Dorsett serve as the primary wide receivers for the Texans if Cooks is out, which is just gross ... 

🚑Week 9 Injury Watch

The Big News: Keenan Allen apparently suffered some kind of setback with his hamstring -- again! -- during the Week 8 bye, and is now at real risk of missing this week's game. He was out from Week 2 through Week 6, then played just half of Week 7, so you can't say the Chargers haven't been cautious. For Allen's part, he hasn't been overly optimistic when he talks about the injury, and Wednesday he said he won't play until the hamstring is 100% healed. That means he's at real risk of missing this game, and with Mike Williams (ankle) likely out several weeks, Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense could be very shorthanded. Josh Palmer will likely be a top-24 WR for me if Allen and Williams are both out against a very bad Falcons secondary, while Gerald Everett seems locked in as a top-12 TE at least until the Chargers receiving corps is back to full health. Who knows when that will be. So much for buying low on Allen. 

I'll have a full breakdown of the injury report in Friday's newsletter along with my previews of each game, but here's a look at the first practice participation reports of the week.

  • FP = Full participation in practice.
  • LP = Limited participation. 
  • DNP = Did not practice. 

Injuries to watch for Week 9

It's not clear what these injuries mean quite yet. 

  • Ryan Tannehill (ankle) -- LP. Tannehill getting back to practice seems like a pretty good sign for his chances of playing this week. The Titans didn't really trust Malik Willis to put the ball in the air, so Tannehill's return would be good news for Robert Woods, though he's more like a WR3/4 still.
  • Derrick Henry (foot) -- LP. I haven't seen any sign that this is something to be too concerned about, but it's certainly worth noting since Henry missed so much time last year with a foot injury. At this point, there's no reason to think it's related to that, but we'll obviously keep an eye out.
  • D'Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) -- DNP. I'm assuming this is just rest for Swift after he made his return from injury last week, but it's just another one we'll note for now and hope it doesn't mean anything to be concerned about. I am worried Swift's usage might be more like last week (10 touches) moving forward, and this doesn't necessarily make me feel better.
  • James Conner (ribs) -- LP. At this point, it seems to be more a question of how Conner responds to practice than whether he practices on any given day. We'll just have to keep monitoring this one throughout the week, but I'm still going to rank Eno Benjamin as a top-20 RB if Conner is out. If not, Conner would be in the top 24, in all likelihood, albeit with real risk.
  • Chuba Hubbard (ankle) -- LP. Hubbard told reporters he thinks he'll be able to play this week, and this is a good sign. That complicates D'Onta Foreman's value, though it's worth noting that Foreman only played 68% of the snaps in Week 8 anyway. However, Hubbard was the lead back for most of Week 7, so Foreman could at least find himself in a timeshare. He's more of a low-end RB2 if Hubbard plays.
  • J.D. McKissic (neck) -- DNP. This is a potentially important one, because it could take the Commanders' backfield trio down to two, as the song says. McKissic hasn't done much lately, but he still played 36% of the snaps in Week 8 -- if most of those went to Antonio Gibson, including all the passing downs work, he could be a top-15 option against the Commanders.
  • Cooper Kupp (ankle) -- DNP. All indications are that Kupp is going to try to play through the injury, though obviously we'd feel better about that if he were able to practice at some point this week. He probably doesn't need to practice to play, though, so we may not know on this one until. I would not move Allen Robinson or Van Jefferson up much if Kupp were out, but we should see a few more Tyler Higbee targets if he were out.
  • Davante Adams (illness) -- LP. This illness has now stretched for about a week, and Adams didn't play well while playing through it in Week 8. You aren't sitting him as long as he's able to play, but it's a bit concerning that this is still lingering. 
  • Josh Reynolds (back) -- LP. Reynolds has been a mainstay on the injury report lately due to a knee injury, but this is a new one. He wasn't able to do much in Week 8, but he could have a bigger role following the trade of T.J. Hockenson. Reynolds is in the WR3/4 discussion if he plays.
  • Darren Waller (hamstring) -- LP. This injury has been a tricky one for Waller, who was limited all last week before sitting out, so we'd like to see him get a full practice in. If he does play in Week 9 against the Jaguars, he'll be a top-10 TE.

Trending up for Week 9

This doesn't mean they will play, but we got good news about them Wednesday. 

  • Tyler Lockett  (hamstring/ribs) -- LP. Lockett played through the hamstring injury and was fine in Week 8, but the rib injury is a new one, so we'll keep an eye on that one. If he plays, you're starting Lockett at this point.
  • Allen Lazard (shoulder) -- LP. This marks Lazard's return to practice for the first time since suffering the injury back in Week 7, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be back this week. If he does play, he'll be in the top-24 discussion with a great matchup against the Lions on the way.
  • Josh Palmer (concussion) -- FP. Palmer has cleared concussion protocol and could be in line for a massive role if Allen and Williams are out. For what it's worth, ESPN reports that coach Brandon Staley did not commit to having Palmer back this week when asked Wednesday. 
  • Cameron Brate (neck) -- LP. This is Brate's first practice since being carted off in Week 6. I would guess he still has some work to do before he's cleared, but Brate's return would not be good news for Cade Otton's streaming appeal. Make sure you have another option.

Trending down for Week 9

This doesn't mean they won't play, but they aren't moving in the right direction yet. 

  • Mike Williams (ankle) -- DNP. Williams is expected to miss multiple weeks as a result of this injury, so there's no surprise he didn't practice Wednesday. 
  • Ja'Marr Chase (hip) -- DNP. The Bengals opted not to put Chase on IR, but that doesn't mean he's likely to be back this week. You're hoping he comes back in time for Week 11, I would think.
  • Corey Davis (knee) -- DNP. It looks like Davis is probably going to miss another week -- not that it did Elijah Moore any good, as he played just 10 snaps in Week 8. Jets coach Robert Saleh will say the right things about getting Moore more involved when asked, but until we see it in action, Moore can't be trusted for Fantasy. 
  • Jahan Dotson (hamstring) -- DNP. Dotson was making progress back in the run-up to Week 7, but he suffered a setback and hasn't practiced since. There's upside here, but you can probably drop Dotson if you've still been stashing him.
  • Christian Watson (concussion) -- DNP. Watson just cannot catch a break. He's dealt with hamstring injuries throughout the season, but took a big hit early in Week 8 and now looks on pace to miss Week 9. He did some work off to the side, so maybe he can get cleared, but at this point, Watson has to prove he can stay on the field and make an impact before Fantasy players need to worry too much about him.