Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert checks into Week 9 coming off a two-touchdown performance last week versus the Arizona Cardinals. The return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) proved what the offense needed, putting up their highest point total of the season. This week, he gets another great matchup against his division rival, the Buffalo Bills. While Buffalo's defense has been solid this year, they struggle to defend the run. They have allowed the second most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2024. Additionally, opposing teams are averaging 4.5 yards per carry against them, and they rank 19th in red zone fantasy points allowed to running backs. Mostert should get a healthy dose of touches, considering the temperatures are projected to be in the thirties in Orchard Park on Sunday. Mostert should continue to see goal-line touches, making him a flex-play for Week 9. He comes in at RB31 for this week's RotoBaller running back rankings.

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Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane is coming off his most impressive performance of 2024. The second-year back recorded 97 rushing yards on ten carries and caught six receptions on eight targets for 50 yards and a receiving touchdown. Now he gets a matchup against a Buffalo Bills defense that has allowed the second most fantasy points per game to running backs in PPR formats. Further supporting his case is his career average of 84.3 rushing yards and 31 receiving yards against his division rival. Temperatures are projected to drop into the 30s in Orchard Park on Sunday, which would likely mean the Dolphins try to run the ball heavily. With the offense now fully healthy, there should be plenty of soft boxes and room to run. He should be started in all fantasy lineups and comes into Week 9 as RotoBaller's 12th-ranked running back.

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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor returned in Week 8 after a three-game absence, going over 100 yards rushing with a touchdown, and does not have an injury designation heading into Week 9. Unfortunately for Taylor, it will be hard to keep the momentum going against a stout Minnesota rush defense. The Vikings have held running backs to 83.9 rush yards per game and 3.9 yards per rush attempt, both third-best in the NFL. However, seven different backs have recorded three or more receptions against the Vikings through seven games and Taylor is a capable receiver. In the only game in which he and Joe Flacco played together this season, Taylor garnered four looks from the veteran QB, hauling in three of them for 20 yards. Still, with Minnesota allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, the Colts may prefer to attack with their top wideouts, leaving Taylor as a back-end RB1 for Week 9.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is coming off a solid return last week vs. the Arizona Cardinals. He completed 28 of 38 passes for 234 yards and one touchdown, adding 13 yards on three rushing attempts. That being said, his outlook for Week 9 doesn't look as great. Miami will travel to take on their division rival Buffalo Bills, whom Tagovailoa has struggled against. In eight games against Buffalo, he's averaged 199.9 passing yards, 0.9 touchdowns, and 1.3 interceptions per contest. His passer rating also drops to 74.1 compared to the 96.4 career mark. Not helping matters is the fact that Buffalo's defense gives up the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. With temperatures projected to drop into the thirties in Orchard Park, that does not bode well for the passing attack. It's safe to say Tagovailoa should stay on the bench this week and comes in at number 18 in this week's RotoBaller quarterback rankings, making him more of a play in 2QB or Superflex leagues.

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Green Bay Packers kicker Brandon McManus looks to keep his run of perfection going as the Packers host the Detroit Lions in Week 9. McManus has been perfect on all of his kicks this season, whether it be field goals or extra point attempts. He's been a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and a pristine 6-for-6 on extra points and in both games, has kicked the game-winning field goal, so pressure-packed situations aren't fazing McManus. After a rough early season for former Packers kicker Brayden Narveson that led to his exit, McManus has provided the Packers with stability and dependability. The offensive environment for Week 9's matchup against the Lions should be ripe with offensive opportunity, so consider McManus a solid fantasy kicker in the team's matchup against the Lions.

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New York Giants kicker Greg Joseph (abdomen) has been ruled out ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the Washington Commanders. The Giants are already without Graham Gano (hamstring) who injured himself attempting to make a tackle in Week 1. That being said, Jude McAtamney is likely to be elevated from the practice squad to make his debut this weekend. He looked solid in the preseason, so maybe he can be a viable option for them. Sadly, the Giants offense has struggled to move the ball down the field, which means McAtamney isn't a strong streaming option for Week 9.

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Dallas Cowboys defensive back Trevon Diggs (calf) is reportedly going to be a game-time decision for the Week 9 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The young defensive back reportedly has a tear in his calf, but was able to get through some practice work on Friday. It sounds like the Cowboys are going to wait and see how Diggs feels closer to Sunday. The loss of Diggs would be a significant hit to the Dallas defense that is already without pass rusher Micah Parsons (ankle) and defensive back DaRon Bland (foot) for Sunday's game.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) has been added to the injury report ahead of Monday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Oh no, Winfield missed four games earlier in the season due to a foot injury. Possibly, Winfield re-aggravated the issue which could be a problem especially this late in the week. The loss of Winfield would be a significant hit to a Bucs secondary that is already struggling. Christian Izien figures to start in his place if Winfield is unable to play. The 24-year-old has 40 tackles and one interception so far this season. The Bucs defense already wasn't an appealing streaming option but the loss of Winfield would only make them worse.

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Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft looks to keep his awesome run of fantasy production going as the Packers host the Detroit Lions in Week 9. Kraft has been awesome for fantasy managers this season, but especially since Week 4, as Kraft has been a top-12 or better fantasy tight end in four of the last five weeks with five touchdowns in that span. He's averaged almost five receptions and 53 receiving yards in that span as well, so despite having the touchdowns propping him up a bit, the volume has been there for him each week in this potent Packers offense. Packers quarterback Jordan Love (groin) was listed as questionable in the team's final practice report and if he doesn't play in Week 9, Malik Willis will start. Willis at quarterback downgrades the pass-catchers across the board, but Kraft should be a near-universal TE1 start in fantasy no matter who is starting at quarterback for the Packers in Week 9.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs has been on a solid run of production and that should continue this week when the Packers host the Detroit Lions in Week 9. Since returning from a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team in Week 6, Doubs has double-digit fantasy points in each of his last three games. Doubs has 18 targets in his last two games and has been the most targeted Packer in the last three weeks. Of course, Doubs remaining heavily targeted in the Packers' offense is contingent on Jordan Love (groin) being able to play. Love was listed as questionable in the team's final practice report and if he doesn't play, Malik Willis will start. Doubs would take a big hit if Willis does play, where he would be a flex play. If Love starts in Week 9, fantasy managers should slot Doubs into lineups as a low-end WR3.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) is currently listed as questionable ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Mitchell has yet to play this season after suffering a significant knee injury last year. However, the Ravens opened his 21-day practice window on October 23. He has been practicing this week and looks to be trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game. It remains to be seen how Mitchell would be used in the rotation. Derrick Henry has been the workhorse back and that is unlikely to change. Mitchell was fantastic when healthy last season, so he's worth stashing if available on the waiver wire.

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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) is listed as questionable ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Bigsby has been limited in practice all week due to a lingering ankle issue. Fellow back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) has been limited in practice as well, but is hopeful to get back on the field this week. If that happens, Bigsby and Etienne would likely split up the workload in the backfield. If one back sits out then the other would see increased snaps and become a viable RB2 for this weekend. Bigsby has done well enough lately that the return of Etienne won't completely destroy his fantasy value.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (knee, back) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Jackson missed back-to-back practices to open the week due to minor knee and back issues. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried as it seemed like his absence was more for rest purposes. Jackson will officially be ready to go for this weekend for a tough matchup against the Broncos secondary. Despite the tough matchup, Jackson has been playing at an MVP-type level and remains a strong QB1 for this weekend.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson has been hit and miss this season but can turn things around with a good game when the Packers host the Detroit Lions in Week 9. Watson has been entirely touchdown-dependent this season as his two best games this season have come when he scored touchdowns in Week 1 and Week 6. He did lead the team in targets last week with six against the Jaguars but could only muster four receptions for 39 yards. While Watson is one of the Packers' most dangerous deep threats, it all comes down to who is playing quarterback for the Packers in Week 9. Jordan Love (groin) was listed as questionable in the team's final practice report and if he doesn't play, Malik Willis will start. Willis at quarterback downgrades the pass-catchers across the board for fantasy, so while Watson with Love at quarterback is a dart-throw flex play, Willis at quarterback makes Watson an avoid in fantasy in Week 9.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed is looking to get off his two-game run of disappointment as the Packers host the Detroit Lions in Week 9. Over the past two games, Reed has just seven targets, four receptions and 65 receiving yards against the Texans and Jaguars. Reed has a glimmer of hope in this matchup against the division-leading Lions, as the Lions are the worst defense in the entire league in giving up fantasy points and receiving yards per game to slot wide receivers. If starting quarterback Jordan Love (questionable, groin) can play against the Lions, Reed should be a locked-in fantasy starter. If the quarterback is Malik Willis, Reed should still be in fantasy lineups but is probably more of a WR3.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is coming off his best fantasy output of the season with four catches on five targets for 91 yards and two touchdowns, and in Week 9 he'll get a Cowboys defense that just allowed the 49ers' George Kittle to post a 6-128-1 line in Week 8. Since logging a zero-catch performance in Week 4, the 24-year-old has had no less than five targets in the last four games, averaging around 79 yards receiving per game over that time. It feels like he's secured a solid role in this offense now, although, with a 15.95% target share, he's a distant third in the pecking order behind Drake London (26.72%) and Darnell Mooney (22.84%). Dallas has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to TEs, and while Pitts hasn't yet shed the potential for bust weeks, the former first-round draft pick still ranks as a TE1 in this matchup.

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Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers will look to improve his scoring output in Week 9 when the Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams. Myers has been accurate when given the chance in 2024. However, the Seahawks offense has been too inconsistent for Myers to provide reliable fantasy output. The Seahawks should be able to move the ball against an average-at-best Rams defense in Week 9. The question is will they be able to finish drives without turning the ball over? The offense could not get out of its own way in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills. Various penalties and mental errors cost the team several scoring opportunities. If they can eliminate those errors in Week 9 then Myers will be worth starting in fantasy. Still, there are likely more reliable options out there if you need to pivot.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith checks in as a player you can play in a pinch once again in Week 9. The Seahawks will host the Los Angeles Rams who are No. 15 against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy. This matchup is about as middle-of-the-pack as they come. Smith currently leads the NFL in passing yards. Unfortunately, we got a good look at life without wide receiver DK Metcalf (knee) in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills and it was not pretty. Smith was limited to 212 yards and an interception. The Seahawks actually moved the ball relatively well in the first half, but they fell apart in the second half. The Rams should have no problem scoring on the Seahawks defense so Seattle will likely need to put the ball in the air. The volume will be there for Smith, but the question is whether or not the Seahawks will be effective without Metcalf who is slated to miss his second straight game. For those reasons, Smith will be a QB2 with upside this week. However, he has a great chance to throw for over 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns if the offense has adjusted to life without Metcalf.

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With Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (groin) out in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams, rookie tight end AJ Barner is in position to take on the starting tight end role. Barner was a fourth-round pick by the Seahawks in 2024. He has caught all ten of his targets this season for 105 yards and a touchdown. While Barner will likely see a boost in targets with Fant and wide receiver DK Metcalf (knee) out, he does not project to be relevant for fantasy. It is worth noting that Barner does have decent big-play ability. In Week 8 Barner caught two passes at 17 yards per catch. It is hard to believe that there would not be more reliable or proven assets on your waiver wire. However, if you are in a very deep league, Barner will at least be a starter in Week 9.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo should be the No. 3 pass catcher in Seattle's offense in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. With both DK Metcalf (knee) and Noah Fant (groin) out, Bobo is next in line. The reality is that the targets will likely be consolidated between wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett (oblique), and running back Kenneth Walker III. However, Bobo is a quality young player that we have seen have a solid game or two over the course of his two-year career. Bobo has been buried on the depth chart behind a bevy of high-end pass catchers in Seattle. He is a large receiver who could be active around the red zone with no Metcalf or Fant to occupy that area. He could be worth a flyer in deeper leagues because he should see a handful of targets in a game that projects to have a lot of passing volume on both sides.

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