Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots 1:00 p.m. EST
The Falcons put up a dud last week, which was surprising even though WR Drake London and QB Michael Penix were out. Both should be back this week, but this is a tough matchup against a fairly good Patriots defense. RB Bijan Robinson was the most disappointing player on the slate last week. I am not playing him this week against the Patriots, but the disclaimer is that Robinson can score 30 points no matter the matchup. The best option is tight end Kyle Pitts, who has become the tight end we expected from college. He is in a great matchup, and don’t be surprised if he scores 15 plus points.
QB Drake Maye has been one of the most consistent fantasy quarterbacks this season, and it should continue here. I will play him alone because he spreads the ball out, making it difficult for his weapons to score enough points to win a tournament. Receivers Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs are solid, but 15 to 20 fantasy points isn’t enough. TE Hunter Henry should be avoided against the Falcons’ defense, which is the best vs. tight ends. I am avoiding the running game, but it was nice to see rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson get more volume last week.RB Rhamondre Stevenson missed practice on Thursday, so he may miss the game. Henderson would be a solid play at $4,900. Hopefully, we get a clear answer well before inactives are announced on Sunday.
For more help with your fantasy football lineups, check out our Week 9 Buy/Sell/Hold!
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans 1:00 p.m. EST
I will pass on this game because both defenses are good enough to prevent a player from having a huge game. If this game beats me, then so be it. We could play the Broncos defense, as they could sack Texans QB CJ Stroud many times.
San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants 1:00 p.m. EST
The 49ers are coming off a bad performance vs. the Texans, but they should bounce back this week vs. a mediocre Giants defense. Unfortunately, we don’t know who the quarterback will be. I think it will be Mac Jones, but there are rumors that Brock Purdy could start. Either way, RB Christian McCaffrey is in a great spot here and will be in many of my lineups. He should get back to scoring 20-plus fantasy points. The receiving weapons are a little bit more challenging. One of them will stand out and be in a great spot here. I have a hunch that WR Jauan Jennings will have a solid game. He is cheap and will have low ownership. TE George Kittle could also have a solid day and is priced right. WR Kendrick Bourne could be in play, but his price is still a bit high considering he hasn’t done much in his last two games. The game total is 48.5, so the Niners are expected to score points.
The Giants are also expected to score points, which makes QB Jaxon Dart a premier play at his price. The loss of RB Cam Skattebo should mean more rushing yardage and touchdowns from Dart. Many might want to run out and play RB Tyrone Tracy, but I think RB Devin Singletary will also get some volume. I don’t believe either back can get enough fantasy points to win a tournament. I am very interested in WR Wan’Dale Robinson because he should get a ton of volume and is a good bet to score. WR Darius Slayton is also in a good spot, and he is going to be lower owned and could be a solid dart throw. I think TE Daniel Bellinger will be out, making TE Theo Johnson more interesting. The 49ers show that they rank well against tight ends, but remember, LB Fred Warner is out, which makes them more vulnerable. It is yet another game that we could think about using a total game stack.
