In fantasy, players who carry high expectations can sometimes have surprisingly underwhelming performances. Let’s take a look at some players who disappointed in Week 8, but are candidates to bounce back in Week 9 of fantasy football.
Week 8 Bounce-Back Candidates was a bit of a down week. Jordan Mason unfortunately re-injured his shoulder in the first half, while Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both went under their weekly projections in Tua Tagovailoa’s return. Kirk Cousins had a superb showing against the Buccaneers, finishing as the QB3 in Week 8.
Week 9 Fantasy Football – Bounce-Back Candidates
Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara had a solid outing in Week 8, putting up 122 scrimmage yards and 15.2 fantasy points. The Saints have lost 6 straight games after a 2-0 start to the year, having been riddled with injuries on both sides of the ball. Nonetheless, they face the lowly Panthers in Week 9, a fantasy goldmine at nearly every skill position. The Panthers rank dead-last against opposing RBs, conceding a whopping 25.5 fantasy points per game (FPPG). The Saints are also optimistic that starting quarterback Derek Carr will return from injury this week, giving the entire Saints offense an additional boost. Fantasy managers can expect a big get-right game from Kamara in Week 9.
Amari Cooper – Buffalo Bills
After a strong performance in his Bills debut, Amari Cooper had a quiet Week 8. The star wideout was a non-factor in a blowout win over the Seahawks, catching only one pass for three yards. Cooper is still being integrated into the Bills offense and has yet to play over 50% of snaps in his two games thus far. The Bills will face the Dolphins in Week 9, which projects to be a high-scoring affair (over/under total of 49.5). The Dolphins rank top-five against opposing wide receivers, but just allowed Marvin Harrison Jr. to go for 111 yards and a touchdown against them in Week 8. Expect Cooper to have a prominent role in the Bills passing game after another week of learning his new team’s playbook.
Jake Ferguson – Dallas Cowboys
Jake Ferguson has struggled for production in recent weeks, not recording more than 25 receiving yards over his last 2 games. Ferguson has underwhelmed mainly due to Dak Prescott’s mediocre quarterback play, having seen at least seven targets in 4/5 weeks. Ferguson will continue to operate as the top target behind CeeDee Lamb for the Cowboys, who will face the Falcons in Week 9. This matchup has the highest over/under total of any game this week at 51.5, projecting to be a shootout for both teams. The Falcons also rank bottom-ten against tight-ends and allow nearly 50 receiving yards per game to the position. Managers should expect Ferguson to get back on track this week with some big chunk plays.
Geno Smith – Seattle Seahawks
Opting for a less obvious choice at quarterback, as Geno Smith had a rough outing without D.K Metcalf in Week 8. Smith couldn’t get anything going last week, as he didn’t throw a passing touchdown for the first time this season. The Seahawks were held to just ten points against the Bills, which is unlikely to occur this week against a below-average Rams defense. The Rams are allowing the second-most yards per attempt (8.13) to quarterbacks this season, as Smith is in a good spot to see plenty of passing volume. If Metcalf is able to return this week, Smith could be a sneaky QB start in Week 9.
Main Photo Courtesy of Gregory Fisher – Imagn Images
