Analysis
11/5/23
5 min read
2023 Fantasy Football: Takeaways from Every Week 9 Game
The article below details one need-to-know takeaway from each NFL Week 9 contest, aimed at providing readers with immediately actionable fantasy football information.
Top 5 Takeaways
Texans' C.J. Stroud Sets Rookie Record
Houston Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud totaled a rookie-record 470 yards passing and five touchdowns en route to 41.80 fantasy points.
C.J. Stroud broke the single-game rookie passing yardage record (470), while recording the highest NGS passing score (96) by any QB in a game this season.
Stroud (20+ Air Yards)
🔹Today: 6/8, 199 yards, 3 TD
🔹2023: +21.5% CPOE (1st in NFL)Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/VBD8fUdEO8
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 5, 2023
Stroud impressively facilitated a 100-plus-yard hat trick to wide receivers Noah Brown (six receptions, 153 yards, one touchdown on six targets) and Tank Dell (six receptions, 114 yards, two touchdowns on 11 targets) and TE Dalton Schultz (10 receptions, 130 yards and one touchdown on 11 targets). The sums were season highs for Brown and Schultz.
WR Nico Collins added three receptions (on five targets) for 54 yards and one touchdown.
Taylor Takes Over Colts Backfield
Indianapolis Colts No. 1 RB Jonathan Taylor relegated No. 2 RB Zack Moss to a pure backup this week. The duo operated as a 1A/1B during the prior four weeks.
The table below reflects Taylor and Moss’ Week 9 usage and results.
| IND RBs in Week 9 | Jonathan Taylor | Zack Moss |
| Rush Att. - Yards - TD | 18 - 47 - 0 | 7 = 26 = 0 |
| Rec./Tgt. - Yards - TD | 5/5 - 22 - 1 | 0/0 - 0 - 0 |
| 3rd/4th-&-Long Snaps | 8 | 1 |
| 2-Min. Drill Snaps | 6 | 0 |
| Green Zone Snaps | 4 | 0 |
Taylor’s elite usage returns him to the position’s elite tier.
Titans' Pass Catchers Now Fantasy-Relevant
The Tennessee Titans offense is averaging 34 passing attempts per game with QB Will Levis under center (Weeks 8-9), tying for 10th most in the NFL. The offense’s 27.5 passing attempts per game in Weeks 1-7 ranked dead last.
Levis’ big-armed, downfield passing style likewise boosts the pass-catching unit. Among 39 NFL quarterbacks with at least 50 passing attempts, Levis ranks No. 1 in the following downfield passing rates; 10-plus yards (44.1 percent), 15-plus yards (33.8 percent) and 20-plus yards (22.1 percent).
Tennessee slot WR Kyle Philips is a deep-league waiver-wire target.
Rookies Shine As Ravens Dismantle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh began phasing out No. 1 RB Gus Edwards (52 yards rushing and two touchdowns) partway through the second quarter of a 37-3 rout of the Seattle Seahawks. That allowed Nos. 2 and 3 RBs Justice Hill (40 yards rushing) and rookie Keaton Mitchell (134 yards from scrimmage, one reception and one touchdown) to take over. Mitchell’s 15.3 yards rushing per attempt leads all Week 9 NFL running backs (minimum eight rushing attempts) by 5.6 yards.
Seahawks rookie slot WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 2.10 yards per route run (YPRR), six receptions and 63 yards receiving were team highs. The feat is impressive coming against Baltimore’s elite slot coverage unit, whose 7.8 yards allowed per slot receiver reception ranked No. 1 among NFL teams in Weeks 1-8.
Saints' Hill Is Must-Start TE1
New Orleans Saints TE Taysom Hill assumed a featured offensive role in Week 6 and has dominated as a multi-faceted weapon ever since. He should be started as an elite TE1 moving forward.
The table below reflects Hill’s Weeks 6-9 per-game usage and results.
| Weeks 6-9 Per-Game Data | Taysom Hill |
| Pass Att. - Yards - TD - INT | 1 - 12.75 - 0.25 - 0 |
| Rec./Tgt. - Yards - TD - Fum. | 4/4.75 - 31.50 - 0.25 - 0 |
| Rush Att - Yards - TD - Fum. | 6.5 - 33.75 - 0.75 - 0 |
| Green Zone Touches | 2.75 |
| PPR PPG | 18.04 |
Remaining Storylines
Travis Kelce Flops In Frankfurt
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce caught three of four passes for just 14 yards, his lowest yards receiving sum since Week 1 of 2018.
Joshua Dobbs Bursts on Scene for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings’ newly acquired QB Joshua Dobbs scored 24.92 fantasy points following fill-in starter QB Jaren Hall’s first-quarter concussion. Dobb's total was the second-most among Thursday Night Football and Sunday’s early-game quarterbacks. Dobbs is a high-end QB2 with QB1 upside moving forward. Minnesota’s No. 1 WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring strain) is eligible to return from Injured Reserve in Week 10.
Cardinals Rookie QB Clayton Tune Implodes
Arizona Cardinals rookie QB Clayton Tune totaled 58 yards passing, 28 yards rushing, two interceptions and seven sacks in his first NFL start. He is a significant downgrade from Weeks 1-8 starter Dobbs. His performance likely solidifies QB Kyler Murray (ACL reconstruction) as the Week 10 starter.
Packers RB Aaron Jones Returns To Form
Green Bay Packers No. 1 RB Aaron Jones totaled 99 yards from scrimmage, four receptions, one touchdown and one fumble, clearing 60 yards from scrimmage for the first time since Week 1. Fantasy managers should expect similar showings in the coming weeks, as Jones further distances himself from the effects of his early-season hamstring strain.
Dotson Stays Hot, Scores Again
Washington Commanders WR Jahan Dotson has shaken off his early-season struggles, averaging 20.85 PPR points in the past two weeks. Dotson’s promising 20.0 percent TPRR and 1.97 YPRR indicate his resurgence is based on high-quality play, not positive touchdown variance.
Jones Tears ACL, DeVito Checks Downs
New York Giants QB Daniel Jones might have suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a bizarre sequence of events.
Backup QB Tommy DeVito replaced Jones early in the second quarter, with usual backup Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve with a ribs injury. DeVito threw the ball just five yards or fewer on 50 percent of his passing attempts.
Goedert Injures Forearm
Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert suffered a forearm injury and was quickly ruled out after being taken to the locker room for X-rays. The injury’s severity is unknown.
Dallas Goedert -
Concern for right elbow.
Was pulled/tractioned by the defender. Biggest concern would be radial head dislocation but hopefully it’s just a sprain.Headed into the locker room to get checked
pic.twitter.com/0V1SxLFeRh— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) November 5, 2023
No. 2 TE Jack Stoll ran seven routes and No. 3 TE Albert Okwuegbunam ran two following the injury. Okwuegbunam is an exceptionally athletic player.
Kincaid Establishes Himself as Top 5 TE
Buffalo Bills rookie TE Dalton Kincaid is one of four tight ends to earn 25 targets over the last three weeks. Both his 2.19 YPRR and 16.37 PPR points per game rank in the top five during that span. He faces the division rival New York Jets in Week 10, whose 0.75 adjusted yards allowed per tight end route run rank 10th in the NFL.
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