The Yahoo team presents their most unwavering fantasy football predictions for Week 9.
Don’t give up on Aaron Jones just yet
Week 8 was disappointing for Aaron Jones in his least efficient performance of the season. Jones had 19 attempts for just 58 yards and two receptions for 37 yards. Despite the lack of production, Jones’ continued volume was very encouraging. In the past two games since the Vikings’ bye week, Jones has defeated Ty Chandler 38-2. We want to lean on volume running backs and Jones is a lock for 20 touches.
Excluding the week in which Jones was injured and played just 22% of the snaps, Jones is averaging 19.7 touches per game – a number that would put him in the top-10 in touches per game this season. Lean against Jones this week against the Colts. With the exception of his injury game, Jones has never finished lower than RB32. His consistency and reliability are among the best in the league. Expect Jones to dominate the ball again in an excellent match and take the lead in the top five this week. — Tera Roberts
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Launch Brian Robinson Jr.
Brian Robinson Jr. is coming off his worst game of the season, producing 76 scoreless yards on 17 touches in Week 8. However, this was a tough game against the Bears, who were well rested after their Week 7 bye. But despite the poor fantasy day, Robinson still saw a great role. He made 67% of RB carries for the Commanders and had 17 total touches. This was quietly one of his better utility games of the year, suggesting Robinson is fully back from a knee injury that kept him out in Week 6.
This week, Robinson takes on the Giants allowing the most rushing yards per game. It’s the perfect bounce spot. New York allowed just 131 yards to Najee Harris last week; Robinson starts Week 9 with confidence. — Sal Vetri
De’Von Achane keeps it going
In case you somehow missed it last week, the impact of Tua Tagovailoa’s return wasn’t limited to his team’s wide receivers. Achane had a big day against Arizona, totaling 147 scrimmage yards and one touchdown while catching six of his eight targets. Just like Tyreek Hill, he is busy with fantasy again.
Achane has a path to finishing as the overall RB1 next week, facing a Buffalo defense that has allowed for huge performances from running backs all year long – including a big day from Achane himself in Week 2. The Bills are giving up 4.8 yards per carry and over 120 rushing yards per game, plus they’ve already allowed 51 receptions to opponents. Achane’s receiving role makes him impervious to the flow of the game, so boost him with confidence in Week 9. — Andy Behrens
Lock Josh Downs… into your lineup for Week 9
Josh Downs is a layup option for this segment as Joe Flacco will start for the Indianapolis Colts against the Vikings in Week 9. In the three games, Flacco took the most quarterback snaps for Indy (Weeks 4 to 6), Downs was targeted 33.7% of its routes are operated. He also brought in Michael Pittman Jr. tied for a team-high five red zone goals and scored twice. Downs was the best Colts receiver this season and is a nightmare separator in man coverage. He looks like a Tyler Lockett-type inside gun, not just a popgun slot receiver.
Minnesota has given up 93 yards per game to slot receivers this season as teams have shied away from pushing the ball outside against amoeba coverages. You can lock Downs into lineups this week and honestly every week as long as Flacco starts. — Matt Harmon
Chris Olave records his first top-five finish of the year
Chris Olave had 14 targets returning from injury last week against a second-string Chargers team that previously hadn’t had any WR record eight targets or 100 yards in any game this season. Olave achieved a target percentage of 40.6% in his first match without Rashid Shaheed this season. Shaheed leaves the eighth-best air yards in the league, and New Orleans is extremely thin at WR with Bub Means and Cedric Wilson also injured.
Derek Carr is , and the Saints have a healthy projected point total (26.5) against yielding 17 touchdown passes in the NFL. Carolina also has a league-low pressure rate, and Carr has been the same. Olave has , which the Panthers are using at the highest rate in the league.
Olave finishes this week as a top-five WR. — Dalton Del Don
#LetKelceCook
Here’s the game plan with Travis Kelce: Watch him go crazy on Monday night against the Buccaneers and try to trade him the following week. He scored his first touchdown of the year last week and will likely roast Tampa Bay’s shaky seam coverage, a group that is allowed. There are empty spaces here. But Kelce’s schedule after this week includes just one juicy matchup (Carolina, Week 12) and several tough ones (Denver, Buffalo, Cleveland, LAC). This is a perfect opportunity to time the market just right. — Scott Pianowski
