Welcome back to Week 9 of Keeping it Real With Fantasy! The NFL had many interesting games this past week. The Jets picked up their second win of the season after a gritty match against the 5-3 Bengals. The Cardinals and Packers played one of the most entertaining games of the season that resulted in a Packers win. The Cardinals were down by one score inside their own five. After a grueling drive to put them in the red zone, the Packers stole the show with a game saving interception.  The Giants went head to head with the Chiefs on Monday Night Football to only lose on a field goal to Kansas City. The one thing this city can’t seem to escape is losing in heartbreaking fashion. As we approach the half-season mark, there are plenty more great matchups to be played, so keep coming back to The Lance to strengthen your playoff campaign.

News/Injuries

Henry Ruggs III (WR) – Don’t drive under the influence. Ruggs got into an accident at around 3AM in Las Vegas. He was going 156 miles per hour with over two times the legal limit of BAC, and tragically killed a 23 year old woman. In the grand scheme of things, fantasy football and professional football are meaningless. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. Please let this serve as a reminder to never drive under the influence, and to always drive responsibly. 

Aaron Rodgers (QB) – The Future Hall of Fame QB will miss the Packers game against the Chiefs as he just tested positive for Covid-19. The QB refused to take the vaccine and hasn’t been following the protocols that the league set for unvaccinated players in the league. This is not a good look on the league. 

Derrick Henry – The league leader in rushing yards went down with an injury on his right foot. He recently underwent surgery and there is no clear timetable for his return. The Titans need Derrick Henry as he is the centerpiece to their offense. Watching this team without Henry will be very interesting. Not much information has been released about the injury as he refused to talk to the reporters post game. The Titans play the 7-1 Rams next week, which will be an excellent litmus test to see how well this team can hold up without Henry. 

Starts

Kenyan Drake (RB) – Playing for a new team this year, Drake has exceeded expectations, playing a vital role in the Raiders’ running game. Playing alongside Josh Jacobs, Drake has a fair rushing share, only down ten percent compared to Jacobs. However, Drake is the primary target out of the backfield for Las Vegas, hauling in 18 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown. This part of Drake’s game elevates his potential for fantasy owners. Splitting carries with Jacobs has not yet been a problem for the two, as each respectfully have been able to produce efficient numbers. Fantasy owners should view Drake as a high-end RB2 this week. 

Jarvis Landry (WR) – Landry returned from IR (injured reserve) in Week 8 and led all Cleveland receivers, hauling in five receptions for 65 yards in a low scoring 15-10 loss against Pittsburgh. Landry played nearly 90% of all snaps and almost tripled all receivers in targets, making him the clear WR1. Landry has been able to create a better dynamic with quarterback Baker Mayfield, allowing for a better connection, compared to the other targets. Going against a vulnerable Cincinnati pass defense, look for Landry having a big day in a pivotal division game. 

Sits

Mike Davis (RB) – After a disappointing Week 7 loss to the Dolphins, Davis upped his YPC to 4.9 and caught five of six targets for 22 receiving yards. Although Davis has split carries with Cordarelle Patterson with better efficiency on the ground, he has continuously been held out of the endzone, only scoring twice this season. Patterson has outshined Davis in almost every aspect of the game, and going against a shaky Saints defense, he will see more usage and targets, diminishing Davis’s value. If Patterson continues to up his production weekly, Davis will soon become the second option, a disaster for many fantasy owners. 

Baker Mayfield (QB) –  Baker is a sit this week. The Browns have a run-heavy offense which takes possible fantasy points away from Mayfield. Aside from their offensive scheme, two of the top weapons in the Browns’ passing game will not play this week. One of them being Kareem Hunt who suffered a calf injury two weeks ago. The other being star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. who will likely be released by Cleveland before their game on Sunday.

Waiver Wires  

Jeremy McNichols (RB) –  This past week, Derrick Henry, the Tennessee Titans’ star running back got injured and could potentially be out for the rest of the season. While this is terrible news for all football fans, there are also some fantasy implications because of the injury. Backup running back, Jeremy McNichols, should be picked up. McNichols is a very speedy back and he’s been more used in the passing game than Henry in the past. Now that Henry is gone, McNichols should see some more carries as well. The Titans also signed Adrian Peterson, but at this point, Peterson is probably too old to have a heavy workload running the ball. McNichols is the guy to pick up in all leagues.

Taysom Hill (QB) –  Jameis Winston tore his ACL in week 8 which will sideline him for the rest of the year. Trevor Siemian was the man who came in for Winston and helped beat the Buccaneers. However, Taysom Hill was already ruled out for that game which meant Siemian was the only QB left to play. Hill is now healthy and should take over the starting quarterback role. In the games he started last year, he was the fourth best fantasy QB. Taysom is a priority addition because of his rushing ability as a quarterback.