Happy Daylight Savings Time for those who celebrate. Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, and San Francisco are on bye, leaving us with 13 more games in Week 9, beginning with a 9:30am Eastern Time faceoff in Germany. As always, let's walk through the biggest fantasy storyline I'm tracking for each team -- the players whose values could dramatically rise or fall after the dust settles.
Chiefs (-1.5) vs. Dolphins -- This could be a preview of the AFC Championship game, and the winner might end up claiming home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. So yeah, this is a huge matchup featuring about a dozen fantasy-relevant guys. For K.C., Rashee Rice remains the #1 WR. But he still hasn't cracked seven targets, and he's exceeded five only once since Week 4. Is he a trustworthy streamer? And for Miami, watch out for Raheem Mostert's usage, which has been all over the place this season, while his targets dropped to zero last weekend.
Falcons (-3.5) vs. Vikings -- QBs Taylor Heinicke and Jaren Hall will make their first starts of the season, each without their #1 WR. The most notable fantasy angle here is who plays better -- or rather, who plays well enough to put managers' minds at ease. Because a lot players' values are at stake.
Browns vs. Cardinals -- As of writing this, we still don't know if Arizona will roll with Kyler Murray or Clayton Tune at QB. So all bets are off on point spreads. With Emari Demercado out and Michael Wilson questionable, it might not matter much against a tough Cleveland D. I'm looking to see if Trey McBride will put more distance between himself and the injured-aged Zach Ertz. Am also tracking the expected return of Deshaun Watson and how Donovan Peoples-Jones's 2+ targets per game might be divvied among Amari Cooper and the not-yet-forgettable Elijah Moore.
Packers (-3) vs. Rams -- All eyes should be on Cooper Kupp, who's posted two duds in a row. And with Matthew Stafford questionable, it could be three in a row depending on the veteran QB's game-day status. Regardless, I'm comfortable picking Green Bay to win by at least a field goal. Jordan Love and Aaron Jones are two of the most polarizing fantasy players these days. I still believe Love can right the ship with a healthy Jones, and I still believe Jones can dominate in a Love-led offense. We'll see . . .
Patriots (-3) vs. Commanders -- This is the part of the season when New England either (a) mounts a furious comeback to re-enter the playoff picture, or (b) throws in the towel after falling to 2-7. I'm going with option A, and Rhamondre Stevenson and Demario Douglas are the biggest x-factors. For Washington, Brian Robinson had 20 touches in each of his first two games -- both wins. Since then, the team is 1-5, and he's averaged only 11.3 touches. There's no positive spin here. If the Commanders once again can't establish the run, it's hard to envision Robinson scoring double-digit fantasy points.
Saints (-8.5) vs. Bears -- Only one of Chicago's opponents thus far has a winning record. The 4-4 Saints might be the second-best team they've faced. The Bears' backfield is a fantasy mess, so let's see if there's any semi-clarity after Sunday. And I'm dumbstruck by Alvin Kamara's dominance. But 7.8 catches per game certainly helps. The Bears' D has surrendered the third-most RB catches, the most RB receiving yards, and the most RB receiving TDs. Assuming the newly acquired Montez Sweat is ready to go, perhaps Chicago can slow down Kamara. Not likely, but . . .
Seahawks (+6) at Ravens -- Taking Baltimore to win by less than a touchdown. Lamar Jackson has thrown only three touchdown passes to wideouts. Two of those went to 30-year-old journeyman Nelson Agholor, who had two TDs in his last 20 games entering this season. It's an ugly situation for managers rostering Zay Flowers, as well as uber-deep-leaguers rostering Rashod Bateman or the moderately disgruntled OBJ.
Texans (-2.5) vs. Buccaneers -- With Dameon Pierce sidelined, will Devin Singletary seize the upper-hand in this otherwise uneventful backfield battle? And with Houston holding opposing RBs to only 3.4 yards per carry, can we trust Rachaad White to continue flourishing through the air?
Colts (-2.5) at Panthers -- Michael Pittman is somehow the WR12. If you're rostering him, you probably already knew that. I didn't until I just looked it up. He's also on pace for a career-high 166 targets. Let's see if Indy -- losers of three straight -- commit more to the run to help minimize Gardner Minshew's mistakes. And for Carolina, as always, it's Chubba Hubbard versus Miles Sanders, but with Hubbard now the 1A. Will he strengthen his hold on the role?
Giants (+1.5) at Raiders -- With Aidan O'Connell starting, I'm taking the Giants to win. Will the rookie QB adequately feed Davante Adams? And can the returning Daniel Jones show glimpses of his past glory in a plus matchup, despite losing Darren Waller to an injury?
Eagles (-3) vs. Cowboys -- We could flip a coin on how this will turn out. Two legit NFC title contenders. For Philly, as always, can Jalen Hurts feed three receivers? He could last year. Hasn't been able to this year. And for Dallas, now that the trade deadline has passed, will Tony Pollard reassert himself as a dominant playmaker? Or does he still need help?
Bengals (-1.5) vs. Bills -- Another incredible matchup. Cincy has won three straight and somehow can leapfrog Buffalo with a victory. I remain 100% on board the Tee Higgins trade, expecting more breakouts than disappointments the rest of the way. And what impact will Leonard Fournette have on James Cook?
Jets (+3.5) vs. Chargers -- Picking L.A. to win by a field goal or less. The Jets' D has been fearsome against some of the league's top quarterbacks. I'm wondering if Quentin Johnston will have an expanded role again. And for New York, will the phase-out of Dalvin Cook continue?