QB Starts
Justin Fields – CHI
Week 8 stats: 151 YDS, 2 TDs, 8 CAR, 60 YDS, 1 TD
Week 9 matchup: vs MIA
Justin Fields has entered the QB1 conversation with his recent stretch of games, including back-to-back performances of 23 plus fantasy points. Fields has averaged 53 rushing yards per game this year, which is an excellent number for a fantasy quarterback. The Dolphins defense just added a valuable pass rusher in Bradley Chubb at the trade deadline, but Fields got a new weapon of his own as well. Former Steelers wide receiver, Chase Claypool, will inevitably boost a WR core that has been one of the worst in the league. With the offense set to improve, and his rushing upside climbing every week, Justin Fields is becoming a very valuable fantasy asset.
Tua Tagovailoa – MIA
Week 8 stats: 382 YDS, 3 TD, 5 CAR, 19 YDS – 29.18 PPR points
Week 9 matchup: @ CHI
It has been a volatile fantasy season for Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. In five healthy games, he has provided three games with less than 16 fantasy points, and two games of 29.18 and 38.86 fantasy points. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leading the way, the Dolphins have looked absolutely electric at times offensively. Now that he is back to full strength, fantasy managers should start trusting him. At the very least, he offers a safe floor that hovers around 15 fantasy points when he is healthy, but the boom potential can win matchups. While their defense has not been terrible against opposing quarterbacks, the Bears just surrendered 49 points to the Cowboys, and they traded star linebacker Roquan Smith away at the deadline.
Andy Dalton – NO
Week 8 stats: 229 YDS, 2 TD – 17.16 PPR points
Week 9 matchup: vs BAL
The Red Rifle has usurped Jameis Winston for the starting job in New Orleans, and he has looked pretty solid for fantasy purposes. He has thrown a touchdown pass in every game this year, and has scored 17+ fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. Simultaneously, the Ravens defense has been vulnerable to opposing quarterbacks, allowing the seventh highest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. If the Saints get a little healthier, Dalton could perform even better – but he is looking like a safe play this week regardless.
QB Sits
Geno Smith – SEA
Week 8 stats: 212 YDS, 2 TD, 5 CAR, 26 YDS – 19.08 PPR points
Week 9 matchup: @ AZ
Geno Smith has performed admirably this year, becoming a highly efficient game manager for the Seahawks, who shockingly hold the lead in the NFC West standings. While Smith has looked very good on the field, his style of play is not necessarily conducive to massive booms in fantasy. He has scored fewer than 20 points in three straight games, and Pete Carroll is known to lean on his run game. Smith and the Seahawks offense struggled mightily against the Cardinals in their last matchup, and this rivalry has been very competitive throughout the years, so you might want to look elsewhere this week.
Derek Carr – LV
Week 8 stats: 101 YDS, 1 INT – 1.94 PPR points
Week 9 matchup: @ JAX
Derek Carr has not surpassed 20 fantasy points in a single game this year. In his best game this year, against the Chiefs terrible secondary, Carr only scored 17.94 fantasy points. He looked phenomenal on the field in that game, which proves that his fantasy production never really breaks into upper-tier QB1 material. Even against a poor Jaguars team, Derek Carr cannot really be trusted to blow up for huge fantasy outputs.
Taylor Heinicke – WAS
Week 8 stats: 279 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 6 CAR, 29 YDS, 1 TD – 22.06 PPR points
Week 9 matchup: vs MIN
The overperforming Commanders have quietly put together a few solid wins in a row, and now sit at 4-4. Backup Taylor Heinicke has led the team to wins over the Packers and Colts, but his luck will likely run out against the 6-1 Vikings. The Vikings defense has allowed plenty of points to opposing quarterbacks, and they certainly are not an elite unit. They might not be the deepest unit in the league, but they do boast serious stars like Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Za’darius Smith, and Harrison Smith. Heinicke is not a great quarterback, and it could be a long day for him and the Commanders offense this week.
