Blasphemous statement number one alert – Patrick Mahomes is not the overall QB1 in my Week 9 rankings. That distinction goes to Cam Newton. Newton gets the sport’s best matchup in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have played horrendous pass defense all season long. They give up 333 passing yards per game and have allowed 20 touchdown passes against just one interception. In addition to their deficiencies on the back end, Tampa has also allowed 124 rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks this year. That is a likely boost for Newton, who leads all signal callers with 309 rushing yards on the year.
Week 9 should be just the beginning of a potential fantasy league-winning stretch for the former NFL MVP. Carolina’s three NFC South brethren (Atlanta, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay) are the three most generous teams at surrendering fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Carolina still has five intradivisional matchups remaining. They also have a Week 10 matchup against Pittsburgh, who has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. The upcoming matchups are not the only reason to buy in.
Newton has quietly had his best season as a passer in his first year in Norv Turner’s system. His 66.4 percent completion percentage dwarfs his previous career high of 61.7. He has also thrown for at least two touchdowns in six consecutive games. Many of his numbers are beginning to look like those of his 2015 MVP campaign. Newton is currently the QB4 on the year, but I expect him to come the closest of any quarterback to threatening Mahomes for the top spot when all is said and done this season.
Blasphemous statement number two alert – Amari Cooper is a WR2 this week. It sounds crazy, but hear me out. Much has been made of the price Dallas paid to acquire Cooper, especially since Tuesday’s flurry of activity. If there’s one thing Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones values more than being good, it’s looking good. The Cowboys play on Monday night with the whole world watching. I expect Dallas to go to great lengths to ensure that Cooper is successful in this game. That means force-feeding Cooper looks whenever possible. That is probably a good strategy anyway given the matchup. Tennessee allows 9.07 yards per target to opposing receivers this year, and Chargers’ receivers were constantly running free in their Week 7 game against the Titans. I believe Cooper has a big game this week. He currently comes in as the WR24 in my Week 9 rankings.
Both Tyreek Hill and Cooper Kupp are also in WR2 territory for me this week. I dropped Hill down a bit because of concerns over his groin injury. If he is good to go, he would be an obvious WR1. But for now, I am a bit skeptical. I elevated Kupp because I believe he will be back this week. He could not ask for a better matchup. The Rams travel to New Orleans to face the Saints in a game with a 60(!) point Vegas total. Kupp also has the benefit of an elite individual matchup. Saints’ slot cornerback P.J. Williams had a pick-six for a touchdown last week, but that was an anomaly. The third-year corner has graded out as the 108th best cornerback according to Pro Football Focus. If Kupp is indeed back to full strength, he will eat.
Below are the rest of my Week 9 rankings. As always, these are subject to change based on developments throughout the week. Feel free to comment below or follow me on Twitter @themick23 with any specific questions you may have regarding your lineups.
Week 9 Rankings
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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