Believe the Hype - Week 9

The NFL has just passed it’s halfway point in the season and fantasy owner’s are getting into a groove with their squads as they march towards a playoff spot. Some teams may have drafted David Johnson, Aaron Rodgers and Terrelle Pryor in the first 3 rounds, while some may have picked up Carson Wentz, Alvin Kamara and Evan Engram. Regardless of who is on your current roster, fantasy owners are always hungry for more value and more production.

With week 9 passed, I’m going to look back at some of the terrific performances by some players that may be on your waiver wire or on your bench, and I’ll let you know if I think they’re going to keep it up or not!

Robert Woods

Week 9 performance: 4 Rec, 70 Yards, 2 TDs

Believe the hype? Hell yeah.

            After escaping out of a tumultuous situation in Buffalo, Robert Woods entered the season with a ton of questions surrounding him and entire LA Rams offence. Maybe all he needed was an actual Quarterback who can throw the ball, because Robert Woods is quietly having a career year. He’s averaging 56.4 yards per game, a career high, on 31 catches with an average of 14.5 yards per catch (highest since his rookie year).

            I often say talent + opportunity equals success. Woods has plenty of opportunity and the clear talent to keep up his breakout season. With Sammy Watkins on the decline, Woods finds himself the #1 catching target in one of the leagues most prolific and productive offences.

            With matchups against Houston, New Orleans, Arizona and Tennessee coming up, I’d be very comfortable to fire up Robert Woods as my WR3/Flex for the rest of the season.

Corey Clement

Week 9 performance: 12 Rushes, 51 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 Rec, 15 Yards, 1 TD

Believe the hype? Surprisingly, yes.

            Going into the season, I thought the breakout running back for the Eagles would be rookie Donnel Pumphrey Jr out of San Diego State. Pumphrey went down in the preseason and in steps undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin, Corey Clement.

            Even with a backfield filled with Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount, Clement has managed to impress the coaches enough to earn himself a role, making Wendell Smallwood officially fantasy irrelevant. Ajayi and Blount are roughly the same type of player, leaving Clement with ample opportunities to become the passing down back that can catch balls out of the backfield.

Yes, I know he won’t get 3 TD games every week, but he’s received 10+ touches in the past 2 weeks, that certainly merits to keep being looked at! Philly is also has one of the most efficient offences in the league, meaning that opportunities are plenty there for him. He’s in the RB3 conversation for me right now, certainly an interesting stash for the home stretch of the fantasy regular season and a solid handcuff if Ajayi were to go down injured.

Carlos Hyde

Week 9 performance: 12 Rushes, 41 Yards, 9 Rec, 84 yards

Believe the hype? Never have, never will!

            I’m about to be very bias here, but its my article so I can, I’ve never liked Carlos Hyde in fantasy. Every year I feel he gets drafted way too high and doesn’t live up to it. He’s dealt with issues of inconsistency and injuries his whole career, not to mention having to play on one of the worst teams in the league.

            San Fran’s offence is going nowhere this year! They’re close to the bottom of the league in offensive production and their matchups for the rest of the season don’t look pretty either (Seattle, Houston, Jags all stiff run defenses). Hyde’s not been an efficient runner this year, and the offensive coordinator rarely gives him the chance to run because they’re always playing catch-up.  He’s had over 20 touches once this year, and ever since his fantastic Thursday night game against the Rams, he’s been inefficient and touchdown dependent. Carlos Hyde got all his fantasy points this past week from short passes because C.J Beathard cannot complete a pass past 15 yards apparently.

            Don’t expect his catching rate to continue, sell him now as the higher RB2 value he is before his production completely plummets, or even worse he gets benched for Matt Breida.

Jared Cook

Week 9 performance: 8 Rec, 126 Yards

Believe the hype? I’d love to say yes, but history has proven otherwise. 

           This is textbook Jared Cook, but it usually comes earlier in the year. He has a great game to remind everyone of the player he has the potential to be, he’s been doing that his entire career. If you’ve been hinting potential your entire career, that’s all you are, potentially a great tight end not an actual great tight end. He’s been given ample opportunities to be a star Tight End, being a feature target on teams like the Titans, the Rams and last year the Packers. If anybody is going to bring out your true ability its Aaron Rodgers right? Apparently here it’s wrong.

            Cook’s only eclipsed 50 catches twice in his career, getting over 750 yards once. If history is a predictor, he will not end the season as a top-15 fantasy tight end.

            I’ll give him his 2 great games this year, against Kansas City and Miami, and he does have 1 or 2 nice matchups coming out of his bye, against the Broncos and Giants. I consider him extremely streamable for those games but I cannot trust Jared Cook to be my starting fantasy tight end for anything longer than a week.

Kenyan Drake/Damien Williams

Week 9 performances:

Kenyan Drake: 9 Carries, 69 Yards, 6 Rec, 35 Yards

Damian Williams: 7 Carries, 14 yards, 6 Rec, 47 Yards, 1 TD

Believe the hype? For one of them, but not both.

            After wondering what it would be like all week, we finally got a look at the Dolphins new RBBC. Seems like its truly going to be a 50/50 split with Kenyan Drake looking like the better runner and Damien Williams looking like the better pass catcher.

            Adam Gase comes out publically thrashing how bad his offense has been then trades his best offensive asset, it doesn’t make sense to me but it opens up tons of opportunities for both Drake and Williams.

            Miami’s defense has been the one keeping them in games this year, which means they’re constantly catching up and throwing the ball. That will directly take away from Drake’s value because he seems like the primary running back, but he did have 6 catches so you never really know!

            Jay Culter looked like the definition of a game manager on Sunday night, with all his dink and dunks passes. If that continues, Williams should consistently see 4-5+ catches a game paired with at least 3-5 rushing attempts, so it makes him the more attractive option in my eyes (especially in PPR leagues).

            Matchups against Carolina, New England twice, Buffalo twice and Kansas City all have the extremely real possibility that Miami will be playing catch-up all game, which means early abandoning of the run game, limiting Drake’s value.

            Truth be told, if I had to start either/or for a played on a bye week, I would be very comfortable doing that. Whichever out of the 2 emerges as the clear cut RB to own from this backfield, I would trust him as an RB2. For now, roll with both of them as a RB3/Flex value, especially in PPR formats.

Hope you guys enjoyed and good luck with your fantasy matchups this week (unless you're against me 😏)