Fantasy Football Week 9 Studs, Duds, and Sleepers: A revitalized Jalen Hurts feels like fool’s gold (for now)

When it comes to competition, one of the best ways to get an edge on the opposition is through prior preparation. In fantasy football, that way of thinking certainly applies. Here at Bet For The Win, we’re doing the preparation for you.

Has Jalen Hurts finally turned the corner?

I’m not so sure because of the whole Nick Sirianni elephant in the room (I mean, c’mon), but recent returns have been promising for the former MVP candidate. After a rough start to the year, Hurts is now sixth in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) and completion percentage over expected (CPOE) composite, per RBDSM. Amid a three-game Eagles winning streak, Hurts has been an efficient playmaking machine.

However, Hurts’ recent uptick came at the expense of three moribund teams in the Cleveland Browns, the New York Giants, and the weirdly inept Cincinnati Bengals. It’s nice to see progress, and I’m gonna wholly buy him against another bad team this Sunday, but I need to see Hurts excel against elite competition again before I start buying back some of his franchise quarterback stock in earnest.

Hurts is a significant focus of this week’s studs and duds column at For The Win. There’s also a certain marquee franchise quickly going nowhere (again). Oh, and there’s a young quarterback (pun intended) suddenly showing signs of life.

Let’s jump in and get you another fantasy W.

Studs

QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

Hurts has quietly accumulated over 700 yards of offense by himself over the last three weeks while also creating nine touchdowns (four passing, five rushing). Jacksonville has the NFL’s second-worst passing defense. This should be a layup.

TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders (at Las Vegas Raiders)

The Raiders are hapless and utterly unwatchable … except for Bowers. The rookie No. 13 overall pick has been exactly as advertised. He’s on pace to become just the third rookie tight end ever to eclipse at least 1,000 yards receiving (Mike Ditka, Kyle Pitts). Bowers may well even become the first rookie tight end to catch at least 100 passes. Phew. The Raiders are terrible, but Bowers is a must-start matchup problem every week.

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Hopkins had a meager Chiefs debut, catching just two passes for 29 yards. On the season, he has yet to even surpass 20 total receptions. But something tells me Andy Reid is about to make Hopkins a focal point in a night game against the Buccaneers’ middling pass defense. It makes too much sense.

RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams (at Seattle Seahawks)

Seattle averages allowing nearly 150 team rushing yards every week, 29th in the NFL. Enter Williams, who hasn’t rushed for less than 76 yards since mid-September and who has scored a touchdown in all seven of his 2024 starts.

Duds

Defense and special teams, Dallas Cowboys (at Atlanta Falcons)

That’s right. If you are somehow still a manager of the meager Cowboys defense, now is not the time to double down on this unit against high-flying Atlanta. Needless to say, if you have any Falcons offensive rotational players available, I also wouldn’t hesitate to start them on Sunday.

WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Denver Broncos)

A combination of the Diontae Johnson trade addition taking away targets, along with a tough matchup against Patrick Surtain II, has me sour on Flowers making a huge impact this weekend.

WR Tank Dell, Houston Texans (at New York Jets)

No Nico Collins and no Stefon Diggs means Dell has now drawn the short straw of having to beat Sauce Gardner. Uh, good luck.

TE Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Chicago Bears)

The Bears’ elite defense probably won’t have an answer for Marvin Harrison Jr., but they’ll still take away something. I have a feeling it’ll be McBride over the middle of the field, who is often the straw that stirs the Cardinals’ drink.

Sleepers

WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans (vs. New England Patriots)

I don’t love Ridley trying to overcome the sticky coverage of Christian Gonzalez. However, I could see Tennessee force-feeding its de facto WR1 enough volume — even in potential garbage time — to make Ridley a viable play.

QB Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts (at Minnesota Vikings)

Flacco was atrocious against the last great defense he played, and now he has to face down a unit coached by Brian Flores. So, I’m not over the moon about his chances for success. However, the Vikings’ defense hasn’t seemed as formidable in recent weeks, potentially opening the door to another sneaky “elite” Flacco performance.

QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (vs. New Orleans Saints)

If Andy Dalton is still unable to play, I’m kind of buying the idea of Young for a few weeks. (Famous last words.) While he’s still rough around the edges, Young showed enough poise and flash against an exceptional Denver defense last Sunday to believe that he can fare even better against the discombobulated Saints.

WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins (at Buffalo Bills)

Miami’s tenuous quarterback situation this year has more or less stranded most of its playmakers. But Tua Tagovailoa’s return does make almost everyone on the roster playable again. Count me as a Waddle believer to show up in a testy division game in Buffalo.