Week 9 is upon us. Thursday Night Football had some excitement with Elijah Moore and Jonathan Taylor shining on the national stage. On the IDP side of things, Ashtyn Davis, Quinnen Williams, C.J. Mosley, Bobby Okereke, and Kenny Moore all helped their fantasy managers to strong starts to the week. Let’s take a look at some other players who can help fantasy teams this week, and a few others who may do more harm than good.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Lineup & Trade advice 
Start em
Harold Landry (DE/LB – TEN)
Harold Landry is on fire. He has a sack in five straight games, a span in which he has collected seven sacks. Since the start of his tear, he is the LB1 overall and the DL1 overall. At this point, he is a no-brainer start at DL or DE. However, he is in this column because he has earned his way into the LB1 discussion, and at the very least should be locked into lineups as an elite LB2 if you already have another top-five linebacker option on your team. Landry is a start regardless of opponent but does have a tough on-paper matchup this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, a team that is within the top-10 of limiting fantasy points to opposing edge rushers. Landry is simply too hot to sit or fade right now and should be plugged in as an elite play, even in leagues where you can only start one linebacker.
Ernest Jones (LB – LAR)
Ernest Jones has stepped up as a starter in the wake of the Kenny Young trade and played 83 percent of the snaps in Week 8. And after a scintillating first career start that saw him record seven solos, two assists, 0.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass defended, Jones is looking like an LB2 option for Week 9. We do not expect him to have some level of production he would have had if Derrick Henry was active, but he should still push for top-24 numbers. Tennessee has surrendered the 16th most fantasy points to the linebacker position, giving Jones a strong floor. Plug the talented rookie into lineups where possible.
David Long (LB – TEN)
The LB7 overall since Week 5, David Long has recorded six or more solos in each of his last four games. He has been producing like an LB1 and will boast LB1 upside for a plus matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. He is active against both the run and the pass and has been the most valuable Titans linebacker despite playing on a team with more heralded options like Jayon Brown and Rashaan Evans. He has been one of the most consistent options at any position and should be plugged into lineups as an LB2 for Week 9.
Jonathan Greenard (DE – HOU)
Jonathan Greenard has taken the fantasy football world by storm. The DL2 overall since he made his season debut, Greenard has seven sacks in his six games, with a sack in all but one. He saw a season-high in snaps in Week 8 and should continue to see his role expand with Charles Omenihu shipped out of town. The best thing about his game is his activity against the run, making him a high floor option who has been near elite in the tackle department. He is a DE1/DL1 option for Week 9 thanks to a plus matchup against a Miami Dolphins team relinquishing the 12th most fantasy points to the defensive end position. Start him wherever possible.
Trey Hendrickson (DE – CIN)
The NFL leader in pressure rate, Trey Hendrickson is up to 7.5 sacks on the season and looks well on his way to besting the career-high 13.5 sacks he recorded just last year. Fantasy managers have been slow to rely on the star pass rusher as the elite edge defender that he is, likely due to his low tackle count. However, when someone is playing as well as Hendrickson is, you take the good with the bad. He is a DL1/DE1 option for Week 9 thanks to a plus matchup against a Cleveland Browns team allowing the 15th most fantasy points to the defensive end position and should be treated as such. Lock him into lineups for Week 9.
Sit em
Patrick Queen (LB – BAL)
Patrick Queen has been demoted due to his struggles in coverage and has now played less than 45 percent of the snaps in two straight weeks. Perhaps, the Ravens grew more comfortable with their former first round pick over the bye, but at this point, it is impossible to know. He figures to continue to operate in a reserve rotational role behind Josh Bynes and should be left on benches until he starts to show a semblance of consistency. Avoid until further notice.
Keanu Neal (LB – DAL)
Keanu Neal has played less than 60 percent of the snaps in three straight contests, failing to see his role expand since the ouster of Jaylon Smith. Micah Parsons is back to logging the bulk of his snaps at linebacker, and Leighton Vander Esch is playing ahead of him. The move to linebacker on a Cowboys defense that was supposed to put him in a position for more sacks and stops has instead rendered the former Pro Bowl safety surplus to requirements. The team believes he is a linebacker, all but ruling out a move back to the secondary. He will likely need an injury ahead of him to see his role expand and should remain glued to benches for Week 9 despite the plus matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Kenny Young (LB – DEN)
Kenny Young played a solid enough 56 percent of the snaps in Week 8 but did very little with them. He recorded just one solo and three assists. He will likely see his role expand as he becomes more familiar with the playbook, but should be avoided for Week 9 despite a plus matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Keep him benched until he starts to put up consistent snaps and or numbers. There are enough options at linebacker to avoid LB5/6 floor types, even during the byes.
Zach Cunningham (LB – HOU)
2020 tackle leader, Zach Cunningham has now played less than 30 percent of the snaps in three straight weeks and is officially entering drop territory, not just bench. He was struggling to produce even before the demotion and is not an option in his reserve role. It may be hard for some to cut bait considering many drafted him to be their LB1, but he quite simply does not have a large enough role for those outside the deepest of leagues to stash. Cunningham will likely need to see an injury to Christian Kirksey or Kami Grugier-Hill to recapture his fantasy relevance.
Daniel Sorensen (S – KC)
Sorensen saw his snaps almost double in Week 8 but remains firmly behind Juan Thornhill on the team’s depth chart. Sorensen had been scapegoated for the Chiefs defensive struggles and while he was a noticeable liability, they have not improved much with the switch. With that said, the Chiefs drafted Thornhill in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the intention of starting him but due to injury and Sorensen’s effectiveness, he was stuck in a reserve role for the start of his career. Sorensen is still a talented (if mistake prone) safety who shines in IDP, so keep him stashed if you can, but keep him glued to benches until he works his way back to a fantasy-relevant amount of snaps.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Lineup & Trade advice
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.
Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
