The NFL season is flying by, and we are already conducting our research for Week 9 to ensure we leave this weekend with a victory in our fantasy football leagues. After having a stress-free week in Week 8 without byes, we have returned to losing some of our players due to the bye. That makes our research crucial this week to navigate our lineups correctly against our opponents. These five stats will help you win in Week 9.
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Fantasy Football Week 9 Stats to Know
A Glass of Charbonnet With Your Fantasy Victory?
Zach Charbonnet has been getting more usage these last few weeks within the Seattle Seahawks offense, and we are excited for this progression from the second-round rookie. In the off-season, I took a stance and said make sure you leave your draft with Zach Charbonnet, and hopefully, you listened/stashed him on your bench. Charbonnet has three-down running back potential within his skill set. He knows how to break tackles and also has an arsenal of moves to do so.
Charbonnet also stands six feet tall and weighs around 220 pounds, giving you the frame needed inside the five to push into the endzone and elevate his fantasy potential. With that size, you would expect him to be a “banger” back who runs north/south with three yards and a cloud of dust behind him. However, he has an explosive side to his running style as well.
Did you know Zach Charbonnet has the ninth-highest percentage of runs to go 15+ yards? If Charbonnet can continue to keep his explosive game going, he will drain Walker’s opportunities, as Walker’s best trait is explosive plays.
Seattle plays the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The Ravens’ defense has allowed the 12th most rushing yards this season to running backs and the tenth most receptions to the position. Zach Charbonnet can elevate your lineup in Week 9 with his three-down skill set.
Tua in Trouble?
The Miami Dolphins have been exceptional this season. Some weeks, they look unbeatable; others, they look like a middle-of-the-pack team. Why is that? Well, our theory is their pass protection issues. Tua Tagovailoa has only 2.2 seconds to throw the ball on average. Tua has the second-worst time of all the consistent starting quarterbacks, only behind Trevor Lawrence. This week, the Miami Dolphins head to Germany to face defending Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs.
The surprise of the season is the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense. This defensive unit has been solid all season. One of the reasons they are so strong is their young, versatile cornerbacks. However, the other reason is their ability to bring pressure. The Chiefs’ defense has the ninth-highest pressure percentage rate in the NFL at 36.2. When these two elements collide, we may have a big bang that creates turmoil and chaos for the Miami Dolphins this weekend.
Surging And Streamable Defense Leads The Way In Week 9
The New York Giants face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. 2023 has become a nightmare season for the Raiders as they released their head coach, GM, and offensive coordinator. They have also benched Jimmy G in favor of preseason rookie sensation Aidan O’Connell. O Connell steps in this week, facing a defense that has created ten sacks in the past two weeks. They also have produced a forced fumble and an interception in that time frame. This defense is peaking at the right time against a rookie with a TD/INT ratio of 1/2 in limited time this season. Don’t expect this sinking ship from Las Vegas to become world beaters against a defense that is producing at the right time.
Will The Real Tony Pollard Please Stand Up?
Tony Pollard was drafted as a league winner this season by a plethora of fantasy football managers. Tony Pollard has been an RB1 for fantasy football in one week all year, and that was Week 1. So, will the real Tony Pollard please stand up in Week 9? Statistics say you shouldn’t count on it this week.
Let’s first look into his usage, especially in high-value situations inside the five-yard line. Tony Pollard is 18th in percentage of usage inside the five-yard line with only 62.5 %. His counterpart, Rico Dowdle, for some reason, has 12.5% of the same opportunities. That needs to change for a player we considered a bell-cow back at the beginning of 2023.
The issue with becoming a bell-cow back is that his opponent is my Philadelphia Eagles this week. The Philadelphia Eagles’ run defense has allowed 9.1 fantasy points per game (FPPG) to the running back position. That is the best in the NFL in 2023. The Eagles have allowed the least amount of rushing yards. They are also tied for the third-fewest amount of rushing touchdowns this season.
Now, the Eagles are middle of the road when facing pass-catching running backs, but the risks outweigh the rewards here. Most rivalry matchups tend to have pass-happy tendencies in the first matchup and convert to old-school football in the second matchup. Expect more of the same from these two NFC East opponents on Sunday.
Jalen Hurts Is The Issue? Can Dallas Defense Return Dividends In Week 9?
Let’s stick with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in their matchup is one of the juiciest ones in Week 9. This time, let’s discuss an issue with Jalen Hurts this season. He is sixth overall in QB sacks with six. This stat means these sacks fall squarely on his shoulders. With Jalen Hurts struggling in this category, the Dallas Cowboys defense should be able to prosper as they pressure the quarterback at 43.9%, which is tops in the NFL. The Eagles line also allowed pressure on 37.5% of dropbacks. Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles could struggle against this formidable defense in Week 9.
Thank you for reading my stats to help you navigate Week 9. Remember to peruse all the incredible work done here at FantasyPros, and don’t hesitate to contact me over on Twitter at @jpep20. Good luck in Week 9.
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