I was pleased with how the smash starts went outside of Isiah Pacheco and Dameon Pierce last week. We knew Pierce was a risky recommendation, but it was shocking to see Pacheco struggle along with the rest of the Chiefs. In any case, we were happy with everything else, and it has us ready to keep rolling here!
The premise behind this article is simple. Identifying fantasy football smash plays that are on the fringe of your starting lineup. We rarely recommend a top-20 player at any position, but we want to help you fill those critical flex spots! Here are all of our smash fantasy football starts for Week 9. Below we dive into a few notable players.
- Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Outlook
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott (DAL) at PHI
Dak Prescott was dreadful through the opening month of the season, but he’s rolling right now. The Cowboys quarterback has scored 25 and 29 fantasy points in his two most recent outings. That bump in production is incredible since we had so many signal-callers get injured last week. It will be tough to keep Prescott on your bench going forward.
The matchup with Philly makes that even more challenging because the Eagles rank 26th in passing yards allowed. That was on full display when Prescott dropped 29 fantasy points in his most recent meeting with Philadelphia last season! This could be the shootout of the week, and Prescott would be a phenomenal start if that ends up being the case.
Wide Receivers
Amari Cooper (CLE) vs. ARI
We had Amari Cooper in here last week, and we’re going back to him for all the same reasons. This is the top receiver in this Browns offense right now, and he’s being fed like he should. Cooper had a season-high 11 targets last week and now has at least six targets in every game this season. He’s also scored at least 12 fantasy points in four of his previous six outings, despite one being a game where Cleveland barely threw the ball! His 28% team target share is among the highest in the NFL, making him an exceptional value against Arizona. The Cardinals rank 26th in points allowed and 27th in yardage surrendered.
Garrett Wilson (NYJ) vs. LAC
This passing game has been a nightmare since Zach Wilson took over, but Garrett Wilson still provides value through volume. The target hound is one of the league leaders with a 36% team target share, picking up at least 12 targets in three of his last four outings. He’s also got at least seven targets in every game since the opener, producing at least 11 fantasy points in all but two games this season. That elite target share makes Wilson a fantastic flex option against the Chargers, allowing the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.