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crystal ball week 9 2016

By Evan Tarracciano

As you’ll see below in my waiver-wire choices section, Week 9 promises to be a very interesting one, as several unheralded and unknown players will come into a sharp boost of playing time, due to starters in front of them sustaining injuries. While not many names will have a long-term impact, owners who are struggling with six teams on bye this week should strongly consider making several bids to acquire bench depth – something which will carry them through to the upcoming playoffs.

If you haven’t already joined me for my video Q and A sessions each Tuesday evening at 8 PM EST, I’d highly encourage you to do so! I’ve received a lot of positive feedback as to my thoughts and the layout – hopefully listeners are enjoying it as much as I am running it! This article serves as a supplementary piece to what I covered in this week’s chat, expanding on some of the more “hot button” topics that I received a lot of traffic on. Check out all of my prior videos and meet me for each new one here:
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Q: What the heck is Sean Payton smoking? Why did Tim Hightower play so much last week and what does this mean for Mark Ingram owners?
A: Few things in life drive me crazier than Sean Payton and his stupid coaching decisions and erratic playcalling. For those who weren’t able to watch the game, Mark Ingram lost a fumble which was returned for a touchdown early in the first quarter, and was then relegated to the bench for the remainder of the game. In the press conference following their win, Payton said that he didn’t anticipate on giving Hightower as much work as he did, but he was so effective that he had to keep him in.

What a load of crap.
I’m sorry, but saying that Hightower was “in a pretty good groove” is laughable. Hightower had multiple attempts in the red zone and failed to convert any of them, going 0-5 within the ten yard line. Hightower also has a much larger history of fumbles than Ingram, who is by far and away the superior talent. Truth be told, I could spout on for the remainder of this article about statistics which would explain why Ingram is the better talent and how I’d treat the situation moving forward, but I’d rather not bore my readers.

The lone bit of “good news” here, if there really is a silver lining, is that Ingram wasn’t getting a ton of work even prior to last week, but was still a serviceable RB2 option in PPR formats. He will likely lose a series or two per game to Hightower in the weeks to come, but don’t be surprise to see Ingram run over (and through) people this week. I believe he’ll bounce back, and I wouldn’t sell him too low.

Q: Man, C.J. Prosise looks pretty good! Any chance that he supplants Christine Michael as the lead back for the Seattle Seahawks with Thomas Rawls still injured?
A: After missing the first seven weeks of the season due to a hand injury, Prosise has certainly made an impact as this team’s change-of-pace option and receiving back. Truth be told, I’m of the opinion that last week’s 100 total yard game is a solid floor for him for the remainder of the season. When Rawls returns, that spells more trouble for Michael rather than him, since Rawls fits that early-down archetype better. Pete Carroll has already stated that Prosise “will be a lot more involved” over the remaining eight games of the season. He’s an explosive talent that is electric in open space. I’m buying in.

Q: Who wins the World Series this year?
A: Its Football season! That being said I’m rooting for the Cubs.

Q: Any chance that Ben Roethlisberger comes back this week? What is his status?
A: Big Ben is expected to play Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, even if he isn’t fully recovered by then. He has a long track-record of playing through injuries, and this team is in desperate need of a winning streak. His return means that Antonio Brown will see a massive increase in usage, along with Sammie Coates and Darrius Heyward-Bey becoming FLEX relevant.

Q: Which Denver Broncos receiver will be better for the rest of the season – Emmanuel Sanders or Demaryius Thomas?
A: I spoke about this a few weeks ago during my “7 at 7” segment with Bob Harris and Mike Dempsey. I’d prefer Sanders in a PPR format, and Thomas in standard. Thomas has a much higher upside, but is dependent upon touchdowns for a large portion of his value. Denver remains a run-first team. They would prefer to limit Trevor Sieman’s attempts to under 30 per game if at all possible.

Q: Is it worth taking a shot on Josh Gordon, or is he not going to play for the rest of 2016?
A: After being released from a rehab facility last week, Gordon has generated plenty of questions on Twitter in my feed. First and foremost he remains suspended by the league, and isn’t likely to get reinstated this season. I wouldn’t expect him to make an appearance for any team, especially since no one stepped up to acquire his rights from the Cleveland Browns at the trade deadline.

Waiver-Wire choices

Quarterback:

Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers) – Since his return as the starter in Week 6, “Kap” has put up decent, if somewhat uninspiring numbers for this squad. While he doesn’t have the upside that he once did, his ability to add 50-70 yards on the ground each game due to broken plays and scrambles provides his owners with a solid floor to work with. The team’s decision to keep Torrey Smith rather than trade him was a bit surprising given that they are in full-blown rebuild mode, but it does benefit Kaepernick by having a deep threat to compliment Jeremy Kerley and Vance McDonald. The 49ers are also set to face off against the New Orleans Saints, who rank 29th in passing yards allowed per game. With a myriad of top-tier options on bye and a juicy matchup, owners could do worse.

Running Back:

Charcandrick West (Kansas City Chiefs) – West is the most obvious recommendation of the week and is my number one player to add, should he be unowned in your league. News broke earlier this week that Jamaal Charles has been placed on IR and will miss the remainder of the 2016 season due to having another knee surgery. This coupled with Spencer Ware’s questionable status while recovering from a concussion place West at the head of the Chiefs depth chart, a spot which has consistently produced RB1 numbers over the last few seasons. Even if (or when) Ware returns, West will still be the de-facto third-down back and receiving option of the two, which means that he will retain value for the remainder of the season.

Antone Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Similar to West above, Smith will enter Thursday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons as the lead option for the Bucs, due to the bevy of injuries which they have sustained over the past several weeks. What does Smith bring to the table? Plenty of speed, and sure hands. The Falcons have given up the second most receptions, yards, and touchdowns out of the backfield in 2016, which means that this explosive playmaker will have ample opportunity to cement a role for himself moving forward. While he might not have the long-term value that West does, he can be obtained for a much cheaper price.

Wide Receiver:

Dontrelle Inman (San Diego Chargers) – Inman has also been thrust into the limelight due to Travis Benjamin sustaining an PCL injury. This remains a pass-heavy offense that has little other options to rely upon, which means that Inman will see a dramatic increase in targets and receptions. While he will still have to compete with Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry and Tyrell Williams for receptions, Inman could carve a nice niche in a PPR format as a FLEX player over the next several weeks.

Tyreek Hill (Kansas City Chiefs) – A speed freak out of West Alabama, Hill has opened the eyes of owners over the last few weeks, catching three touchdowns in his last four games played. Nick Foles will be the Chiefs starting quarterback this week, which means that the team has the opportunity to air the ball out more – a philosophy shift which benefits Hill greatly. Hill has more boom-or-bust potential than Inman listed above, but owners who are looking for a deeper option at receiver this week should strongly consider his services, especially since Jalen Ramsey will be covering Jeremy Maclin, and the remainder of the Jacksonville Jaguars secondary is sketchy at best.

Tight End:

Austin Hooper (Atlanta Falcons) – Hooper took over for Jacob Tamme last week in the second half of the game and caught five passes for 41 yards. This week Tamme has already been declared out as he sustained a shoulder injury, which leaves Hooper as the best receiving tight end option for the team. Temper your expectations on him as he is still a rookie, but this third-round selection offers plenty of upside, especially as a red zone threat.