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Free Agency and Injury report week 9 2019

By Kyle Dvorchak

Week 9 was another quiet one in terms of injuries and potential waiver wire moves for the upcoming week. A few names resurfaced on the injury report so you'll have to be sure to check if their backups were dropped since the last time they were injured. Let's get to it.

DeSean Jackson and Adam Thielen Reaggravate Injuries

DeSean Jackson and Adam Thielen both returned from injuries for a handful of plays before exiting again.

Jackson is going to miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing surgery on a core muscle.

While he's out of the lineup, Philly is going to continue to lean on their 2-TE sets with Goedert getting extra run alongside Zach Ertz. Goedert is a viable streaming option at the position.

Thielen getting removed from the game seemed much more precautionary as opposed to reactive. Thielen took the field on the Viking's first drive but left without going to the locker room. It's likely that he felt tight when the game started and was removed preemptively. However, this also means that the Vikings aren't going to be afraid to hold him out of future contests to ensure his long-term health.

If he does miss time, Olabisi Johnson will once again fill in as the team's No. 2 receiver. He scored on Minnesota's first drive immediately after Thielen left the game.

Another Indianapolis Passer Bites the Dust

Jacoby Brissett went down versus Pittsburgh and looked to be in considerable pain. He did not return and Brian Hoyer took over under center. Hoyer went 17/26 for 168 yards and scored three times. He also threw a pick-six in the red zone.

Initial reports say Brissett is dealing with a knee sprain. It appears as though the injury won't threaten his season and Frank Reich is optimistic that he will play versus the Dolphins this week.

If he can't play, Hoyer will draw the start. Despite the touchdowns in Week 9, Hoyer is an undeniable downgrade from Brissett. On the season, Brissett has a 7.5 adjusted yards per attempt, a 6.1% touchdown rate, and 64.5% completion percent. All three marks are significantly higher than Brian Hoyer's career averages.

Without Hilton or Brissett, this offense lacks any semblance of upside.

Zach Pascal is the only receiver worth looking to right now. He led the team in targets (6) and receiving yards (76) while finding the end zone once. Jack Doyle saw four targets and scored. He's a touchdown-dependent tight end that is nothing more than a desperate streaming option.

Brandon Allen is Already Better than Joe Flacco

If you need a fill-in for Brissett or your passer plays for one of the six teams on bye this coming week, Brandon Allen might be your man.

In Week 9, Allen put up 17 fantasy points sitting on a lead over Cleveland. Joe Flacco played eight games and topped that mark only once. Allen has one of the rising stars at wide receiver in Courtland Sutton and a playmaking tight end in Noah Fant. He also has a dynamic backfield to target with Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay both showing off their receiving chops this season.

The Broncos offense is better with Allen under center and Allen is a viable option for teams struggling to find a starting passer this week. Week 10 has more team's on bye than any other week on the season.

Miami's Woes Continue

Miami lost breakout wide receiver, Preston Williams, to an ACL tear and Mark Walton to a Substance Abuse suspension. DeVante Parker steps up as the team's No. 1 receiver while Kalen Ballage takes over that role in the backfield.

Walton led the team in carries (53) while Williams led the team in targets (60).
This sets up DeVante Parker nicely to continue his solid season. Parker is currently the WR35 in PPR scoring. With Williams out and the Dolphins forced to throw in every game they place, that number should continue to rise in the final eight weeks.

Ballage is a different story. After getting hype all off-season as a major threat to Kenyan Drake. Almost as soon as the season started he fell behind Drake and Walton. One of Myles Gaskin or Patrick Laird is going to cut into is role. On a Miami team that doesn't score many points, he'd have to be a true three-down back to be worth starting.