At times, Mike Evans and Cooper Kupp can put up numbers big enough to carry fantasy football teams to victory.
That was the case in week 8, with Evans going for more than 40 fantasy points, while Kupp went for 35 fantasy points. Both players are primary targets on offenses that need them to produce on a weekly basis. Keep them in mind going forward as strong WR1 candidates.
For the rest of the fantasy football decisions, here’s the start ’em, sit ’em guide for week 9 fantasy football wide receivers.
Start
Allen Robinson vs. Philadelphia Eagles
There could be a couple different items working against Robinson in this game. The Bears offense has been terrible so far this season. And the Eagles defense stiffened in week 8 against the Buffalo Bills.
And while I’m still down on the Bears offense, I’m not buying the Eagles.
Philadelphia has allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season for a reason. And that will hamper them once again against the Bears, which need to show something more in the passing game. Robinson will be relied upon as a major target in this contest, so I’m going with Robinson as being a key to this game.
Jarvis Landry vs. Denver Broncos
The Broncos defense has been good against opposing wide receivers this season, giving up the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Even with those stats, I’m still banking on the Browns moving the ball through the air against the Broncos. And if that happens, Landry should be a major contributor in week 9.
Landry hasn’t put up the major production that many anticipated before the season began. However, the targets are still there, with Landry earning 10 targets in week 9 against a good Patriots team. I’ll take those targets and bank on better production in week 9.
Robby Anderson vs. Miami Dolphins
Normally, any Jets wide receiver would be off limits. But this is a colossal matchup of terrible teams, with the Dolphins giving up plenty of fantasy points and yards per game through the air.
Quarterback Sam Darnold has struggled this season, but he still needs the deep ball threat in Anderson. And the Dolphins have been highly susceptible to give up the long ball, opening up the flood gates for Anderson.
Anderson isn’t going to attract the major targets, but the Dolphins are bad enough on the defensive side of the ball that I’ll give Anderson a shot.
Sit
Terry McLaurin vs. Buffalo Bills
McLaurin is being ranked as a high-end WR3 entering week 9, but I’m not buying it.
The Redskins offense is bad and if experts believe Washington will be in major catch-up, I don’t see that happening. Washington is good enough on defense to stay in this game and the Bills aren’t known to blow out too many teams.
McLaurin is one of those deep threats that I don’t believe will have much room to work against a Bills defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game this season.
Curtis Samuel vs. Tennessee Titans
Everybody knows all about Samuel’s targets. But that just hasn’t turned into any production this season.
Samuel was targeted 11 times in week 8, only to secure four catches. It’s been that way for much of this season and that won’t work against the Titans. Tennessee is a top-10 team in limiting fantasy points to wide receivers.
That’s a major problem for the Panthers, which is looking for an answer at the quarterback position. I don’t trust the quarterback position for the Panthers, so I’m backing away from Samuel.
Corey Davis vs. Carolina Panthers
Davis has seen somewhat of an emergence with Ryan Tannehill starting at the quarterback position.
I say partly, because his production is still terrible, but his targets have increased. I love to see his targets finally go up, but I’m just not sure if this offense is good enough to have a capable fantasy option at the wide receiver position.
Carolina has been solid on the defensive side of the ball, so I’m not risking a WR3 position on Davis this week.
