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Week 9: Fantasy Football Weekly
UPDATE: Cowboys QB Romo (back) to participate in Saturday walkthrough
Ravens TE Owen Daniels might play 1 week after undergoing knee scope
Buccaneers list RB Doug Martin as doubtful, expected to activate RB Charles Sims on Saturday
Week 9: Super Sleepers
Cowboys QB Tony Romo will be a game-time decision; Brandon Weeden preparing to start vs. Cardinals
Colts WR Reggie Wayne practices in full Friday, looks good for Week 9
Browns TE Jordan Cameron (concussion) officially ruled OUT
Bengals WR A.J. Green practices Friday, on pace to play Sunday
Bengals RB Giovani Bernard officially OUT for Week 9; Jeremy Hill to start

Week 9: Fantasy Football Weekly

Posted: 01 Nov 2014 07:46 AM PDT

A weekly recap of the big Fantasy Football headlines and must-know information.

UPDATE: Cowboys QB Romo (back) to participate in Saturday walkthrough

Posted: 01 Nov 2014 06:43 AM PDT

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has reported, via his Twitter feed, that Dallas quarterback Tony Romo will participate in Saturday's walkthrough. Romo hasn't practiced all week. The Cowboys will gauge how he feels at that time, but it is still unlikely that they will announced any decision until tomorrow morning when inactives must be announced. Part of this is gamesmanship on the part of the Cowboys. If they don't have to tip their hand to the Arizona Cardinals before Sunday, they probably won't. So, even if the team knows Romo won't be ready after the walkthrough, don't expect to get the announcement today. FANTASY ANALYSIS: As we stated yesterday, if Romo can't go, it will be Brandon Weeden under center for the Cowboys. If this is the case, give WR Terrance Williams and TE Jason Witten a mild downgrade. WR Dez Bryant will still be a solid WR1 play. RB DeMarco Murray, going up against the defense that's the toughest in the league on fantasy running backs, will have a very difficult time reaching 100 yards for the ninth straight time to start the season. It's likely the Cardinals will focus their efforts on making that happen, forcing Weeden to be the one to beat them.

Ravens TE Owen Daniels might play 1 week after undergoing knee scope

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 08:07 PM PDT

Ravens tight end Owen Daniels will be a game-time decision Sunday night, a pretty remarkable feat since he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery just one week ago. Daniels is officially listed as questionable and was able to go through limited practice twice this week. According to the Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson, Daniels quot;moved well" during Friday's session. If Daniels is ruled out on Sunday, he will be once again replaced by Crockett Gillmore against the Pittsburgh Steelers. FANTASY ANALYSIS: I don't expect Daniels to play, but his recovery has been exceptional. The fact that he is even being considered for this game by the Ravens' coaching staff speaks volumes. Knee scopes usually take 3-4 weeks to heal; Daniels was practicing five days after his. That's Wolverine-like healing ability right there. OK, maybe not. But it's still eye-opening. Gillmore had five catches for 52 yards last week against the Bengals. Pittsburgh hasn't been nearly as flexible to tight ends as Cincinnati, but the Steelers have allowed five TE touchdowns, so the 6-foot-6 Gillmore is worth consideration if you are about ready to throw your hands up in disgust at your tight end situation.

Buccaneers list RB Doug Martin as doubtful, expected to activate RB Charles Sims on Saturday

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 07:51 PM PDT

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin hasn't done much of anything this season for his fantasy owners, and it's almost guaranteed that he will do exactly nothing in Week 9. Martin is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Browns due to an ankle injury that forced him to miss the entire practice week and had him sporting a walking boot until Thursday. Bobby Rainey is expected to get the start in place of Martin. Rainey has averaged 4.6 yards per carry while Martin has averaged just 2.9. Martin hasn't gained more than 45 rushing yards or 75 total yards in any game while also being dogged by multiple injuries. But Rainey should have some backfield company in rookie third-rounder Charles Sims, who has been out since undergoing ankle surgery in August. ESPN's Adam Caplan tweeted Friday that Sims will likely be activated from short-term injured reserve before 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Martin is absolutely unplayable in fantasy, regardless of his health. He's not running well; his offensive line isn't helping much; he's not catching many passes or scoring touchdowns. The only things keeping him on fantasy rosters are his name value and presumed starting job. But that last point might be changing. Rainey has certainly displayed more life in his legs, and maybe he takes the starting gig and literally runs with it against Cleveland's pedestrian ground defense. But everyone in the fantasy world wants to talk about Sims. He was one of the most discussed rookies in the preseason, and his coaches gushed about him whenever they had the chance. He is a well-built runner at 6-foot, 215 pounds and a very adept receiver. With Martin stinking up the joint, fantasy owners are looking to Sims to be that diamond-in-the-rough RB who can carry them down the stretch and possibly as soon as this week. Everyone seems to be all-in on Sims despite the fact that he has yet to play in a regular-season game. My question to all of those people: What's the rush? Why can't we let this kid actually show us what he can do -- if he can do anything at all on that awful team -- before inserting him into our lineups? Rainey has been just fine this season. The Bucs should trust him to lead their backfield. He looks like a useful flex option in Week 9. It would be very unwise for Tampa Bay to just thrust the rookie into the spotlight straight out of the gate, but many people have asked me whether they should play Rainey or Sims this week. To me, the answer is obviously Rainey. Heck, Sims isn't even on the active roster yet. I know this note is about that specific expectation, but it hasn't happened yet. So right now, those questions contain even more disparity. I think Sims will have his moments this season, and he should be added in all 12-team leagues. But starting him in fantasy right away? Slow down, please. We are getting way ahead of ourselves. The Buccaneers are putrid, and Sims is a complete unknown at this level.

Week 9: Super Sleepers

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 05:23 PM PDT

The best deep Fantasy Football sleepers to consider starting if you want to take a chance and enjoy the risk. This week's picks include Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brandon Weeden, Jonas Gray, Christine Michael, and Juwan Thompson.

Cowboys QB Tony Romo will be a game-time decision; Brandon Weeden preparing to start vs. Cardinals

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 04:57 PM PDT

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is looking less and less likely to play Sunday when the Cowboys square off with the NFC-leading Arizona Cardinals. In an interview with 105.3 the Fan in Dallas on Friday, owner and general manager Jerry Jones wouldn't completely rule Romo out but also didn't paint an optimistic picture. quot;We have to make that decision at game time, when it's day-to-day," Jones said. "We turn that in – obviously you've got your 53-man roster, and we have to turn our actives in within an hour before the game. So that's when you'll know." Brandon Weeden has been preparing to start this week, taking all of the first-team reps. Romo suffered a back contusion in the team's Week 8 loss to Washington and left for two series. He returned to finish the game. The gritty quarterback is on pace for almost 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. FANTASY ANALYSIS: If Romo can't go, WR Dez Bryant takes a small hit in value. However, when a backup has a talent like Bryant, they tend to lean on that. So, Bryant is still a solid WR1 option regardless of his QB this week. The player who takes the biggest hit in value is RB DeMarco Murray. The Cardinals give up the fewest fantasy points to running backs. If Romo is out, expect them to throw everything they have at Murray in hopes of holding him to fewer than 100 yards rushing for the first time this season. No. 2 WR Terrance Williams and TE Jason Witten would also suffer slightly with Weeden, a former first-round bust, under center.

Colts WR Reggie Wayne practices in full Friday, looks good for Week 9

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 04:37 PM PDT

Wide receiver Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts returned to practice in full Friday and is on track to play Monday night versus the New York Giants. Wayne missed the team's Week 8 game against Pittsburgh due to an elbow injury. Wayne is second on the team in receptions (38) and yards (434). He has one touchdown on the year. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Not that QB Andrew Luck has missed him, but Wayne making it back to the field for the Colts only helps the league's leading passer. While 35 years old, Wayne is still a reliable pair of hands and an exceptional route-runner. He's the kind of receiver that quarterbacks throw to when the game in on the line. With so many teams on bye, Wayne is a WR2/3 play this week. Wayne is chasing some historical career milestones. He has already cracked the top 10 all-time in receptions (1,044) and receiving yards (14,000). While he won't catch Jerry Rice, there is a real chance that Wayne can catch long-time Colt Marvin Harrison (1,102 receptions for 14,580 yards) and become the franchise's all-time leading receiver. Surpassing Harrison in these two categories would make Wayne the all-time NFL leader among receivers who played their entire career with one team.

Browns TE Jordan Cameron (concussion) officially ruled OUT

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 04:05 PM PDT

Browns tight end Jordan Cameron will not play in Week 9 due to a concussion sustained last week against Oakland. Due to the quick turnaround to play again on Thursday night, Cameron is in jeopardy of missing more than just one game. Cameron missed a game earlier in the season due to a shoulder injury, and it's very much worth noting that he has now suffered three concussions in two seasons. He's posted 13 catches for 250 yards and one touchdown on the year. Tight ends Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge will try to pick up the slack for as long as Cameron needs to rest. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Cameron has not lived up to his lofty preseason expectations, largely due to his inability to stay healthy and on the field. He was considered a top-five fantasy tight end at the start of the season; he's been anything but. Cameron is still one of the most athletically gifted players at the position, so if you've got the roster space, he's worth hanging on to since there simply aren't a ton of superb options at tight end. Dray nor Barnidge are viable replacements for Cameron in fantasy leagues.

Bengals WR A.J. Green practices Friday, on pace to play Sunday

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 03:53 PM PDT

Bengals All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Green practiced Friday and appears on track to get back on the field for Cincinnati's game against the Jaguars at Paul Brown Stadium this Sunday. Green has missed the last three games with a toe injury that has bothered him for the bulk of the season. He was available for each practice this week. Before the injury, Green posted 17 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns. FANTASY ANALYSIS: During Green's three-game absence, WR Mohamed Sanu filled in nicely, recording at least 120 yards receiving twice. He has proven to be a reliable target for QB Andy Dalton -- but he isn't A.J. Green. With Green and Sanu both in the lineup, Dalton becomes a decent start this week against Jacksonville. With lead RB Giovani Bernard out this week, both receivers figure to be extremely busy. Feel confident starting Green as a high-end WR1 and Sanu as a low-end WR2.

Bengals RB Giovani Bernard officially OUT for Week 9; Jeremy Hill to start

Posted: 31 Oct 2014 03:40 PM PDT

The Cincinnati Bengals' leading rusher, Giovanni Bernard, will miss the team's Week 9 game. He's recovering from an injured clavicle as well as a hip pointer and a case of sore ribs. He was officially ruled out Friday. Bernard has compiled 446 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He's also contributed 22 receptions for 179 yards. With Bernard out, rookie Jeremy Hill will get the start versus the Jaguars. Hill has run for 195 yards and three touchdowns on the season. FANTASY ANALYSIS: The good news for the Bengals is that they have a pretty good backup plan in Hill. The rookie has shown the ability to hit holes and while he's not the receiving threat that Bernard is out of the backfield, he can certainly hold his own. Hill has 13 receptions for 131 yards so far in 2014. Something to monitor with Bernard is his status for Week 10 as well. The Bengals have a quick turnaround to get ready for a Thursday night game with Cleveland. Against Jacksonville this Sunday, Hill is a solid option. The Jags give up the ninth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.