The New York Jets will face the Houston Texans in Week 9. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB Braelon Allen.
Is Braelon Allen Playing in Week 9?
Allen is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the Jets’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Braelon Allen in Week 9?
Can’t anything in New York be simple? Early in the season, this backfield looked like a budding committee, but then it appeared that Breece Hall was poised to fill the role we assumed he would when we drafted this summer.
Allen’s snap shares:
- Week 4 vs. Denver Broncos: 34.3%
- Week 5 at Minnesota Vikings: 25.4%
- Week 6 vs. Buffalo Bills: 18.6%
- Week 7 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9.1%
- Week 8 at New England Patriots: 33.3%
The seemingly random spike in the rookie’s usage was by design as Allen was on the field for half of their first-quarter offensive snaps. With the Jets averaging just 16.6 points per game during this five-game losing streak, this offensive pie simply isn’t big enough for a shared backfield.
For me, Allen remains a Tier 1 RB handcuff and nothing more.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 9 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Braelon Allen’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 9
Allen is projected to score 8.4 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 10.2 rushing attempts for 45.8 yards and 0.3 touchdowns. It also includes 0.7 receptions for 13.9 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight into the Texans’ Defense
The Houston Texans’ defense has had a superb run of games, with three of their last five performances ranking inside the top five in the league. The jewel in the crown was shutting down the Buffalo Bills’ offense, while the performances against New England and Indianapolis were to be expected. The struggles against the Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Green Bay Packers highlight where they need to focus going forward.
Generally, the Texans’ defense does a good job across the metrics. They are only slightly above average when it comes to pressure without blitzing and forcing turnovers, but neither of those has been too hurtful to this point. Their red-zone defense will be the biggest concern, as they allow touchdowns on 70% of their trips and, accordingly, rank 15th in terms of points per drive.
The issue for the Texans is that, right now, this team is somewhat built on its defense. C.J. Stroud is not showing second-year progression so far, and the offense is merely league-average. If the defense falls back towards league average, then this is a team that will not scare many come the playoffs.
Braelon Allen’s Week 9 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.Â
Conference Championship RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
3) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Kareem Hunt | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at PHI)
7) Ray Davis | BUF (at KC)
8) Ty Johnson | BUF (at KC)
9) Samaje Perine | KC (vs. BUF)
10) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. WAS)
11) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at PHI)
12) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. WAS)
13) Carson Steele | KC (vs. BUF)
14) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (at KC)
15) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
