Some of the most important lessons to learn in fantasy football concern which undervalued players are ready to pop. So let’s examine some of my favorite Week 9 fantasy football sleepers.
Fantasy Football Week 9 Sleepers
As always, there’s a lot to unpack in the aftermath of another NFL Sunday. And some of what we unpack carries over into the following weekend. What have we learned? What do we do about it? Well, one thing we can do is figure out some sleepers who could change our team’s fortunes.
For example, last week, I traded Christian Kirk for Michael Carter. Kirk was the better performer at the time, but now the trade seems lopsided. Why? Because Carter was one of my Week 8 sleepers, and he came through in a big way.
Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts
His team wants to trade him. He wants to be traded. Other teams need RB help. Wherever Marlon Mack ends up, he will probably be a Week 9 fantasy football sleeper. One scenario would place him as a new bell cow on a team struggling for consistent backfield production.
For example, if he goes to the Titans, he could become a 12-plus-touch RB with some goal-line work. That would put him on the RB2/3 map, meaning he could go from irrelevant to streaming overnight.
Another scenario would place him as a complementary back on a team that already has a bell cow. For example, imagine Tampa Bay working out a trade to unload Ronald Jones and then acquiring Mack to (potentially) upgrade.
Leonard Fournette presumably would remain the 1A RB. But Mack could serve as an RB4, and in games where the Bucs have big second-half leads, game script could give Mack a lot more run.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
When he fumbled on Carolina’s opening drive Sunday, the Chuba Hubbard train appeared to be off the rails, especially with Christian McCaffrey scheduled to return next weekend. But on Monday, head coach Matt Rhule stated, “Hopefully, we can get Christian back soon. If it’s not this week, hopefully, it will be next week.” Wait, what?!
On the one hand, let’s not overreact. McCaffrey could return to practice on Wednesday, and he could start next weekend. But Rhule’s statement reinforces how precarious this situation is.
Can we trust McCaffrey in Week 9 even if he returns? For now, Hubbard should remain in starting lineups until we see McCaffrey back on the practice field. And even if Carolina’s franchise RB returns, it would be overly bullish to expect a full workload. As a complementary back, Hubbard could be an RB4/5. At best, he could maintain his RB2 standing if McCaffrey continues to sit.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Arguably the best least-utilized NFL receiver is Laviska Shenault. However, Brandon Aiyuk is a close second. For six weeks, we have waited for 2020’s breakout rookie to take off. Last year, he was on a 16-game pace for an 80-997-7 receiving line.
He also had 2 rushing TDs. But in five starts through Week 7, he had only 9 catches for 96 yards and 1 TD. He hit rock bottom in Week 7 with 1 catch for 6 yards, despite being on the field for 40 offensive snaps.
But Aiyuk might be turning a corner. This past weekend, he earned a 4-45 receiving line on 7 targets while playing in a season-high 88% of offensive snaps. With Aiyuk, the issue is opportunity, not talent. And we have to believe his opportunities will rise.
Aiyuk is a good bet for future weekly WR4+ fantasy production, and his ceiling realistically is in the WR3 range. The young playmaker is a strong fantasy football sleeper in deep leagues in Week 9 against Arizona.
