The Las Vegas Raiders will face the Cincinnati Bengals 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 WR Jakobi Meyers.
Is Jakobi Meyers Playing in Week 9?
Jakobi Meyers is the Las Vegas Raiders’ top wide receiver, so quarterback Gardner Minshew II was pleased to see him return in Week 8 from a two-game absence.
Fresh off an ankle injury, Meyers led the Raiders in targets (seven) and catches (six) while posting 52 receiving yards and a touchdown. That was enough to finish as the WR20 in PPR leagues last week.
Meyers was limited on Wednesday, but Las Vegas was likely trying to keep its best receiver healthy. He returned for full practices on Thursday and Friday and won’t have an injury designation for Week 9.
Assuming he’s not traded before next week’s deadline, Meyers should team with TE Brock Bowers to dominate targets for the Raiders.
We’ll continue to monitor the Raiders’ 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 Jakobi Meyers in Week 9?
What made Meyers good on Sunday? A season-low 5.8-yard aDOT and 42.2% slot usage (under 23% in each of his two games before his injury), which is the only path for me to trust anyone in an offense as limited as it is.
Meyers showcased the ability to make the most of this situation last season with eight scores, and while this situation is a little different sans Davante Adams, he’s back on the Flex radar against the sixth-worst red-zone defense in the league.
The game script figures to work in his favor, and if we can get him 8-10 targets, the percentages say that a top-35 week is likely. For reference, I’d rather play Meyers in his new role as the WR1 in Vegas than Tank Dell operating under the same promotion in Houston.
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.
Jakobi Meyers’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 9
Meyers is projected to score 11.3 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 4.4 receptions for 48.8 yards and 0.3 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insights: Cincinnati Bengals Defense
After teasing us with a couple of good weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense regressed straight back to its true self, a bottom-five unit that might yet turn out to be the worst in football. They have now ranked last on two separate occasions, allowing a combined 75 points in those two games. They have allowed 25 points or more on four occasions and lost all four of them.
It is hard to find anything to be positive about with the Bengals, who count their No. 18 ranking in turnover rate as their best trait this year. To overcome a defense this bad, you need an offense that can consistently score 30+ points a game. That is a tough ask and one that the Bengals have not been able to live up to so far. Even when they have scored 30 points, they are 1-2 in those games.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Jakobi Meyers’ Week 9 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 10:30 AM ET on Sunday, December 1. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 13 WR PPR Rankings
1) A.J. Brown | PHI (at BAL)
2) Justin Jefferson | MIN (vs. ARI)
3) Nico Collins | HOU (at JAX)
4) Ja'Marr Chase | CIN (vs. PIT)
5) Puka Nacua | LAR (at NO)
6) Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (vs. CHI)
7) George Pickens | PIT (at CIN)
8) Mike Evans | TB (at CAR)
9) Tyreek Hill | MIA (at GB)
10) CeeDee Lamb | DAL (vs. NYG)
11) Terry McLaurin | WAS (vs. TEN)
12) Cooper Kupp | LAR (at NO)
13) Tee Higgins | CIN (vs. PIT)
14) Drake London | ATL (vs. LAC)
15) Malik Nabers | NYG (at DAL)
16) Courtland Sutton | DEN (vs. CLE)
17) DK Metcalf | SEA (at NYJ)
18) Khalil Shakir | BUF (vs. SF)
19) Calvin Ridley | TEN (at WAS)
20) Zay Flowers | BAL (vs. PHI)
21) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA (at NYJ)
22) Ladd McConkey | LAC (at ATL)
23) Jayden Reed | GB (vs. MIA)
24) Jameson Williams | DET (vs. CHI)
25) Jauan Jennings | SF (at BUF)
26) Davante Adams | NYJ (vs. SEA)
27) Deebo Samuel Sr. | SF (at BUF)
28) Jaylen Waddle | MIA (at GB)
29) Garrett Wilson | NYJ (vs. SEA)
30) DeVonta Smith | PHI (at BAL)
31) Darnell Mooney | ATL (vs. LAC)
32) Amari Cooper | BUF (vs. SF)
33) Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (at NE)
34) Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI (at MIN)
35) Tank Dell | HOU (at JAX)
36) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. LV)
37) Jakobi Meyers | LV (at KC)
38) DJ Moore | CHI (at DET)
39) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. LV)
40) Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX (vs. HOU)
41) Keenan Allen | CHI (at DET)
42) Jordan Addison | MIN (vs. ARI)
43) Quentin Johnston | LAC (at ATL)
44) Rome Odunze | CHI (at DET)
45) Jerry Jeudy | CLE (at DEN)
46) Wan'Dale Robinson | NYG (at DAL)
47) Elijah Moore | CLE (at DEN)
48) Christian Watson | GB (vs. MIA)
49) Noah Brown | WAS (vs. TEN)
50) Marquez Valdes-Scantling | BUF (vs. SF)
51) Xavier Legette | CAR (vs. TB)
52) DeMario Douglas | NE (vs. IND)
53) Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | TEN (at WAS)
54) Keon Coleman | BUF (vs. SF)
55) Adam Thielen | CAR (vs. TB)
56) Brandin Cooks | DAL (vs. NYG)
57) Ricky Pearsall | SF (at BUF)
58) Kayshon Boutte | NE (vs. IND)
59) Alec Pierce | IND (at NE)
60) Devaughn Vele | DEN (vs. CLE)
61) Ray-Ray McCloud III | ATL (vs. LAC)
62) Darius Slayton | NYG (at DAL)
63) Rashod Bateman | BAL (vs. PHI)
64) Jalen Tolbert | DAL (vs. NYG)
65) Mike Williams | PIT (at CIN)
66) Jalen McMillan | TB (at CAR)
67) Joshua Palmer | LAC (at ATL)
68) Tyler Lockett | SEA (at NYJ)
69) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. LV)
70) Michael Wilson | ARI (at MIN)
71) Tre Tucker | LV (at KC)
72) Van Jefferson | PIT (at CIN)
73) Demarcus Robinson | LAR (at NO)
74) Parker Washington | JAX (vs. HOU)
75) Kendrick Bourne | NE (vs. IND)
76) Mack Hollins | BUF (vs. SF)
77) Adonai Mitchell | IND (at NE)
78) Tyler Boyd | TEN (at WAS)
79) Calvin Austin III | PIT (at CIN)
80) Dontayvion Wicks | GB (vs. MIA)
81) Justin Watson | KC (vs. LV)
82) Diontae Johnson | BAL (vs. PHI)
83) KaVontae Turpin | DAL (vs. NYG)
84) Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN (vs. CLE)
85) Lil'Jordan Humphrey | DEN (vs. CLE)
86) John Metchie III | HOU (at JAX)
87) Ja'Lynn Polk | NE (vs. IND)
88) Jalen Nailor | MIN (vs. ARI)
89) Troy Franklin | DEN (vs. CLE)
90) Odell Beckham Jr. | MIA (at GB)
91) Kalif Raymond | DET (vs. CHI)
92) Tim Patrick | DET (vs. CHI)
93) Jahan Dotson | PHI (at BAL)
94) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (vs. TEN)
95) Malik Washington | MIA (at GB)
96) Nelson Agholor | BAL (vs. PHI)
97) Bo Melton | GB (vs. MIA)
98) Tylan Wallace | BAL (vs. PHI)
99) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (vs. TEN)
100) Mecole Hardman Jr. | KC (vs. LV)
101) Tutu Atwell | LAR (at NO)
102) Jalen Brooks | DAL (vs. NYG)
103) Dyami Brown | WAS (vs. TEN)
104) Xavier Hutchinson | HOU (at JAX)
105) DJ Turner | LV (at KC)
106) Tyler Johnson | LAR (at NO)
107) Robert Woods | HOU (at JAX)
108) Jalen Reagor | LAC (at ATL)
109) Jake Bobo | SEA (at NYJ)
110) Jordan Whittington | LAR (at NO)
111) Greg Dortch | ARI (at MIN)
112) Jonathan Mingo | DAL (vs. NYG)
113) Sterling Shepard | TB (at CAR)
114) Parris Campbell | PHI (at BAL)
115) Trey Palmer | TB (at CAR)
116) DeAndre Carter | CHI (at DET)
117) Laviska Shenault Jr. | SEA (at NYJ)
Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals Insights
Las Vegas Raiders
Team: The NFL team average is 4.5 yards per carry—the Raiders failed to reach 3.5 in five of eight games last season (Week 8: 21 carries for 33 yards).
QB: Gardner Minshew’s average depth of throw over his past four appearances (ending with Sunday’s mark against the Chiefs): 8.3 – 7.7 – 6.2 – 4.6.
Offense: The Raiders either scored or went three-and-out on every drive on Sunday against the Chiefs.
Defense: Before Sunday, the Raiders hadn’t allowed more than five third-down conversions in a game this season (28.9% conversion rate). Amidst Kermit Gate, Patrick Mahomes picked up 12-of-16 (75%) opportunities.
Fantasy: What made Jakobi Meyers great on Sunday? A season-low 5.8% aDOT and 42.2% slot usage (under 23% in each of his two games before his injury).
Betting: The Raiders have covered five of their past seven road games, with three of those covers coming by more than six points.
Cincinnati Bengals
Team: The Bengals have three wins this season – against the Panthers, Giants, and Browns.
QB: Joe Burrow’s red zone completion percentage is down to 53.7% from 67.4% last season
Offense: The Bengals have averaged under 5.0 yards per play three times this season, two of which have come in the past two weeks.
Defense: Cincinnati blitzed 28.6% of the time on Sunday (their highest since Week 3), but created pressure on a season-low 13.6% of Philadelphia dropbacks.
Fantasy: With Tee Higgins sidelined, Mike Gesicki’s role reappeared. The tight end had twice as many targets on Sunday (eight) as he had in the month prior.
Betting: The Bengals are 0-4 ATS at home this season, failing to cover three of those games by double figures.