Week 9 Observations

It keeps getting more and more interesting every week. With some many big name players just not living up to expectations this season, this season may come down to each teams moves on the waiver wire. Let's get into week 9

Jeremy Hill - So the Bengals backfield situation just got a lot more interesting. Hill exploded this week for 154 yards on 24 carries for two touchdowns and quite possibly saved the game for the Bengals. Hill is the bigger back and Cincy, more of a prototypical RB with a build closer to the Alfred Morris's of the league than the Andre Ellington. That seems to bode well for his durability. Might we see Gio Bernard relegated to more of a change of pace/passing down type work if this production from Hill continues?

Denard Robinson - Third straight game effectively running the football, I am now a Robinson believer. Suffered some injuries at Michigan there might be some durability concerns with the workload, but I like this guy's upside. So much for the Toby Gerhart acquisition...

Mark Ingram - Back to back weeks of just destroying me in various fantasy leagues, certainly carving out a niche for himself in the NO backfield that was such a question mark to begin the year. Runs like a little bowling ball and was known at Alabama to be a very hard-working individual, I like him to see plenty of work even after the return of Thomas.

Cam Newton - Thought better days were ahead in Carolina, this team is bad and it starts with Cam Newton. Just has not looked like himself in 2014. Is there a team that has taken a sharper 180 than the Panthers?

Mike Evans - I think Evans is poised for a monster 2015 season. Still learning the game as a rookie wide receiver on a terrible team, but I love the guy's physical assets. Big wide receiver, good hands, better than average speed for a guy his size, learning from a vet in Vincent Jackson. Mike Glennon has shown flashes of being able to QB effectively at the NFL level, I like this kid down the road. Huge game against a Browns team that boasts the likes of cornerback Joe Haden, grabbing 7 balls for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Terrence West - In an interesting turn of events, West grabs the majority of the carries here for Cleveland and not Ben Tate. Crowell has taken a back seat in recent weeks due to ball control concerns, but was effective when utilized. What was assumed to be Ben Tate's job is now trending towards a committee approach, I would avoid the Cleveland backfield.

Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys looked to take a HUGE step back here to the Cowboys of old. Brandon Weeden is bad at football. We know this. If you can't cut it in Cleveland you can't cut it anywhere. But they let him throw the football 33 times in this game, or one less attempt than Palmer!! They have not one, not two, but three very effective RB's behind one of the league's best o-lines. Pound the rock and potentially use some play action off of that, but please don't make us watch Weeden try and win a football game again.

Arian Foster - Let's just say it did not look promising when the injury happened. Was putting up yet another monster game before the injury bug bit again. The non-contact injuries can be some of the most concerning, and it certainly appeared as such on the field. As of this writing, not much in the way of news on the injury but some reports suggest he may not actually miss any time with the bye in week 10.

Nick Foles - Broken collarbone, no surgery. Out 6-8 weeks. Bring on Marky Sanchise!!!

New York Jets - This team is all in on Percy Harvin apparently, targeting him 13 times this week. However the most interesting question in New York this year is what network will Rex Ryan sign onto for next year (or possibly next week the way things are going)?

Alex Smith - Interesting little tid bit from Matthew Berry this morning, week 9 is now over and the Chiefs have still not thrown a TD to a wide receiver.

San Diego Chargers - Once again proving there is merit to the West Coast team coming east for a 1:00 game. Just dismantled this weekend. While they have been trending downwards of late, I think this is just one of those games and they bounce back after the bye.

Ryan Tannehill - I have been dogged in spot starts by this guy before but I am liking what I am seeing out of him these past couple of weeks. I didn't realize how athletic he was. Couple of designed boots for him that turned into big plays. Miami is a hard team to read, with some really poor games to go with a performance like this Sunday, but I like the pieces that are in place. Joe Philbin getting things turned around in South Beach.

Matt Asiata - Tough one to stomach for the Panties this week...looks like McKinnon is going to have to break off long runs to get his red zone opportunities.

Colin Kaepernick - Was he in? Probably the most controversial call of the weekend, couldn't have happened to a player I dislike more in the league. Guy has not really shown any improvement in his game over the past 3 years despite having some of the best weapons in the league. You usually don't hear of locker room troubles unless there is some merit to the rumors. The niners are trending downward. Go Cards!

Tom Brady - Once again beats Manning in Foxboro (his own personal kryptonite). I still think the Broncos are the better team, and the road to the AFC championship will travel through Denver, but quite the impressive performance. Gronk is unguardable right now. You can't put a linebacker there, you can't put a corner, you can't put a safety. Only defense is a bump off the line and some serious pass rush on Brady. Seems like that o-line shuffling has finally found a mix that works and the Patriots are looking really good.

Seattle Seahawks - What is going on for the reigning Super Bowl champs? 24 points to the Derek Carr led Raiders at home. Where is the 12th man at Kaier??

Ben Roethlisberger - Money in the bank. 79 fantasy points the past two weekends, 12 TD's, zero picks. One of the best two game stretches ever. Also has an unbelievably favorable schedule coming up. My only concern...we saw this same team lose to the Bucs and the Browns. We know the talent is there, but I want to see them drilling the teams they should be beating handily.

Odell Beckham Jr. - 8 catches for 156 yards, we are seeing an emerging stud here. Had a great catch and run in the game to show flashes of the talent we saw at LSU and why the Giants drafted him.

Tom Coughlin - Gotta be quicker on that trigger dawg. In other news, Andrew Luck is an unbelievably smart and savvy QB. Just keeps making plays no matter the situation. The Giants brought relentless pressure all night and against a capable secondary, still managed 4 touchdowns on the night. Of note in the game is Luck threw it 46 times in a game that was pretty much in hand from the get go. A lot of potential fantasy value in Colts pass catchers, just a matter of finding who gets the targets in any given week.

Wraps up week 9 for me. Starting to get down to crunch time as the playoff picture becomes more (or perhaps less depending on how you look at it) clear as we come down the final stretch of the regular season.