Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: Upgrade Kimani Vidal, D'Andre Swift and More

It's time to dive into the Week 9 fantasy football rankings to help guide our roster decisions for the week ahead. With that in mind, let's dive into the biggest upgrades and downgrades in my Week 9 rankings to help with your start-sit decisions and bye-week replacement options.

Risers In My Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings

What follows are the biggest risers in my Week 9 fantasy football rankings, sorted positionally.

Kyler Murray would have made a rare top-12 appearance in the Week 9 fantasy rankings.

UPDATE: Kyler Murray is OUT for Week 9. I have Jacoby Brissett ranked 14. But read on anyway for the reasoning that can apply (to varying degrees) to Brissett)

Murray is on pace for the worst fantasy season of his career, averaging a paltry 15.6 points. However, he gets the cure-all matchup against the Cowboys. Dallas is in a tier of their own when it comes to boosting opposing QB value at an unhinged 7.2 points per game.

The Cowboys have lifted opposing passing attacks by 52 yards and 0.9 touchdowns per game. That is good news for Murray, who ranks 27th in average passing yards (192) and 25th in passing TDs (1.2).

The Cardinals carry a healthy team total of 26.5 points per Matthew Freedman's NFL Betting Game Model.

Projection Model (using my PPR projections):

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 28.6 (which was two points higher than Murray's)
• Median: 17.5 (two points lower than Murray)
• Floor: 9.9 (six points less than Murray)

Brissett is my QB14 in Week 9.

QB Rapid Fire: Week 9 Rankings Upgrades & Pending News

• Jaxson Dart | Giants: Dart has averaged 22 points per game in five games as the starter. That mark ties for sixth-best over that span. This week, he faces a 49ers defense that has fallen on hard times with multiple star players out. San Francisco has allowed 301 passing yards per game over the last four weeks, boosting opposing passers by 58 yards and 0.4 TDs per contest. The dual-threat rookie could erupt for a massive game this weekend. I have Dart five spots ahead of our consensus rank as my QB6. He is the No. 8 QB in my projections but carries the No. 4 Xfinity Best ceiling of 26.4 points.
   
• Caleb Williams | Bears: Williams' fantasy production has hit the skids since the Bears' bye week, averaging only 12.8 points. That is a significant downturn from his 21 per game over the first five weeks. The Bears have turned to their run game since the bye, ranking 27th in dropback rate over expected (DBOE) at -7%. So, there are long-term concerns. Williams fell to QB16 in points per game in my rest-of-season projections update this week. Still, Williams continues to run, and he gets a tasty matchup against the No. 2 DvP fantasy boost defense in the Bengals. Cincinnati has propelled opposing QBs to 4.3 points above their season average. If Joe Flacco (shoulder) can't go, that could take some of the shootout potential out of the equation. I am slightly lower on Williams than consensus, but he comes in as a low-end QB1 with boom upside, with a 24.7 Xfinity Best ceiling.
   
• Sam Darnold | Seahawks: The Seahawks are a run-first offense, ranking 28th in DBOE (-6%). However, Darnold's efficiency has been lethal in Klint Kubiak's offense. The veteran QB is tied with Lamar Jackson for the highest yards-per-attempt in the NFL at 9.1. Thanks to that, Darnold has averaged 251 passing yards (9th) and 1.7 TDs per game (13th). The Commanders have allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game at 261 yards. Darnold is a solid streaming option for Week 9 and is available in 57% of Yahoo leagues.

Kimani Vidal is a SMASH PLAY in Week 9 against the Titans.

Vidal has dominated the Chargers' backfield with Omarion Hampton out. The second-year back has hogged 69% of the snaps, 68% of rushing attempts, and notched a 9% target share.

His 83 Utilization Score aligns with comps who averaged 16.2 points—right in line with his 16.7. Damn, the Utilization Score is pretty pretty cool, y'all. 

The Bolts are 10-point favorites over the Titans and carry the fifth-best team total (26.8) per oddsmakers—a combination that has been historically kind to RBs. 

If that isn't enough, Tennessee has sanctioned the No. 2 boost to RB units at 7.4 points per game. 

• Utilization: Check.
• Spread: Check.
• Team Total: Check.
• Matchup: Check. 

Rarely do we get all of those things to align—that is what we call a SMASH PLAY, y'all.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 22.3
• Median: 14.3
• Floor: 10.7

Vidal is my RB11 in a fantastic spot against the Titans.

D'Andre Swift is a low-end fantasy RB1 against Cincinnati.

Swift is sharing more of the workload with rookie Kyle Monangai since the bye week, which made him a candidate for sell-high consideration in the Week 9 Utilization Report. He has averaged 20.5 points since the bye, but his Utilization Score of 70 suggests he is due for negative regression. However, a couple of factors kept me from making the sell-high recommendation (yet).

First, the Bears are running the ball since their bye week—see my notes above on Caleb Williams. That has kept his rushing attempts per game stable despite a downturn in the percentage of carries. He averaged 13.8 carries and 4.3 targets over the first four games.

Over the last three games, he has averaged 14.7 rush attempts and 2.0 targets. Overall, his opportunities are slightly down, but primarily due to fewer passes. Not ideal, but it could be variance.

Second, Chicago gets two choice matchups in Weeks 9 and 10 against the Bengals and Giants.

The Bengals have green-lit the No. 1 boost to opposing RB rooms at 11.2 points per game, and the Giants rank fourth with 4.4 per game.

We will keep an eye on Swift, and if his role is reduced, we might still sell high. But these next two games are in must-start territory, and his value could soar even higher.

The Bears boast the fifth-highest team total this weekend at 27.5 points.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 23.0
• Median: 14.4
• Floor: 10.5

Swift is a low-end RB1 this weekend against the Bengals.

RB Rapid Fire: Upgrades & Pending News

• Josh Jacobs | Packers: You are starting Jacobs no matter what. The only point of adding him here is this: The Panthers run the third-most zone coverage in the NFL at 81% and the Packers love to throw to their backs against zone. Jacobs has a 3% target share versus man and a 16% target share versus zone. Oddsmakers have his receiving prop around 14.5 yards. He projects for 24 yards in my weekly model. He could be a busy man on the ground and via the air this weekend. Jacobs is a high-end RB1.
   
• Nerd Note: Most coverage matchup data is noise. There are significant week-to-week stability issues, and we are dealing with small sample sizes, especially when splitting the data by coverage types, alignments, etc. As a rule of thumb, the best way to approach coverage data is at the man and zone level once we have around four to five games. Then, we are only looking at outlier defenses and cross-referencing them against their opponents to see if there is a significant man v. zone trend. Most of the time, there isn't, which is why I don't write about it often. At the highest level, teams tend to throw to their RBs and sometimes TEs more against zone, while good WRs get a bump against man. That is a multi-year trend across a large data sample, worth remembering!
   
• Tyrone Tracy | Giants: After Cam Skattebo departed from the game in Week 8, Tracy was the clear-cut RB1 for the Giants. Over a seven-drive sample, Tracy bogarted 78% of the snaps, 67% of the rushing attempts, and collected a 16% target share with a 68% route participation. We saw Tracy average 13.2 points as a starter in a less effective version of the Giants' offense last season. His 2024 Utilization Score (77) comparisons averaged 14.9 points, with 62% of them performing as an RB13-RB24. A third reached RB1 territory. With Jaxson Dart drawing a ton of defensive attention, look for the second-year RB to perform well starting this weekend against the 49ers' defense, providing the No. 6 fantasy boost to RB rooms at 3.2 points per game. Tracy is a mid-range RB2 with an Xfinity Best ceiling of 21.1 points. 
   
• Kareem Hunt | Chiefs: With Isiah Pacheco week-to-week due to an MCL sprain, Hunt will carry a larger workload. While he isn't the explosive back we once knew, he plays in a great offense and is the team's No. 1 ground-game option inside the five-yard line, handling 67% of the carries. That role has made Hunt an 8.5-point-per-game RB. Brashard Smith will also be involved, but I have the veteran projected for 14.5 attempts and 1.9 targets. The Bills' defense looks like an average matchup in terms of fantasy boost (16th), but much of that is due to the offense building leads. That has protected a unit that has struggled, boosting opponents by 7.5 fantasy points per game just on the ground. From a pure rushing perspective, that is the best matchup in the league. Hunt is available in 50% of leagues, making him a nice streaming option in Week 9. He is a low-end RB2 option with an Xfinity Best ceiling of 17.6 points.
   
• Bam Knight | Cardinals: The Cardinals are still rotating their backs in the absence of Trey Benson, but Knight has emerged as the lead committee option. Over the last two games, he has handled 53% of the attempts. His low route participation rate of 29% makes him a volatile option should Arizona fall behind against Dallas. However, he could spike a multi-touchdown game against a Cowboys defense that has blessed opposing RB units with a 7.1 point fantasy boost. Knight is available in 60% of leagues, making him a decent streaming option. Knight is a high-end RB3 with RB2 upside.
   
• Tyjae Spears | Titans: Spears has governed 51% of the Titans' snaps over the last three games, forcing a true split backfield. He is the team's RB2 on early downs but is the RB1 in passing situations. The Titans are 10-point underdogs against the Chargers, which could keep Spears on the field enough to squeak out some value this weekend. Spears is a low-end R3 who is available in 60% of leagues, making him a potential streamer if you are hurting at RB.

Jaylen Waddle moves into WR1 territory versus the Ravens.

In four games without Tyreek Hill, Waddle has averaged 15.6 points with two top-eight finishes and three top-18 weeks. He leads the Dolphins with a 23% target share over that span.

The Dolphins' tendency to rotate receivers has kept Waddle's route participation (80%) lower than we would like, but he was dinged up in one of those games. That, paired with their third-worst plays per game (55.5), made me a bit leery of placing Waddle this high, but the matchup is solid, and he still projects well.

The Ravens' defense has provided the No. 7 boost to WR rooms at three points per contest. Baltimore has enabled opposing passing attacks to enjoy an additional 23 yards and 0.2 TDs per contest. Additionally, they deploy man coverage the fourth-most at 37%. Beating man coverage has been a strong suit for Waddle. He leads the Dolphins with a 26% target share against man looks.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 23.1
• Median: 15.7
• Floor: 11.7
   

Any concerns I had about Waddle were erased by my fellow Fantasy Life rankers—he is our consensus WR10 for the week. 

WR Rapid Fire: Week 9 Rankings Upgrades & Pending News

• Rome Odunze | Bears: Odunze had a rough two games coming out of the bye, but got back on track with an 18.4-point performance against the Ravens last weekend. He has averaged 15.5 points per game with an 81 Utilization Score. His historical comparisons suggest there is room for more—they averaged 16.4 points with 65% securing WR1 seasons. This weekend, Odunze squares off against a Bengals defense that has licensed a 43-yard and 0.8-TD boost to opposing passing attacks. Chicago owns the fifth-highest team total on the slate at 27.5 points.  With Odunze as the clear-cut No. 1 on the Bears, with a 26% target share, the Year 2 WR is in a great spot. He is a mid-range WR1 and carries a 21.9-point Xfinity Best ceiling projection.     
   
• DK Metcalf | Steelers: Metcalf leads the Steelers with a 23% target share, but he has been a fantasy roller coaster. Pittsburgh ranks dead last in plays per game (54.9) by design—they rank 31st in average playclock remaining when the game is within three points at 6.7 seconds. That, and a slight lean toward the ground game with a -2% DBOE, has created significant environmental concerns for Metcalf. However, the Colts have written a blank check to opposing WR rooms with the No. 2 fantasy boost per game at 7.3 points. Freedman's game model sees this as a competitive game with the Steelers as a five-star bet to cover the spread. Full disclosure: I reached out to him about the bet, and he said he is following the data, but called it a "hold your nose bet" that leans into Tomlin as a home dog off a loss, where he is 12-4 against the spread. Okay, back to Metcalf—he is a low-end WR1 on a slate missing four teams due to bye weeks. I have him at WR11, and Freedman (aka The Wet Blanket) has him even higher at WR10. Hold your noses! 
   
• Note: Freedman crushed it last week, hitting three of his four five-star bets. If you want to know more about the edges he thinks the market underrates, he provided a ton of great information on last week's episode of Talk Data To Me. We broke down last week's best bets, but did it from an angle of why, to provide you with actionable takeaways you can apply to any slate.      
   
• Marvin Harrison Jr. | Cardinals: Speaking of holding your noses. Whew. Harrison Jr. has been a colossal disappointment for the second straight season, ranking 43rd in points per game (10.8) and 39th in Utilization Score (61). But if there is a remedy that can cure a terrible fantasy season, it is the Cowboys' defense. More like America's Cream… puff. Am I right!?!? I have three kids, just bear with me, y'all. I have to get those sorts of things out. The Cowboys have boosted fantasy production for opposing WR corps by a league-leading 9.3 points per game. Harrison is a low-end WR2 with an Xfinity Best ceiling of 20.3 points.   
   
• Jauan Jennings | 49ers: Jennings hasn't been strong in the boxscore over the last two games with 7.1 and 8.5 fantasy points, but has earned target shares of 30% and 24% in tough matchups against the Falcons and Texans. Those teams are the third-hardest and most challenging matchups for WRs with -5.4 and -8.1 fantasy boosts. This week, the 49ers get an average matchup against New York (1.7). Over the last four games, the Giants have boosted opposing pass attacks by 32 yards and 0.5 TDs. New York runs man coverage at a league-leading rate of 42%. Jennings leads the 49ers by a large margin in TPRR versus man at 34%. This is a nice get-right spot for Jennings, who is a low-end WR3 with WR2 upside.
   
• Alec Pierce | Colts: Pierce is on pace for a career high in target share at 18% and he ranks ninth in catchable air yards per game with 63.3. The Steelers have provided the sixth-best fantasy boost to opposing WR rooms at 3.2 points per game. The Steel Curtain has a massive hole in it, boosting opposing passing attacks by 68 yards and 0.3 touchdowns per contest. Pierce is a mid-range WR4 with upside and is 74% of leagues if you are looking for a streamer that could get there on one play.
   
• Christian Watson | Packers: Watson returned to action in Week 8 and stepped into a 65% route participation rate. This is a crowded WR room, but Watson offers field-stretching ability that the rest of their options don't have. From a tactical perspective, that could earn him more playing time as he returns to health. There is a world where he quickly takes over a starting role on the outside, leaving Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks fighting for scraps. Watson is a boom-bust WR5 option in a high-scoring offense and is available in 74% of leagues.

TE Rapid Fire: Week 9 Rankings Upgrades & Pending News

• Brock Bowers | Raiders: Bowers is practicing at full speed after taking time away to let his knee heal. The Raiders offense is pretty gross, but it isn't like Bowers was on a high-performing unit as a rookie when he ranked second with 15.5 fantasy points per game. It's only a one-game sample, but Bowers scored 15.3 points in Week 1, which is the game he got injured. I have been slightly conservative with his ranking this week since we can't know for sure that he is 100%, but he is still my TE5 behind Trey McBride, George Kittle, Tucker Kraft and Tyler Warren.  
   
• Oronde Gadsden | Chargers: Gadsden continues to climb the ranks. The rookie has averaged 20 points since taking over the starting TE role for the Chargers in Week 6. Over that span, he ranks third on the team with a 20% target share and ranks second behind McBride with a sterling 96 Utilization Score. While keeping this pace up isn't likely in a crowded offense, Gadsden is in the rotation now, and big games are going to come because he is a talented player—he is a mid-range TE1 with an 18.5-point Xfinity Best ceiling against the Titans in Week 9.
   
• Kyle Pitts | Falcons: Pitts is experiencing a career resurgence, ranking 10th in fantasy points per game (11.3) and 7th in Utilization Score (75). His historical Utilization Score comps have averaged 11.1 points with 81% performing as a top-12 TE. This week, Atlanta faces New England, which has provided the fourth-highest boost to TE units at 2.6 points per contest. Pitts is a low-end TE1 with a nice Xfinity Best ceiling of 16.2 points.

Fallers In My Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings

• Bo Nix | QB | Broncos: Nix now ranks No. 7 with 20.8 fantasy points per game after a slow start to the season. Last weekend, he torched the hapless Cowboys secondary for 24.8 points with four passing TDs. The week before, he ripped the Giants for a sizzling 40 fantasy points with two rushing TDs. It has been nice to see Nix in his bag, finding success in multiple ways. However, this week I am more skeptical. Nix faces the No. 1 QB fantasy defense. The Texans have held opposing signal callers to 6.2 points below their average. The oddsmakers also have this game tabbed as a defensive battle—the Broncos carry the fourth-lowest team total on the slate at 19 points. Nix could still come through, but he falls out of my top 12 to mid-range QB2 status.  
   
• Jordan Mason | RB | Vikings: Mason has averaged a lowly 5.3 points in games with Jones this season. His average Utilization Score with Jones is a 44, which is not good. His historical comps averaged 8.1 points with only 10% securing a top-36 finish. Mason is a one-dimensional player who relies heavily on scoring touchdowns. The Lions are 8.5-point favorites, which could push Mason off the field quickly if the Vikings fall behind—Aaron Jones is the passing-downs back. Detroit has held opposing RB units in check this season, boasting the third-toughest fantasy boost at -5.7 points per contest. Mason is a mid-range RB3 that should be on your bench if possible—his Xfinity Best ceiling is 11.4 points and his floor is 4.6.
   
• Chris Olave | WR | Saints: Tyler Shough will take over as the starting QB, which puts Olave's status as a mid-range WR2 in jeopardy. He fell from WR17 to WR24 in my rest-of-season projections due to the potential for a Dillon Gabriel-type performance from Shough. Historically, rookie QBs have not been good for fantasy WRs, especially ones that weren't high first-round picks. I could easily have to drop Olave to mid-range WR3 territory after this game. We have Shough ranked last in our consensus rankings, but I don't know if the market is discounting the pass-catchers yet, given Olave is the WR20. He has been a staple in the Utilization Report due to being underrated early in the season, but now WR20 feels bullish. Olave is a borderline WR2 who could bomb against the Rams.
   
• Matthew Golden | WR | Packers: With the return of Watson, the Packers' WR room is getting healthy, which doesn't bode well for Golden. He has squandered a golden opportunity to cement himself as a starter with a 13% target share. Could he still turn it around? Sure, anything is possible. But don't cling to the idea that all rookies get better as the season progresses. Actually, the opposite has been true for first-round rookie WRs. Over the last 10 years, that cohort has seen an 8% drop-off in fantasy performance when comparing the first eight weeks to the rest of the season. Golden drops out of boom-bust WR4 territory into WR5 bench status.
   
• Juwan Johnson | TE | Saints: Read my comments on Olave above. Johnson dropped from TE15 to TE20 in my rest-of-season projections after adjusting for the switch from Spencer Rattler to Shough. We are in prove-it territory for the rookie signal caller. Johnson is my TE19 and is the TE20 in the weekly projection model.

Sicko Starts For Week 9 Fantasy Football

I want to throw in a few names for all my fellow fantasy managers who are in a SICKO league. If you are in a 12-team league with three starting WRs and two flexes, these are for you! Or you are in a more typical setup, but need a name to help get you through injuries; these are for you!

We are looking for players with a rostership under 50% who aren't in many starting lineups.

Let's go, you sickos.

• Week 1: Daniel Jones (hit), Jerome Ford (miss), Rashod Bateman (miss), Hunter Henry (hit)
• Week 2: Trevor Lawrence (hit), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (miss), Kayshon Boutte (hit), Juwan Johnson (hit)
• Week 3: Tyrod Taylor (hit), Tyler Allgeier (miss), Wan'Dale Robinson (miss), Cole Kmet (hit)
• Week 4: Jaxson Dart (hit), TreVeyon Henderson (hit), Troy Franklin (hit), Cade Otton (miss)
• Week 5: Jaxson Dart (hit), Rhamondre Stevenson (hit), Malik Washington (miss), Mason Taylor (hit)
• Week 6: Trevor Lawrence (hit), Kimani Vidal (hit), Isiah Bond (miss), Mason Taylor (miss)
• Week 7: C.J. Stroud (miss), Kendre Miller (injury), Tez Johson (hit), Oronde Gadsden II (hit)
• Week 8: Joe Flacco (hit), Kyle Monangai (miss), Troy Franklin (hit), Colston Loveland (miss)

J.J. McCarthy | QB | Vikings

McCarthy is rostered in 25% of Yahoo leagues and is in 4% of starting lineups.

Okay, we went with a pocket passer for the first time last week, and it worked out with Flacco. But you guys know me by now. In this spot, I like to focus on QBs who can do damage on the ground.

While McCarthy was horrendous in the passing game during the first two games with 143- and 158-yard outings, he ran for 25 yards in each game and scored a rushing touchdown.

Note: I don't know if this is a sign or just random, but I have random music playing, and "What a Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers just came on.

But what a fool believes he sees

No wise man has the power to reason away

What seems to be

Is always better than nothing

I don't know what this means for the SICKO call, but I really don't mind those lyrics. This section of the column focuses on believing in things that could happen even if they might look foolish in retrospect. We want to believe and show some love to younger players who could make more than a one-week difference if we get lucky. 

I mean, without love, where would you be now, Michael McDonald!?!?

Okay, back to McCarthy, who notched three designed rushing attempts and four scrambles over his first two games. We can get down with that!

The Vikings are 8.5-point underdogs to the Lions, so hopefully, Kevin O'Connell has a slightly less conservative game plan in store for us on Sunday. Honestly, remaining committed to the run and plays that keep the defense guessing is a good thing for McCarthy—those elements were in play for Darnold last year (and this year). But let's let things rip downfield to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

Of course, much of that might have nothing to do with O'Connell. It could have been McCarthy not reading the field cleanly or having the confidence to trust that he and his receivers were seeing the same thing. Hopefully, the time off has helped him in those areas.

We don't need huge passing yardage totals; we just need the passing touchdowns to go with some rushing goodness. Think Jaxson Dart. The Lions have been beatable through the air in recent weeks, allowing 2.3 passing TDs per contest with a 0.5 boost.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 20.8
• Median: 15.0
• Floor: 11.7

McCarthy is my QB23, but he fits all the criteria for a SICKO start if you need help and want some upside, should we get lucky!

Brashard Smith | RB | Chiefs

Smith is rostered in 16% of leagues but starts in only 3% of lineups.

I *think* Hunt will be the lead back with Pacheco out. However, Smith is the younger player, and if he goes off, he will headline waiver wire columns in a way that Hunt can't. 

Let's be honest. Hunt could score 25 this week, and you won't be able to move him for a bag of chips. If Hunt scores 25, you will be able to extract value—even if you think he goes back to a part-time role when Pacheco returns.

Of course, the Chiefs' rushing attack hasn't been electric this year, and there is always a chance that Smith is in fact auditioning for a larger role. He has already flashed once in garbage time in Week 7 when he picked up 13.1 fantasy points. 

Despite a limited role, the Chiefs have prioritized Smith as a pass catcher when he has been on the field. The rookie ranks No. 1 in TPRR at 41% across all backs with at least 75 snaps. 

While that isn't a sustainable number in a larger role, it is proof that the Chiefs value Smith enough to create looks for him, which is a positive.

The Chiefs carry the sixth-highest team total at 27 points in a game against the Bills that could turn into a shootout.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 13.6
• Median: 7.6
• Floor: 5.5

I have Smith ranked highest among Fantasy Life rankers at RB34, which is five spots higher than the consensus.

Chimere Dike | WR | Titans

Noel is rostered in 16% of Yahoo leagues and is in only 7% of starting lineups.

We are getting just absolutely SICK in these streets for Week 9. I have a feeling my hit rate might be low across this foursome, BUT I will be happy if any one of them has a big outing, given the added upside of potentially picking up some long-term value.

Dike checks those boxes in a big way. The rookie fourth-rounder took over the starting slot duties three weeks ago, leading to the release of Tyler Lockett. Last weekend, he notched season-highs in route participation at 91% and target share at 22%. He finished Week 8 with 16.4 fantasy points—his second consecutive outing of 16-plus—and a 77 Utilization Score. 

We don't know how playing time will be impacted if Calvin Ridley (hamstring), who didn't practice on Wednesday, returns to the lineup, but Dike is clearly on the rise in Tennessee. We have a 1-7 team that needs to get a look at its young players, which leaves the door open for extended playing time even when Ridley returns.

Historically, this is a trend we have seen play out among rookie WRs who weren't Round 1 picks (they often get immediate playing time). Below is a quick breakdown by round for the last 10 rookie classes, highlighting the change in fantasy points and playing time in the first eight weeks versus the rest of the season:

• Round 2: +27% PPG, +17% snaps
• Round 3: +6% PPG, +12% snaps
• Round 4: +16% PPG, +12% snaps
• Round 5: +18% PPG, -3% snaps

The point here isn't to say any round is necessarily better than the other. The bigger takeaway is that rookies who get drafted in this range get more opportunities on the whole as the season goes on.

The matchup against the Chargers isn't ideal (-3.9 fantasy boost), but Dike is a good long-view player who could still come through. If he has another game like last week, he will be a waiver wire darling.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 15.6
• Median: 9.2
• Floor: 6.6

Dike is a low-end WR4 in Week 9 but is on the rise. Get him, y'all.

Colston Loveland | TE | Bears

Loveland is rostered in 23% of Yahoo leagues and starts in 7% of lineups.

Loveland was the SICKO call at TE last week, but I am going back to the well because of all the mid-range TE2s in the ranks. While he didn't come through last weekend, he is still the one we would love the most on our rosters moving forward if he pops off in Week 9.

IT COULD HAPPEN, Y'ALL. The Bengals have consented to the No. 1 fantasy boost for TE rooms with a mouth-watering 8.1-point bump per game. That is just ridiculous.

If you want the complete low-down on Loveland's skillset (the Rookie Super Model LOVED him), check out my write-up at the very bottom of last week's column.

Note: Cole Kmet (back) got in a limited practice session on Wednesday. Keep an eye on that situation; it could foil our plans. But I am already partially hedging for that in the projections.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 11.3
• Median: 6.7
• Floor: 4.9

Loveland is a mid-range TE2, but I would rather play him over other middling options that won't carry the same sizzle if they boom in Week 9.

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