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Top 10 Fantasy Football Takeaways from Week 9 Usage

1. De’Von Achane Is … Miami’s No. 2 WR?

Achane has played a huge role in Miami's passing game this season, particularly in games with QB Tua Tagovailoa. His 30 targets in Tua's four games are just two fewer than Hill -- and 13 more than Waddle.

Achane has scored 17.8 PPR points per game with Tagovailoa ... just as a receiver. That'd rank eighth among RBs and ninth among WRs.

Achane's 27.8 total PPR points per game with Tua would lead all RBs by more than five points. For perspective, Christian McCaffrey averaged 24.7 PPR points per game last year.

Achane's target share and overall fantasy production is likely to come down from these lofty heights. But he looks like at least a top-8 PPR RB going forward, with the upside to push for the position lead.

2. Taysom Hill Plays RB AND TE

Hill ran five times for 19 yards and a score in the Week 9 loss to the Panthers. But the bigger development from that one was Hill's role in the passing game. He set season highs with a 47% route rate and five targets, catching four of them for 41 yards.

Hill finished fifth among TEs in PPR points and ninth in expected PPR points in Week 9.

His typical rushing role has made him a TE1 option in non-PPR leagues. If he adds this type of passing-game role to his repertoire, Hill could be a top-12 fantasy TE across formats.

And I'd bet on this type of usage continuing at least until WR Chris Olave is cleared to return from his latest concussion. Remember that TE Rashid Shaheed is out for the season.

Hill sits 11th in our Week 10 TE PPR Rankings.

3. Rico Dowdle Gets Season-Best Usage

Dowdle set season highs in Week 9 in snap rate and route rate. His 57% carry share was his second-biggest tally of the season. Dowdle ranked 12th among RBs in expected PPR points for the week and eighth in actual points.

RB Ezekiel Elliott was deactivated for that game for disciplinary reasons. We'll see if he gets back into the mix going forward. But if this version of Zeke impacts Dowdle's role, the Cowboys have bigger issues than we thought.

HC Mike McCarthy said after the Week 9 loss that Dowdle played "very, very well" and said they'd like to get him more touches going forward.

#Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy on Rico Dowdle:

“We’d like to give him some more touches… I thought Rico played very, very well.”

McCarthy has an 80% reliability rating on usage/workload coachspeak

We expect Dowdle to sustain a healthy workload pic.twitter.com/7vRTsA1rKf

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) November 5, 2024

The other variable here is QB Dak Prescott's absence for at least the next four games. That figures to hurt Dallas' offense overall. But I'd also expect the Cowboys to lean more on the running game, meaning more volume for Dowdle.

There are some moving parts here that we'll need to see settle. But Dowdle could creep into lower-end RB2 territory if his Week 9 usage sticks.

4. Chase Brown Plays Workhorse

For at least one week, Brown got the play the role of Bengals workhorse. With RB Zack Moss sidelined with a neck injury, Brown played 59 of 74 offensive snaps and handled all 32 RB opportunities (27 carries, 5 targets). He led all RBs in expected PPR points for the week, ranking fourth in actual PPR points.

There isn't a RB on Earth who can handle that type of volume every week. So -- with Moss expected to miss the rest of the season -- the Bengals swung a trade for RB Khalil Herbert on Tuesday.

Herbert has been an efficient runner as a pro but never offered much in the passing game. I'm betting on him eventually taking most of the 6.5 carries per game Moss averaged over his last four. But I don't think Herbert soaks up Moss' 3.0 targets per game. That means more passing-game work for Brown, on top of lead ball-carrying duties.

We'll keep an eye on Herbert's role in this backfield. But, if Brown leads in both carries and targets going forward, he'll be a rock-solid RB2 with weekly RB1-level upside.

5. Evan Engram Dominates Targets

Engram didn't stuff the stat sheet in his first game of the season without WR Christian Kirk, finishing with five catches for 45 yards. But his usage was awesome.

Engram registered a season-high 89% route rate and was targeted on 10 of QB Trevor Lawrence's 31 passes. Only four TEs tallied more expected PPR points.

That was a continuation of strong usage for Engram in games without Kirk last year.

Evan Engram's per-game averages in 6 outings without Christian Kirk last year:

10.2 targets (25.1% share)
8.3 catches
73.2 yards
0.7 TDs

Scored 19.5 more PPR points than any other TE over that stretch.

— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) October 28, 2024

As long as he gets serviceable QB play from Lawrence, Engram has a good chance to score as a top-5 TE the rest of the way. There might still be an opportunity to acquire him in a trade this week.

6. Jaguars Backfield: Eww!

This was our first look at a full-strength Jaguars backfield since Week 5. And it was gross.

Bigsby led Etienne 8 to 3 in carries. Etienne drew the only 3 RB targets. And Johnson siphoned 22% of the snaps and 23% of the routes.

Etienne will barely sniff RB3 value with this type of usage. Maybe he was being eased in coming off a two-game absence, but I'd at least try to avoid using him in Week 10 fantasy lineups.

The news is a bit better for Bigsby, who led the backfield in snaps, carries, and -- surprisingly -- routes. If he continues in this role, Bigsby could at least be a serviceable RB3.

Of course, it would help Bigsby and Etienne if Johnson went away.

7. Rhamondre Stevenson A Workhorse Again?

Stevenson opened the season as a three-down back for the Patriots, ranking second among RBs in expected PPR points per game and eighth in actual points per game over the first two weeks.

Then he dealt with a case of fumble-itis and a foot injury. He was barely useable from Weeks 3 through 7, ranking 36th in expected points per game and 40th in actual.

But Stevenson is healthy again, hasn't fumbled since Week 4, and is back in a workhorse role for New England. He ranks fifth in both expected and actual PPR points per game over the last two weeks, turning in RB8 and RB7 PPR finishes.

Offensive environment remains an issue for Stevenson. He's averaging just 3.8 yards per carry on the season -- and 2.2 over the last three weeks -- behind a bad offensive line. But QB Drake Maye has given this offense some upside. And Stevenson's volume should at least carry him to lower-end RB2 numbers, even if the efficiency doesn't improve.

8. Is Hunter Henry A TE1 With Drake Maye?

Henry has finished as a top-11 PPR TE in all three of Maye's full games. His 14.3 PPR points per game across Weeks 6, 7, and 9 rank seventh among TEs. Only four TEs tallied more expected PPR points per game over those three weeks.

The Patriots have averaged 37.0 pass attempts per game with Maye. That number is probably coming down -- although it's worth noting that New England has leaned heavily into the pass in Maye's last two starts, with pass rates over expected of +8.4% and +18.3%.

Regardless of intent, the Patriots will be trailing often the rest of the way, meaning plenty of pass volume. And if Henry can maintain a target share anywhere close to 20%, he's a strong bet for top-12 TE production.

9. Cade Otton Keeps Rolling

Otton has racked up 31 targets over the past three weeks. That ranks second among TEs behind only Travis Kelce. It'd rank fourth among WRs.

Over those three games, Otton:

• Has finished TE5, TE1, and TE3 in PPR points
• Ranks second among TEs in expected PPR points per game
• Ranks first in actual PPR points per game

Otton will need to deal with the return of WR Mike Evans after the Week 11 bye. But WR Chris Godwin, whose shorter-range work Otton is soaking up, won't be back this season.

It's also worth noting that three of Otton's final five games (omitting Week 18) come against bottom-6 TE defenses, including two against the Panthers' league-worst TE defense.

Otton is a top-5 fantasy TE until Evans returns and should hold on to top-8 production even with Evans back.

10. Alexander Mattison Loses Workhorse Role

Mattison ranked 31st among RBs in PPR points per game from Weeks 5 through 8, almost entirely because of a role that landed him seventh at the position in expected PPR points.

That role went away in Week 9. Mattison's playing time cratered, he handled only nine of 19 RB carries, and he wasn't targeted. He also lost a goal-line TD to RB Zamir White.

The Raiders have a Week 10 bye -- and a new offensive coaching led by Scott and Norv Turner. Barring word from the team, this backfield will be difficult to project in Week 11.

Mattison is a fine hold through this bye week, but he won't be a bankable Week 11 starter. We'll re-assess this backfield after that game.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.