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David Montgomery and D’Andre Swift are both workhorse running backs who are involved in the passing game, but play at two very different levels. Montgomery is an RB2 with RB1 upside, while Swift is an elite bell-cow and a league winner.

The Brandon Aiyuk comeback game has finally arrived. He ran a route on all of Jimmy Garoppolo’s 40 pass attempts, and set season highs in all of PlayerProfiler’s listed box score stats. Aiyuk is returning to normal usage, out of Shanahan’s dog house, and this week’s buy of the week.

He’s still splitting time with Melvin Gordon, but Javonte Williams has a good matchup to produce for fantasy purposes this week. The Eagles have allowed 100-plus rushing yards to opposing backfields in seven games this season. Philadelphia has also been a bad matchup for opposing WR corps this season, so expect the Broncos to pound the rock. The Eagles are a good matchup for Williams to produce above his normal output this week.

Seemingly playing through injury this season, Antonio Gibson’s value has not nearly been as high as fantasy community consensus had him at the beginning of the season. He is averaging 3.9 (No. 41 among qualifying RBs entering Week 9) True Yards Per Carry this season, despite 47 (No. 5) Evaded Tackles. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is one of the more difficult matchups for opposing RBs. Gibson will be in for a rough day with smaller rush opportunity this week.

We talked about Elijah Moore last week in this column as a player trending up. He did not disappoint with a massive game against Indianapolis catching seven passes for 84 yards and two TDs. If he is somehow available, be aggressive and go get him. Moore could end the year with a strong finish and shoot up redraft boards heading into 2022. He is the most explosive player on The Jets and has big-time potential. 

James Conner was one of the stars of Week 9, but Eno Benjamin should be an exciting add this week. Chase Edmonds went down with an ankle injury, and Benjamin stepped in behind Conner. With Edmonds set to miss, look for Benjamin to see the field for about a third of snaps. Conner has dealt with injuries in the past, so expect the Cardinals not to overload him. Benjamin is a strong add, especially in deeper formats.

The Chicago Bears have disappointed yet again, but look to continue to improve. Justin Fields looks to advance on his breakout performance. Darnell Mooney continues to dominate opportunity, while Allen Robinson continues to disappear. Look for the Bears to have a decent night against the Steelers.

Big Ben is dust, but has been able to support Diontae Johnson to a WR1 statusl. Najee Harris has been given an insane amount of opportunity, and has been one of the most reliable fantasy options of 2021. The Steelers overall have a better team than Chicago, but have been known to fade offensively.

The Cardinals even have a really nice schedule coming up, including games against Seattle, a beaten-down Bears team, the Rams (not what they used to be vs the run) and Detroit. Whether Chase Edmonds’ injury is short-term or if it lasts longer, the Cardinals have confidence in James Conner, and we must too. Ride with Conner if he’s on your roster. Also consider stashing Eno Benjamin in the event Edmonds misses any time.

Ride the wave and confidently start all your Colts. Look for backup Colts for the end of your bench. If Michael Pittman is still attainable, do what you can to get him. Get Donovan Peoples-Jones now if he’s available. Don’t bother with Odell Beckham but feel free to sell quickly if he lands in an exciting location.

Week 9 cresembles every other week in the NFL, as far as injuries go. The exception for this week, is the reinforcements making their way back from the ole Injured Reserve. Quarterbacks are once again a highlight and the tight ends have started their own section within the injury club. No matter, The Infirmary is here to be the guiding light through these trying times.

For Jeremy McNichols truthers, now is the time. There is no direct fill-in for Henry, but McNichols will be a valuable asset for the remainder of the season. Per usual, most names on the Questionable list will suit up in the end, but there’s never a guarantee. For the Cardinals, Kyler Murray suiting up is as far from a guarantee as can be.

Justin Fields has experienced growing pains in the early part of his NFL career. However, last weekend versus the 49ers, the first-round signal caller provided Bears fans a glimpse of what he is capable of. Following his 26.3 (QB5) fantasy day, Fields gains 11.91 Lifetime Value points and climbs four spots to QB10 on PlayerProfiler’s dynasty rankings.

After a torrid start to 2021, Mike Williams’ stock is trending down of late. He loses three spots to land at WR28 on PlayerProfiler’s dynasty rankings. Over the last four games, Williams has failed to top 30 receiving yards three times. This is more reminiscent of the boom or bust output that fantasy gamers have been accustomed to from the fifth year wideout.

Aaron Jones should see significantly high roster levels if Davante Adams misses another matchup, and rightfully so. Keep an eye on A.J. Dillon as well. Rodgers is one of the best – if not the best – at finding open receivers downfield, yet Dillon still has a 22.6-percent target rate on routes run. With Jordan Love at the helm, Dillon just needs four or five to get in the end zone and return value.

Look for Dak Prescott to be a contrarian play, as most people will be fading this Denver-Dallas contest. Stacking him with Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper could net you two of the top options on the slate. Running it back with the aforementioned Jeudy or one of the running backs could be interesting as a dart throw. I know these running backs are more expensive than most dart throws, but trying to guess which one will be utilized is just that; a dart throw. 

Put some respect on Patrick Mahomes and take the OVER on his passing yards line this week. My confidence in this take is driven by the sheer passing volume that the Chiefs have displayed this season. Mahomes ranks top-3 in many passing opportunity metrics. This game has a decent points total of 48, so Mahomes will continue to air it out to stay competitive because their defense has no chance of slowing down anything.

I love this Zack Moss line because the Bills are 13.5 point favorites against the feeble Jaguars, so game script will naturally lend to running back volume for Buffalo. In fact, Buffalo has a +8.65 (No. 1) Game Script score, so leading early and often is certainly in the cards this weekend. Additionally, Buffalo runs the ball at a high-rate, with 28.7 (No. 9) Team Run Plays Per Game. All things considered, Moss will receive ample opportunity to compile rushing and receiving yards in a cake matchup.

D.J. Moore’s fantasy season has been a a wild roller coaster. Through his first four games, Moore averaged 22.4 Fantasy Points Per Game and averaged 110.5 Air Yards per game. However, in his last four games Moore has averaged only 10.7 Fantasy Points Per Game despite averaging roughly the same, 103.5 Air Yards, on a per game basis. This recent lack of production has driven down Moore’s price and he is without a doubt a buy low. 

DeVonta Smith is setting up again as the contrarian play of the week. He scored only 2.5 fantasy points last week against the hapless Lions in a game where his team scored over 40 points. With key injuries to the Chargers secondary this week, Smith should be able to rebound in a game that the Eagles may be forced to throw a lot to keep up with the Chargers.