Matthew Berry's Love/Hate for Week 9 of 2023 season

It solved nothing. And it solved everything.

I am talking, of course, about two weeks ago, when I wrote, as @BTDiaz wrote on Twitter/X: “That was one of the most meta opens I’ve read.”

The open, in case you missed it, was about my writing process, my current life and whether or not I would continue writing this, the “opening story” to Love/Hate each week. Reaction to that idea was swift, strong and solved absolutely nothing.

Almost all of the comments under my social media posts about the Week 7 column (where I first floated the idea of “no open”) implored me to keep the open. A comment from Josh Elman on Twitter/X was similar to a lot that I got:

“Oh no, please don’t stop the open. It is exactly why I read every single week and get to share your life of a football fan, parent, etc. I will still read because I like your recs, but at some point without the open, I might stop. You and @EasterbrookG make me love football more.”

The support and feedback on the opening story was truly wonderful.

But it wasn’t universal. Some admitted they rarely read the open. Others said they read the intro sometimes and sometimes, short on time, just skip to the players.

As for the issue at hand — what to do going forward — there were many, many suggestions and comments. Having guest columnists, keeping the open but not as often, making them shorter, some who said they read it sometimes but sometimes they just skip to the player names, and on and on. I was touched by the sentiment that many had, including @FantasyNewz, who said: “The open is beloved, but I think everyone would understand if you decided to prioritize your health and family and skip the open. Do what’s best for you, people will still read Love/Hate without the open.”

My favorite suggestion might have been Matthew Pouliot’s who merely asked: “What if you just wrote the open?” Hahahaha.

Either way, we went forward with the experiment. I didn’t write an opening story in Week 8.

And reaction to that, once again, was mixed.

Some missed the intro. @dimab549 wrote: “What do we do if we opened it forgetting there was no intro but are passionately pro-intro? Can you personally take my click away? Please bring the intro back.”

And @bjorama added “This week’s #LOVEHATE is like beef, vegetables and barley soup without the beef, vegetables, and barley.”

But @SCAM518 was not alone when he wrote: “I generally skip the intro. Obviously I read it this week. I don’t hate it. I get why you want to and do write it. At first I read them, but after awhile I stopped reading and went straight to the Love/Hate column. I vote no open.”

Either way, the smartest comment came from @FriendofthePeo4, who wrote: “Coming next week – Matthew Berry writes the longest intro ever, all about what not writing an intro has meant to him.”

HAHAHA.

You got me, FriendofthePeo4. Very true. Here we are.

While the people who commented on my social media posts about the column the last two weeks were like 95% positive and pleading to keep the open, there’s also this. A follower named @Foleystweets put up a poll (that I re-tweeted. Er, Re-Xed. Whatever. I amplified it). The poll asked: “Do you care about the story MB writes before the players on Love/Hate list?”

Over 5,000 people voted in that poll and 60% voted for “Love/Hate” list only, while just 40% voted for “I like to read the intro.”

And the truth is that the numbers for Week 8’s column (the one last week without an intro) WERE down. Less people definitely read it and they spent less time on it last week. Full stop.

BUT

The numbers weren’t down significantly. They were still really good overall. And when looked at a certain way, the small decline could have nothing to do with intro vs. no intro, but rather the fact the column is a week later into the season. (In general, fantasy football traffic is at its highest in August when everyone is drafting and then gradually declines consistently over the season as more and more managers fall out of playoff contention.)

My bosses have left it up to me.

It was an interesting experiment, but @Artie61215741is likely right when he wrote: “The experiment is rigged… People are going to read it no matter what. But it’s not a TMR article without the opening!”

I don’t know if “rigged” is the right word, but he’s not wrong. People still read the column. NBC was thrilled with the readership last week and would be VERY happy with that number every single week. So the truth is — for the traffic, for my bosses, for a large portion of the audience — I don’t NEED the open.

But I also think Artie6125741 is also right when he says: “But it’s not a TMR article without the opening!”

The column will still do numbers, will still accomplish what it’s supposed to — get you ready for the week in fantasy football — but it won’t be the same. Won’t be mine. I’ll no longer get tweets like these:

@RogerRoger517: “The truth is I don’t read every article with Love/Hate but I have very much enjoyed some essays such as your internship with George Carlin, your role/experience with “Avengers Endgame” and your experience of being a “Swifty.”

And @larryc17 wrote: “Love the opening. That gives your readers a window into you and what is going on with you. See Taylor and Jimmy Buffett recently. Or writing about the first time you went on Stern ages ago. Or your health issues a few years ago.”

I mean… when people remember different columns from years and years ago that means something. That it sticks with folks means a lot more to me than, “Hey, thanks for Darren Waller in his breakout year” or “I have Puka Nacua this year because of you” or whatever.

The fact that it’s not only columns from years ago, but different columns? That every column hits differently for others? That touches me incredibly.

As did this text, reprinted with permission, I got from Tom Rinaldi. Tom, of course, is currently crushing it over at Fox Sports but was my colleague for many years at ESPN, even though we never worked together. I was always Bristol based, working on what is referred to as “the studio” side of the company, while Tom was often on the road, part of the “live event” side of the company. But anyone who has watched, listened or read him over the years knows what I am about to say.

He's awesome. Awesome at what he does, a great reporter, broadcaster and writer, with a true gift. I have so much respect for him, as so many do, and have for years. So I admired him from afar, but we never met until one day he calls me out of the blue to tell me how he is not a fantasy player, so he never read my column. But his son is. And he was calling to tell me how his son, Jack, sent him a column of mine, which he read. And enjoyed. He told me the columns were something that he and Jack enjoy together now. They send the columns back and forth to each other and discuss them weekly. Which, you know, just blew me away.

I sent him and his son a video about a month ago telling them privately what I have since told all of you. That I am not sure how much longer I can keep doing the column and for sure am thinking about killing “the open.” To which he sent me this response:

“Matthew! Wow what a message. Above and beyond. Means so much that you’d take the time to send it, especially given the time of the year and the demands of the schedule. Know this: Your writing will always be there. That gift is so special, it manifests in a singular voice. And that lasts, whether you step away for a time or not.

The reason I send the note is because your writing touches me in so many ways – as the non fantasy player and as the man/dad/fan/reader/human. Your candor in sharing the episodes of your life is so pure and authentic. And moving. Will share with Jack and tell him it’s just between us and you. He loves what you do and holds you in reverence. As do I. Keep shining as an example Matthew!”

WELL.

I mean, what do you say to that? Touched beyond belief. The fact the column means that much to a father and son – and, specifically, THAT father and son – words fail me.

But as much as I love Tom and Jack, that wasn’t what put me over the top. It was Nicole Hollingshead.

Nicole came out to our live Fantasy Football Pregame show in Philadelphia at Applebee’s two weeks ago and approached me by saying, very simply: “Don’t kill the open. You can’t kill the open.”

She explained to me that in April of 2013 she started dating her dream guy. She had liked him for years before they started dating and now, finally out of the friend zone with Ben, she was on Cloud 9. As she said to me: “You know how it is in the early days of falling in love... you laugh at all of their jokes, you lie about liking your eggs burnt, you tell them you like watching football every year... You just enjoy your little love bubble.”

But then, a few months later in August, her bubble burst. His fantasy football league had someone back out at the last minute — like 15 minutes before the draft started. So Ben asked Nicole to join the league with him and all of his work buddies.

Now, Nicole was, and still is, an Eagles fan, but that was it. Despite what she may have told Ben while they were in the early days of dating, she never played fantasy football and her knowledge of football was confined to “Fly Eagles Fly!” and “Cowboys Suck!” But she agreed to join the league to impress him.

But as she wrote me later: “And then panic set in. I quickly excused myself from the room to Google "how to fantasy football" and pray. Thankfully the FF gods took mercy on me and led me straight to Matthew Berry's preseason Love/Hate. You wrote all the jargon in normal terms and seemed extremely relatable. (Even for a Washington fan. lol) Boy, did you save my ass that night. I read through the whole thing as quickly as I could. I sat there in silence basically toggling between the draft and the article until the draft was over. I survived the draft and it looked like I knew what I was doing.”

Nicole continued: “As luck would have it, I played against my boyfriend in Week 1... and I crushed him. It was awesome and I'm pretty sure he "loved/hated" how impressed he was. I eventually let him in on my secret weapon and for the rest of the season, we would read Love/Hate together. It’s now 10+ years later. We are happily married with two kids. We still play fantasy every year and we still read Love/Hate every week.”

What’s the saying? If you can reach just one person…? I don’t know, man. My guess is that Nicole and Ben are giving me way too much credit. They would have found their way to each other one way or another and they were clearly meant to be. But if this column helped bring a family together? Or gives something for a father and son to talk about each week? Or means a little something to someone somewhere every week? … Well, that’s heady stuff. And a massive compliment. And an incredible gift to have a connection with some readers. One I don’t take lightly.

A connection that allows people like @aaronpopdad to write something this: “I think you should do what makes you happy. You’ve earned the right.”

Thanks Aaron. And that’s what I’ve ultimately decided to do. Doing the open makes me happy. Spending all night writing it does not. So here’s what I am going to do.

I’m going to keep writing it. Some of the time.

There are still a lot of stories I want to tell. It’s Veteran’s Day next week and it’s important to me to write an article as I do every year (and if you’ve got a good Veteran / Fantasy Football story, please, I'd like to hear it and you can email it to me here.) I want to write something on Matthew Perry’s death but I need time to nail that one. And so on.

But honestly there are some weeks I don’t have the time, energy or idea to do a great open. And those are the weeks that crush me. Feeling like I HAVE to do one.

And that’s what this whole experiment showed me. I don’t HAVE to have an open every week. It’s fine if I don’t. But I like having one more often than not and so do a lot of other people. So that’s what we will do. The open will continue BUT… there will be some weeks where there’s not an open. Or I will choose a “best of” open from my archive that I liked a lot. Or I’ll have a guest. Or I’ll just say … yeah, no open this week. But either way, I’ll always be honest with you guys. And for sure, will do what makes me happy.

Thanks guys. Means more than you’ll ever know.

A reminder that “Fantasy Football Pregame” airs this Sunday morning 11am ET to 1pm ET and it’s now on YouTube in addition to Peacock. We answer more questions than any other pregame show so tweet the show using the #FFPregame or comment on our YouTube feed. It airs on the NFL on NBC YouTube page.

And with that, thanks to my producer Damian Dabrowski for his help at various points in this column.

Here we go:

Quarterbacks I Love in Week 9

Joe Burrow vs. Buffalo

One of the best Halloween costumes I saw this year was the little kid in Cincinnati who dressed up as Joe Burrow. No, not by putting on a Joe Burrow jersey and Bengals helmet. This kid went with the custom-made sweater and Kid Cudi shoes. Love it. I also love that Joe is an investor in FantasyLife.com. And I love that he is playing on Sunday Night Football right here on NBC and Peacock, because I’m a company man. But none of that matters for this week’s matchup. What I do love is a red-hot Burrow taking on a Buffalo defense that has allowed 19-plus fantasy points to quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks. By the way, those quarterbacks were Baker Mayfield and Mac Jones. Ooof. Meanwhile, after averaging 7.9 PPG through Week 4, Burrow has put up 21.6 PPG over his past three games. Add to it that Buffalo is allowing the eighth-highest passer rating in the league since the injury to cornerback Tre’Davious White AND the fact that Cincinnati has the second-highest implied total this week? Burrow is a comfortable Top 3 play for me. Not as comfortable as that Burrow sweater. But close.

Tua Tagovailoa at Kansas City (in Germany)

The geography of Kansas City always confuses me, but I’ve finally figured it out. There’s a Kansas City, Kansas, and a Kansas City, Missouri, and both sort of straddle the Missouri River and the Kansas River. But the Kansas City most people know best is the one to the east, in Missouri. And this week the eastern Kansas City extends all the way east to Frankfurt, Germany (which was once part of West Germany), because the Chiefs have a home game in Frankfurt against the Miami Dolphins who play in the AFC East. See? It’s simple. Gutentag! Anyway, let’s hope the German football fans aren’t expecting a Bundesliga score on Sunday, because the Over/Under of 51 is Week 9’s highest. Tua averages 21.5 PPG this season when the Dolphins score more than 20 points, and Vegas projects Miami’s team total to be around 24. Also, since Week 4, Kansas City is allowing touchdown passes at the sixth-highest rate. I don’t expect Mahomes to put up another stinker (he’s my QB 2 this week) so Tua will need to sling it to keep up. Look for Tagovailoa to put up nice numbers this week in Kansas City, Germany. He’s my QB Sechs. (Six for those of you not fluent in German).

Dak Prescott at Philadelphia

I think Eagles fans have finally moved on from proclaiming that Carson Wentz, and not Dak Prescott, was the better quarterback from the 2016 NFL Draft. But I still don’t think they’ll love seeing Prescott on the Love List against the Eagles in Lincoln Financial Field. Yet, it’s hard to ignore that Philadelphia is tied for the third-most touchdown passes allowed this season. Just as it’s hard to ignore that Philadelphia is bottom-eight in both pass defense and passer rating against. And it’s really hard to ignore the fact that, dating back to 2021, Prescott has scored 20-plus fantasy points against the Eagles in three straight games. I’m as annoyed as you are but facts are facts. The man has played well and will do so again this week. I have him as a Top 7 quarterback in Week 9.

Others receiving votes: The Commanders were sellers at the deadline, but I’m buying Sam Howell this week against New England. Over the past four weeks, the Patriots rank last in pressure rate. And don’t forget: since Week 4, Future Hall-of-Famer Sam Howell is the fourth-best QB in PPG, with 19-plus fantasy points in four of his past five contests. … Las Vegas just fired Josh McDaniels, the guy who fired Derek Carr from Las Vegas because the Raiders are clearly much worse without Carr, so the week is already going Derek’s way. Then, a look at the schedule shows Carr gets a Chicago defense that allows the second-most touchdown passes on the season and the third-most passing yards per game. Things are coming up Derek this week for sure. … C.J. Stroud’s Rookie of the Year campaign should get back on track this week against a Buccaneers team that, over the past four weeks, is allowing a league-high 299 passing yards per game. Over that same stretch, opposing QBs are averaging 21.8 PPG.

Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 9

Geno Smith at Baltimore

Following Seattle’s come-from-behind victory over the Browns last week, Geno Smith said: “If you look at our roster, player for player, I mean, I think we could match up with anybody.” Yes, let’s talk about matching up. Because it’s a terrible matchup for Smith this week. The Ravens allow the fewest fantasy points to QBs (11.2 PPG) and a league-low 5.4 yards per pass attempt. Baltimore also has allowed passing touchdowns at the lowest rate in the league this season. And then there are Smith’s continued struggles. He now has five straight games with less than 15 fantasy points. If you look at your fantasy roster, player for player, I think you should leave Geno Smith on your bench this week. He’s outside my Top 15 quarterbacks.

Daniel Jones at Las Vegas

Look, I think Daniel Jones will perform better in this game than the 2-for-7 for minus-1 yards line that Tommy DeVito put up last week. That’s right, I’m projecting positive passing yards for Jones. I know. Pretty good. But that’s where my positivity ends. Jones has zero touchdown passes in four of his last five games. And get this: 56% of his total fantasy points this season came in one game, back in Week 2 against the Cardinals. And now that he finally gets off the injury report only to see his best pass catcher, Darren Waller, go on it. Yikes. Speaking of yikes: the dumpster fire that is the Las Vegas Raiders. But, believe it or not, five of the last eight quarterbacks to face the Raiders have put up fewer than 16 points. Daniel Jones seems likely to make it six of nine. Goodbye, injury report. Hello, Hate List. Jones is outside my Top 20 at the position.

Running Backs I Love in Week 9

Saquon Barkley at Las Vegas

They say the autumn wind is a raider. Why? I think it’s because wind tackles about as well as the Raiders. Over the last four weeks, only one team has allowed more rushing yards per game than the Raiders. And it wasn’t all just Jahmyr Gibbs last week. It just seems like it. For the season, the Raiders are allowing 152.6 scrimmage yards per game to running backs, and backs with 18-plus touches against Vegas are averaging 20.6 PPG. With Saquon Barkley averaging 30.3 touches per game since returning from injury, including a 20% target share over that stretch, he should be in for a big day. Or, as Steve Sabol might say: Saquon will knock the Raiders ‘round and upside down and laugh when he’s conquered and won. Barkley is a Top 3 back for me.

Jonathan Taylor at Carolina

Yep, Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor on the Love List together. Back in the summer, I don’t think I imagined it would take until Week 9 for two of the top backs in the league to get simultaneous Love, but alas. Taylor’s snap rate has now increased every game since he returned to action, hitting a season-high 61% last week. An increased workload should go a long way against a Carolina defense that, well … lets running backs go a long way. The Panthers allow 126 rushing yards per game to running backs and 5.0 YPC, both second-most in the league. Carolina has also allowed a league-high 12 rushing scores to backs. The unit isn’t exactly improving either. Over the past four weeks, Carolina is allowing the most fantasy PPG to running backs. Taylor is my RB 4 in Week 8.

Derrick Henry at Pittsburgh

Derrick Henry did not get traded by the Titans at the deadline and, if you’re thinking of trading him in fantasy, I’d advise holding on at least through this game. Pittsburgh has allowed 100-plus rushing yards in six of its seven games and backs who have received 18-plus touches against the Steelers are averaging 18.7 PPG. Yes, defensive tackle Cam Heyward is returning for Pittsburgh but he’s not enough to help a Steelers defense that is a bottom eight unit against the run the last month and suddenly has to respect the big arm of Will Levis stretching the field, which could lead to some dump-offs. Sure, Henry’s pass-catching is never going to get him confused with Alvin Kamara, but he does have a double-digit target share in back-to-back weeks. Henry can get your fantasy week off to a solid start on Thursday night. He’s a Top 8 back for me.

Others receiving votes: The Packers allow the sixth-most fantasy PPG to running backs. That’s great news for Darrell Henderson, Jr. managers. With 34 touches over his two games with the Rams, accounting for 62% of the team’s RB touches over that span, Henderson, Jr. has nice upside in Week 9. Yes, Royce Freeman got the TD last week, but Henderson got a goal-to-go carry before that and is getting the passing game work. With Matthew Stafford banged up, or potentially out, expect coach Sean McVay to lean on his run game, starting with Hendo. … Yes, I already talked up Jonathan Taylor. But I also like Zack Moss this week as a high-end FLEX. Averaging 18.3 points a game since Taylor returned (!), Moss has four touchdowns in his last four games and saw four of the five RB red zone touches for Indy last week. … Over the past three weeks, Kareem Hunt is averaging 15.0 PPG, has scored in every game and is getting 75% of Cleveland’s running back red zone touches. This week he faces an Arizona team that is tied for the third-most rushing touchdowns allowed to backs. … Since Week 4, Chuba Hubbard is averaging 15.8 touches per game. Last week he out-snapped Miles Sanders by a huge 40-12 margin. So give me some motherf’n Hubbard against a Colts defense allowing the fifth-most fantasy PPG to running backs.

Running Backs I Hate in Week 9

Aaron Jones vs. Los Angeles Rams

My once proud #FreeAaronJones movement has fallen so far that you may find a free Aaron Jones on waiver wires soon. Jones has not scored double-digit fantasy points since Week 1. He has less than 12 touches in every game this season. (Every game! FORTHELOVEOFEVERYTHINGHOLYANDGOODFREEAARONJONESDAMMIT!!) He also has a less than 43% snap rate on the season. Depressing. But even if he was getting a 100% snap rate, I’m not sure it would matter much against a Rams defense that surrenders the fifth-fewest fantasy PPG to running backs and the fewest receiving yards per game to backs. The entire Packers offense looks broken and Aaron Jones is just outside my Top 20 RBs this week. Sigh.

Alexander Mattison at Atlanta

Dalvin Cook is gone. Justin Jefferson is on IR. Kirk Cousins is out for the season. I’m not trying to depress Vikings fans; I’m simply trying to come to acceptance that a once productive fantasy offense is no more. And while Alexander Mattison is still around, you may not have noticed. Mattison is averaging just 2.8 YPC since Week 5 and he has less than 50 scrimmage yards in three of his past four games. But he has exceeded 50 in one area: Mattison is 51st among qualified backs this season in fantasy points per touch. Cam Akers continues to eat into his workload as well and I don’t see any of that changing this week in a Cousins-less offense against a Falcons team that allows the second-fewest fantasy PPG to backs and has yet to allow a rushing score to a running back this season. Mattison is outside my Top 25 RBs.

Emari Demercado at Cleveland

Emari Demercado had 20 carries last week. Pretty good, right? But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Keaontay Ingram saw four of Arizona’s six snaps inside the 10-yard line. Ingram also ran twice as many routes, with Demercado notching a target share of under 3% for the second time in his past three games. I don’t like any of that. And I hate it against a Browns defense that has allowed only two rushing scores to backs this season (tied for fourth-fewest) and ranks top-10 in fewest fantasy points allowed to the position. Add to the fact he missed Wednesday's practice so he may be less than 100% and I have Demercado as just RB 26 for Week 9.

Looking for more fantasy football content? Rotoworld has you covered. Watch Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry weekdays at noon ET LIVE on Peacock and the Rotoworld Football Show on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays wherever you get your podcasts.

Pass Catchers I Love in Week 9

CeeDee Lamb at Philadelphia

The Eagles have allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. And it’s not like they’ve simply had an elite receiver or two put up a monster game on them and that’s thrown off the numbers. No, the Eagles have allowed 17-plus fantasy points to a wide receiver in every game. It’s like Philadelphia’s secondary learned their defensive skills from James Harden before he left. And things won’t get any easier this week for the Eagles against CeeDee Lamb. Over the past two weeks, Lamb has a 33% target share and 115-plus receiving yards in each game. He’s my WR 5.

Garrett Wilson vs. Los Angeles Chargers

As the old saying goes: a rising Zach Wilson raises all Wilsons. Because what we’ve seen in recent weeks is that Zach Wilson simply playing not horrifically has enabled Garrett Wilson to shine. Garrett Wilson has back-to-back games with a target share of 40% or higher, as well as 12-plus targets in three of his past four games. That last stat is most relevant, as wide receivers who get six-plus targets against the Chargers this season are averaging 18.7 PPG. The Chargers also allow the most yards per game to wide receivers. All of that is enough to put Wilson inside my Top 10 for Week 9.

Tee Higgins vs. Buffalo

Buffalo acquired cornerback Rasul Douglas from Green Bay at the deadline. And for good reason. Since cornerback Tre’Davious White went down four games ago, the Bills are allowing the fifth-highest catch rate to wide receivers. Buffalo has also allowed at least one touchdown to a wide receiver in three of those four games and, for the season, is allowing the highest completion rate on deep passes. Douglas will help all of that. In time. But this week? Give me some Tee Higgins. In his four full games this season, Higgins is averaging 8.5 targets and a 23% target share. He’s a Top 20 wide receiver against the Bills.

Dalton Kincaid at Cincinnati

It’s weird, the uber-talented Dalton Kincaid got a major uptick in his playing time and opportunities and suddenly started producing. (Don’t anyone tell Falcons coach Arthur Smith about such wild methods.) Over the past two weeks, Kincaid has a 19% target share and is averaging 16.5 PPG. He should be in for another nice week against a Bengals defense that ranks bottom-three in receiving yards and touchdowns allowed to tight ends. In fact, those of the tight end persuasion who have seen five-plus targets this season against Cincinnati are averaging 14.1 PPG. The Bills have also run 11 personnel on over 70% of plays in three straight games which seems to have helped get this offense on track with Kincaid being a big part of it. Give me Kincaid as a Top 5 tight end in Week 9.

Others receiving votes: In his two games since returning from injury, Diontae Johnson has become the No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh’s offense, earning a 31.7% target share. Okay, so maybe being the No. 1 receiver in that Pittsburgh offense doesn’t excite you. Fair. But how about this? Tennessee, Pittsburgh’s opponent on Thursday night, allows the highest catch rate to opposing wide receivers. … Over the last three games, Tampa Bay has given up 11-plus fantasy points to six different receivers. And over the past four weeks, Tampa is allowing a league-high 209 yards per game to wide receivers. So, yeah, I like Nico Collins against the Bucs. … Amari Cooper has the second-highest aDOT (15.2) among qualified wide receivers this season. Now he faces a Cardinals team that allows the second-highest catch rate on deep targets. … With Kendrick Bourne lost for the season and DeVante Parker in concussion protocol, the Patriots receiver you want – assuming you want a Patriots receiver? – is Demario Douglas. The rookie slot receiver has a 22% target share over the past two weeks. This week Douglas takes on a Commanders team that, over the past four weeks, ranks bottom-10 in receptions and yards allowed to the slot. … Believe it or not, Trey McBride is not a Simpsons character voiced by Phil Hartman. He’s a viable fantasy tight end who plays for the Arizona Cardinals. I know. Crazy. And McBride’s 39% target share last week was the highest by a tight end in any game this season. By the way, Arizona ranks second in TE target share this season and is tied for first in tight end red zone target share. … Dallas TE Jake Ferguson is tied for the most red zone targets among tight ends. Considering that this week he plays an Eagles defense that is tied for the second-most touchdowns allowed to tight ends, Ferguson is a good bet to reach the end zone on Sunday.

Pass Catchers I Hate in Week 9

Zay Flowers vs. Seattle

Flowers do not grow in end zones apparently. Eight weeks into the season, Zay Flowers has yet to see an end zone target. Perhaps even more bizarre, over his past three games, Flowers has an aDOT of just 6.4 yards. None of that is exactly ideal when it comes to fantasy production. Even less ideal is his matchup this week. Over the past four weeks, Seattle is allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy PPG to wide receivers and, since Week 4, only one wide receiver has scored 15-plus points against the Seahawks. Add to it that Flowers should see a mix of Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon? No, thanks. Flowers is down at WR 30 for me in Week 9.

Marquise Brown at Cleveland

Marquise Brown has just one game this season with more than 61 receiving yards. And now he has a new quarterback in a game against the NFL’s top-ranked defense? A defense that is allowing the lowest catch rate to wide receivers this season? A defense allowing the third-fewest fantasy PPG to wide receivers? Not much to like here. I have Brown outside my Top 30 wide receivers this week against the Browns. (TLDR: Browns > Brown.)

Christian Watson vs. Los Angeles Rams

In the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Watson is a fictional character who helps solve murders. In the 2023 fantasy football season, Christian Watson is a wide receiver who helps murder the playoff hopes of fantasy managers who drafted him. Spooky, huh? (Christian) Watson has less than 12 fantasy points in all four of his games this season. He has less than 35 receiving yards in three of those four games and three or fewer catches in all of them. So you won’t be surprised to learn that since his return, Watson is just WR 54 on a PPG basis (8.5). I’m keeping Watson out of my lineups this week, especially against a Rams team allowing the seventh-lowest catch rate to wide receivers.

Joshua Palmer at New York Jets

The Jets have allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season. They also have yet to allow 45-plus receiving yards to multiple wide receivers in the same game this season. Assuming Keenan Allen will get his, where does that leave Palmer? Locked down by Sauce Gardner or DJ Reed, that’s where. And also on the Week 9 Hate List. Palmer is outside my Top 40 wide receivers this week.