Fantasy Football Week 9 Running Back Preview: It's not time to panic with Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Clyde Edwards-Helaire should remain in your starting lineup.
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2 min read
Week 8 was a frustrating one for Fantasy managers with Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The rookie saw just nine touches for the second week in a row, and unlike Week 7 he didn't salvage his day with a touchdown. The presence of Le'Veon Bell is negatively impacting the volume for Edwards-Helaire, and in his most recent start the efficiency was nothing to write home about either. But I'm not ready to panic, and I'm not ready to sit him in Week 9..
Part of the problem with the volume has been game script. The Chiefs had a defensive and special teams score in Week 7, which limited their offensive plays. In Week 8 they played a Jets defense that is decent against the run and awful against the pass, so it was the Patrick Mahomes show. Their Week 9 opponent, the Carolina Panthers, is the exact opposite.
The Panthers have allowed the fourth-most Fantasy points to running backs. Nine different running backs have scored double-digit Fantasy points against them. I would expect Edwards-Helaire to see more touches than he has the past two weeks, and I'd expect him to be much more efficient with those touches. If he's not, then you can start to panic.
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RB Preview
Who's Out
The following players are out for Week 9:
Who's Out
Projections powered by
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DeeJay Dallas is a starter with Carson and Carlos Hyde out again.
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Freeman won't be playing in Week 9, so Wayne Gallman will likely be the lead back for the Giants again.
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It's the J.K. Dobbins/Gus Edwards show yet again.
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Numbers to know
- 3.4 -- The Colts allow just 3.4 yards per carry, second best in the NFL. J.K. Dobbins leads the NFL at 6.7 yards per carry.
- 100.9 -- James Robinson is averaging more than 100 yards from scrimmage per game.
- 5.0 -- Damien Harris leads all running backs with 5 yards before contact per attempt.
- 16 -- Troymaine Pope has 16 touches this season, a career-high at age 26.
- 12.71 -- The Ravens have surrendered the fewest Fantasy points per game to running backs.
- 29 -- David Montgomery has 29 targets since Week 4; only Alvin Kamara has more in that stretch.
- 6.0 -- Antonio Gibson has broken one tackle every six attempts, tied for the best in the NFL with Mike Davis.
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Matchups that matter
Matchups that Matter
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Waiver Wire Targets
Week 9 Adds
It's a bad matchup against the Colts, but so was Pittsburgh. Edwards now has 334 carries over the past three seasons and he's averaging 5.2 yards per carry. I'm not sure how much matchup matters. Like Harris, he's better in non-PPR than PPR.
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Gallman is a poor man's version of DeeJay Dallas. He's a borderline starter while Freeman remains out, but the involvement of Alfred Morris and Dion Lewis means you can't get as excited about him as you would Dallas.
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Stashes
Wilkins looked like the best runner for the Colts in Week 8, and that wasn't the first time. I don't believe it's actually true and you can't start him against the Ravens, but I'd like to have him on my roster just in case.
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In Week 8 Darrell Henderson suffered an injury and Akers arguably looked as good as he has all year. In Week 9 the Rams have a bye, but it wouldn't be that surprising if they came out of Week 9 with a much larger role for Akers.
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I don't believe Pope is going to become a thing, but there was a stretch in Week 8 where he looked like the Chargers' best back. Much like Wilkins, I don't want to start him this week, but I would like to roster him.
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DFS Plays
Top Play
Projections powered by
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The Cardinals bye week means Edmonds isn't priced as low as he could be, but he's still too cheap, especially on FanDuel. He's my free space in cash games, and I'll want to be overweight on him in tournaments.
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Contrarian Play
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Montgomery's inefficiency means nobody wants to play him, but he has consistently been in the 11-12 point range without any touchdowns. That gives him sneaky upside, as he showed in Week 2 when he scored 21.7 PPR points against the Giants.
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Heath's Projections
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 9 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
