Fantasy football tips for Week 9
A few additional fantasy nuggets to help owners set their Week 9 lineups, including injuries, a key sit/start matchup and the stat of the week.
Injury report
Be sure to check the USA TODAY Fantasy Sports player notes for the latest updates.
QB Tony Romo, Cowboys (questionable)
His back will be watched closely all the way until game time; fantasy owners get a break with early kickoff.
QB Robert Griffin III, Redskins (questionable)
Dislocated ankle held up in practice Wednesday, putting him on track to start for the first time since Week 2.
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RB Darren Sproles, Eagles (questionable)
Less than three weeks after suffering a minor tear in his knee ligament, Sproles was a full go in practice.
TE Owen Daniels, Ravens (questionable)
Missed Week 8 after minor knee surgery, but has moved well through drills this week and could be ready to return.
RB Giovani Bernard, Bengals (questionable)
Sidelined by a hip injury, which could give Jeremy Hill a significant increase in touches Sunday vs. Jacksonville.
QB Alex Smith, Chiefs (questionable)
Sprained shoulder seems to be coming along well. Good thing too; the Jets yield the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
TE Jordan Cameron, Browns (doubtful)
Still needs to be cleared under the NFL's concussion protocol, but matchup vs. Buccaneers would be an excellent one.
RB Rashad Jennings, Giants (doubtful)
Getting close to returning from sprained knee ligament; this week may be Andre Williams' last one in a starting role.
— Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Sports
Key matchup
START: QB Carson Palmer, Cardinals
Palmer gets better with age. The gunslinger is playing his best football and has the Cardinals sitting at 6-1. He has thrown two touchdowns in every game played and has surpassed 300 yards in half of them. Expect Palmer to bring his "A" game to Dallas in a showdown with the Cowboys. Invest the $7,300 in Palmer at FantasyScore, you won't be disappointed.
SIT: QB Joe Flacco, Ravens
Flacco isn't the same quarterback away from Baltimore. Take away Flacco's 306-yard, 5-TD performance in Tampa earlier this year, and the veteran has one touchdown pass and four interceptions on the road. He's reasonably priced in FantasyScore at $6,800 this week, but Flacco's struggled against the Steelers throughout his career.
— Marc Caviglia, BrunoBoys.net
Stat of the week
39
Receptions in the last five weeks for Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate, tied for the most in the NFL. With Calvin Johnson due back after a bye week, Tate is a great sell-high candidate.
— Tim Heaney, USA TODAY Fantasy Sports
Play the game
Daily fantasy games represent the fastest growing segment of the fantasy sports industry. This NFL season, USA TODAY has introduced its own daily game, FantasyScore, where fantasy owners can draft a new lineup each week and win cash prizes. For more information and to sign up, go to www.FantasyScore.com.
