Flex Options for Week 9 (Fantasy Football)
Happy Halloween to all the fantasy managers out there, but especially the ones who read last week’s article and took a chance on Cedric “Thriller” Tillman. His seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns were the fantasy football equivalent of a king-size candy bar in your bucket. Hopefully, this week’s list of flex options will offer more “treats” than “tricks” as I look to identify players who can return starter value that are currently ranked outside the top 24 in the Fantasy Footballers’ Rankings. Here’s the list:
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I touted him last week and he paid off with another receiving touchdown, so I’m going back to the well this week. On paper, this looks like a terrible matchup for White against a Kansas City Chiefs defense that’s literally been the worst matchup for running backs of any defense in the NFL, but I’m disregarding that because Tampa Bay uses White as more of a receiver than a running back. White’s seen six targets in each of his last two matchups, and I expect that to continue this week in a game where the Bucs are big underdogs (+8.5). It’s not a super high ceiling for White, but I’m staying in the flames with him this week for his high pass-catching floor in a Bucs offense that lacks other receiving options.
Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
Second-round rookie Keon Coleman is beginning to heat up with back-to-back top-24 finishes heading into this matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Coleman has looked impressive of late, showing off big-play ability as well as elite contested-catch skills near the end zone.
The Dolphins’ pass defense ranks as a poor matchup for wide receivers, but most of that is due to some miserably low-scoring games while Tua Tagovailoa was out recovering from his concussion. The Dolphins were gashed by Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. in a 28-27 loss to the Cardinals. If this game turns into a shootout (49.5 point O/U) as that one did, Coleman could be a beneficiary.
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Olave has disappointed fantasy managers this year who drafted him in the late second or early third round, but it hasn’t been quite as bad as it feels. He still ranks as an “A” in the Fantasy Footballers consistency rating, with four top-30 finishes and two top-12 finishes in the six full games that he’s played. He returned from a concussion last week and instantly looked like his usual self, consistently getting open in the intermediate areas of the field and ripping off chunk gains, and he did it with a combination of Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener at quarterback. This week he gets Derek Carr back against a soft Panthers defense, and of course, Rashid Shaheed is out for the year with a knee injury, which opens up even more targets for Olave. I love Olave going forward as a flex option with WR1 weekly upside.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Hopkins was extremely quiet last week in his Kansas City debut playing just 32% of snaps as he got up to speed with the offense. Another week of practice should have Hopkins closer to fully integrated into the new system, and the Chiefs may find themselves needing to throw the ball a little more this week when Baker “Laser” Mayfield and the high-flying Buccaneers come to town. Tampa Bay’s defense has been friendly to opposing wide receivers, allowing 4.3 points above expected, so we might be in for a Hopkins breakout game in his new colors. He’s a flex-worthy player this week with the potential that he could start to fill the Rashee Rice role in this offense.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Meyers returned from injury last week to find himself as the top dog in a Raiders passing attack that no longer features Davante Adams. His seven targets paced the team, including tight end Brock Bowers who many thought would be the prime beneficiary of Adams’ departure. Bowers will certainly have his weeks as the target leader, but Meyers’ six grabs for 52 yards and a touchdown were an encouraging sign that he can handle WR1 duties in Las Vegas when called upon. He’s a good flex play this week against the Bengals, and he should remain a solid option for the rest of the season.