Yet another bye week where we lose players from six teams. A couple of important injuries, and others that do not really
concern me, and of course, players to keep your eye on when the inactives are released this weekend. As always, you have come to the correct place to find those players that can get you through injuries and bye week blues, so let us get to it then, shall we?
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Mychal Kendricks PHI
James Harrison PIT
Sio Moore OAK
18 total tackles (15 solos) will get you noticed in IDP circles, and that was just what Borland did in Week 8. His starting role will likely end when either Patrick Willis or NaVorro Bowman return to the field, so grab him now. In a dynasty or keeper league, he is worth stashing even if he is not starting. Kendricks is beginning to look more comfortable on the field, as evidenced by his 12 total tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. If you held onto him while he was dealing with his calf injury, now is the time to get him back into your starting lineup. Williams burst out on last Monday's game, racking up 14 solo tackles as part of his 18 total tackles. This week when the Giants play in Seattle may lead to a drop off in production, but then again, the New York defense could spend a lot of time on the field, so he has value as a LB3 in Week 10. Harrison has been a great story, coming back after retiring at age 36, and is now leading the Steelers in sacks, having put up multiple sacks in the past two weeks. Moore has been highlighted here in prior weeks, but he is just too good fly under the radar. He sat out with injuries earlier this season, but his Week 9 production of 11 total tackles, eight of which were solos and a sack is just about typical of what he produces when on the field, although do not expect a sack every game.
Defensive Linemen
Robert Ayers DE NYG
Eugene Sims DE StL
Everson Griffen DE MIN
Cameron Jordan DE NO
Cliff Avril DE SEA
Henry Melton DT DAL
Dontari Poe DT KC
Gerald McCoy DT TB
Dan Williams DT ARI
Dwan Edwards DT CAR
Ayers collected a sack in last Monday's game, but he was constantly pressuring Andrew Luck all game. The Seahawks protect Russell Wilson pretty well, but for a bye week fill-in at DL, Ayers is good option. Sims gets to face the Cardinals in Week 10, and Carson Palmer is not known for his mobility, so he could continue to pad his sack totals this week. He has had a sack in two of the past three contests. Griffen may get released this week with the Vikings on a bye, and if that happens, I would suggest you swoop in and snag him. He plays nearly every down on defense, and has eight sacks and 32 total tackles (28 solo) on the season, which translates into mighty fine numbers for a DL. Jordan had a slow start to the current season, but has collected three sacks and seven total tackles over the past two games. He could still be available on your league's waiver wire based on his under whelming performance in his first six games, so go take a look. Avril is another DE that has been coming on of late. He had a sack, forced fumble and three solo tackles in Week 9, and is playing at home this week, always a good thing for a Seahawk defensive player. Melton is facing the Jags porous O-line this week, and will be looking to add to his 3.5 sacks accumulated over the past two contests. Poe is coming off a four solo tackle/one sack performance against the Jets, and now gets Buffalo, and Kyle Orton, who has been sacked 17 times in just four games. Sounds tempting to me. McCoy has netted 2.5 sacks over the past couple of games, and appears to be over his early season injury problems. Even as a DT, he has tremendous value in leagues that require a DL or two. Williams has a very nice match up against the Rams this week, and will look to build on his seven tackle/one sack effort in Week 9. If you need to start a DT, look no further. Edwards managed a rare feat in Week 9, snagging an INT. He also gives his owners solo tackles and has four sacks on the season over nine games.
Defensive Backs
Donte Whitner S CLE
Patrick Chung S NE
Reshad Jones S MIA
Major Wright S TB
Eric Berry S KC
Glover Quin S DET
George Iloka S CIN
Brent Grimes CB MIA
Buster Skrine CB CLE
Whitner had a fantastic Week 9, with eight total tackles (five solos), an INT and one pass deflection. Whitner is a great
source of tackles at the safety position, with 54 total tackles on the season. Chung is now playing significant minutes in the New England defense, and if he is dropped this week, he would be a sneak add for the rest of the season. Jones just keeps piling on since his return from a four game PED suspension. He is averaging better than seven solos a game, and also has a sack, two interceptions and three pass deflections in limited action this year. Wright is now starting in Tampa Bay with the trade of Mark Barron to St. Louis. That gives him value, especially in a heavy bye week like Week 10. Berry has missed most of the season, having only participated in two games, thus he may be flying under the radar in your league. Expect a great second half to the season, and act quickly before he gets snatched from the wire. Quin is coming off a bye week, and may be available. He is averaging five tackles per week, and has three interceptions on the season, as well. Playing at home against Miami should help him pad his stats. Iloka gets to take on division rival Cleveland Thursday night, and he is coming off a five solo/seven total tackle game with an INT and a PD. Grimes is coming off three interceptions the past two weeks, and faces the Lions, who like to pass. Skrine is going to face off against one of the top two wideouts this week, so he should see some action. He has 36 solo tackles on the year, and two interceptions and three pass deflections on the season.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Kevin Minter ARI
Ahmad Brooks SF
Minter is not seeing much time on the field, losing time to veteran Larry Foote. Do not waste your time on him. Brooks has 14 total tackles on the season over eight games, and that just is not going to cut it with your linebackers. Do not let the three sacks fool you.
Defensive Linemen
Michael Johnson DE TB
Justin Smith DE SF
Johnson is playing the bulk of the snaps, but is not rolling up the tackles. He has only four solos over the past four games. Smith looks to be on the downside of a productive career, as he is not getting the sacks we saw early this season, nor is he providing much in the way of tackles.
Defensive Backs
Dawan Landry S NYJ
Cortez Allen CB PIT
Landry is decent option at home, where his statisticians are friendly, but this week in Seattle is not a good bet for him to produce. Allen was benched by the Steelers this past week, so get him out of your lineup ASAP.
Ouch (My Aching Roster)
All the injury reports below need to be evaluated at kickoff. Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. The list below is intended as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.
Linebackers
Ryan Shazier PIT (ankle)
DeMeco Ryans PHI (torn Achilles tendon-out for the season)
Nate Irving DEN (sprained MCL)
Defensive Linemen
Nothing of note this week, move along, please.
Defensive Backs
Troy Polamalu S PIT (knee)
Leon Hall CB CIN (concussion)
Johnathan Joseph CB HOU (concussion)
Prince Amukamara CB NYG (torn bicep-likely out for remainder of season)
As ever, good luck and Godspeed in your fantasy efforts. Make sure to read all of our great articles to help you win your fantasy match ups every week and ultimately bask in championship glory. If you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, I can be reached at ia@fantasyalarm.com.
Player News
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Cowboys are finalizing a trade for Steelers WR George Pickens.
The move, which includes a 2026 third round pick and a 2027 fifth round pick sent to the Steelers, comes after another ESPN report saying Pickens, 24, wanted to remain in Pittsburgh. Acquiring Pickens — who has 2,841 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over three NFL seasons — addresses an area of acute need for the Cowboys, who have one of the league’s weakest wideout room behind CeeDee Lamb. Pickens and Lamb will make for one of the NFL’s best receiver duos, with Pickens functioning as a viable downfield threat for Dak Prescott, who last season ranked 15th out of 40 qualifying quarterbacks in deep ball accuracy. Pickens in 2024 was third in deep targets and second only to Alec Pierce in receiving yards on downfield receptions. Pickens will have far more upside in the Dallas offense than he did in Pittsburgh. DK Metcalf, meanwhile, will enter the 2025 season as the unquestioned No. 1 wideout for the run-heavy Steelers. His fantasy prospects look much brighter with Pickens in Dallas.
NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports Saints QB Derek Carr wants to “see if he can play through with this shoulder injury.”
Slater reports that Carr believes he injured his throwing shoulder in the same Week 14 game against the Giants that he injured his left wrist last season. The shoulder issue was apparently discovered as he ramped up throwing in the spring, not as the season wound down in 2024. Carr has already had surgery on that arm and wants to see if he can play through the injury. Slater adds that Carr made two trips to New Orleans to meet with the team doctor and a decision will be made “sooner rather than later” as the 34-year-old tries to make the best decision for his shoulder and the Saints aim to make the best decision for their franchise. It would be a surprise to see Carr return to start for the Saints, especially without having surgery. New Orleans has signaled an attempt to move on by selecting Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Carr has two seasons left on his four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints and a decision on his future is looming.
9News’ Mike Klis reports free agent QB Desmond Ridder will get a veteran tryout at the Broncos’ rookie minicamp.
Ridder is a former third-round pick of the Falcons in 2022 and started 13 games for them in 2023. Atlanta moved on from Ridder after his 12-touchdown, 12-interception season; he joined the Raiders to play six games and start one in 2024. The 25-year-old is searching for backup jobs around the NFL after throwing for 5.4 yards per attempt and earning a 45.7 PFF grade last season, good for No. 69 out of 75 quarterbacks. The Broncos will bring him into rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, where Ridder looks to earn the chance to compete with Sam Ehlinger for the third-string quarterback spot in Denver.
Bengals DT B.J. Hill was seen in a protective boot at Tuesday’s voluntary workout.
Hill was seen in a protective walking boot for his left foot at the Bengals’ voluntary workout session on Tuesday. It seems to be a new injury for the veteran, though it is not yet clear what the injury is. The Bengals just signed Hill to a three-year, $33 million contract in the offseason and will be hoping one of the investments into their defense gets healthy for the start of the regular season.
The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf reports Brian Schottenheimer was “non-commital” on whether the Cowboys would have a lead back or take a committee approach.
“Schottenheimer wants to see how things unfold during offseason workouts and training camp,” Yousuf continues. It certainly seems to be a situation where Jaydon Blue could carve out a role in a hurry. “If Blue proves himself, he’ll have the chance to carve out a significant role,” Yousuf writes. Certainly nothing we saw from Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders in recent years would lead us to believe that they’ll be blocking Blue if he shows out in training camp.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said he’s “expecting Kyle [Pitts] to take a big jump.”
“Year 2 of the system. Year 2 of understanding what we’re trying to do offensively. All those things that come with it, so expecting a lot of good things from Kyle,” Robinson continued, presumably while trying to sell the people who asked him this question a bridge. The good news for those who would want to buy in on Pitts is, like the Spanish Inquisition, nobody is expecting a Pitts breakout year in his fifth season. He’s now a freeroll. But it’s hard to believe he’ll do any better than low-end TE1 duty this year.