4 November 2023 • by Neal Maligno
‘Not so obvious locks’ are players who are not ranked in the top 10 this week, but who in my opinion, have the upside to finish there. If you want longer or interactive content, then subscribe to us on YouTube and catch our weekly episodes, including our start/sit advice live stream every Sunday at 11:30AM EST!
I like to hold my self accountable and stay transparent at all times, so here are last weeks NSOL’s and how they performed.
— Colts QB Gardner Minshew finished as QB16 with 14.82 points scored
— Raiders RB Josh Jacobs finished as RB11 with 16.8 points scored
— Falcons WR Drake London finished as WR43 with 10.5 points scored (injured in game)
— Commanders TE Logan Thomas finished as TE9 with 16.4 points scored
Now let’s get into Week 9!
CJ Stroud has had 3 rough games in a row, scoring fantasy points of 14, 15 and 13. Week 9 vs the Bucs is the bounce back week we’ve been looking for after his hot start fizzled out. You know I love a good narrative, and the thought of Stroud losing last week to fellow rookie QB and #1 pick Bryce Young cannot be sitting well with him.
The Bucs pass defense isn’t one to fear and the Texans are going to lean heavily on their potential rookie of the year QB CJ Stroud to lead them to victory. Between the QBs who are injured and the ones who are on bye in week 9, Stroud is a strong starting option for you and he’s my not so obvious lock of the week at QB.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said they are ready to cut Aaron Jones loose, which is music to fantasy managers ears. The Packers are no doubt at their best when Aaron is healthy and receiving a considerable workload.
The Rams rushing defense is decent, so this won’t be one where Jones walks all over them, but if he gets the ball early and often, there is certainly a path to success for him. With Aaron healthy, the struggling Packers offense knows that it needs to turn to their strongest fantasy asset, making Aaron Jones my not so obvious lock of week 9.
Amari Cooper has dealt with plenty of issues within the Browns offense this season, including the loss of RB Nick Chubb and having only played 3 games with QB Deshaun Watson. Through it all though, Cooper has still managed to find success on the field, scoring almost 15 fantasy points in 4 out of 7 games.
Two of his best games came with Watson at quarterback, so while Watson has struggled, he’s for sure been a positive for Cooper and the offense. Amari will face a Cardinals defense that has been more than kind to elite level WRs this season, making him my not so obvious lock of week 9.
Taysom Hill is about as boom/bust as it gets in fantasy football on a weekly basis. Due to his role in the Saints offense and how they decide to deploy it, it’s a pretty good bet that he’s either going to do it all or do nothing. The last 3 weeks he’s scored 12, 17 and 22 points in PPR scoring, but the three weeks prior he only 3, 3 and 3.
The Saints are facing off versus a Bears defense that is weak against all points of attack, so Hill has a great chance of scoring, regardless of whether it’s through passing, receiving or rushing. With the risk being a little lower, Taysom Hill is my not so obvious lock of week 9 at TE.
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