Inside Today’s Roundup:

Ryan Heath and Graham Barfield review all the fantasy football usage from Week 8 with everything you need to know before Week 9.

🚨 Lamar Jackson's Injury Changes Everything for Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers

Lamar Jackson could miss the rest of the season after undergoing thumb surgery, and Tyler Huntley may not return until Weeks 11-14. Baltimore has since traded for Jacoby Brissett, but there's still plenty of uncertainty surrounding this offense. We saw just how ugly things could get in Week 8, when Joe Fagnano finished with a 40.0 passer rating and struggled to deliver accurate passes beyond the line of scrimmage. After he entered, Zay Flowers drew just a 14.3% target share, down from 29.8% over Weeks 1-7. He also averaged 0.00 yards per route run, compared to 7.84 with Jackson and 2.14 with Huntley.

Flowers has survived shaky quarterback play before, averaging 18.3 FPG in Huntley's three starts, but the uncertainty extends beyond the passing game. Since joining Baltimore, Derrick Henry has averaged 21.2 FPG in wins (~RB3) compared to just 13.8 FPG in losses (~RB19), with only four performances above 17 fantasy points in those 18 defeats. That's concerning for a team facing several high-powered offenses down the stretch, especially without Jackson's rushing threat keeping defenses honest. Brissett gives Baltimore an experienced option under center, but how much he can stabilize the offense remains to be seen. Things could look very different when we next see them against the Chargers in Week 10.

🏈 Gardner Minshew Could Be Good News for Arizona's Pass Catchers

Jacoby Brissett's benching raised immediate concerns about Trey McBride, who had benefited from Brissett's tendency to force targets to tight ends. But Gardner Minshew might not be much of a downgrade. In 2024, Minshew directed 33.7% of his targets to TEs, compared to Brissett's 36.2% and 35.7% over the past two seasons. Minshew could also make up for any lost target volume with better overall efficiency. He generated more total EPA in roughly 16 minutes against Dallas than Brissett managed in any full game over the previous two seasons.

Michael Wilson could be an even bigger winner. He commanded a 36.8% target share after Minshew entered, compared to McBride's 21.1%, and currently ranks WR11 in expected fantasy points per game (17.1). With Jeremiyah Love back on IR, Arizona should continue throwing at one of the league's highest rates, having already averaged 44.8 dropbacks per game this season. The Cardinals face a difficult three-game stretch against Seattle, the Rams, and Kansas City, but that could also delay any plans to start rookie Carson Beck. Ryan and Graham still view McBride as a top-two TE and Wilson as a potential top-18 WR moving forward, assuming Minshew remains the starter.

🚀 Green Bay's Passing Game Has Two Potential League-Winning Receivers

The Packers' struggling run game has forced Matt LaFleur to completely change his approach. Green Bay has a 66% pass rate, second-highest in the NFL, and even with Josh Jacobs back, the offense posted a +7.5% pass rate over expectation against Carolina in a game it controlled. Over the last two weeks, the Packers have averaged just one yard before contact and posted a 57% stuff rate. Even favorable matchups aren't getting the ground game going, leaving Jordan Love to carry more of the offense.

That's creating enormous fantasy upside for Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who rank WR6 and WR13 in FPG, respectively. Both are legitimate low-end WR1s for the rest of the season if this passing volume continues. The Packers have maintained their aggressive approach even after Jacobs returned, posting a +7.0% pass rate over expectation across those two games, a mark that would rank near the top of the league. With a potential shootout against New England coming in Week 9 and no indication that Green Bay is returning to its old balanced approach, both receivers have the volume and upside to make a major difference during the fantasy playoffs.

Find more league winners in The Everything Report Week 9.

Joe Dolan shares the info & stats you need to make your toughest Week 9 lineup decisions.

🟢 Start Jonah Coleman, RB, DEN. Coleman appears to have taken control of Denver's backfield, handling 61% of carries, all five attempts inside the 10-yard line, and a 50% route share in Week 8. He produced 20.4 fantasy points on 21.9 expected points, and now faces a Carolina defense allowing the second-most FPG to RBs. He's a strong RB2 this week.

🟢 Start Matthew Golden, WR, GB. Golden has been significantly better against man coverage, averaging 3.20 YPRR against man versus 2.09 against zone. New England plays man at the NFL's third-highest rate, while Christian Watson is dealing with a rib injury. Dolan even suggests Golden could outproduce Watson this week.

🟢 Start Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, NE. With TreVeyon Henderson sidelined in Week 8, Stevenson handled a season-high 77.2% of New England's backfield expected fantasy points, rushing for 82 yards and running a route on 61.5% of dropbacks. If Henderson remains out, Stevenson is a high-end RB2 against Green Bay.

🔴 Sit J.K. Dobbins, RB, DEN. Dobbins played just one second-half snap against Kansas City, while Jonah Coleman handled every Denver carry inside the 10-yard line. Dobbins has topped 50 rushing yards only once this season and offers almost nothing as a receiver. Even against Carolina, his shrinking workload makes him difficult to trust.

🔴 Sit Xavier Worthy, WR, KC. Worthy has run routes on 81.9% of dropbacks over the last two weeks but is averaging just 8.0 FPG, with a disappointing 1.11 YPRR. His explosive-play rate ranks outside the top 100 WRs, and the opportunities aren't translating into production. He's a WR4 despite the favorable matchup with the Jets.

🔴 Sit Aaron Jones, RB, MIN. Jones ran routes on just 21.2% of dropbacks in Week 8, his lowest share in a healthy game this season. Carson Wentz also hasn't been particularly effective targeting RBs, ranking seventh-worst in accurate-throw rate to the position since 2021. With Jordan Mason involved, Jones' receiving floor looks especially shaky.

Read the full article for advice on who to start & sit throughout the entire Week 9 slate.