Good Morning Footclan! Welcome to Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season and your latest installment of The Fantasy Footballers’ Saturday Morning Mailbag! As we do each and every weekend here at Ballers’ HQ, I have hand-selected a few of your spiciest questions from The Fantasy Footballers’ Discord server, and given you my red-hot takes ahead of this week’s games! Remember, The Ballers’ Discord is home to the biggest and best online fantasy football community in the world and is your one-stop shop if you’re looking to talk about all things fantasy football. Head over today, register your username, and start interacting with the thousands of members we have waiting to talk ball. There are dozens of dedicated channels for start/sit questions, trade advice, and waiver wire insights, as well as exclusive areas that are only available to you – the loyal members of the Footclan.

Just like London buses, you wait for one Rams wide receiver to return from injury and two come along at once! Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were both back in action as Matthew Stafford and his offense sprung into life as we entered the second half of the season. We saw Tua Tagovailoa back under center for the first time since Week 2, and although we didn’t get a BIG game from either Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle – De’Von Achane is back at the fantasy top table once again after another 20+ fantasy points performance with Miami’s franchise QB calling the shots. We’re talking about running backs today… a lot of them – ones who are hurt, ones who should soon return, and ones who are Rachaad White. There’s lots to discuss… so let’s dive right in!

Question #1 – Injury Update 

Hey Ballers! If Tyrone Tracy clears concussion protocol before this Sunday, where will you rank him?  What’s his outlook for the rest of the season? Thanks for the great show guys! – bullsonparade9115

Answer: Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll commented late on Thursday that the explosive fifth-round rookie out of Purdue was “trending in the right direction” to play this weekend; that coupled with a limited practice earlier in the day gives fantasy managers hope that the G-Men’s new number-one rusher should be good to go for their divisional game at home to Washington on Sunday. 

If Tracy starts, I have him firmly in the mid-RB2 range against a Commanders’ run defense allowing almost 140 YPG to opposing backs each week. Any illusion of this being a split backfield has been lifted after TT’s Week 8 performance in New York’s 26-18 defeat on the road in Pittsburgh. Tracy saw 57% of total team snaps compared to Devin Singletary’s 39% – but don’t be fooled by the 18% difference here – the rookie was given 20 rushing attempts to Singletary’s two… tapping that into The Fantasy Footballers’ supercomputer *beep boop beep boop*… that’s 91% of the work. Sure, the Giants are four-point underdogs heading into the weekend, and Jayden Daniels continues to look superhuman, even when hurt… but the role Tracy has carved out for himself in this offense leaves little for those with him on their rosters to be concerned about – even if Danny Dimes and co. find themselves behind early. It’s a 6:00 p.m. kickoff, so in the event Tyrone doesn’t go, you’ve got plenty of opportunity to pivot – but keep those fingers and toes crossed for him suiting up and giving a solid RB2 performance as these two NFC East teams go head-to-head. As for the rest of the season… the Giants have the seventh easiest strength of schedule for RBs – he should be a solid RB2 with weekly RB1 upside.

Question #2 – Season-Long Strategy

What are you guys doing with Jordan Mason after last week? I need to drop someone for a bye week fill-in, and since it looks like Christian McCaffrey is coming back and the 49ers are on their bye, I was considering dropping Mason. Is that a bad idea? – Perry

Answer: This was one of the most popular questions submitted in this week’s mailbag, just what do you do with Jordan Mason, especially if you are not also the Christian McCaffrey manager in your league? Mason exited the 49ers’ Week 8 victory over the Dallas Cowboys with a shoulder injury on the team’s second drive – fans and fantasy football players alike breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the third-year back return midway through the second quarter… but that relief was short-lived. Mason managed only two more runs before leaving the field for good, ending his day with six carries for 18 scoreless yards. It was a case of what could have been for the 49ers’ lead rusher on the season, as rookie Isaac Guerendo torched the Dallas run defense for 85 yards and a score on only 14 carries… adding 17 more yards through the air on three receptions.

Mason managers now have a perfect storm of issues to deal with when speculating on the future of their prized Week 1 waiver pickup… a bye-week, an injury, the guy behind him on the depth chart playing well… and what was that last one again? Oh yeah, the best player in fantasy football potentially returning in Week 10 to take his job. It’s a hot mess for Jordan Mason managers moving forward, and unless some of your league-mates don’t listen to The Fantasy Footballers Podcast (or other lesser sources of information)  – there’s a good chance your window to sell high has now closed. 

It’s possibly not what you want to hear, but Mason is a hold for now until we get more news on CMC’s possible return. There’s a chance McCaffrey comes back all guns blazing against the Bucs immediately after the bye, relegating Mason to backup duties – or there’s the possibility CMC is still not activated from the IR and Mason sees a majority of the workload for a few more weeks (assuming he’s healthy). Just remember, we all thought McCaffrey was set to take the field until about an hour before that Week 1 Monday Night Football win over the Jets – and then he missed two months. Be patient with Mason and drop someone else if you really have to this week.

Question #3 – Trade Advice (KC Running Backs Special)

Sup Ballers! Would you trade Isiah Pacheco to the Kareem Hunt manager? Or do you think he’ll be the lead back once he returns? – Hey, Where’s the beef?

Answer: Oh look, another absolutely horrible RB situation where the lead back may or may not return in the next couple of weeks… hurray!

There is one certainty in Kansas at least when looking at their running back room – Isiah Pacheco absolutely will be coming back this season… but just when will that be is the question across all managers’ lips as we edge closer to the fantasy playoffs. There is a greater than zero chance the third-year back doesn’t see the field before the end of the regular NFL season – Kansas City remains unbeaten at 7-0, they all but have their division and playoff spot sewn up, and fill-in rusher Kareem Hunt is performing admirably… so why rush Pacheco back? As we head into the Week 9 matchups, Pacheco has yet to return to practice, so we can assume that as his 21-day window has yet to open, we won’t be seeing him on an NFL field until at least Week 12. That gives him roughly three weeks to get up to speed and resume his role as the workhorse back before the fantasy wildcard rounds start in most leagues *panic intensifies*.

My personal opinion is that even if we do get Pacheco back on an NFL field during the regular season – it won’t be in any kind of full capacity, and most likely will be as part of the dreaded running back by committee alongside Hunt… not what fantasy managers of either back would want. Without any concrete idea of when Pacheco may return (if at all), I would be taking the wait-and-see approach and hope for some clarity after the Chiefs’ back-to-back home games – after all, if you’ve held onto him this long, what’s a couple more weeks?

Question #4 – Season-Long Strategy (Playoff Primer)

Howdy Baller Dudes!. I’m having a strong start for the first time ever! Who jumps off the page for you when using the Strength of Schedule tool for the rest of the season, or even a playoff run? – joshsolo11

Answer: The Fantasy Footballers Strength of Schedule Tool is a great way to look ahead and plan what roster moves you could plan to make ahead of those all-important fantasy playoffs! 

For you joshsolo11 – I’ll focus on the skill positions of running back and wide receiver, then throw out a couple of potential streamers at QB and TE at the end.

The absolute best strength of schedule for fantasy running backs from Weeks 9 through 17 is the Philadelphia Eagles… but if you don’t already have Saquon on your roster… it’s going to cost the world to acquire him – the same goes for Kyren Williams and the Rams’ third-easiest SOS for running backs. The team sandwiched between them however is a different story altogether. How does a run of games against Dallas, Las Vegas, and Carolina (twice) sound from Week 13 onwards? Well, that’s the very tasty proposition facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their running back tandem of Rachaad White and Bucky Irving. The veteran is seeing some very promising use in the passing game due to the absence of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but it is the rookie Irving I would set my sights on acquiring before the Bucs’ offense returns to some form of normality when Evans is back on the field in Week 12. Bucky has finished as a top-25 back in five of his last six starts and should see a larger role on the ground than White as the season progresses. He too has carved out a role as a receiving back, so there is every chance his snap share grows to that of a workhorse back by the time we hit December.

At the wide receiver position, you’ve heard Andy, Mike, and Jason talk about how good the Tennessee Titans‘ SOS is for pass-catchers – and if you have the stones to roll out Calvin Ridley every week, I salute you… but even with the best run of games for the position, I can’t take that risk. No, I am setting my sights a couple of spots lower, taking aim at the Pittsburgh Steelers and their third-easiest strength of schedule for wideouts. When we talk about the Steelers and wide receivers – there is only one name to target – their undisputed top option in the passing game – Mr. George Pickens. Show me a wide receiver who has been more unlucky this season than George Pickens – the third-year wideout seems to have a touchdown chopped off every other week, yet is still the WR20 on the year. Any concerns over his chemistry with Mr. Unlimited Russell Wilson have been allayed after Pickens recorded 185 yards receiving in his two games with Russ under center. The former Georgia Bulldog is a stud, and we’re going to see it against the pass-funnel defenses of Cincinnati, Washington, and Cleveland (twice)… as well as the worst passing D in the entire league – the Baltimore Ravens… oh yeah he gets them twice too!

At quarterback, I really like Caleb Williams’ end-of-season run, as well as Laser Baker Mayfield… especially with Mike Evans back. At tight end, David Njoku’s schedule is a delight after the Browns’ Week 11 bye, and keep an eye on Tucker Kraft potentially being available cheap, or even hitting waivers. The Packers have a Week 10 bye, before facing San Francisco, Miami, and Detroit – all elite units against the TE. If you can acquire Kraft after that run, you will be rewarded with Seattle, New Orleans, and Minnesota in the fantasy playoffs… wheeee!

Question #5 – Start/Sit (Desperation RB Edition)

In a half PPR league would you rather start Alexander Mattison or Richard White? – jiggystardust

Answer: Excellent call-back to the Richard White reference from the show a couple of weeks back… kudos Mr. Stardust.

Rachaad White clearly listens to Andy, Mike, and Jason and took umbrage at his new nickname, as the man from accounts immediately found the end zone three times in his last two games, finishing as the RB6 and RB22 as a result. With Sean Tucker seeing his snaps reduced to just 10% immediately following his overall RB1 performance back in Week 6 – the Tampa Bay backfield seems to have gone from Ghidorah to The Two-Headed Monster (shoutout to my Sesame Street truthers), with White and rookie Bucky Irving receiving a relatively even split of the workload in the Bucs’ 26-31 loss at home to Atlanta last weekend.

Over in Sin City, Alexander Mattison continues to be the only show in town with over 80% of the rushing attempts for the Raiders in their last two outings. Now, he’s not exactly done a lot with them, but the volume is certainly encouraging, as is the receiving work out of the backfield – with Mattison seeing at least three targets in six of eight games on the year. Last Sunday was the former Viking’s worst performance on the ground all season – running the ball 14 times for a whopping 15 yards… that’s under 1.1 YPC and dead last on the week for backs with five or more carries – however, it came against the very unit Rachaad White gets to square up to this weekend… the Kansas City Chiefs.

KC has been lights out against running backs this year, allowing the fewest yards per game (80.43) and fantasy points per game (7.23) to opposing rushers – with White running at only 3.8 YPC on the season and having to contend with Irving for work, I would lean towards starting Mattison against the Bengals this weekend. A word of caution though – Raiders HC Antonio Pierce has come out and said that the team wants to get Zamir White more involved moving forward, so we may see a little less work for Mattison as a result. And just to muddy the waters even further, Bucky Irving missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday as he tends to a toe injury… so we may be treated to one more week of Rachaad White and not Richard after all.

Whoever you end up starting… good luck!

Question #6 – Season-Long Strategy

Happy Halloween Ballers, is Darnell Mooney a potential league winner? – AJSensationalisticBrowniePants

Answer: Oh AJSensationalistBrowniePants… I hope so. Darnell Mooney was the first name in my Undrafted Fantasy Gems: Diamonds of the Deeper Rounds article way back in mid-July, and so far… it’s looking like a hit for that pick. Mooney’s ADP entering the season settled at 16.02 in half-PPR formats – good enough to see him taken as the 69th wide receiver off the board (nice). Well, eight weeks in and Mooney is the overall WR15 for fantasy football – averaging a very respectable 11.5 FPPG. It has admittedly been a bit of a rollercoaster for Mooney managers – there have been the stratospheric highs like Week 5 against the Bucs when Darnell exploded for 9/105/2, and the cataclysmic lows like just one week later which saw Mooney haul in three of five targets for just 38 yards. 

If I am being honest, I project more of the same for the remainder of the season. According to The Fantasy Footballers Strength of Schedule Tool, the Falcons have the 18th-easiest SOS for wideouts from Weeks 9 through 17 – hardly much to write home about. In that spell they face number one ranked Denver, as well as another top-eight unit in the form of the Chargers, on either side of their bye… but as we head toward the fantasy playoffs, Atlanta is blessed with a trip to Minnesota and their pass-funnel defense, as well as a matchup against the Washington Commanders in championship weekend.

I am putting my faith in Mooney for the rest of the season – these last two weeks have seen him and supposed WR1 Drake London receive identical target numbers with 14 apiece. Drake has hauled in one more of those with 10 grabs to Darnell’s nine, but Mooney has made his lesser reception total account for more yards – outpacing London 132 yards to just 97. They have a single touchdown each with Mooney scoring last Sunday and London the week before. I see this very much as a 1A/1B situation as far as the wideout position goes for Captain Kirk Cousins – Mooney should be a solid WR2 with upside for the remainder of the year.

Question #7 – Season-Long Strategy (Local Wizard Edition)

Ballers! Your local wizard has gifted you one precious Master Ball to use on any player you wish for the final stretch of the season, guaranteeing they are on your roster. Who are you capturing to ensure a championship and thereby cement your status as the very best? – It’s Pukachu!

Answer:  Who’s that running back… it’s Saquon Barkley! I really wanted to make an attempt at a Gotta Catch Ja’Marr pun there, but it just wasn’t going to work… plus he’s my WR2 the rest of the way, so it would have been a disingenuous response.

If I’ve abandoned my chance of grabbing Mewtwo and am using my Master Ball on a fantasy football stud, it has to be the Philadelphia Eagles‘ superstar running back, Saquon Barkley. Our very own Kyle Borgognoni selected Saquon with the third overall pick in the recent Fantasy Draft Re-Do episode, and I’m siding with the Borgogin on this one. Barkley is currently the overall RB3 in half-PPR formats, averaging 19.4 FPPG through seven games – and while the temptation to take The Yeti Derrick Henry with this pick is real, King Henry and the Baltimore Ravens have the 27th-easiest (a.k.a. sixth-most difficult) run of games at the RB position for the remainder of the season while the Eagles have the easiest. Assuming there are no injuries in this dream scenario, I don’t see a world where Saquon doesn’t finish the year as the number-one back in fantasy. Christian McCaffrey could absolutely finish up as RB1 on a points per game basis, but we don’t know when he’ll be back.

Saquon…I choose you!