DraftKings Reignmakers | Week 9 NFL Breakdown

This NFL season, we are pleased to have partnered with DraftKings as a content provider, covering their exciting new NFT-powered fantasy football game, DK Reignmakers! Each week in this space, we will be breaking down the upcoming Reignmakers NFL slate. Be sure to check out our Fair Value Card Estimates and Contest EV tool as you build your lineups.

Sunday Update

• Ryan Tannehill (ankle) remains a gametime decision for the Titans, though there “is a real chance it’s rookie Malik Willis for the second straight week,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
• Darren Waller (hamstring) also remains a gametime decision leading up to today’s slate of games. Waller’s status will be determined by his pregame workout. If he can get through warmups without an aggravation, he’ll play, but NFL insider Adam Schefter is not optimistic that will happen.
• The same can be said for James Conner, who will test his rib injury during warmups today. With that being said, Conner “is likely to play” today.
• D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle) should be active today for Detroit, though “he’ll likely be used sparingly,” per RapSheet.
• Cam Akers will be active today for the first time since Week 5, though it’s unclear how the Rams will distribute carries out of the backfield. According to Schefter, that will be “predicated on the flow of the game.”
• Damien Harris is unlikely to play today for New England due to an illness. When Harris was last inactive in Week 6, Rhamondre Stevenson saw a season-high 73 percent snap share on 19 carries.
• The Ravens declared both Mark Andrews (shoulder) and Gus Edwards (hamstring) doubtful ahead of tomorrow’s Monday Night Football contest against the Saints. Expect Isaiah Likely and Kenyan Drake to pick up the slack Baltimore.

Friday Update

• Rashod Bateman will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing Lisfranc surgery on his foot. When Bateman missed Weeks 5 & 6 for the Ravens, Mark Andrews posted target shares of 37 percent and 34 percent. Andrews is battling his own shoulder injury and his Week 9 status is not yet known. Next in line for targets would be Devin Duvernay, Isaiah Likely and DeSean Jackson, who the team will likely activate from the practice squad before this week’s game. 
• Speaking of Mark Andrews, he missed another practice with his shoulder injury on Thursday and his status for Monday night is not yet known. The Ravens will release their Week 9 game status report tomorrow. 
• Michael Thomas was placed on IR after missing the last several weeks with a toe injury, while Jarvis Landry (ankle) got in his first practice session since Week 5 for the Saints. While Landry’s practice participation is encouraging, it’s not yet known if he will be active for Week 9.
• Jonathan Taylor (ankle) has been ruled out for Week 9 after rushing 16 times for 76 yards in Week 8. The Colts have been active at the position of late, trading away Nyheim Hines to the Bills in exchange for Zack Moss. When Taylor was last inactive in Week 6, Deon Jackson racked up 121 scrimmage yards with a touchdown. 
• Ryan Tannehill (ankle) is officially questionable to play this week after getting in a limited practice session today. Tannehill’s practice participation this week is a slight upgrade from last week, and we should hear more about his status tomorrow when the team hosts a walk-through before departing for Kansas City.
• Cooper Kupp is good to go after suffering a minor ankle injury late in the fourth quarter of last week’s game.
• James Conner (ribs) is considered a game-time decision for this week’s matchup with the Seahawks. Conner has been able to practice in a limited fashion throughout this week, but that was also the case last week before he was ultimately held out on Sunday.
• Like Conner, Darren Waller is officially questionable to play after a week of limited practice sessions. Waller also followed the same pattern in Week 8 before being held out on gameday. 
• Derrick Henry does not carry an injury designation after missing yesterday’s practice with a foot injury. He’s ready to roll against the Chiefs.
• 2022 is becoming a lost season for Keenan Allen, who will miss Week 9 with a hamstring injury. Mike Williams (ankle) is already on IR, leaving the Chargers thin at receiver this weekend.  Expect Austin Ekeler to be very busy in the passing game from the running back position.
• D’Andre Swift is officially questionable to play on Sunday, but the team’s plan is to “get him in the game and see where he’s at,” according to head coach Dan Campbell. Expect Swift to be active, but limited against the Packers.
• Allen Lazard (shoulder) is considered a gametime decision as well, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. Lazard was a limited practice participant throughout the week, a clear upgrade from last week when he was unable to practice at all before being inactive on Sunday.

Week 9 Headlines

• Teams on Bye: Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, NY Giants, Pittsburgh, San Francisco
• Notes from the trade deadline: Calvin Ridley to Jacksonville, Chase Claypool to Chicago, T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota, Nyheim Hines to Buffalo, Jeff Wilson Jr. to Miami, Chase Edmonds to Denver
• These players are no longer considered SuperStars in Reignmakers: Ja’Marr Chase, Najee Harris, Deebo Samuel, Jonathan Taylor, Aaron Rodgers, CeeDee Lamb, Dalvin Cook
• These players are now classified as SuperStars in Reignmakers: Nick Chubb, Tyreek Hill, Joe Burrow, Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts
• P.J. Walker will make at least one more start at QB for Carolina

Eagles @ Texans, Thursday 8:15 PM ET

The Eagles made quick work of the Steelers in their first game after the bye last week, winning 35-13. Their Week 9 matchup against the Texans projects to be similarly lopsided. The Steelers' secondary had no answers for A.J. Brown, who went for 6-153-3 and was close to converting on a fourth touchdown. Philly took their foot off the gas in the second half and even brought Gardner Minshew into the game late in relief of Jalen Hurts. 

Hurts has been upgraded to SuperStar status in this week’s update, so we may see his price come down a bit over the next few days, as it will now be more difficult to build lineups around him. Still, he’s the only SuperStar on the Thursday Night Showdown slate, so the true effects will not be felt until next week.

A.J. Brown was left without the SuperStar status, as DraftKings will not allow both sides of a quarterback-wide receiver pair to have the designation at the same time, and that makes Brown even more valuable post-update than he was prior.

Boston Scott’s seven carries in Week 8 set the high-water mark for a Philly back other than Miles Sanders this season, but the game script likely played a role. I’d expect Sanders to improve on his season-low nine carries in Week 8 this week. I’m also not worried about DeVonta Smith, who registered only 23 receiving yards last week. Smith’s 27 percent target share was in-line with his season-long usage and he was more so a victim of Brown’s success and an unfavorable game script.

The dust has settled after the trade deadline, and Brandin Cooks is still a member of the Houston Texans. Cooks was heavily rumored to be a trade target of the Cowboys among other teams, but he’s now poised to retain his target-heavy role in Houston’s offense moving forward, barring any off the field drama. Cooks has led the Texans in target share in six of the team’s seven games and in a game script that should call for Houston to pass at an elevated rate while playing from behind, he’s a strong option here. Nico Collins is the only other moderately interesting receiving option for Houston, but he looks very iffy for Week 9 after missing last week with a groin injury.

Dameon Pierce is one of the rare workhorse backs in the NFL today. Pierce has exceeded an 80 percent rushing share in every game since Week 2, with no fewer than 14 carries in a game over that time. I’d expect Houston to abandon the run in this game as they fall behind to a superior opponent, but there’s no denying the talent and opportunity here. 

Best Buy: DeVonta Smith ($7, $37, $299, $1,590, $3,299)

Chargers @ Falcons, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

Believe it or not, the Atlanta Falcons are currently leading the NFC South. The Falcons are averaging under 200 passing yards per game, but they currently rank No. 5 in rushing yardage despite playing without Cordarrelle Patterson (hamstring) and Damien Williams (ribs) for most of the season. Patterson was designated to return from IR this week, but his Week 9 status is not yet known. Without knowing Patterson’s status, it’s hard for me to pull the trigger on Tyler Allgeier, but if Patterson does get activated, I’d be interested in scooping his cards. The Falcons don’t pass enough for me to be interested in Marcus Mariota, while Kyle Pitts and Drake London remain low-floor, “bet on talent” type options.

The Chargers emerge from their Week 8 bye with serious issues at the wide receiver position.  Leading receiver Mike Williams is currently on IR with a high-ankle sprain, and Keenan Allen is iffy to play in Week 9 with a lingering hamstring injury. Allen did make his first appearance since Week 1 before the bye, but he was limited to 23 snaps and held to only 11 yards. Austin Ekeler should get all the targets he can handle assuming Allen is less than 100 percent, as he did in Week 7 when he caught all 12 of his targets for 96 receiving yards and a touchdown. There is also a theoretical opportunity for Josh Palmer, should he be able to return from a head injury that held him out of Week 7. Palmer has underperformed all season though, and it’s best to keep expectations in check. Given his depleted receiving options, Justin Herbert is a tough sell for me in the near term.

Best Buy: Austin Ekeler ($13.50, $61, $545, $2,500, $17,000)

Panthers @ Bengals, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

The Panthers lost in almost unbelievable fashion to the Falcons in Week 8, and their prospects don’t look much better in Week 9 as 7.5-point road dogs to the Bengals. P.J. Walker played well enough in his second start (317 passing yards with a touchdown and a pick) to earn a third consecutive start for Carolina. Walker is about as cheap as it gets for a starting quarterback in the Reignmakers Marketplace, just know that future starts are probably contingent on his performance and not guaranteed. Walker has been a boon for DJ Moore’s fantasy value, as Moore has now accumulated over half of his total receiving yardage on the season over the last two weeks. 

D’Onta Foreman erupted in the team’s second game since trading Christian McCaffrey to the tune of 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Chuba Hubbard was held out with an ankle injury and his Week 9 status is not yet known. When both backs were healthy in Week 7, Carolina split the rushing share with 56 percent going to Foreman and 33 percent going to Hubbard (compared to Foreman’s 72 percent rushing share without Hubbard in Week 8).

The Bengals struggled last week in their first game without Ja’Marr Chase (hip). Chase was able to avoid IR, but he’s unlikely to play in Week 9. In Week 8, that meant a steady dose of Joe Mixon in the receiving game, as the Bengals RB posted his highest target share (25 percent) of the season. I’d expect Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to be more involved this week than they were in Week 8, but Mixon may be my favorite buy on Cincinnati based on current prices.

Best Buy: DJ Moore ($4, $24.96, $249, $999, $3,750)

Bills @ Jets, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

The Jets mustered only 51 rushing yards in their first game following Breece Hall’s ACL tear in a 22-17 Week 8 loss to the Patriots. Michael Carter out-carried new arrival James Robinson 7-5, and I will be watching closely how the work is split between these two moving forward. Last week, without Corey Davis (knee), Garrett Wilson and Tyler Conklin accounted for half of Zach Wilson’s 34 targets, while Elijah Moore remained M.I.A. following his trade request. Garrett Wilson seems set up for heavy utilization moving forward, and I like him as an upside play at his current marketplace prices. You can bet the Jets will be throwing a ton this weekend as 12.5-point underdogs.

The Bills added backfield help at the trade deadline, acquiring pass-catching back Nyheim Hines from the Colts. Hines’ arrival is bad news for rookie James Cook, and potentially even Devin Singletary, whose 31 targets on the year are third most on the team. Hines and Singletary’s prices are roughly equivalent in the marketplace at the time of writing and I don’t mind taking shots on either party given this offense’s upside and Buffalo’s likelihood of playing games deep into the playoffs.

Not much was needed from Josh Allen last week, as Buffalo needed only 218 yards through the air to hold off the Packers. Expect more fireworks this week against the Jets.

Best Buy: Garrett Wilson ($3, $17, $175, $599, $9,999)

Packers @ Lions, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

Week 8 saw Lions stars Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift both play their full allotment of snaps for the first time since Week 3 in Detroit’s 31-27 loss to Miami. St. Brown – who left the previous game with a head injury – picked up right where he left off with a team-high 27 percent target share, which he converted into a 7-69-0 receiving line.

Swift, on the other hand, was out-carried by Jamaal Williams 10-5 but was involved as a receiver (5-27-1). Williams also scored the team’s two rushing touchdowns. Before Swift’s injury earlier in the season, he had only out-carried Williams in one-of-three games. I don’t expect this distribution to change any time soon, especially since head coach Dan Campbell lamented giving Swift so much work in his post-game comments.

The Packers failed to add any receiving help at the trade deadline and they are short-handed at the position with injuries to Allen Lazard (shoulder) and Randall Cobb (ankle). Cobb is on IR and Lazard was unable to practice in any capacity last week. Without Lazard, Romeo Doubs is the only receiver I’m mildly interested in. Doubs posted his highest target share since Week 4 last week, and he led the team in receiving without Lazard.

In the backfield, Aaron Jones has started to distance himself from AJ Dillon. Jones has commanded at least 65 percent of the rushing work in each of Green Bay’s last two games after averaging a 45 percent share in the weeks prior. Couple Jones’ increasing involvement on the ground with the team’s lack of weapons through the air, and I think he’s a strong buy here.

Best Buy: Aaron Jones ($12, $57.99, $419, $2,599, $9,999)

Colts @ Patriots, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

The Patriots went back to Mac Jones as the full-time starter last week after Jones split the workload with Bailey Zappe the previous week in his first game back from an ankle injury. Jones did not have a great day, throwing for only 194 passing yards, but it was enough to beat the Jets. 

Since Damien Harris returned in Week 7, Rhamondre Stevenson’s rushing share is down around 20 percent, but Stevenson has balanced things out with target shares of 29 and 25 percent over that time. As long as Stevenson remains active in the receiving game, he could push RB1 value the rest of the way regardless of Harris’ status. 

DeVante Parker left last week’s contest after a single snap with a knee injury and his Week 9 status is not yet known. Without Parker last week, Jakobi Meyers tied his season-high with a 38 percent target share, which he parlayed into a 9-60-1 receiving line. Rookie Tyquan Thornton is the only other Patriot I’m vaguely interested in, but he’s more of a dart throw at this point.

The Colts suffered a one-point loss to Washington in Sam Ehlinger’s first start in replacement of Matt Ryan. Ehlinger is touted for his rushing ability, but he mustered only 15 yards on the ground in his debut. He is showing up as a neutral value in the Reignmakers Marketplace, according to Lucky Trader’s price estimates, and if you expect improvement from the young quarterback in his next start, there is certainly upward mobility there.

Michael Pittman Jr. retained a heavy target share after the move at QB, but it’s reasonable to expect Indy’s passing offense to take a hit while Ehlinger goes through growing pains in the short term.

Jonathan Taylor has yet to break out since returning from an ankle injury in Week 7. But, with Nyheim Hines headed to Buffalo in a trade deadline deal, there’s hope Taylor will resume the ~80 percent rushing load he saw earlier in the season (Taylor has been at 57 percent over the past two weeks). Taylor was also stripped of his SuperStar status earlier this week, giving him more value in Reignmakers where he can now be paired with a top player in lineups. Taylor was absent from Wednesday's practice though, and his status will bear monitoring throughout the week.

Best Buy: Jonathan Taylor ($9.80, $57.50, $575, $2,420, $7,499)

Dolphins @ Bears, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

In Week 8, Tua Tagovailoa looked a lot like the Miami QB who threw for 469 yards and six touchdowns in Week 2. This time, Tua racked up 382 passing yards against the Lions with three touchdowns going to Jaylen Waddle (2) and Mike Gesicki (1). Tyreek Hill dominated the team in target share (41 percent) and receiving yards (188), and Miami again looks like one of the most stackable offenses moving forward. With Hill newly designated as a SuperStar player, Waddle looks like one of the most valuable receivers to roster in the short term.

There are some moving parts in the Miami backfield, as the team traded away Chase Edmonds and traded for Jeff Wilson Jr. in separate deals. I would expect Mostert to maintain a similar role in the offense moving forward, though Wilson does have a long history with Miami head coach Mike McDaniel (as does Mostert) from McDaniel’s time in San Francisco.

The Bears were also active at the trade deadline, acquiring Chase Claypool from Pittsburgh for a 2023 second-round draft pick. The Bears’ depth at wide receiver after Darnell Mooney has been an issue all season, and Claypool may find himself with a heavy workload down the stretch. Claypool’s acquisition also gives a small boost to Justin Fields, who now has another solid weapon at his disposal.

Best Buy: Justin Fields ($9.25, $36.68, $309.69, $1,400, $8,999.99)

Raiders @ Jaguars, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

The Jaguars enter Week 9 on a five-game losing streak after losing to the Broncos in London last weekend. The only bright spot for Jacksonville in that game was Travis Etienne’s performance - his first game since the team traded James Robinson to the Jets. Etienne accounted for over half of the team’s yardage, going for 24-156-1 on the ground and adding six yards through the air. JaMycal Hasty operated as the No. 2 back, but it was a clear role upgrade for Etienne, who set a career-high in rush share (75 percent). 

The passing game was nonexistent though, as Trevor Lawrence was held to only 133 passing yards. The targets went where you’d expect them to go, with Christian Kirk and Evan Engram leading the team in opportunities. Lawrence & Co. will look to bounce back against a Raiders defense that just gave up 24 points to the Andy Dalton-led Saints offense.

The Raiders’ season is spiraling out of control after last week’s shutout loss to the Saints. In that game, Josh Jacobs was held to just 54 scrimmage yards after exceeding 155 scrimmage yards in each of the prior three games. Jacobs’ ten rushing attempts were his lowest since Week 1, but that seems to be mostly a function of the game script as no other Raider carried the ball more than once. Despite ranking No. 6 in per-game fantasy production among running backs, Jacobs was not classified as a SuperStar in the latest update, and I’m willing to buy back in here where the price is right. 

Davante Adams was a ghost last week, posting a 1-3-0 receiving line on five targets, and he has retained his SuperStar status in Reignmakers. If the market overreacts to last week’s dud, I’ll be looking to buy back in, but Adams looks like a neutral value early in the week. Foster Moreau has performed admirably in Darren Waller’s absence, but with Waller being a limited practice participant throughout last week, I am considering him “probable” to play in Week 9 until we hear an official update from the team.

Best Buy: Travis Etienne Jr. ($11, $64.59, $649, $1,749.69, $9,900)

Vikings @ Commanders, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

The Vikings continued their quiet dominance, improving to 6-1 with their Week 8 win over the Cardinals. Minnesota remains one of the most projectible teams in the league – in Week 8, 75 percent of the team’s total yardage came from the trio of Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. Speaking of Cook, he was one of the players to lose his SuperStar status in this week’s update, making him an attractive buy in the short term.

The Vikings did trade for T.J. Hockenson at the deadline, but I’d expect Hockenson to serve as a one-for-one replacement for Irv Smith Jr. in the offense. Smith Jr. is expected to be sidelined for the next eight-to-ten weeks with an ankle injury.

One of the things I’ve been trying to do over the last week or so is to begin preparing my portfolio for the NFL playoffs by selling cards of players whose teams are very unlikely to make the playoffs, and buying cards of players whose teams are very likely to make the playoffs. The Vikings’ current implied odds to make the playoffs are ~98 percent, and I’m very interested in accumulating their key players.

The Commanders are now 2-0 with Taylor Heinicke under center after Carson Wentz was placed on IR with a finger injury. Wentz will miss the next two games at a minimum. While I’d rather not speculate on a quarterback who is not guaranteed to keep the starting job over the remainder of the season, Heinicke’s involvement does make me bullish on Terry McLaurin. McLaurin’s two highest target shares of the season have come in Heinicke’s starts, and McLaurin went over 1,000 yards in 2021 with Heinicke starting most of the way.

Jahan Dotson’s (hamstring) eventual return could throw a wrench in McLaurin’s outlook, but Dotson has not practiced since Week 4 and hasn’t seemed particularly close to a return, despite avoiding IR. Heinicke’s involvement may not be as bullish for Curtis Samuel, who posted his lowest target share of the season (13 percent) in Week 8. 

The Washington backfield has devolved into a gross near-50/50 split between Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr., and until one of these two backs separates from the other, I’m hands-off here. 

Best Buy: Dalvin Cook ($9.99, $58, $499, $2,300, $7,999.99)

Seahawks @ Cardinals, Sunday 4:05 PM ET

DeAndre Hopkins posted his second consecutive 100-yard game since returning from suspension in last week’s loss to the Vikings. With Marquise Brown (foot) currently on IR, Hopkins’ target dominance should continue for at least two more weeks. James Conner (ribs) was able to get in two limited practice sessions last week – an improvement from the previous two weeks – but was ultimately ruled out for Week 8. For now, I’m considering him questionable to play in Week 9, and I’m not sure there is a great option if he sits out. Eno Benjamin was great in Week 7, but Darrel Williams returned to action in Week 8, siphoning 23 percent of the rushing load away from Benjamin.

The Seahawks dodged a bullet with DK Metcalf, who was active for Week 8 after it looked like he may have suffered a serious knee injury the week prior. Metcalf was a little limited, playing on 63 percent of Seattle’s offensive snaps compared to his season average of 76 percent, but he still led the team in targets with 10 and posted a 6-55-1 receiving line. Rookie Kenneth Walker III was held to his worst performance since taking over for Rashaad Penny in the backfield, but he salvaged his fantasy line with a rushing touchdown. Travis Homer was back on the field for the first time since Week 3, and he’s somewhat of a threat to Walker in the passing game, but Walker was not getting much work in that area to begin with.

Best Buy: DK Metcalf ($5.25, $27.50, $308.99, $1,500, $7,250)

Rams @ Buccaneers, Sunday 4:25 PM ET

The Bucs fell further under .500 – to 3-5 – with last week’s loss to the Ravens, but they open as field goal favorites at home against the similarly struggling Rams in Week 9. Tampa Bay has looked out of sync on offense all season as the team has juggled various injuries. Last week was the first game that all three of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones were active together since Week 4, though Russell Gage was held out with a hamstring injury. Brady did go over 300 yards last week, with over half of his targets going to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (each had 11 targets). 

The run game remains an issue for the Bucs. Since Leonard Fournette racked up 127 rushing yards in Week 1 he has failed to exceed 65 rushing yards in any subsequent game. Over the past two weeks, Lenny has just 43 rushing yards on 17 carries, though he did salvage his Week 8 performance with a touchdown. At some point, the team may look to get rookie Rachaad White more involved, but they don’t appear to be there quite yet. White’s rushing share and snap share were both down in Week 8 from the previous week. 

For the Rams, all eyes will be on Cooper Kupp, who suffered an ankle injury toward the end of last week’s loss to the 49ers. Early returns seem optimistic about Kupp’s Week 9 prospects, but his practice participation will be worth monitoring throughout the week. Los Angeles did get some reinforcements last week with the return of Van Jefferson, who missed the first seven weeks with a knee injury. Jefferson was not targeted in his 31 snaps but should be more involved moving forward.

The backfield remains a mess with Cam Akers’ status with the team remaining murky and Darrell Henderson Jr. taking a back seat to Ronnie Rivers last week. Rookie Kyren Williams (ankle) will return from IR at some point, but it’s unclear if that will happen this week.

Best Buy: Mike Evans ($13.12, $39.99, $400, $1,970, $7,000)

Titans @ Chiefs, Sunday 8:20 PM ET

Week 8 was a “throw out the tape” type of performance for the Titans, who threw the ball only 10 times in Malik Willis’ first start as a pro. With Ryan Tannehill (ankle) sidelined, Tennessee went extremely run-heavy in their 17-10 win over the Texans. Even with Tannehill under center, the Titans prefer to run the ball but expect the balance to revert in Week 9 assuming Tannehill is active. Unfortunately, with Treylon Burks (toe) still on IR, the receiving game options are pretty unexciting, but given this game will be on a Showdown slate, I’m open to taking a shot on Robert Woods.

The Chiefs will come out of the bye with a new receiver in Kadarius Toney, who was acquired from the Giants before the trade deadline. Head coach Andy Reid has said the team will gradually work Toney into the offense, but this is a team that has been looking for a spark at receiver all year and the upside is immense. Toney has gotten a lot of mileage out of the one good game he had in 2021 (10-189-0 in Week 5), but I’m willing to speculate here, knowing that things are likely to start off slow. Toney may eventually cut into JuJu Smith-Schuster’s workload, but JuJu feels like a strong option in the near term, as his target share approaches 20 percent on the season.

In Week 7, Isiah Pacheco out-carried Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the first time since Week 1, but keep in mind Kansas City was up big in that game against San Francisco. As much as I’d like to see a backfield takeover here, it may be wishful thinking for now. 

Best Buy: JuJu Smith-Schuster ($5, $27, $250, $949, $23,333)

Ravens @ Saints, Monday 8:15 PM ET

The Ravens got the win over the Bucs in Week 8 but suffered injuries to Rashod Bateman (foot), Gus Edwards (hamstring) and Mark Andrews (shoulder) in the process. Bateman entered last week questionable to play with a foot injury and missed practice on Tuesday due to the ailment. Head coach John Harbaugh called Bateman’s latest injury a “tweak” of the existing issue, and Bateman is expected to be sidelined for “a few weeks.” Harbaugh also said that Andrews’ injury does not appear to be serious. Should Andrews be unable to go, rookie Isaiah Likely would be a strong option in fantasy formats, though he is not available in Reignmakers yet. Demarcus Robinson was the beneficiary after Bateman left last week, but Robinson is a less exciting fantasy option. 

For the second game in a row, Gus Edwards and Kenyan Drake operated as a committee in J.K. Dobbins’ (knee) absence. With Lamar Jackson pulling so many rushing attempts out of the backfield, it will be hard to feel great about Edwards (if active) or Drake. As for Lamar himself, he is showing some early-week value, according to our price estimates. I think this is most likely because players sold their Ravens cards after the team played on Thursday Night Football last week, and I would expect that value to disappear as the week goes on.

The Saints may have had their best performance of the season in Week 8, blanking the Raiders 24-0 in Andy Dalton’s fifth appearance of the season. New Orleans remains short-handed at receiver, as Michael Thomas (toe) remains without a return timeline, and Jarvis Landry (ankle) has not practiced since Week 5. As long as Thomas and Landry remain out, Chris Olave should retain his WR1 workload. 

One other development to watch is Taysom Hill’s usage in the running game. After Mark Ingram (knee) left last week’s game, Hill saw a season-high 10 carries, accounting for 31 percent of the market share. Ingram is expected to miss multiple games with his injury.

Alvin Kamara was not upgraded to SuperStar status despite his masterful three-touchdown performance in Week 8, and he’ll be one of the most valuable running backs in Reignmakers in the short term as a result.

Best Buy: Alvin Kamara ($12.50, $65, $550, $3,300, $6,500)

That's All!

Be sure to check our Lucky Trader’s Player Card Estimate and Contest EV tools throughout the week, then head over to the Reignmakers Marketplace to start building your teams!