Josh Jordan

Fantasy football under-the-radar plays — Week 9

Fantasy football under-the-radar plays — Week 9
Expect Calvin Ridley to have a big game this week. Photo via Atlanta Falcons/Facebook

Week 9 is here and I’m back to give out more sleeper plays. My standard for a good fantasy game is around 100 total yards and/or a TD, and this is for PPR scoring. A game with a lot of catches helps too, obviously. Of course, the bar is a little lower for TEs. 

I went 8-4 last week, and you can check out that article here. Week 8 was pretty damn good, so I’m happy with those results. With the bye weeks upon us, I will continue to look for players that can help you, and are also widely available.

QB

Kirk Cousins (MIN): Cousins faces a Lions defense that is allowing over 25FPTS/G to QBs over the past month. They’ve also given up 10 passing TDs in that span.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB): This one is not as much about the matchup. I think Cam Newton has a big game, and Fitzpatrick will have to throw to keep up with the Panthers.

RB

Isaiah Crowell (NYJ): It’s hard to trust anybody on the Jets offense, but his matchup is spectacular. The Dolphins give up on average over 32FPTS/G to RBs over their last 5 games. He could have a big day.

Nick Chubb (CLE): He has a great opportunity facing the Chiefs run defense that is allowing almost 30FPTS/G to RBs in their last 5 games. He does come with some downside if this game gets out of hand and the Browns stop running the ball.

Adrian Peterson (WAS): He’s dealing with a shoulder injury, so keep an eye on that. If he’s able to go, you have to roll with him again in this favorable matchup against the Falcons. They’re giving up almost 30FPTS/G to the position over their last 4 games.

WR

Calvin Ridley (ATL): I’m back in the saddle backing Ridley. Josh Norman will have his hands full with Julio Jones, and Ridley should have a nice game. The Redskins are allowing an incredible 47 FPTS/G to WRs in the last 4.  

D.J. Moore (CAR): This is all about the matchup and I think Cam goes off here. Moore is starting to get going as of late, and I think this game could be a shootout.

DeVante Parker (MIA): Halloween may be over, but counting on Parker to come through is VERY scary. He looked great last week against Houston, and the matchup is terrific. The Jets allow over 46FPTS/G to WRs over the past month. If there was ever a time to play Parker, this has to be it.

Sammy Watkins (KC): Watkins has been playing really well lately, and I think Tyreek Hill gets the tough matchup against Browns CB Denzel Ward. Plus, Cleveland is giving up over 40FPTS/G to WRs over their last 4 games.

Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp (LAR): I think both these guys have a big game. Just make sure Kupp is active. He’s expected to come back from his knee injury and play this week. Cooks should have to deal with Saints star CB Marshon Lattimore, so I think these two go off.

TE

O.J. Howard (TB): The Panthers allow the most points to TEs over their last 4 games, so he’s worth starting for sure.

Greg Olsen (CAR): Olsen has a Top 10 matchup against the Bucs, so I’d fire him up.

 

That’s all I have for this week. For more fantasy info, make sure you check out my show Moneyline on ESPN 97.5 every Sunday from 10-noon. Jerry Bo and I will get you ready for kickoff and answer any questions you may have. Also, follow us on Twitter.

Good luck in Week 9!

@jordanpfx

@JerryBoKnowz

@Moneyline975

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Have the Astros turned a corner? Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

After finishing up with the Guardians the Astros have a rather important series for early May with the Seattle Mariners heading to town for the weekend. While it’s still too early to be an absolute must-win series for the Astros, losing the series to drop seven or eight games off the division lead would make successfully defending their American League West title that much more unlikely.

Since their own stumble out of the gate to a 6-10 record the Mariners have been racking up series wins, including one this week over the Atlanta Braves. The M’s offense is largely Mmm Mmm Bad, but their pitching is sensational. In 18 games after the 6-10 start, the Mariners gave up five runs in a game once. In the other 17 games they only gave up four runs once. Over the 18 games their starting pitchers gave up 18 earned runs total with a 1.44 earned run average. That’s absurd. Coming into the season Seattle’s starting rotation was clearly better on paper than those of the Astros and Texas Rangers, and it has crystal clearly played out as such into the second month of the schedule.

While it’s natural to focus on and fret over one’s own team's woes when they are plentiful as they have been for the Astros, a reminder that not all grass is greener elsewhere. Alex Bregman has been awful so far. So has young Mariners’ superstar Julio Rodriguez. A meager four extra base hits over his first 30 games were all Julio produced down at the ballyard. That the Mariners are well ahead of the Astros with J-Rod significantly underperforming is good news for Seattle.

Caratini comes through!

So it turns out the Astros are allowed to have a Puerto Rican-born catcher who can hit a little bit. Victor Caratini’s pedigree is not that of a quality offensive player, but he has swung the bat well thus far in his limited playing time and provided the most exciting moment of the Astros’ season with his two-out two-run 10th inning game winning home run Tuesday night. I grant that one could certainly say “Hey! Ronel Blanco finishing off his no-hitter has been the most exciting moment.” I opt for the suddenness of Caratini’s blow turning near defeat into instant victory for a team that has been lousy overall to this point. Frittering away a game the Astros had led 8-3 would have been another blow. Instead, to the Victor belong the spoils.

Pudge Rodriguez is the greatest native Puerto Rican catcher, but he was no longer a good hitter when with the Astros for the majority of the 2009 season. Then there’s Martin Maldonado.

Maldonado’s hitting stats with the Astros look Mike Piazza-ian compared to what Jose Abreu was doing this season. Finally, mercifully for all, Abreu is off the roster as he accepts a stint at rookie-level ball in Florida to see if he can perform baseball-CPR on his swing and career. Until or unless he proves otherwise, Abreu is washed up and at some point the Astros will have to accept it and swallow whatever is left on his contract that runs through next season. For now Abreu makes over $120,000 per game to not be on the roster. At his level of performance, that’s a better deal than paying him that money to be on the roster.

Abreu’s seven hits in 71 at bats for an .099 batting average with a .269 OPS is a humiliating stat line. In 2018 George Springer went to sleep the night of June 13 batting .293 after going hitless in his last four at bats in a 13-5 Astros’ win over Oakland. At the time no one could have ever envisioned that Springer had started a deep, deep funk which would have him endure a nightmarish six for 78 stretch at the plate (.077 batting average). Springer then hit .293 the rest of the season.

Abreu’s exile opened the door for Joey Loperfido to begin his Major League career. Very cool for Loperfido to smack a two-run single in his first game. He also struck out twice. Loperfido will amass whiffs by the bushel, he had 37 strikeouts in 101 at bats at AAA Sugar Land. Still, if he can hit .225 with some walks mixed in (he drew 16 with the Space Cowboys) and deliver some of his obvious power (13 homers in 25 games for the ex-Skeeters) that’s an upgrade over Abreu/Jon Singleton, as well as over Jake Meyers and the awful showing Chas McCormick has posted so far. Frankly, it seems unwise that the Astros only had Loperfido play seven games at first base in the minors this year. If McCormick doesn’t pick it up soon and with Meyers displaying limited offensive upside, the next guy worth a call-up is outfielder Pedro Leon. In January 2021 the Astros gave Leon four million dollars to sign out of Cuba and called him a “rapid mover to the Major Leagues.” Well…

Over his first three minor league seasons Leon flashed tools but definitely underwhelmed. He has been substantially better so far this year. He turns 26 May 28. Just maybe the Astros offense could be the cause of fewer Ls with Loperfido at first and Leon in center field.

Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via YouTube: stone cold stros - YouTube with the complete audio available via Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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