Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 9, according to Matt McMullen of the Kansas City Chiefs. The veteran wideout has been unable to practice all week and will now miss his second-straight contest after suffering a hamstring injury during Week 7. Smith-Schuster enjoyed a nice performance in Week 6, bringing in seven passes for 130 yards but has to have any fantasy impact since. Fantasy managers in deeper 3WR formats should continue to stash Smith-Schuster, as he could eventually have a stable role in the Kansas City passing attack. This weekend, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce should be expected to see the majority of opportunities facing a Tampa secondary that has struggled to defend the pass.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee) is dealing with a knee injury that isn't considered a major issue and is expected to play in Week 9 on Sunday against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Nacua's injury was described to The Athletic's Dianna Russini as "nothing crazy." The Rams listed Nacua as questionable for the weekend, but fantasy managers should leave the 23-year-old second-year pass-catcher in their starting lineups. Just make sure to check he's officially active on Sunday, as expected, after he banged up his knee during Thursday's practice. He's not dealing with any structural damage, though, and will be looking for an encore after going for seven catches (nine targets) and 106 yards in the Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday. Nacua hasn't scored in the two games he's played in this year, but he's a must-start in fantasy when active.

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The Athletic's Dianna Russini writes that the Kansas City Chiefs may not be done adding wide receivers via trade with Skyy Moore (core) on Injured Reserve. General manager Brett Veach already acquired receiver DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Joshua Uche well before the NFL trade deadline this coming Tuesday, and if a wideout falls into their laps, sources are saying the Chiefs won't hesitate to act. If Kansas City opts to add another defensive player, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would love a fast, young cornerback to help improve their secondary. In the Week 8 win over the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders, tight end Travis Kelce led the team in receiving, catching 10 of 12 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown, with rookie receiver Xavier Worthy also finding the end zone. Hopkins had just two catches for 29 yards in his team debut.

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Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner ranks as a high-end RB2 when the Cardinals host the Chicago Bears in Week 9. Conner had over 20 touches last week in the win over the Miami Dolphins. He has benefited from his heavy workload, ranking in the top 10 in rushing attempts this season. His volume makes him an appealing player in fantasy each week, as, despite his inefficiency last week, he still found the end zone. The Chicago Bears rank 10th in points allowed to opposing fantasy running backs, presenting a challenging matchup. Even against the stout Bears front, Conner's workload makes him a viable starter in fantasy.

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The Carolina Panthers continue to receive calls from interested teams in former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, but the Panthers aren't considering moving him at this time, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini. Young will make a second straight start in Week 9 against the division-rival New Orleans Saints, and Carolina was encouraged by his improvements in the Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos. NFL executives think that if the Panthers eventually decide to trade him, they'll get a better deal in the offseason. Young is apparently off the table for now in a trade, but the Panthers are believed to be open to dealing running back Miles Sanders and edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. The 23-year-old Young went 24-for-37 for 224 yards with his first touchdown of the year and two picks last Sunday. Don't expect much improvement, if any, against the Saints this week with Diontae Johnson out of town and rookie receiver Xavier Legette (toe) questionable to play.

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The Athletic's Dianna Russini doesn't expect the New York Jets to move wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams and cornerback D.J. Reed by Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. The Jets have been receiving calls about the availability of Wilson and Reed lately. New York needs to do a lot of work to even be in the playoff picture by the end of the regular season, but they took a step forward by beating the Houston Texans on Thursday night to improve their record to 3-6. Wilson caught nine of his 10 targets for 90 yards and two touchdowns in the 21-13 win and is still a must-start for fantasy managers despite the recent addition of Adams. Adams also had a strong game in Week 8, going for seven receptions on 11 targets for 91 yards and a score against Houston. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will continue to lean heavily on his top two pass-catchers.

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The Athletic's Dianna Russini doesn't expect the Los Angeles Rams to trade veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp by Tuesday's NFL trade deadline despite being open to moving him this time a week ago. On the flip side, the Rams are trying to move cornerback Tre'Davious White. Kupp returned last Thursday night in the win over the Minnesota Vikings from an ankle injury that he suffered in Week 2. The 31-year-old caught five of his eight target for 51 yards and a touchdown and now has 23 catches on 35 targets for 198 yards and two touchdowns in his three games played in 2024. Kupp took a back seat to second-year wideout Puka Nacua, who was returning from a knee injury he suffered in Week 1, but as long as Kupp is able to remain healthy the rest of the way, he'll be a must-start fantasy receiver. He should be considered a low-end WR1 on Sunday versus the division-rival Seattle Seahawks.

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The New York Giants, who are sitting in last place in the NFC East heading into Week 9 action, are reportedly shopping young edge rusher Azeez Ojulari. The Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals are three teams that are known to be monitoring Ojulari. The Giants are already paying linebacker Brian Burns and spent a top-five draft selection on Kayvon Thibodeaux. It makes sense that the G-Men and general manager Joe Schoen are trying to get something in return for Ojulari now since he's set to hit the free-agent market after the season. The 24-year-old is a big reason why the Giants lead the NFL in sacks. He had two more sacks in the Monday night loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and is now up to six on the year, which is third on the Giants. The fourth-year player needs just three more sacks in 2024 to set a new career-high.

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The Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams has been nowhere close to the level of play they've shown in the past. They have one of the worst units against the pass this season and sit as the 23rd-ranked fantasy defense of the year. They're averaging 5.0 fantasy points per game and lost to the Cleveland Browns in Week 8. Now they take on the Denver Broncos in Week 9, a team that has proven that they have the ability to put up some big scoring weeks with rookie quarterback Bo Nix under center. Usually, the Ravens are good against rookie quarterbacks, but this year has been nothing like years past, so they're not the best option this week.

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New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye (concussion) has cleared the league's concussion protocol and has been removed from the Week 9 injury report on Saturday. Maye was officially listed as questionable on Friday to play in Sunday's contest against the Tennessee Titans after being limited in practice all week as he worked his way through the protocols. The 22-year-old first-rounder suffered a concussion in the Week 8 win over the division-rival New York Jets but won't be forced to miss any time. Maye only attempted six passes before getting knocked out of last Sunday's contest, but he threw for a season-high 276 yards and two touchdowns the previous week in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now that he's in the clear for Week 9, Maye should be considered a low-end QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues against a Titans defense that has been stingy against opposing QBs in 2024.

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The red-hot Washington Commanders are calling around in search of a cornerback as Tuesday's NFL trade deadline nears, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini. Head coach Dan Quinn knows that the team's secondary is a weakness. Washington is 6-2, but if they want to get past the Philadelphia Eagles and their excellent group of receivers in the NFC East, they need to improve their pass defense in the second half of the season. Despite the Commanders' glaring weakness in their secondary, they are only allowing 202.1 passing yards per game through eight weeks, which ranks as the sixth-fewest in the league. Still, it won't be a surprise if Washington adds help at cornerback before the NFL's trade deadline this coming Tuesday.

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The Athletic's Dianna Russini was told that the Cincinnati Bengals are not trading wide receiver Tee Higgins (quadriceps) by Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. The Bengals have only landed two players in a trade in 52 years, but they are looking to make a splash in 2024. Cincy has a strong belief that they can get back to the AFC title game despite sitting at 3-5 entering Week 9 play, and they've been looking around for a cornerback and a defensive lineman that could give defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo a boost. Right now, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is seen as the team's only defensive threat. In fantasy, the Bengals' defense/special teams unit currently ranks 24th. They also rank all the way down at 29th in the NFL with only 12 sacks, so Hendrickson could certainly use the help on the D-line if the Bengals hope to make the postseason.

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Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker suffered a down week in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns. While he made all three of his extra-point attempts, he only made one of two field goal attempts throughout the game. His lone make came from 49 yards, but he still finished as a low-end K2. The Denver Broncos, their Week 9 opponent, only give up 6.6 fantasy points per game to opposing kickers, but the Ravens offense should be able to at least move the ball into field goal range. Tucker carries K1 potential, but the tougher matchup does mean there are some better options out there.

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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes have been hunting for an edge rusher since they lost star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson (leg) to a season-ending broken left tibia and fibula, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini. The Lions have checked in with several teams around the NFL, including the Cleveland Browns, with hopes of acquiring Za'Darius Smith. Hutchinson hasn't played since Oct. 13 but is still third in the league in sacks with 7.5. As things stand right now heading into Week 9, Detroit's defense is tied for 12th with 20 total defensive sacks. However, if they want to realize their goal of reaching the Super Bowl after losing in the NFC Championship a year ago to the San Francisco 49ers, the Lions are probably going to need more help in the pass-rush department with Hutchinson out the rest of the way.

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The Minnesota Vikings defense/special teams is again a top option this Sunday when they host the visiting Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. The Vikings' defense has given up a good amount of yards through the air this season but leads the league with 12 interceptions in just seven games played. Additionally, they've been one of the most staunch units against opposing ground attacks, letting up 3.9 yards per rush attempt -- the third-lowest figure in the league -- and a league-low three rushing scores on the season. While veteran quarterback Joe Flacco poses a significantly more competent test as the Colts' signal-caller, fantasy managers can confidently start the D/ST as they should shut down Indy's rushing attack. Minnesota's D ranks as RotoBaller's D/ST6 ahead of Week 9's slate of games.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson just joined the team earlier in the week and was a full participant at practice each day. All signs are pointing to the new Raven suiting up on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, but his workload is a big question mark. Less than a week of practice isn't enough to learn much of the offense, so he may not be featured on many snaps immediately. Fantasy managers will want to wait a week or two and see how the trend of snaps and targets moves as he's more incorporated into the offensive system. So, he's not on the fantasy radar outside of desperate situations in Week 9, especially against a good defense like the Broncos.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has turned around his fantasy season in a big way over the last few weeks. He's found the end zone in three straight games and finished inside TE1 territory in each one. The Ravens' offense gets another tough test, however, as they play against the Denver Broncos in Week 9. They currently allow 8.2 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in half-PPR leagues which ranks 21st in the league. One other issue is the addition of Diontae Johnson which could mean fewer targets for Andrews again. However, Johnson has only participated in less than a week of practices, so Andrews should have TE1 potential for at least one more week.

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Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox gets an upgrade at quarterback in Week 9 with Joe Flacco under center, with eight of Cox's 13 total targets coming during Flacco's playing time earlier this season while Anthony Richardson dealt with an injury. In Weeks 5 and 6 combined, Cox caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards (he has just 100 on the season) and a touchdown. In Week 4 when Flacco came on in relief of Richardson, the veteran QB hit tight end Drew Ogletree for a 15-yard touchdown pass, so Cox and the TE group as a whole should be much more involved going forward. Cox leads the Colts TEs in targets on the season with 13, which is four more than Kylen Granson and six more than Ogletree. There are surely more proven TE options available on the waiver wire that have already been integrated into their offenses, but for fantasy managers looking for an under-the-radar dart throw with upside this week, Cox should be under consideration.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas was held without a catch in the Week 8 loss to the Eagles. With Tee Higgins (quadriceps) sidelined for that one, most expected Iosivas would be more involved. However, that didn't happen. With Higgins in line to miss Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders, targets will be up for grabs. Of course, Ja'Marr Chase will remain Joe Burrow's preferred option on the receiving end. Still, Iosivas has an excellent chance of getting it together on Sunday, so fantasy managers can still consider him a flex option.

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Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard will again be a strong play this Sunday when his team lines up against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. The rookie has been one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL thus far in 2024 and has an excellent chance to put together another solid outing against a poor Colts defense in Week 9. Despite Indy giving up a ton of yards to opposing offenses, they've only allowed 21.5 points per game -- paving the way for some built-in opportunities for the 23-year-old in a juicy matchup. The Alabama product has connected on all 14 of his field goal attempts this season and nailed all 20 extra-point attempts, too. Fire him up confidently as RotoBaller's K5 in this week's rankings.

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