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FFL: Week 9 | NFL: Week 9

QB Michael Penix Jr., Falcons agree to contract terms

Fri Jun 21 8:20pm ET
Field Level Media

The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to contract terms with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., their first-round pick, according to multiple media reports on Friday.

Penix, selected eighth overall out of Washington, is getting a four-year rookie deal valued at $22.88 million, including a $13.46 million signing bonus.

All contracts involving first-round selections include a fifth-year team option.

The Falcons have invested heavily in the quarterback position. Six weeks before the draft, they signed veteran free agent Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal that includes $100 million guaranteed.

Cousins, who will turn 36 before the regular-season begins, is looking to come back from a right Achilles tendon tear that ended his 2023 season in October with the Minnesota Vikings.

That commitment made all the more surprising Atlanta's decision to use a first-round selection on a quarterback. Penix was the fourth signal caller drafted out of a record-tying six first-round QB picks.

Penix, 24, is coming off a spectacular senior season in which he led the Huskies to the national championship game. He threw for a national-high 4,903 yards and had 36 touchdown passes while getting intercepted 11 times.

He wound up as the Heisman Trophy runner-up behind LSU's Jayden Daniels, and Penix captured the Maxwell Award, which goes to the country's top college football player. Each of the past two seasons, Penix broke Washington's single-season passing record.

Penix is expected to formally sign the contract on Friday, according to media reports, and complete the Falcons' eight-player draft class signings. He has participated in every offseason training session from rookie minicamp to OTAs and the mandatory minicamp.

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Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 9

Player Notes
Sam LaPorta Nov 3 9:30pm ET
Sam LaPorta

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta struggled in Week 9, posting just two receptions for 28 yards in the team's 24-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers. After a season-best performance last week, LaPorta fell short again, marking his third game with fewer than five PPR fantasy points and his sixth single-digit fantasy outing in eight games. Even with Jameson Williams out (PED violation), LaPorta was largely uninvolved, as the Lions continued to rely heavily on their rushing duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Despite his early-season promise, LaPorta remains a volatile option with Detroit's offense leaning on its ground game. He'll aim for a rebound in Week 10 against the Houston Texans.

From RotoBaller

Jake Bates Nov 3 9:30pm ET
Jake Bates

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates had an average fantasy showing in Week 9, finishing with one field goal and converting all three extra points in the 24-14 win over the Green Bay Packers. This brings Bates to 30 of 31 on extra points for the season. This also marked only the third time this season that he's finished with less than eight fantasy points. Bate's streamable status remains strong thanks to Detroit's high-scoring offense. Bates continues to offer reliable production in favorable matchups and will look to add to his season totals next week against the Houston Texans.

From RotoBaller

Amon-Ra St. Brown Nov 3 9:20pm ET
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown led the receiving corps in the team's 24-14 win over the Green Bay Packers, recording seven receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. St. Brown's performance places him as a top-15 WR going into Sunday night and marks his fifth game this season with 18 or more PPR fantasy points. He also extended his touchdown streak to six consecutive games, maintaining his status as a reliable fantasy WR1. St. Brown continues to be a focal point in Detroit's passing game, providing consistency week after week. He'll look to extend his scoring streak in Week 10 when Detroit faces the Houston Texans.

From RotoBaller

Ray-Ray McCloud Nov 3 9:20pm ET
Ray-Ray McCloud

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III reeled in all three of his targets in Sunday's 27-21 win over the Cowboys, gaining 28 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the season. The 28-year-old added one rush attempt for seven yards. While the touchdown saved his fantasy day, he's averaged just 3.5 targets per game over the last four contests after averaging nearly six targets per game over the first five. Unfortunately, teammate Drake London was injured on Sunday, but if he were to miss time that could lead to a couple more targets for McCloud. The other thing working in his favor is that the Falcons take on the Saints in Week 10, the team who the Clemson product saw earlier this season, catching six passes for 52 yards in that matchup. All that being said and even though the Saints have been a favorable defense for opposing wide receivers, McCloud is still likely not a preferred fantasy option in Week 10.

From RotoBaller

Tyrone Tracy Jr. Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Dynasty | Giants running back Tyrone Tracy had 66 rushing yards in a loss to the Commanders. Dynasty Analysis: Tracy did what he could in this one, but he just didn't have enough opportunities to make a huge difference in a game with a negative game script. Tracy still looks like the de facto top running back on the Giants, but that may not yield as many scoring opportunities as you'd like to see. Still, Tracy has done more than enough to impress and looks like the rookie steal of drafts so far this season.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Daniel Jones Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Daniel Jones

Dynasty | Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers had nine catches for 59 yards in New York's loss to Washington. Dynasty Analysis: The yardage totals weren't great, but Nabers did catch nine passes on 11 targets, more than making up for it in PPR leagues. Nabers has proven to be dominant as a rookie this season and while his ceiling is capped with Daniel Jones as his quarterback at times, he has the looks of a top two rookie this season and long-term WR1 in dynasty leagues.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Jayden Daniels Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Jayden Daniels

Dynasty | Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 15-of-22 passes for 209 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a win against the Giants. Dynasty Analysis: It was just another day at the office for Daniels, who added another 35 yards on the ground. The Commanders are 7-2 and the surprise of the NFL this season with much of that credit going straight to Daniels, who has been simply brilliant. While his nine passing touchdowns will need to increase for him to be an elite dynasty option, Daniels' floor is high because of his rushing ability and tendency to take care of the football. Caleb Williams is going to be good, but Daniels really may turn out to be great.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Drake Maye Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Drake Maye

Dynasty | Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 29-of-41 passes for 206 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions in an overtime loss to Tennessee. Dynasty Analysis: Maye added a whopping 95 rushing yards on the day, the most by a New England quarterback since the 1970s. He also had a game-tying miracle touchdown pass at the end of regulation, but New England eventually fell in overtime. Maye still has room to grow, but you can tell he has real talent and finally looks like the long-term answer the Patriots have been looking for since Tom Brady left town. Maye's dynasty value is on the rise.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Tony Pollard Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Tony Pollard

Dynasty | Titans running back Tony Pollard had a season-high 128 rushing yards in a win against New England. Dynasty Analysis: Where was this last season? Pollard now has 750 rushing yards at the halfway mark on a team one could argue is a lot less talented than the ones he's played on in Dallas the past few years. Regardless, Pollard has established himself as the best option in the offense for the Titans and has been consistently solid all season and established himself again as a solid RB2. His dynasty value is back on solid ground.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Jameis Winston Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Jameis Winston

Dynasty | Browns receiver Cedric Tillman had six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in a loss against the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Tillman was the lone positive from a game where the Browns just got annihilated. With three good games in a row, Tillman is looking like a solid lineup consideration moving forward, especially when you consider he had a whopping 11 targets and Jameis Winston struggled mightily. In short, it this is Tillman's floor at the moment, that's a good thing. His dynasty value is going to continue to rise moving forward.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Nick Chubb Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Nick Chubb

Dynasty | Browns running back Nick Chubb had 39 rushing yards in a loss against the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Chubb now has just 113 rushing yards and one touchdown on a putrid 2.7 yards per carry since returning from injury earlier this month. Defenses are doing their best to stop him, but it's fair to wonder if Chubb has lost a step at this point. We'll wait to truly assess his future value for a few more weeks, but he looks like a player you just can't start at the moment and one whose dynasty arrow is starting to really point down.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Jameis Winston Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Jameis Winston

Dynasty | Browns quarterback Jameis Winston completed 26-of-46 passes for 235 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in a loss against the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Yep, that's about right. Winston was dominant last week, erratic this week and nobody on earth is going to be able to predict what's next for one of the NFL's streakiest performers. The Browns are going to go as Winston goes, so dynasty managers are going to be along for the ride. At this point, Winston is going to have in-season value, but it's hard to see him being a bona fide starter again in the NFL at this point in his career.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Ladd McConkey Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Ladd McConkey

Dynasty | Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston had four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown in a blowout win over the Browns. Dynasty Analysis: Johnston had a famously disastrous rookie season, but has bounced back nicely this year with 18 catches for 282 yards and four touchdowns. While still the WR2 to Ladd McConkey, we're at least seeing some solid signs of life from Johnston, something we never saw last year. His dynasty value is ticking up ever so slightly at the moment.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Zack Moss Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Zack Moss

Dynasty | Bengals running back Chase Brown had 120 rushing yards, five catches, 37 receiving yards and a touchdown in a win against Las Vegas. Dynasty Analysis: With Zack Moss out with an injury, Brown took advantage with a monster game and likely took over this backfield in the process. Brown has shown flashes all season, but today was next-level good and gave the Bengals a major shot in the arm. The buy window on Brown likely closed today and he looks poised to rise up the running back rankings in the coming weeks.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Joe Burrow Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Joe Burrow

Dynasty | Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed 27-of-39 passes for 251 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in a win against Las Vegas. Dynasty Analysis: The habitually slow-starting Bengals are back to 4-5 after this one and Burrow is certainly one of the reasons why. Through nine games, Burrow now has 2,244 yards with 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions on the season. Cincinnati may end up digging too deep of a hole to get out of, but Burrow is clearly back to nearly full health and QB1 status. His dynasty value is stable, if not ticking up at this point in the season.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Brock Bowers Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Brock Bowers

Dynasty | Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had five catches for 45 yards and a touchdown in a loss against Cincinnati. Dynasty Analysis: The Raiders are in the midst of a lost season, but Bowers hasn't been the problem. Now with 587 receiving yards and 57 catches on the year, he's establishing himself as one of the truly premier options in dynasty leagues. While today marked only his second touchdown of the season, it's hard not to salivate at what he could do with competent quarterback play. Bowers is locked into lineups for what looks to be not just this season, but perhaps the next decade.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Tua Tagovailoa Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Tua Tagovailoa

Dynasty | Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 25-of-28 passes for 231 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a loss to Buffalo. Dynasty Analysis: The entire Dolphins offense looks completely different with Tagovailoa at the the helm, but the reality is this team is 2-6 and quickly disappearing from playoff contention. The most important part of this game (or any other Tua plays in) is the fact he exited healthy. While Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are still struggling, you have to figure their time is coming. Tua's dynasty value is stable, though he's a tough buy (or sell) as a player who could be one hit away from retirement.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Tua Tagovailoa Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Tua Tagovailoa

Dynasty | Dolphins running back De'Von Achane had 63 rushing yards, eight catches, 58 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Bills. Dynasty Analysis: It's truly amazing what good quarterback play does for an entire offense as Achane again looks like a QB1 after Tua Tagovailoa's return from his most recent concussion. His temporary dynasty value dip is over, as is any "buy low" window. He's dangerous to own as it seems much of his value is tied to the health of Tua, but Achane is a human home run and locked into dynasty lineups for the foreseeable future.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dak Prescott Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Dak Prescott

Dynasty | Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle had 75 rushing yards, five catches, 32 receiving yards and a touchdown in a loss against Atlanta. Dynasty Analysis: Dowdle has been solid all season, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. However, Dallas has just failed to commit to the running game much at all this season. With Dak Prescott dealing with a hamstring injury that's going to result in an MRI, they may not have that luxury much longer. Dowdle could be set for a bigger workload moving forward, but he still belongs on benches in most leagues until we see some consistency. Regardless, his touchdown catch today was a major highlight on an otherwise dreary day for Dallas.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Rome Odunze Nov 3 9:13pm ET
Rome Odunze

Dynasty | Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze had five catches for 104 yards in a loss to Arizona. Dynasty Analysis: The Bears looked like a team still stunned from last week's hail mary as the Cardinals just wiped them out today. On the plus side, Odunze finally looked like a top ten draft pick as he posted the best game of his young career. The Bears offense has proven to be unpredictable, but Odunze's ranking slide should stop after he showed some solid signs of life today.

From Dynasty League Fantasy