As Week 9’s initial injury reports begin to roll in, fantasy football owners with ailing running backs like Jonathan Taylor, Cordarrelle Patterson, D’Andre Swift, James Conner, Gus Edwards, and Chuba Hubbard need to remain in the loop on their most recent updates. Knowing their current statuses plays a key role in spotting potential sleepers and navigating your start ’em, sit ’em decisions with the fantasy playoffs looming.
Below, we’ll give you the latest news on these running backs and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 9 fantasy landscape.
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WEEK 9 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
Jonathan Taylor injury update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Taylor (ankle) missed Indianapolis’ Wednesday practice, according to the team’s official injury report. Taylor’s ankle flared up in the Colts’ 17-16 loss to the Commanders in Week 8, but he still finished the game with 16 rushes for 76 yards.
While it’s never a great sign, missing Wednesday’s practice shouldn’t be overly concerning for Taylor’s prospects to suit up this Sunday against the Patriots. If he’s unable to go on Thursday and Friday, then there’s a good chance he’s hit with a “questionable” tag come Sunday. Indianapolis’ RB room looks a bit different this week, as they shipped Nyheim Hines to Buffalo while getting Zack Moss in return and elevating Jordan Wilkins from the practice squad. Should Taylor end up missing this week, Deon Jackson remains the RB to own and garners flex appeal in a tough matchup against the Patriots. Moss could also be involved, but Jackson still figures to get the bulk of the touches, especially in the receiving game.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Cordarrelle Patterson injury update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Patterson (knee) was designated to return to practice off injured reserve on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Atlanta has 21-days to activate him to their 53-man roster, which could happen any day now.
Patterson’s potential return complicates Atlanta’s backfield even more for fantasy owners. There’s a chance he’s eased into action during his first game back, but ultimately, he’s likely to see at least 12 touches in his first game back. Patterson is a must-start if active, but backup RBs Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley still garner flex appeal in deeper leagues in a juicy matchup against the league’s worst run defense. It’s unlikely that both will have good games, but it’s unclear which will get the bulk of the backup carries.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
D’Andre Swift injury update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Swift (ankle, shoulder) missed practice on Wednesday and is likely to carry a “questionable” tag (at best) ahead of the Lions’ Week 9 matchup against the Packers.
Swift’s produces for fantasy owners when on the field (16.3 FPPG in PPR formats), but the third-year Georgia product has played in just four games this season. Swift leads all RBs in yards per touch (7.6) and breakaway-run rate (12.5 percent), but his lack of usage in the red zone (six touches) caps his upside. Jamaal Williams is still a weekly starter in all formats and would be a borderline RB1 should Swift miss Week 9. A DNP on Thursday or Friday could lead to Swift being ruled “out” before we even get to Sunday.
WEEK 9 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
James Conner injury update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Conner (ribs) practiced in a limited fashion on Wednesday, according to the team’s official injury report. Conner has missed the past three weeks despite participating in practice, so it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he’ll suit up this Sunday or not.
Eno Benjamin has assumed a larger role in the offense during Conner’s absence, playing upward of 74 percent of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps in three-straight weeks. Should Conner miss Sunday’s favorable home matchup against the Seahawks, Benjamin’s worthy of a starting spot in PPR and standard formats.
WEEK 9 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
Gus Edwards injury update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Edwards (hamstring) has a shot to carry a “questionable” tag ahead of Monday night’s matchup against the Saints after straining his hamstring in the second half of Baltimore’s Week 8 victory over Tampa Bay.
Edwards has been effective in the two games that he’s played this season after returning from a torn ACL that cost him all of 2021. We’ll get a better feel for his Week 9 outlook once the Ravens release their initial injury report of the week on Thursday. Should Edwards fail to play on Monday night, expect an increased workload for Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill. Drake is the preferred option over Hill, as he’ll carry RB2 appeal in deeper leagues while Hill sits as a borderline flex play.
Chuba Hubbard injury update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Hubbard (ankle) was a limited participant in Carolina’s Wednesday practice after missing Week 8, and beat writer David Newton said the young running back is still in the “rehab” stage. It’s unclear what that means for Hubbard’s status ahead of Sunday’s game in Cincinnati, but it certainly doesn’t bolster his fantasy status.
Hubbard is still likely to take a backseat to D’Onta Foreman, but he does garner flex appeal in deeper leagues. Prior to his injury in Week 7, Hubbard was operating as Carolina’s lead back, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him at least be the primary receiving back.
