Intro/Methodology
Every week, I’m going to break down an entire division, focusing on their play on the field that week. Specifically, I’ll go through each team and focus on their dynasty assets, especially anybody who suffered injuries or a massive value change. I won’t look at any player or team in too much detail. This article is more of a summary piece. I also included links to all my previous divisional nuggets articles at the bottom of the page. With that said, let’s jump right in!
Seahawks
Summary
The Seahawks came into this game with multiple injuries at the running back position. Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde missed the game, Rashaad Penny remained on the PUP list, and Travis Homer had a minor injury. While Homer managed to participate, the Seahawks leaned on rookie DeeJay Dallas in his place. However, the Seahawks still won over the 49ers, 37-27.
Quarterback
Russell Wilson is a stud. He completed 27/37 passes for four touchdowns and no interceptions while adding six carries for 23 yards. Wilson is a first-round startup pick in superflex leagues, and he’s a strong NFL MVP candidate. That’s all there is to say.
Running Backs
Dallas dominated the carries in the backfield, with 18 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Homer only had one carry for four yards, and the Seahawks got creative, giving wide receiver David Moore two carries. I wouldn’t take much away from this game, though. I believe Dallas looked okay, but he likely only earned a role as the third back behind Carson and Hyde.Â
My main takeaway is that none of the Seahawks’ backups to Carson will suffice, and I hope that Penny can return sooner rather than later. If you can acquire Penny as a throw-in, I would make that move. He would immediately slot in as the RB2 behind Carson, and Carson is an unrestricted free agent after 2020.
Receiving Weapons
This week was a D.K. Metcalf week, as he caught 12 of 15 targets for 161 yards and two touchdowns. In contrast, Tyler Lockett only had four catches on five targets for 33 yards. Both players are WR1s in 2020, although Metcalf carries more dynasty value. I’m willing to ride Metcalf’s highs and lows, and he currently ranks as my dynasty WR2, behind only Davante Adams.
Unlike previous years, the Seahawks’ tight ends don’t seem to be worth anything. Greg Olsen had four targets, but he caught none of them. Will Dissly did catch his only target for 17 yards, but that isn’t outstanding production. I think that Olsen has reached his end, and I’m not sure Dissly can ever recover from his history of catastrophic injuries. If the Seahawks could get a true receiving tight end in the 2021 NFL Draft, I would love the landing spot, but I don’t think we’ll get anything from Olsen or Dissly in dynasty leagues.
49ers
Summary
The 49ers are a decimated team, and it showed in their loss to the Seahawks. They didn’t have Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, or Deebo Samuel coming into this game, and things took a further downward turn during the game. Tevin Coleman aggravated his previous knee injury and will likely go on injured reserve. Jimmy Garoppolo re-injured his ankle, which forced him out of the game as Nick Mullens replaced him. Worst of all, George Kittle suffered a new foot injury, which will likely cause him to miss the rest of the season.
Quarterback
Garoppolo turned in a putrid performance, completing 11/16 passes for 84 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. I doubt that Garoppolo will play in Week 9, as the 49ers play on Thursday night versus the Packers. It seems like Garoppolo will miss extended time, forcing the 49ers to turn to Mullens.Â
Mullens proved last time he started that he’s not a long-term answer, either. However, Mullens is a must-own in superflex leagues. He could start multiple games this season, and anyone who has that ability is worth something in a superflex league. Make sure to add him to your rosters this week.
The 49ers will decide after 2020 whether to stick with Garoppolo or sign or draft a new quarterback. They won’t have a top pick, as they’re 4-4, so they would either have to trade up, pick a lower-tier quarterback, or take the free agency route. Before his injury, I would’ve leaned that the 49ers stick with Garoppolo as their starter for one more year, perhaps selecting a second-round quarterback as a potential replacement. However, I’m less sure now. I think it’s a real 50-50 gamble.
Running Backs
Going into Week 9, the 49ers will only have two healthy running backs: JaMycal Hasty and Jerick McKinnon. However, both struggled in Week 9, as Hasty had 12 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown while McKinnon saw three carries for -1 yards and a touchdown. McKinnon added four receptions for 40 yards, but neither back impressed me at all. Also, Coleman did take three carries for 20 yards before he went down.
I’ve learned that none of the 49ers’ running backs have any dynasty value outside of Raheem Mostert. The rest of the bunch are all either ineffective, washed-up, or just warm bodies. I’d try to sell Hasty or McKinnon for anything I can get because they have no long-term value.
Receiving Weapons
Brandon Aiyuk stepped into the top receiver role with Samuel out, catching eight of 11 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. Aiyuk has been a starter all year, although he has a low ceiling in this run-first offense. I dislike Aiyuk’s upside, and I would use this game as a selling opportunity if I could.
Outside of Aiyuk, the 49ers turned to Kendrick Bourne to fill Samuel’s void. Bourne caught eight of 10 targets for 81 yards. He’s excellent depth for the 49ers, but he only has value when Aiyuk or Samuel is out of the lineup. I wouldn’t read too much into this performance.
Kittle did very little before his injury, only catching two of four targets for 39 yards. At this point, Kittle seems set to miss the rest of the 2020 season, as Adam Schefter claimed he would be out at least eight weeks. Therefore, he’s a dynasty hold, as you don’t sell top assets at a discount.Â
The 49ers also claimed that Jordan Reed might return on Thursday night, and he would be a temporary TE2 stopgap if he does. I’m not going to pay anything for Reed, but he provides some value moving forward. He’ll be a popular waiver-wire addition this week.
Rams
Summary
The Rams’ offense looked putrid in this 28-17 loss to the Dolphins. Luckily, they didn’t seem to suffer any significant injuries, although Darrell Henderson missed some time with a thigh injury. I don’t expect Henderson to miss any additional time, as the Rams have a Week 9 bye.
Quarterback
Jared Goff had a miserable performance this week, and there’s no other way to describe it. He completed 35/61 passes for 355 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, but those numbers aren’t the full story. Goff lost two fumbles, making him mostly responsible for this loss. I don’t think Goff is a bad quarterback, though, so I’m willing to chalk this game up to a fluke. I’ll watch Goff more closely in the coming weeks.
Running Backs
Henderson missed time with a thigh injury, finally allowing Cam Akers to see the field. However, Akers continued to lose touches to Malcolm Brown, who remains ahead of Akers on the depth chart. I expect Henderson to return to the lead role in Week 10, but the Rams have to see that Akers is a better running back than Brown. There’s no reason to bench Henderson, who’s played well, but I hope the Rams move Akers into Brown’s role, creating a two-man committee between Henderson and Akers.
Receiving Weapons
The Rams have two relevant receiving weapons: Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. Kupp had a whopping 21 targets, and he caught 11 of them for 110 yards. Woods also had a big day, catching seven of eight targets for 85 yards and a touchdown.Â
Outside of those two players, nobody did much in the Rams’ offense. Josh Reynolds and Gerald Everett had nine targets each, but both failed to impress. Reynolds is horrific as the Rams’ WR3, although Van Jefferson hasn’t done much either. Tyler Higbee has completely vanished from the offense, as he only had four targets. Both Woods and Kupp are on massive extensions, so these ancillary options will split the scraps.Â
I do think Everett could succeed on another team after he becomes a free agent after 2020. Everett seems to be the more talented tight end than Higbee, although the Rams committed to Higbee on a long-term deal. Therefore, Everett will sign somewhere else, and he could be an excellent dynasty buy-low.
Cardinals
Summary
Once again, I find myself writing divisional nuggets for a team on bye the previous week. The Cardinals do have a significant injury situation with Kenyan Drake. Drake has an ankle injury that threatens to keep him out for a few weeks. However, the Cardinals recently said that the injury isn’t that serious, and Drake could return soon. I don’t expect Drake to play in Week 9, but Week 10 seems possible.
Quarterback
Kyler Murray has been a solid QB1 this season. Murray averages 27.9 PPG in four-point touchdown scoring, behind only Russell Wilson. Right now, I’ve moved Murray ahead of Lamar Jackson as my dynasty QB2 behind Patrick Mahomes. Murray will turn 24 years old in August 2021, and he provides both rushing and passing upside. I think he’s a cornerstone dynasty superflex asset.
Running Backs
The Cardinals have moved from Drake to backup Chase Edmonds, as Drake hasn’t played well all season. Now with Drake hurt, Edmonds should see an opportunity to play as the starter, although he hasn’t done well in that role in the past. I’m not sure that Edmonds profiles as a workhorse, but he’ll get at least a temporary chance to be one. Edmonds is under contract for 2021 on his rookie deal, so he should have some role throughout the next two seasons.
The Cardinals also have devy darling, Eno Benjamin, on their roster, who should play as the #2 RB for now. I think Benjamin will carve out a role as Edmonds struggles to maintain a massive workload. However, with Drake returning sooner rather than later, I’m not going to run out and try to acquire Benjamin unless he’s on waivers.
As for Drake, I think he’ll regain a role when he returns, but it’ll be more of a 50-50 split. Drake should play mostly as a pure runner, with Edmonds as a receiver. I think that split will render both players mostly unusable, as both would be RB3s. Drake has lost any chance at this job long-term, though, as he’s a free agent after 2020. The Cardinals will not bring him back.
Honestly, I think the Cardinals need to acquire a real lead back for 2021, whether in free agency or the NFL Draft. Travis Etienne or Najee Harris would look great on this roster as the lead back, and Edmonds could continue to play as a pass-catcher. Therefore, exercise caution with Edmonds, as his 2021 role remains uncertain for a while.
Receiving Weapons
DeAndre Hopkins is the primary relevant receiver on the Cardinals. He’s a dynasty WR1 and a WR1 in 2020. I know he’s 28 years old, but he’s a pure stud. Just ride him out and enjoy the points, or sell him for a haul if you need to rebuild.
As for everyone else, Larry Fitzgerald is done, and he needs to retire at the end of 2020. He had a great run, but I don’t see him as an impact player anymore. The Cardinals should look at Christian Kirk more in the offense, and he’s seen increasing snaps and targets in recent weeks. I’m not saying that Kirk can carve out WR2 value behind Hopkins, but he has some low-end WR3 upside. Kirk only turns 24 years old in November, giving him time to continue his development.
The Cardinals also have Andy Isabella on the roster, but he’s solely a deep threat. Kirk is the clear WR2, and Isabella is just a gadget player. I doubt he’ll ever have fantasy value in this offense, as the Cardinals spread the ball and run too often to support a third receiving option.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Divisional Nuggets Articles: NFC East (Week 2), AFC North (Week 3), AFC South (Week 4), NFC West (Week 5), NFC East (Week 6), AFC North (Week 7), AFC South (Week 8)
