While the Week 9 waiver has now run in most fantasy football leagues, there are still some players available who can help you this week. With six teams on a bye in Week 9, there are a lot of gaps for fantasy managers to fill this week, and the wide receiver position has been hit hard.
In this article, we will break down whether you should add either Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson or Ben Skowronek against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.
Fantasy Outlook for Van Jefferson and Ben Skowronek: Should You Pick Up Either in Week 9?
Sitting at 3-4 with a seemingly broken offense, the Rams are getting a playmaking boost as Jefferson appears set to return from a knee injury he suffered in training camp. The third-year wideout broke out in 2021 with 802 yards and six touchdowns on 50 receptions. Maybe he’s the missing piece for an offense sitting 28th in points scored.
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Jefferson comes back into a different receiver room than he left it. Allen Robinson has been a complete bust of a signing thus far as he took the place of Robert Woods and Odell Beckham. With Robinson averaging only 32 yards a game, he’s even behind Skowronek in production.
It’s possible we see Jefferson quickly take Robinson’s No. 2 role, as Sean McVay needs to create more explosive plays before the season slips away from him. If he doesn’t, then both the Rams and fantasy managers lose. Fantasy managers should want a viable WR2 from what was a powerful passing attack just one year ago.
Skowronek is an interesting case as well. Really more of an offensive weapon than a pure receiver because of his usage and low 9.6 yards per reception average, Skowronek is in the same boat as Jefferson and Robinson. He needs touchdowns to be relevant in fantasy.
The problem is quarterback Matthew Stafford is averaging his lowest air yards per attempt and highest interception rate since his rookie season. Skowronek doesn’t have the talent to change that, but Jefferson might.
I wouldn’t pick up Skowronek for my roster unless he becomes a red-zone superstar, whereas Jefferson has the actual upside to be a solid flex piece if the passing game recovers.
Are Van Jefferson or Ben Skowronek a Good Play Against Tampa Bay?
We have Jefferson as our WR60 and 135th overall player, and Skowronek as WR69 and No. 151 overall in our expert PPR rankings for Week 9. Both would be considerable risks since we don’t know how McVay will integrate these two into a deeper rotation. It’s possible Jefferson doesn’t play a full workload or out-snaps Robinson.
That being said, the Rams would need to overcome a defense that has locked down opposing receivers this season. The Buccaneers rank third in fantasy points allowed to receivers, giving up an average of 12 receptions for 156.5 yards and 0.75 touchdowns per game. Cooper Kupp could outproduce those numbers himself.
But fantasy managers aren’t hoping for that again, as the Rams get overly reliant on Kupp too often. Skeptics about Kupp’s ability to replicate his historic 2021 season weren’t wrong about his regression, but Kupp is still putting together a fantastic campaign despite the unit’s limitations.
Jefferson would be a Hail Mary start option if you truly have no other option. There’s some potential that he’s the difference-maker in the offense they’ve been waiting for. It’s also possible he produces zero points as Stafford struggles or refuses to throw to anyone but Kupp.
Skowronek is even further away from having fantasy value, and his matchup against Tampa Bay can only pay off with his first touchdown of the season.