We are at the halfway point of the fantasy football season, and now is the time when the contenders start to separate from the pretenders. This is the point where decisions are starting to become even bigger, as a loss could be the difference in a playoff run or listening to friends talk about the playoffs.
Wide receiver is a position to keep an eye on in Week 9, and two WRs fantasy managers should keep an eye on are Jordan Addison and Jahan Dotson.
Jordan Addison’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
It has been a weird few weeks for the Minnesota Vikings. Justin Jefferson suffered an injury in Week 5 and has been on the injured reserve since. At the time of the injury, the Vikings were 1-4 on the year and appeared to be out of playoff contention.
However, the team has won three games in a row but suffered devastating news last week as quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in the win last week against the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings made a move at the trade deadline, as they acquired Arizona Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
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It is especially tough for Addison, who is playing by far the best football of his rookie season. In the last two games, he has had seven catches each, with 123 and 82 yards in those games. He has three touchdown catches in that span and is looking like the receiver the Vikings thought they drafted from USC in the first round.
The Vikings will be playing the Atlanta Falcons, who bring in the ninth-best pass defense in the league (194.6 yards). This could be a tough matchup, as rookie quarterback Jaren Hall is going to get the start as Dobbs learns the playbook.
Jahan Dotson’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
In most weeks, it is a given the Commanders are going to put up some numbers in the passing game. Quarterback Sam Howell ranks sixth in passing yards with 2,146 to go along with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The tough part for fantasy managers is knowing who his favorite target will be.
Howell shares the ball among all the wide receivers, with Dotson being a focal point in the passing game in the last two weeks. He is coming off a career game, as he had eight catches for 108 yards and one touchdown. He has elite speed and is the type of guy who can take the ball the distance anytime he catches it.
The Commanders will be going up against a Patriots defense that is currently ranked 17th against the pass (223.3 yards).
Which of the Wide Receivers Should You Start?
Pro Football Network’s Start/Sit Optimizer says that Addison is the player to start. His projected 10.6 points include four catches and 46 yards. That doesn’t seem like a big stat line, but it outperforms the consensus projection for Dotson for 9.3.
Go against the Start/Sit Optimizer in this, as the Vikings have a difficult matchup with a rookie quarterback. Cornerback A.J. Terrell is one of the best cornerbacks in the league and will be matched up against Addison a lot.
The Patriots do a good job of taking the top target away. That would be Terry McLaurin, so Dotson is going to have some favorable matchups on Sunday. His role could also be bigger as Curtis Samuel missed Thursday’s practice.
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