The New York Jets will face the Houston Texans in Week 9. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Allen Lazard.
Is Allen Lazard Playing in Week 9?
Allen Lazard is still fighting the chest injury that kept him out of the Jets’ Week 8 loss to the Patriots. He hasn’t practiced since and it appears the Jets have decided to give the veteran more time to heal, putting him on injured reserve ahead of Thursday night’s game vs. the Houston Texans.
Lazard will be eligible to return Week 14 at the Miami Dolphins after missing a minimum of four games. His absence should open up more looks for Garrett Wilson and Adams while creating a role for fellow WR Xavier Gipson, who scored in Week 8.
We’ll continue to monitor the Jets’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Allen Lazard in Week 9?
A chest injury resulted in Allen Lazard sitting last week. We shouldn’t be surprised that he is dinged up, as Lazard has completed just one season (2019) from start to finish in his NFL career.
Could he return on a short work week against an average defense? It’s possible, but nothing I saw from Lazard’s usage in Davante Adams’ debut with the team suggested that he should be rostered, let alone Flexed.
In Week 7, Lazard’s on-field target share fell from 17.3% to 16%, and his slot rate from 41.6% to 28.1%. I’d imagine those rates only decline further with time, and that’s assuming full health.
If you wanted to play the “Aaron Rodgers trusts him” narrative and overlook a dip in scoring equity or layup targets, I might bite. But without both seemingly evaporating, you’re chasing what has happened with Lazard this season as opposed to projecting forward.
We get back into the bye-week flow this week, which is going to result in some roster decisions. For my money, if you’re playing Lazard, you’re desperate, and if you’re desperate, why not bet on a player like Gabe Davis (big-play threat with Christian Kirk out for the season) or Cedric Tillman moving forward?
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 9 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Allen Lazard’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 9
Lazard is projected to score 0 fantasy points in PPR formats. If his injury status changes, we will update this.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight into the Texans’ Defense
The Houston Texans’ defense has had a superb run of games, with three of their last five performances ranking inside the top five in the league. The jewel in the crown was shutting down the Buffalo Bills’ offense, while the performances against New England and Indianapolis were to be expected. The struggles against the Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Green Bay Packers highlight where they need to focus going forward.
Generally, the Texans’ defense does a good job across the metrics. They are only slightly above average when it comes to pressure without blitzing and forcing turnovers, but neither of those has been too hurtful to this point. Their red-zone defense will be the biggest concern, as they allow touchdowns on 70% of their trips and, accordingly, rank 15th in terms of points per drive.
The issue for the Texans is that, right now, this team is somewhat built on its defense. C.J. Stroud is not showing second-year progression so far, and the offense is merely league-average. If the defense falls back towards league average, then this is a team that will not scare many come the playoffs.
Allen Lazard’s Week 9 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship WR PPR Rankings
1) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at PHI)
3) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
4) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at KC)
5) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Hollywood Brown | KC (vs. BUF)
7) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. BUF)
8) Keon Coleman | BUF (at KC)
9) Dyami Brown | WAS (at PHI)
10) Mack Hollins | BUF (at KC)
11) Amari Cooper | BUF (at KC)
12) Curtis Samuel | BUF (at KC)
13) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at PHI)
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. BUF)
15) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. WAS)
16) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at PHI)
17) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at PHI)
18) Justin Watson | KC (vs. BUF)
19) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. WAS)
20) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. WAS)
21) Nikko Remigio | KC (vs. BUF)
22) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)