The Arizona Cardinals backfield has caught a nasty case of the injury bug in 2023. First, James Conner was sent to the injured reserve (IR), and now Emari Demercado has been ruled out for the team’s upcoming matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Will Keaontay Ingram or Tony Jones Jr. be the highest-scoring fantasy football RB that should see your starting lineup in Week 9? Let’s take a closer look.
Keaontay Ingram’s Week 9 Fantasy Outlook
When Conner missed his first game after being sent to IR, fantasy managers were very disappointed to see that Demercado only tallied two carries and one reception against the Los Angeles Rams. Fortunately for those who didn’t give up on him immediately, he did end up seeing 33 carries over the next two games.
Now those same exact fantasy managers will have to figure out a backup plan for Sunday with Demercado out of the lineup. Conner will remain on IR for at least one more week, while Damien Williams has been sent to the practice squad IR.
Ingram is the last man standing who has seen any significant amount of work in this backfield during the 2023 season.
Ingram has been effective with limited work since Conner went to IR, averaging over four yards per carry on 12 totes since Week 6. Ingram split work with Williams and Demercado against the Rams three weeks ago and actually led the backfield in carries (10) and yards (40). He does have a three-down skill set and could have some success in an expanded role.
Tony Jones Jr.’s Week 9 Fantasy Outlook
The last time we were talking about Jones Jr. being a fantasy-relevant option for your starting lineup in 2023 was back in Week 3 as a member of the New Orleans Saints. Jones did manage to score two rushing touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers back in Week 2 when Jamaal Williams left the game prematurely due to a hamstring injury.
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Unfortunately, his role with the Saints evaporated immediately once Alvin Kamara returned to the team, and he now finds himself with a potential opportunity to contribute to the Cardinals back against the Browns.
Should You Start Keaontay Ingram or Tony Jones Jr. This Week?
Speaking of the matchup against the Browns, it doesn’t exactly do either of these players any favors, seeing that Cleveland has allowed an average of just 15.9 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs this season.
Making matters worse is that rookie quarterback Clayton Tune is set to make his NFL starting debut against the league’s best defense from a yards-allowed-per-game perspective.
Jones could be involved in some capacity, but I expect Ingram to be the next man up and lead this Cardinals backfield against the stout Browns defensive unit. Ingram is who I would feel comfortable inserting into my starting lineup and have him as a low-end RB2 for Week 9.
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