Let’s talk about reality. When others are telling you to run towards a certain player, I am here to tell you what men you need to run from (or at the very least walk quickly), something I know a little something about.

Sometimes we want to hold onto something that isn’t the best thing for us. Let’s not do that, let’s move on.

Week 9 Fantasy Football Drops

  J.J. McCarthy | QB | MIN

J.J. McCarthy inexplicably is rostered in 25.7% of fantasy leagues. That may be 25% too many. In our reality, McCarthy has played one good quarter of football. ONE. And for that one good quarter, he won player of the week. ONE.

Now the tea leaves are predicting he will return in Week 9, to play against the Detroit Lions. WOOF!

First, stop the bye week panic. On the bye this week, you have Dillon Gabriel, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts and Baker Mayfield. To be honest, only two of those men need to be replaced in your starting lineup this week, and considering McCarthy to do so … let’s just say this matchup versus McCarthy may not be exactly what you are looking for.

McCarthy’s 3.06 sec to throw behind an offensive line whose center is on IR from concussions, whose left tackle is still recovering from ACL/MCL, and was pulled after nine snaps when last seen. This offensive line has allowed its quarterbacks to be sacked 28 times. Will now have to negotiate with the Detroit Lions’ defensive line, specifically Aidan Hutchinson.

The Lions have recorded 23 sacks. Hutchinson has 6 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 48 pressures and a 25.2% pass-rush win rate.

Week 9 may be the time to thank McCarthy for his one good quarter of play and move on.

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Dylan Sampson | RB | CLE

Personally, I feel it borders on malpractice to suggest any Cleveland Browns offensive player not named Quinshon Judkins as a viable addition to your fantasy team.

I get it, Judkins was injured and is now considered “day-to-day”. The good news is that the Browns are on a bye Week 9. And yeah, maybe you are considering Sampson for his receiving chops. He did have 5 receptions on 6 targets for 29 yards last week. He also had 3 rushing attempts for zero yards, and his most explosive run was a one-yard gain. The Browns run the ball the sixth-fewest times (23.8) because of negative game script. This would be a bonus for a running back who catches passes and gets yards out of the backfield. In the last three weeks, Sampson has been targeted 9 times, and he has 8 receptions for 50 total yards. His 9 rushes in that time have yielded 20 total yards.

Sampson is currently rostered on 13% of fantasy rosters. Is that too much? Yes, yes it is.

Yes, running back handcuffs are a necessary evil in fantasy football.

But if you are hedging your bets on an injured running back who is also on a bye, perhaps look toward the handcuff for Saquon Barkley: Tank Bigsby.  

Tyrod Taylor | QB | NYJ

Don’t get me wrong, I like Taylor. Out of all backup quarterbacks, he is in the top-3 easily (did you see Kirk Cousins Week 8?)

And maybe just maybe this is an overreaction to the New York Jets' first win with Justin Fields under center. Or perhaps it is a quiet thank you for the winless head coach rising above his owner's mouth vomit.

And yes, with the style of play that Fields is used to playing, having a backup is always a good thing for the team. But here is the reality check: the Jets are on a bye Week 9. As previously mentioned, you are without Hurts and Mayfield. And, of course, we are not the New York Jets; we are a fantasy team, so our backup doesn’t have to come from the same team as our starter.

And currently, you can roster Joe Flacco (36.1%) playing the Chicago Bears, Sam Darnold (21%) playing the Washington Commanders, or even Aaron Rodgers (35% rostered) playing the Indianapolis Colts.

Now, don’t any of those make you want to drop Taylor from your waiver considerations? And for a starting man.

 Bam Knight | RB | ARI

So, things have changed slightly. The Cardinals have released Michael Carter, which would seem to indicate that Knight is in for a hefty load. Knight, who is currently rostered in 19% of fantasy teams, appears to have a clear path to RB1. But is that enough?

It should be. Week 9, the Cardinals play the Dallas Cowboys, who just got torched for 111 yards on 15 carries (that’s 7.4 yards per carry) by Denver Broncos’ J.K. Dobbins. Heck, even RJ Harvey managed 2 rushing touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry against them.

The problem is Knight has not shown an inclination to be explosive or efficient. When last seen in Week 7, Knight was averaging 4.1 yards per carry. For the season he is averaging 3.5 yards per carry. He has only four evaded tackles and an explosive run rating of 73.4 (for comparison Dobbins has an explosive rating of 122.4 and 25 evaded tackles).

I get it the matchup this week could not be better … except while the Cowboys are 29th in rushing yards allowed per game, their home versus away split is glaring. When away from home (like in Week 8) they are allowing 156.8 rushing yards per game. Last week they gave up 169 to the Broncos. But at home they are allowing an average of only 128 rushing yards per game.

Sure it all looks pretty good right now, but there is a reason the Cardinals are 20th in rushing yards per game.

Jayden Higgins | WR | HOU

Can we all just agree there is a vast, huge, astronomical large difference between Robert Saleh’s depleted defense and the Denver Broncos defense. It’s not like the Texans' 32nd-ranked offensive line instantly got better.

Close your eyes and think back to the Week 7 Monday Night Football fiasco that was C.J. Stroud running for his life. His only chance for survival was dumping the ball off. That may be his life in Week 9.

Not to mention that the return of Nico Collins and Stroud’s statement, “Spreading the ball around is great for everybody,” statement (which is a blatant slap in the face to all fantasy football enthusiasts) means that the 27% that have rostered Higgins, hope you played him last week, because the immediate future doesn’t have that fantasy sparkle.

On Watch: (Not Dropping Yet, But The Finger Is On The Trigger)

Kyler Murray | QB | ARI

The last we saw Kyler Murray he was losing to the Tennessee Titans. Enter Jacoby Brissett, who in his last two games has thrown for 4 touchdowns and one interception. OK, they were losses but somehow a 31-27 loss to the smokin'-hot Indianapolis Colts, and a 27-23 loss to the Green Bay Packers doesn’t sting as much as being beaten by the Titans (no offense Titans’ fans).

 Tyler Huntley | QB | BAL

Oh, those crazy Harbaugh brothers playing loose and fancy free with the rules. Nevertheless, while Huntley did lead the Ravens to their first win since Week 2, it appears his time as the last-minute waiver wire pickup darling is over. Or is it?

Chimere Dike | WR |TEN

He has been impressive. This includes last week's 93 yards on 7 receptions while all around him succumbed to a 38-14 shelacking. You know the “everything is fine” meme. That’s the Titans and this week Dike was the calm inside the chaos. But who will it be next week? Can I bet my fantasy life that Dike too will not succumb to the dysfunction that is the Tennessee Titans. Maybe.

Mr. Right versus Mr. Right Now

The fantasy world is a fickle one my friends, especially when you are living and breathing with the waiver wire. You aren’t looking for Mr. Right, you are searching for Mr. Right Now. Like for instance when Stroud is running for his life, Dalton Schultz looks real good. But give Stroud time to throw and Higgins becomes your man.

Search the waiver wire with a wandering eye and don’t be afraid to let the one who seems like a prize go when he isn’t quite right for now.

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