NFL Week 9 Studs and Duds: Breakout Performances, Fantasy Busts, and Injury Updates

Another action-packed week of the NFL is in the books, filled with hat tricks of touchdowns and plenty of points. Let’s take a look at who filled up the stat sheet and who fell flat in this week’s edition of Studs and Duds.

Stud: Brock Bowers

Coming off a nagging injury that’s bothered him all season and with veteran Geno Smith still at quarterback, Brock Bowers’ output was a bit of a question mark. He quickly erased any doubt, catching 12 of 13 targets for 127 yards and three touchdowns (43.3 fantasy points). Bowers has become the centerpiece of this Raiders offense, but in classic Raiders fashion, his monster day wasn’t enough. A failed two-point attempt in overtime left them with another loss. Still, there were encouraging signs. Geno Smith threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns, and while Ashton Jeanty struggled on the ground, he made an impact through the air with five catches for 47 yards and a 15-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to keep the Raiders alive.

Dud: Daniel Jones

Even Tom Brady had his off days, so Daniel Jones, you were due. The game wasn’t completely out of reach for the Colts, but the turnovers killed them. Jones fumbled twice and threw three interceptions against a Steelers defense that suddenly came back to life. He still finished with 342 yards and one passing touchdown plus another on the ground (14.08 fantasy points), but five turnovers are hard to overlook. Let’s see if “Indiana Jones” and the Colts can bounce back this week in their overseas matchup against the Falcons.

Stud: Drake London

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Drake London “Mossing” another Patriots defensive back in the end zone. London climbed the ladder in every sense, catching nine passes for 118 yards and three jump-ball touchdowns (38.8 fantasy points). One of them was a miraculous one-handed snag that might be the catch of the year. Unfortunately, like Bowers, London’s heroics weren’t enough. A missed extra point spoiled the comeback and sealed a one-point loss.

Dud: Jahmyr Gibbs

After his best game of the season against the Buccaneers (218 total yards and two touchdowns) and a bye week to rest, expectations were high for Gibbs against an average Vikings defense. Instead, he was bottled up, rushing nine times for 25 yards and managing just one yard per catch in the passing game (5.8 fantasy points). Gibbs played 66 percent of snaps but couldn’t get anything going, while David Montgomery made the most of his limited touches with 11 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. There’s no long-term concern for Gibbs, but this one was forgettable.

Stud: Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold’s career revival in Seattle continues. The Seahawks are now 6-2 after a dominant primetime win over Washington, and Darnold was nearly perfect. He completed 21 of 24 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns (27.2 fantasy points). At halftime, he was a ridiculous 16-for-16 with 282 yards and four touchdowns. Darnold spread the wealth, with Tory Horton catching two scores and Elijah Arroyo and Cody White each snagging one. Jaxon Smith-Njigba didn’t find the end zone but led the way with eight receptions for 129 yards.

Dud: Rome Odunze

In a wild game that featured 89 total points and more than 1,000 yards of offense, you’d expect Rome Odunze to have gone off. Instead, he was invisible. The Bears wideout failed to record a single catch on three targets (0.0 fantasy points). Early in the season, Odunze averaged nearly 20 fantasy points per game, but in three of his last four, he’s posted under 32 yards and no touchdowns. Whatever the game plan shift has been since the bye, it’s working for Chicago, but it’s left Odunze as an afterthought.

Emergency Room

Jayden Daniels

Daniels suffered a gruesome dislocated elbow in the fourth quarter of Washington’s blowout loss to Seattle. It’s unclear if he’ll miss the rest of the season, but for now, Marcus Mariota will step in. It’s a tough break for Daniels, who’s already missed three games this year. When healthy, he’s one of the league’s brightest young stars with a 10-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Hopefully, he makes a full recovery.

Tucker Kraft

Packers tight end Tucker Kraft was carted off after having his knee rolled up on by a teammate in the second half. Tests confirmed a torn ACL, ending what had been a breakout year. Kraft had been Jordan Love’s favorite target and led the team in receiving yards. Expect Christian Watson and rookie Matthew Golden to see increased opportunities in the passing game.

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