Fantasy Football 2017: Offensive explosion coming in Week 9

Prepare for an offensive explosion in Week 9 as stars face off with less than stellar defenses. This is your Fantasy Football 2017 Game of the Week.

Each week during the NFL season, certain games stand out. These are not necessarily the games with the most on the line or with the most impact on the standings. Instead, they hold the most star power and fantasy football implications.

These are the games every fan needs to watch, from the die hard to the guy pressured into joining a fantasy league with work associates. This is the fantasy football 2017 game of the week for NFL Week 9.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate Fantasy Football 2017 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Fantasy Football 2017 Week 9

Houston versus Seattle sure delivered last week. I doubt any game this week will live up to that shootout, but we have one contender.

Between three and five potential playoff teams are on bye this week, as are the Cleveland Browns. We will see a number of new faces in new places, including, for fantasy purposes, Jay Ajayi in Philadelphia and Kelvin Benjamin in Buffalo. The trade deadline in the NFL is usually a dud because it’s hard for midseason acquisitions to have a major impact in a new system. Let’s see if 2017 is an exception.

Game of the Week

Todd Salem: There are three games that caught my eye this week, but only one can reign supreme as the fantasy game of the week. Atlanta at Carolina falls short. I’m not quite sure if either of these teams is good, and we certainly can’t count on a great showing. They may each perform well, but then again, they may not. Interestingly, they are both bad home teams, so maybe Atlanta will show out on the road. Carolina’s offense, now without Benjamin, can’t be counted on.

I feel similarly about Washington at Seattle. Was last week the real Seattle, or did it get caught up in the shootout? Is Washington actually any good on offense this season? I still can’t tell. It’s actually better than Seattle in DVOA, but it doesn’t feel like it.

That leaves one game as GOTW: Kansas City at Dallas. Of course, since the NFL isn’t simple, this matchup comes with a caveat. It looked as if Ezekiel Elliott would actually be suspended here, this game becomes a bit of a bummer. We’ve been here before. Though I’m no fancy, big-city lawyer (*gasp*), I assumed he was going to play. And sure enough, the ruling came out on Friday that he will.

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That leaves us with the second-best offense in the league facing the fourth-best offense in the league. We have a rampaging Elliott against Alex Smith, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt. Dez Bryant, who is having a so-so year, is probably the seventh most interesting offensive piece in this game. Plus, neither team’s defense has been playing well, so light it up!

Dan Salem: It feels cliche by now to peg Kansas City versus Team X as our game of the week, but the Chiefs certainly have a slew of fantasy football studs. As long as their opponent can deliver, they are must match every single week. I love the prospects of their game against the Cowboys, mainly because Dallas is a flurry of intrigue this season. Will Ezekiel Elliott play? His replacement(s) is going to be a true fantasy wildcard, and the Dallas receivers likely get a bump from his absence. Dak Prescott has also been delivering, making this an incredible choice for GOTW.

NFL Week 9 actually offers us another great fantasy football game, so if America’s team rubs you the wrong way, tune in for New Orleans versus Tampa Bay. I’m a sucker for divisional matchups, but the Saints are literally on fire. Their winning streak is impressive, but Drew Brees and the offensive has been equally great. Facing off with the struggling Bucs defense will only perpetuate their success. Michael Thomas is going to light it up, as will Mark Ingram. Don’t sleep on New Orleans for the rest of the season, especially here in Week 9.

Now I know what you’re thinking, the Saints have been playing great defense. Yet I believe the Buccaneers are a sleeping giant on offense, about to awake this weekend. They’ve scored over 20 points in four of seven games thus far, with the low point coming last week against Carolina. After narrow losses to Arizona and Buffalo where Tampa Bay scored 33 and 27 points respectively, I foresee a resounding bounce back against the Saints.

Fantasy Football: Start or Sit for Week 9

Jameis Winston and Mike Evans have shown themselves to be a super powered dynamic duo. Doug Martin is also great. The Bucs have too many weapons for New Orleans to stop. This will be a great Fantasy Football game. Perhaps its second to your choice, but if Elliott doesn’t play, its Saints-Buccaneers all the way.