• Keaton Mitchell goes from third running back to 100-yard rusher: Mitchell was the only player in Week 9 with more than 100 rushing yards despite not having a single NFL carry before this week.

• Demario Douglas takes over as the Patriots’ top wide receiver: Douglas received an increase in offensive snaps and led the team in receiving yards with Kendrick Bourne on injured reserve.

• Taysom Hill could have long-term value: The Saints tight end received double-digit snaps at quarterback for a second straight week.

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season is just about in the books. Here are the players you should be targeting in your fantasy football leagues, including targets in smaller leagues and deeper leagues, as well as players to avoid.

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Quarterback

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (Rostered in 35.7% of leagues on ESPN)

Murray’s 21-day practice window will be closing in a few days. He is expected to be activated and to take over as the starter this week.

Joshua Dobbs was the Cardinals’ starter, but the team traded him to the Minnesota Vikings during the week.
The team’s coaching staff will want to see if Murray is the franchise’s long-term quarterback or if they should draft a signal-caller, so we can expect Murray to be the starter for the rest of the season once healthy.
Murray has averaged at least 18.6 PPR points per game in all four of his seasons, but his fantasy production — including his rushing workload — was on the decline in 2022.
This is his first season with the new coaching staff, which adds uncertainty.
He might be the only quarterback available off the waiver wire for the rest of the season who has several top-five finishes as realistic outcomes.

Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings (16.6%)

Dobbs completed 20 of his 30 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns while running seven times for 66 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Dobbs didn’t start the game for Minnesota but entered after Jaren Hall left the game with a concussion.
He had scored the 12th-most fantasy points over the first eight weeks of the season but wasn’t given a lot of long-term consideration as the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback because of Kyler Murray’s impending return from injury.
Dobbs won with his legs while also taking advantage of top receiving options T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison.
We might still be a few weeks away from Justin Jefferson’s return from injured reserve, but Dobbs will have a new favorite target when that happens.
While Dobbs might not be as good of a passer as Kirk Cousins, his rushing ability means he could bring more fantasy value than Cousins.

Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (34.6%)

Carr completed 25 of his 34 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns against the Chicago Bears in Week 9.

Carr started the season slowly, but he has finished as a top-16 fantasy quarterback in each of the past five weeks.
He has thrown for 1,358 passing yards in that span, the fifth most among quarterbacks, and has thrown eight touchdowns, tied for the eighth most.
The Saints have the third-easiest schedule for quarterbacks over the rest of the fantasy season and face only two more teams with a winning record.
Each of their next three opponents is in the top half of the league in allowing fantasy points to quarterbacks, as are the two opponents the Saints face in the fantasy semifinals and final rounds of the playoffs.
Carr probably won’t have many top-five fantasy weeks, but he should be a borderline starter in most weeks.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (38.9%)

Levis made his second consecutive start on Thursday Night Football, completing 22 passes for 262 yards.

The week before, he threw four touchdowns and achieved a 77.9 PFF offensive grade — the second-best grade for a Titans quarterback in a game this season.
This past week, his grade wasn’t nearly as high, thanks to a 6.8% turnover-worthy play rate.
His big-time throw rate was high in both games and is at 9.0% this season, which leads all quarterbacks. Generally, high big-time throw rates are great for a quarterback's fantasy value.
There is no guarantee Levis will remain the starter over the rest of the season, but if he does, he is worth considering in fantasy football.

Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons (4.4%)

Heinicke completed 21 of his 38 passes for 268 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the Falcons' loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

It was just the third time this season a Falcons quarterback reached 250 passing yards. It took Demond Ridder 28 completions in each of those outings to hit 250 yards.
Heinicke accomplished this without top wide receiver Drake London.
The Falcons have the best schedule for fantasy quarterbacks in the playoffs. This includes playing the Chicago Bears in the fantasy championship round. Chicago has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
It would be difficult to trust Heinicke as a fantasy starter outside of superflex leagues, but he is the clear top option among the widely available quarterbacks.