NFL Week 9 Fantasy Football Recap: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

• Allen Lazard: 4 receptions, 87 yards, 1 touchdown

• James Mitchell: 2 receptions, 8 yards, 1 touchdown

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IND@NE | GB@DET | LAC@ATL | BUF@NYJ
MIN@WSH | CAR@CIN | LVR@JAX | MIA@CHI
SEA@ARZ | LAR@TB | TEN@KC

Monitor the health of the Packers’ wide receivers: Green Bay seemed like it was the healthiest it had been in a long time, with four of the team’s top five wide receivers active. Only two of the four finished the game, though.

• Romeo Doubs joined Allen Lazard and Christian Watson in the starting lineup with Sammy Watkins coming off the bench.
• Doubs caught an 18-yard pass on that first play. He hobbled to the sideline afterward, was carted to the locker room and was later ruled out.
• He was seen with a boot on his right foot and was on crutches after the game.
• Watkins took over as the outside receiver in both two- and three-receiver sets, with Watson primarily playing in 11 personnel.
• Watson took a hit early in the third quarter and was then placed in concussion protocol. 
• He also suffered a concussion last week.
• Samori Toure took over as the third wide receiver over the rest of the game with Amari Rodgers mixing in. 
• All of these injuries make it safer to leave Lazard in fantasy starting lineups, as his target share should only increase.
• Watkins could also put up some big games if the Packers' offense can ever turn things around.

Monitor Aaron Jones’ health: Jones suffered an ankle injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return. He was seen in a walking boot after the game.

• The Packers were using the same two-man rotation they’ve been using all season for the first three quarters of the game.
• It wasn’t very effective, as the two backs combined for 59 yards on 20 carries.
• A.J. Dillon took over completely after Jones left, with backup Kylin Hill taking just one snap for a random play in the fourth quarter.
• Dillon would be a must-start if Jones misses time. He’s been ineffective this season, but the volume alone would be enough to place him in starting lineups, and there is always a chance he could regain his 2021 form.

Monitor the health of the Lions’ running backs: D’Andre Swift was active but on a snap count, while Craig Reynolds left the game with an injury and didn’t return.

• Jamaal Williams started the game and was the primary running back throughout.
• Swift mixed in, particularly early on. He touched the ball five times, with two of his touches coming on the first drive.
• He played five snaps in the first quarter and one or two snaps per quarter over the rest of the game.
• His declining playing time as the game progressed wasn’t particularly reassuring for future weeks.
• Reynolds started the day as the third-string running back but suffered a ribs injury on his only snap in the first quarter. He didn’t return.
• The Lions smartly kept four running backs on the active roster. Justin Jackson saw his first offensive snaps in the second quarter and served as the primary backup over the rest of the game.
• Williams should remain on fantasy rosters and likely in starting lineups.

The Lions' new tight end rotation: The Lions traded T.J. Hockenson earlier in the week, opening the door for other tight ends to get involved in the offense

• Brock Wright has served as the No. 2 tight end for most of the season. He continued to play in two-tight end sets while also taking the snaps from 11 personnel on early downs.
• Rookie James Mitchell joined Wright for snaps in 12 personnel, while Shane Zylstra joined in three-tight end sets and took the third-down snaps.
• Both Mitchell and Zylstra scored touchdowns in this game, but the three tight ends combined for only nine receiving yards.
• This kind of three-man rotation makes it impossible for any of these players to be a consistent fantasy asset, even in deep leagues.

Table Notes

• Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.

• Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.

• Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.