NFL Week 9 latest buzz, predictions, questions, fantasy tips

Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season has arrived, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are here to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the slate of games. Plus, they pick out which players should — or shouldn’t — be in your fantasy football lineups.

But this week, they are focusing mainly on the looming trade deadline (Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET). Who are the most likely players to be dealt, and who is getting under-the-radar interest? Which teams could be most intriguing in the lead-up to the deadline, and which trades would just make too much sense? It’s all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks with everything they’ve heard heading into Week 9.

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Most likely trade candidates
Under-the-radar trade candidates
Trade proposals | Intriguing deadline teams
Fantasy tips | Latest buzz and notes

Who is the player most likely to be traded over the next week — and where could he go?

Graziano: On Tuesday morning, the answer was wide receiver Diontae Johnson, but he was traded to the Ravens on Tuesday afternoon. With Johnson moved, I’ll go with Browns edge rusher Za’Darius Smith. I don’t think the Browns have any interest in moving Myles Garrett, but they’re hearing from teams on Smith, who’s making a minimum $1.21 million salary this year and has about $11 million in non-guaranteed compensation due him in 2025.

Smith is 32 and probably not in Cleveland’s long-term plans. So if the Browns can get good enough draft-pick compensation in return from a team looking for a short-term rental at edge rusher, this makes a lot of sense. The Browns are probably looking at a rebuild around a new quarterback next season.

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Why Jeff Saturday likes Ravens trading for Diontae Johnson

Jeff Saturday breaks down the Ravens’ decision to trade for wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

Fowler: Smith is a sound choice, Dan. Though Cleveland won’t be looking to dump core players, it could be active if the right opportunities arise. A decent Day 3 pick for Smith probably will get the job done, from what I’m hearing. But I will stay in the receiver lane with the Jets’ Mike Williams. What’s clear is the Jets are open to a trade, Williams is open to a trade and there is external interest in a deal. My sense, though, is the Jets want to get through Thursday night’s game with the Texans before fully assessing the market and potentially doing a deal.

If the Jets win, they’ll hang onto slim playoff hopes and might decide Williams is important to keep around as an additional vertical threat alongside Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. If they lose, then there’s even more motivation to move him. An acquiring team would be on the hook for $3.35 million, unless the Jets agree to pay some of that remaining money from Williams’ one-year contract.

Graziano: This time last week we were hearing Cooper Kupp rumblings out of Los Angeles. But the Rams have won a couple in a row and are in contention in the congested NFC West, which makes me think Kupp isn’t going anywhere. (They were looking for a high price for him anyway.) But coach Sean McVay said Monday the team had granted cornerback Tre’Davious White permission to seek a trade, so I wonder if the veteran corner could be on the move.

Fowler: Enough teams are looking for good corner help, and White certainly has pedigree, though teams are concerned about the accumulation of injuries affecting his lower-half explosion. Still, he’s a savvy veteran with technique who can help a team. It certainly feels as if Kupp is off the market, as receiver-needy teams are looking elsewhere. But like Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco two years ago, an explosive trade is always on the horizon somewhere.

Who are a few under-the-radar players producing trade buzz?

Fowler: Houston guard Kenyon Green, a former first-round pick, is on a few teams’ trade candidates list. And I had heard that before his Week 8 benching. Maybe the Texans keep him because highly talented linemen are hard to find, but GM Nick Caserio is known for his aggressiveness, so flipping a guard for another guard wouldn’t exactly shock, either. Also at guard, Chicago’s Nate Davis is available, and the Bears are prepared to cover some of his $8 million salary to facilitate.

Veteran Buffalo safety Mike Edwards is available and would like to go somewhere he can play (he has been a steady inactive). Washington’s Darrick Forrest is in a similar situation, a former starter who’s out of the rotation and could need a fresh start elsewhere. Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II, a former third-rounder who hasn’t made an impact in Brian Flores’ defense, is a trade candidate, too.

And at some point, do the Giants cut ties with Evan Neal, a former top-10 pick whom the Giants won’t play despite Andrew Thomas’ foot injury? The Giants have several trade candidates if they choose to entertain calls. Corner Adoree’ Jackson is not playing, either, and receiver Darius Slayton had a nice showcase Monday night with 108 receiving yards.

Graziano: I’ll add another Giant — 24-year-old edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, who already has six sacks this season and 22 over his four-year career. The 2021 second-round pick is playing out the final season of his rookie contract. Like Slayton, he’s a player the Giants like and could possibly be part of their long-term future. But they’ve already made heavy investments in edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux and might not have room in the budget for more edges. If they were to (hypothetically) engage Ojulari and his agent on extension talks and discover they don’t see eye-to-eye on a long-term deal, the Giants could probably get something worthwhile in return.

I’m also curious to see what the Panthers do with running backs Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders. They drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round, and he’s getting closer to returning from a knee injury he sustained in college and making his NFL debut. But even if they want to ease Brooks into action, his arrival probably comes at the expense of at least one off the team’s veteran backs. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Sanders or Hubbard move.

Fowler: My sense in talking to teams is that the Panthers want to keep Hubbard in the fold but are flexible on Sanders, who has 163 carries since signing a four-year, $25.4 million contract with Carolina in 2023 free agency. The rest of his $4.02 million salary is guaranteed, so Carolina might have to come out of pocket to facilitate a deal. The running back trade market just hasn’t picked up the way receiver has. But Sanders and Chicago’s Khalil Herbert are high on my list of tradeable RBs.

Where are you with San Francisco, Dan? The 49ers have at least considered a move for defensive line help — I’ve talked with multiple teams that believe they could make a move. What about targeting former 49ers DeForest Buckner (Indianapolis) or D.J. Jones (Denver)?

Graziano: That would make a lot of sense, but I don’t get the sense either of those teams are eager to move those guys. If the Niners are looking to add up front on defense, the more likely trade candidate might be New England’s Davon Godchaux, since the Patriots seem to be moving guys who they’ve recently extended. Godchaux has a $4 million guaranteed salary next year. But the Niners are all-in, and I expect them to look for help on defense, where they haven’t looked like themselves all season.

The 49ers are in a tricky spot, because they have some important decisions to make on some big contracts in the coming offseason. But you can’t get closer to winning the Super Bowl without prevailing than they did in February, and they feel as if they owe it to the group they have to give it their best possible shot.

Propose one deadline deal that would make sense for both sides.

Graziano: Panthers quarterback Bryce Young to the Giants for a fourth-round pick. I don’t think Carolina’s going to do any better than a fourth-rounder for Young right now (which could be a reason to actually hang onto him), but if the Panthers have decided to move on, New York would be a nice landing spot for him. Young and Giants coach Brian Daboll didn’t overlap at Alabama, but they surely know a lot of the same people at the school, and Daboll might view Young as a player he could develop.

The Giants don’t know what their future at quarterback holds in 2025 and beyond, and a cheap flier on a guy who was the No. 1 pick just 18 months ago could be worth it.

Fowler: Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II to the Buccaneers for a fifth-round pick. Tampa Bay’s secondary has been beaten up and needs help on the back end. It’s not the Bucs’ style to make splashy deadline moves, but they are in the thick of the NFC South race with an offense that scores points and is getting receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) back soon. After asking around the league, the sense is that Cleveland is open for business with several players, and Newsome — with first-round traits and 42 career starts — should draw interest.

One potential hang-up: Cleveland picked up his fifth-year option for 2025, making his $13.37 million salary guaranteed for injury.

What is the most interesting team heading into the deadline?

Fowler: I’ll go with the Broncos, a sneaky candidate to either add or subtract after finding themselves at 5-3. They have enough talent to elicit some calls but not enough to be completely set at the deadline, either. Pass rusher Baron Browning, corner Damarri Mathis and quarterback Zach Wilson are among depth players that teams consider potential trade candidates. Tight end Greg Dulcich has been a healthy scratch throughout October, so teams that need a vertical threat up the middle could be calling. In the past, the Broncos have received calls on Courtland Sutton and have always rebuffed offers. But it has been a very aggressive receiver market this fall, so you never know.

And it still feels as if Denver’s offense is missing something. It wouldn’t shock to see the Broncos comb the market for a pass-catching running back. Coach Sean Payton has always coveted those change-of-pace backs, which harks back to the Darren Sproles days.

Graziano: I was thinking about a team in the AFC West, as well. The Chargers are 4-3 in Jim Harbaugh’s first season, and they could be tempted to add a player or two to take a shot at a playoff run with a strong defense and an elite quarterback. Would they want Mike Williams back?

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Schefter to McAfee: ACL injury a big blow for Stefon Diggs, Texans

Adam Schefter joins Pat McAfee to report on Stefon Diggs’ season-ending torn ACL.

The other team I wanted to bring up here was the Texans, who had kind of an “all-in” offseason but have suffered some tough losses during the season. Stefon Diggs’ season-ending injury makes me wonder if Houston might poke around on the receiver market this weekend once it finishes playing the Jets on Thursday night. The Texans hope top receiver Nico Collins can return from IR when first eligible in Week 10, and they like Tank Dell a lot, but they’re thin at receiver after that. Diggs was a guy they felt good about using in the middle part of the field, where Collins and Dell don’t often operate.

At 6-2 and trying to maximize quarterback C.J. Stroud’s rookie contract window, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Texans active early next week. And I do hear rumblings they’re poking around at receiver. Slayton, Kendrick Bourne and K.J. Osborn are names to watch, and I think they’d want in on Jakobi Meyers if the Raiders made him available.

Fowler: The Eagles are always a threat to make moves at the deadline, but they have no obvious needs. Left tackle Jordan Mailata will return soon. The youth experiment on defense is going well with pass rusher Nolan Smith Jr. and corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Would GM Howie Roseman take a shot at a star, such as Cardinals safety Budda Baker?

What’s your top fantasy football tip of the week?

Fowler: Give Patrick Mahomes another chance. It seems strange to consider the best player on the planet as a fringe fantasy option or a player you should keep on the bench. It’s true, Mahomes is in that stratosphere in which he makes enough plays to win a game, numbers be damned. But you know he’s good for a three-touchdown performance at some point. And the Bucs’ defense has given up 36 fantasy points from opposing quarterbacks three times this season. Overall, quarterbacks average 25.5 points against the Tampa D.

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Why Yates has Patrick Mahomes as QB-12 for Week 9

Field Yates explains his fantasy optimism for Patrick Mahomes in his Week 9 matchup vs. the Buccaneers.

Graziano: Same game for me. I kind of like Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton to keep it going against the Chiefs this week, even though it’s not National Tight Ends Day anymore. The Chiefs are giving up the most fantasy points per game to tight ends, and the Bucs are counting on Otton to pick up some of the work and routes that receiver Chris Godwin was running before his season-ending injury in Week 7. Otton was the star of the show in the Bucs’ first game post-Godwin (and without Evans, who’s likely to miss a few more weeks). No one can run the ball against this season’s Chiefs, so Baker Mayfield will be throwing it — and Otton is worth starting.

What else are you hearing this week?

Graziano’s notes:

• The Colts are making it clear, based on the conversations I’ve had with people there Tuesday, that they aren’t giving up on quarterback Anthony Richardson despite benching him. They think Joe Flacco is currently the best option for them, as they’re 4-4 and half a game behind the Chargers for the last wild-card spot in the AFC. They have always believed Richardson needs to play to get better, but they’ve reached the point where they feel the best thing for him right now is to get out of the spotlight a little bit and take a break from the pressure he’s putting on himself. The Colts have a lot of issues other than QB, and it remains to be seen whether Flacco can pilot them into the playoffs the way he did the Browns last season. But I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Richardson as a Colt, even in 2024. (I also don’t think Richardson is being benched because he took himself out for a play in Sunday’s game. Bad look, for sure, and it didn’t go over well in the building. But this is a player who’s well-liked, and I think the benching is performance-based. A 44.4% completion percentage is reason enough to bench any QB.)

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Jeff Saturday: Anthony Richardson’s benching a bad situation for Colts

Jeff Saturday is not surprised by the Colts benching Anthony Richardson, but he knows this isn’t good for the team’s future.

• The Steelers head into their bye having had six games of Justin Fields at starting quarterback and two of Russell Wilson. They’ve been happy with both, and it seems likely they’ll stick with Wilson in Week 10 as they begin the brutally tough portion of their schedule. Wilson has done a good job of sticking to the game plan (a major problem during his two years in Denver), and he has been able to hit some of the downfield shots that Fields was hesitant to take as he prioritized ball security. But Fields is the more explosive player and does help them do more with their run game, and the Steelers coaches know that. I would not be surprised to see Fields play again this season, either as the starter if/when Wilson runs into trouble or even occasionally in games that Wilson starts, as was their plan before Wilson was hurt in training camp. The Steelers still have all six of their division games ahead of them, plus games against the Commanders, Eagles and Chiefs. Wilson did well to beat the Jets and Giants, but those teams are both 2-6. Pittsburgh has significant challenges ahead, but the Steelers are 6-2 and feel good about both QB options.

• Packers reporter Rob Demovsky reported that quarterback Jordan Love’s groin injury is relatively minor and he has a chance to play this week against Detroit if he can get enough practice work. Even if Love does sit out this week, it might be only one game, as the Packers have their bye in Week 10. But the part of this story that hasn’t received enough attention is how well backup quarterback Malik Willis, for whom the Packers traded in the week before the season started, has played in Love’s place — both earlier this season, when Love sat out a couple of games, and then again Sunday when Love had to leave because of the injury. Packers coaches are blown away by what Willis has been able to do, and it’s a testament to him as well as coach Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich.

Fowler’s notes:

• Richardson’s Week 9 benching calls for a progress report of sorts on the 2023 quarterbacks. Like Dan, I don’t consider the Richardson experiment over. He has a ton of ability, works hard and needs reps. A source close to Richardson said the QB planned to push through this issue by “being about the work,” head down and forward. Last season’s shoulder injury was unfortunate because it took away a rookie season to work out the erratic play he’s experiencing in Year 2. But my sense after asking around is that some of the receivers were, at least in the short term, more comfortable with the predictable passing game that a veteran such as Flacco provides.

• In Tennessee, Will Levis is hopeful he can start in Week 9 against New England, but the Titans won’t know for sure until he practices with his injured shoulder. The team decided he needed two weeks to rest up and give himself a chance for the second half of the season. At 1-6, Tennessee is in position to ride out Levis’ uneven play. But if it doesn’t improve, it’s hard not to believe he could eventually suffer the same fate as Richardson.

• In Carolina, previously benched Bryce Young had some positive moments in place of Andy Dalton on Sunday, completing 24 of 37 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, by far his best performance of the season. But I get the sense there’s a good chance Carolina turns back to Dalton, assuming his injured thumb heals.

• The Super Bowl champion Chiefs have been aggressive on the trade market, and they might not be done. Kansas City addressed two needs with trades for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and pass rusher Joshua Uche in back-to-back weeks. But cornerback remains a need after Jaylen Watson went down for the season, and the belief is that Kansas City is at least monitoring that market close to the deadline. The Chiefs are not pressed to make a move but will be open to it, and their 2025 draft haul is still in good shape after acquiring a third-round pick in the L’Jarius Sneed trade. The Chiefs also love retreads, players who know their culture, so it’s noteworthy that former Chiefs Marcus Peters and Steven Nelson are still out there on the free agency market.

• The Jaguars’ trade of left tackle Cam Robinson to Minnesota doesn’t signal a fire sale for the 2-6 team, but Jacksonville has been willing to part with offensive and defensive line depth for a few weeks now. The luxury of having Walker Little as the third tackle made trading Robinson more palatable. The injury to left tackle Christian Darrisaw heightened the Vikings’ urgency, so Robinson’s $16.2 million base salary goes off the Jaguars’ books. Jacksonville has also talked to teams about its defensive line depth, so it might not be done. But I still sense that it believes in its core players, despite the uneven performance on the field. Esezi Otomewo and Jeremiah Ledbetter are among depth players to potentially watch at the deadline.

• Rookie Arizona receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. recorded his second 100-yard game in Week 8 after four straight weeks of sub-50-yard production. The Cardinals didn’t panic despite Harrison’s sluggish stretch. In fact, they didn’t alter Sunday’s game plan to get him the ball more. He has always been a focal point, but the Cardinals saw several opportunities to get him the ball break down for a litany of reasons, namely protection or defensive adjustments. “Kyler [Murray has] always trusted him,” a team source said. “The connection happens organically, so nobody is worried if there’s a slow week. He understands and has been patient. And then we know he can get going and good things happen.”