Week 9 Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit: Patriots, Dolphins have multiple players in good spots

We're into Week 9 of the fantasy football season and plenty of new names have emerged as assets. With that, we have to evaluate which players are in the best spots. That's where Ray Garvin comes in with his matchups to exploit for fantasy football in Week 9.

I'm buying into Jonah Coleman this week, and I think there's a real chance he finishes as an RB1 against Carolina.

Coleman got his opportunity with RJ Harvey on injured reserve and made the most of it. He handled 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown against Kansas City, adding four catches for 63 yards on five targets. More importantly, he out-touched J.K. Dobbins 15-7 and played nearly 68% of Denver's offensive snaps. He also ran 17 routes on 34 dropbacks. That's not just a rookie getting a few designed touches. That's a running back earning a role.

Now, he gets a Panthers defense allowing 28.3 full-PPR points per game to opposing backfields, second-most in the NFL. Carolina is surrendering 4.73 yards per carry and has already given up 10 rushing touchdowns. Since Week 4, opposing lead backs have averaged roughly 20 PPR points per game against them.

That's the part that makes this matchup so appealing. Coleman doesn't need 20 carries to beat his ranking. If he's getting double-digit rushes, involved in the passing game and seeing valuable touches near the goal line, the ceiling is there.

He's RB16 in half-PPR consensus, but I'm comfortable starting him as an RB2 with legitimate top-12 upside. I don't expect Dobbins to disappear, but this looks like Coleman's backfield to lead right now.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots vs. Packers

Rhamondre Stevenson is another running back I'm willing to push up my rankings, especially if TreVeyon Henderson misses another game.

With Henderson out last week, Stevenson carried the ball 19 times for 82 yards and added three receptions. The other Patriots' backs combined for nine carries. That's the type of workload we want to see, even if there wasn't a touchdown attached to it.

Green Bay has allowed 25.0 full-PPR points per game to opposing backfields, seventh-most in the league. An opposing running back has scored at least 13 PPR points against the Packers in four straight games. That's not a defense I'm treating as a shutdown matchup for the position.

There's also a physicality element here. Stevenson has shown the ability to make defenders miss, while Green Bay has struggled to limit yards after contact recently. If New England keeps giving him opportunities, he can create something even when the initial blocking isn't perfect.

The receiving work matters, too. Stevenson has 23 catches on the season, so he isn't entirely dependent on getting into the end zone to help your lineup. He's also averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, which makes that additional volume even more important.

Henderson missed Wednesday and Thursday practices with an illness. We still need the final injury designation, but if he's out, Stevenson is a strong RB2 for me with top-12 upside. He's RB15 in consensus, and the workload could push him past that.

DeMario Douglas, WR, Patriots vs. Packers

We need to talk about DeMario Douglas, because there's an actual opportunity here if A.J. Brown misses another game.

Douglas led New England with 76 receiving yards last week, catching all three of his targets and scoring on a 48-yard touchdown. He's now scored four touchdowns over his past four games and topped 65 receiving yards in three of them.

Now, am I telling you three targets are enough to feel comfortable? Absolutely not. That's the concern. One big play carried his Week 8 production, and we can't just assume he's going to score every Sunday.

But the matchup gives us something to work with. Green Bay is allowing 34.8 full-PPR points per game to opposing wide receiver groups, ninth-most in the NFL. If Brown remains out, Douglas has a chance to operate as one of Drake Maye's primary passing-game options.

Keeping it real here, the Packers have been tougher on slot receivers than those overall numbers suggest. This isn't a free square. Green Bay has also been good at limiting explosive passes, so the targets may need to grow if Douglas is going to hit.

Still, with Brown and Hunter Henry both missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, it's reasonable to expect New England to lean on the weapons it has available.

Douglas is WR31 in half-PPR consensus. I'm comfortable with him as a flex play, especially if I need upside. Just understand that the ceiling is more attractive than the floor.

If you're streaming quarterbacks, Malik Willis is somebody I'm willing to take a shot on this week.

Detroit is allowing 24.8 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, the most in the NFL. And this isn't just one ugly game skewing the numbers. Every quarterback the Lions have faced has finished QB13 or better, and they've allowed multiple passing touchdowns in every game.

Now, look at Willis. He's thrown two touchdowns in each of his past two starts, including 211 passing yards against New England last week. He also has 225 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on the season. When the passing production and rushing production hit in the same game, he can give you a real difference-making fantasy performance.

But here's the part we can't ignore: Detroit can get after the quarterback.

The Lions are averaging 3.4 sacks per game, second-most in the league, while Miami has allowed pressure on 42.9% of dropbacks. Willis was sacked five times last week. That's a real concern and the biggest reason I'm not calling him a locked-in QB1.

Still, a quarterback who can create with his legs facing a defense that has consistently surrendered touchdowns is exactly the kind of streamer I'm interested in.

Willis is QB13 in consensus. I think he has a path to a top-10 finish, and if you're choosing between fringe starters this week, I'm leaning into the upside.

Greg Dulcich might be my favorite tight end streamer this week, and it's not just because Detroit has been awful against the position.

The usage is moving in the right direction.

Across his past three games, Dulcich has earned a 20% target share and a 25.5% first-read share while running a route on 62.6% of Miami's dropbacks. He's also averaging 2.68 yards per route run over that stretch. Those aren't empty routes. He's getting open, getting targeted and producing when the ball comes his way.

He's caught 13 passes for 166 yards in those three games without scoring a touchdown. Last week, he saw six targets and turned them into four catches for 43 yards.

Detroit is allowing 27.9 full-PPR points per game to tight ends, the most in football. Through seven games, the Lions have surrendered 11 receiving touchdowns to the position. Over their past five games, they've also allowed the most receiving fantasy points per game and the third-most yards per target to tight ends.

That's exactly what I'm looking for when streaming a tight end: a player earning opportunities against a defense giving up efficiency and touchdowns at the position.

Dulcich is TE17 in half-PPR consensus. I'm willing to start him over some of the usual low-end TE1 options. I think he's got a legitimate chance to finish inside the top 12, and one touchdown could turn this into a really good week.