The Week 9 matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs features a struggling passing game against a depleted rush attack. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 9: Jaguars-Chiefs featuring Allen Hurns, Travis Kelce, Charcandrick West, more
We break down the Week 9 matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles struggled early on against the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. Fortunately he was able to produce solid fantasy statistics thanks to the game being way out of hand in the second half. Bortles finished with a season-high 337 passing yards and three touchdown passes in a losing effort. While his final box score looked great, Bortles has certainly taken a step back in 2016. Kansas City’s defense, particularly its secondary unit, has been top-notch this season. The only way Bortles rises above his projections in Week 9 is if he does it in garbage time once again. Don’t count on it.
Don’t count on wide receiver Allen Hurns either. He also benefited from relaxed defensive play in the second half last week. Hurns finished with seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. It was the best fantasy day of his year. Given the quarterback has struggled to connect with Hurns and Allen Robinson all year long, starting either of the trio on any given Sunday is a big gamble. Playing at Arrowhead Stadium against a much better team will make it hard for Hurns to deliver value in Week 9.
Kansas City Chiefs
Running back Jamaal Charles is back on injured reserve. That means fantasy owners who have the guts to draft Spencer Ware prior to the season will now get more out of him than they bargained for. Unfortunately he suffered a concussion in the team’s Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts. That makes Charcandrick West the team’s starter against the Jaguars. He’ll offer great value as a plug-and-play option in Week 9. The Jaguars rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to containing fantasy running backs this season.
If West struggles as a starter on Sunday, tight end Travis Kelce should see an increased number of targets. He had his best game of the season last week. Kelce caught seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. The seven receptions and the yardage total both represent season highs. Jacksonville is surprisingly good at defending opposing tight ends, but Kelce may top his projections based on volume. He’s an intriguing play going into Week 9.
