ClutchPoints
Sometimes, you’re just dealt a bad hand. Week 9 of the NFL season saw two elite running backs and one quarterback underperform for their fantasy football teams. Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson, San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, and Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott have all been elite options for their fantasy football managers this season.
However, all three players struggled heavily in Week 8. Novice fantasy managers might get a little spooked after their once-reliable stars suddenly underperform. However, let’s talk about why these bad performances are one-off bad beats instead of a harbinger of things to come.
Coming into Week 8, Bijan Robinson has been one of the most reliable running backs in fantasy football. His worst performance prior to Week 8 was an 11.1 outing in Week 3 when the Falcons got shut out by the Carolina Panthers. He also had two huge games in Week 4 against the Washington Commanders (24.1 points) and Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills (29.8 points). With a matchup against one of the worst defenses in the league in the Miami Dolphins, Robinson was primed for another breakout game.
Except, well, Robinson severely underperformed. He had 25 rushing yards on nine carries and caught three passes for 23 yards, but a crucial fumble and no touchdowns severely limited his production. He was held to just 5.8 fantasy points on the day, a far cry from the 22+ FPTS projection for the running back against the porous Dolphins defense.
Despite that terrible performance, fantasy managers shouldn’t be too worried about Bijan Robinson’s production for Week 9. For one, Robinson doesn’t have a severe case of fumble-itis (one fumble last season), so this fumble isn’t necessarily something to be worried about. Additionally, the Falcons had Kirk Cousins under center. Cousins did not look good at all, and his struggles allowed the Dolphins to key in on Robinson’s run. With Michael Penix Jr slated to come back to practice, Robinson should once again have room to breathe against the New England Patriots.
One of the other elite running backs in fantasy football this season, McCaffrey was due for a big night in Week 8. The consensus RB2 among most leagues had been playing at a phenomenal level this season, and it’s showing in his fantasy performance. He amassed 187.1 fantasy points through seven games and had never recorded less than 22 FPTS this season. Even though the 49ers were facing off against a tenacious Texans defense, there seemed to be no reason to be worried about McCaffrey.
Except, well, McCaffrey struggled. In an uncharacteristic turn of events, the 49ers running back was stifled by the Texans in Week 8. He had just 25 yards on eight carries and three catches for 43 yards. Unlike Robinson, McCaffrey didn’t fumble the ball. However, the lack of touchdowns means he finished the day with just 9.8 fantasy points, his lowest mark by far this...
