Week 9 of the NFL season kicks off with an AFC matchup between the Tennessee Titans (3-4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3). Heading into the game, the biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether or not rookie quarterback Will Levis will keep the hot hand going after throwing for four touchdowns in his debut last week.
On Monday, Vrabel told reporters that while Levis played well, he wasn’t ready to commit to starting Levis at all for the rest of the year, claiming that it all depends on Tannehill’s recovery plan. On Tuesday though, Vrabel said Levis would be the man the team rolls with at Acrisure Stadium tonight.
On the other side, questions surrounded Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett’s health heading into this matchup. Pickett said on Halloween day though that he was good to go. Pickett was listed as a full participant on Wednesday, thus he should be fine. But if he faces unforeseen complications during warm-ups or early in the game, former No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky will fill in.
There are clearly a lot of question marks surrounding both of these teams, and even more regarding how you should set your fantasy lineups. Here’s our thoughts.
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Injury Reports:
Pittsburgh Steelers:
| Name | Position | Injury | Status |
| Kenny Pickett | QB | Rib | No Injury Designation |
| Damontae Kazee | S | Hand | No Injury Designation |
| Anthony McFarland | RB | Knee | No Injury Designation |
| Cameron Heyward | DT | Groin | No Injury Designation |
| Levi Wallace | DB | Foot | Questionable |
| Mikah Fitzpatrick | S | Hamstring | Out |
Tennessee Titans:
| Name | Position | Injury | Status |
| Ryan Tannehill | QB | Ankle | Out |
| Chris Hubbard | OT | Concussion | Out |
| Roger McCreary | CB | Hamstring | Out |
| Mike Brown | DB | Ankle | Out |
| DeAndre Hopkins | WR | Toe | Expected to play |
| Derrick Henry | RB | Ankle | Likely |
| Denico Autry | DT | Rest | Likely |
| Tyjae Spears | RB | Ankle | Likely |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | Thumb | Likely |
| Josh Whyle | TE | Concussion | Likely |
| Jeffery Simmons | DT | Ankle | Likely |
| Chris Moore | WR | Personal | Likely |
| Anthony Kendall | CB | Knee | Likely |
Injury Implications:
Apart from Ryan Tannehill’s absence, the biggest name on this list is obviously DeAndre Hopkins. After the former All-Pro went nuts with Levis under center to the tune of 128 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Hopkins is clearly dealing with an injury though. He was listed as questionable for most of the week and still isn’t a guarantee to play, although he is expected to suit up.
We should probably temper our expectations for the Levis-Hopkins duo. While the Falcons’ pass defense has allowed fewer yards and fewer yards per attempt than the Steelers, they have allowed 15 touchdowns through the air on the year. Even if you took away their horrid Week 8 performance, those 11 touchdowns would still be tied for the ninth-most in the NFL. Throw in Hopkins’ injury in the mix, and there’s good reason to think the Titans will fall back on ol’ reliable King Henry for most of this game.
That said, the absence of Minkah Fitzpatrick could mean more opportunities over the top of the defense this week. That was where Hopkins thrived in Week 8, after all. However, a mark of near 40 yards per reception and 75 percent touchdown rate are impossible to replicate. We should not expect any big plays out of Hopkins again this week, but yes, the possibility still remains for one or two throughout the game.
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Fantasy News:
Both of these teams have been fantasy letdowns in 2023. Even the ever-consistent Derrick Henry has not seemed like his usual self this year. With Kenny Pickett good to go for Pittsburgh, the biggest lock of this game is wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
Although some people believed Johnson’s role as the No. 1 option in the Steelers pass attack would subside to George Pickens this year, Johnson has dominated target share since returning from injury. In Week 8, Johnson racked up 14 targets, which is more than Pickens has earned over the last two weeks combined.
The counterargument would be that some of those targets came from Trubisky after Pickett went down with an injury, and that Pickens is still Pickett’s preferred option. While Pickens did earn more targets (8) than Johnson (6) in Week 7 in Johnson’s return from IR, that was still Johnson’s first game back. In the first game of the season against San Francisco, where the Steelers were down big for most of the game, Johnson earned six targets before leaving with his injury. He only played 43 percent of snaps in that game. Pickens earned seven targets, while playing 89 percent of the snaps, and more than half of those snaps came with Johnson out. Who do you really think is the top option in that offense?
Of course, Pickens is more prone to explosive plays. Johnson is known for being unable to reach the endzone. If you are looking for a boom-or-bust option because you’re projected to lose by 20 to the 7-1 godsquad in your league, Pickens is the way to go. Johnson is undeniably the safer option of the two though.
Titans running back Derrick Henry is obviously a must-start regardless of matchup, but, shocker, he’ll probably be the best player for the Titans in this game. The Steelers defense has been rather susceptible to halfbacks all years, having surrendered 20 or more points to the position in four of their seven games, and that’s while only allowing four total touchdowns on the ground. They are also 27th in the NFL in yards per rush allowed (4.5).
Henry may not get into the endzone, but a 100-yard game is definitely not out of the question. The only thing standing in his way is whether or not the Titans decide to let Levis loose and see what he can do, which seems unlikely given Vrabel’s unwillingness to commit to Levis and Hopkins’ injury.
Start ‘Em/Sit ‘Em:
Tennessee Titans:
- Start: RB Derrick Henry
- Sit: QB Will Levis
- Sit: WR DeAndre Hopkins
Pittsburgh Steelers:
- Start: WR Diontae Johnson
- Sit: WR George Pickens
- Sit: RB Najee Harris
- Sit: RB Jaylen Warren
Thursday Night Football: NFL experts make Week 9 picks, predictions
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