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Fantasy Football Week 9 Deep-Sleepers: JJ McCarthy, Kendre Miller, and 2 Others

Unexpected fantasy football targets for big games as deep-sleepers in Week 9.

Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) passes the ball during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bye weeks and injuries create weekly problems for fantasy managers. You might be in a tight spot looking for a long-shot, high-upside option. But which players meet that criteria? It is not easy to discover, but leave that to me. After crunching the numbers, I found the following four players worth grabbing.

JJ McCarthy

McCarthy has two starts as the Giants' quarterback. Those starts have gone better than anyone imagined. McCarthy has 495 passing yards with 10.1 Yards per Attempt. In that span, McCarthy has only run the football three times, but the upside is intriguing. McCarthy is a big scrambler, and on three attempts, he has 27 yards. McCarthy usually gets 10-20 rushing yards per game.

The Eagles, who face the Giants this week, rank 25th in EPA per Pass Allowed. With Joe Milton at quarterback, the Eagles are on a steep season-long decline. They suddenly become one of the worst teams in the NFL, which further favors McCarthy's Giants.

Kendre Miller

Miller has 38 rushing attempts over his last three games. In that time, he leads the Saints in rushing and has surpassed Alvin Kamara. The volume is worth a look, especially given that Miller has 5 targets for 5 receptions over his last two games.

I have Miller projected slightly ahead of Kamara in Week 9. Facing the Browns, Miller faces a defense ranked 21st in EPA per Rush Allowed and 16th in Rushing Touchdowns Allowed. Miller also has a 34% red-zone run rate and 33% of red-zone rushing touchdowns.

Jordan Watkins

Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel will miss Week 9, making Watkins the leading WR1 candidate in this 49ers offense. Over his last three games, Watkins has an 87% route rate. He is the natural beneficiary of Evans's absence, as he plays primarily out wide, like Evans.

The 49ers are arguably the best offense in the NFL. Brock Purdy is gunning for an MVP, playing as well as anyone. Someone other than George Kittle is set for a strong fantasy outing on Sunday.

Chig Okonkwo

Okonkwo is leading the Commanders in route rate over their last three games (88%). His target share is 19.3%. The Commanders face a stout Rams defense, but a favorable game script should produce volume that we can trust. I project Jayden Daniels to attempt 29 passes, and I wouldn't be surprised if that number goes much higher, into the 35-40 range.

Okonkwo is much more likely to have 6+ targets in this game than 3 or fewer. He is currently my TE14 and a low-risk fantasy option.

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