Week 9 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Kimani Vidal vs. Tyrone Tracy Jr.
The injury to Cam Skattebo gives Tyrone Tracy a chance to shine in the Giants’ backfield, but will New York give him the same opportunity each week? Before last week, Skattebo averaged 20.18 fantasy points in PPR formats over a five-game stretch. If he were healthy, some fantasy game managers would debate him and Kimani Vidal, who played at a high level in Week 6 (22.80 fantasy points) and Week 8 (19.70 fantasy points).
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
Over the first eight games this year, the Giants rank 10th in running back fantasy points (186.80 – 23.35 per game) in PPR formats. Despite the appearance of success, New York backs gained only 3.7 yards per catch while scoring nine touchdowns (seven rushing and two receiving), while ranking 5th in receiving yards (37/303 – 8.2 yards per catch).
Tracy has been on the field for six games this year, but he was far from an asset (45/159/1 with 10 catches for 68 yards). His 2024 stats showed winning value in five games.
- Week 5 (18/129 with one catch for one yard)
- Week 6 (107 combined yards with one touchdown and six catches)
- Week 8 (20/145/1 with two catches for five yards)
- Week 10 (18/103/1 with one catch for one yard)
- Week 14 (83 combined yards with one touchdown and five catches)
In Week 1 this year, New York has Tracy on the field for 74% of its snaps. He had 63% of their snaps last week after Cam Skattebo (11 plays) left the game.
The 49ers hold backs to short yards per rush (4.1) and yards per catch (6.4), but they have allowed the third-most catches to running backs (43) with a high catch rate (81.1%). As a result, San Francisco ranks 23rd in running back defense (186.60 fantasy points) in PPR formats.
Four backs gained over 100 combined yards vs. the 49ers.
- Alvin Kamara (21/99 with six catches for 21 yards)
- Travis Etienne (19/124/1 with one catch for one yard)
- Kyren Williams (131 combined yards with two touchdowns and eight catches)
- Woody Marks (111 combined yards with four catches)
CHECK OUT OUR WEEK 9 RUNNING BACK PROJECTIONS!
Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
The running backs in the Chargers’ offense have produced four winning days, two by Omarion Hampton (24.90 and 27.50 fantasy points) and two by Kimani Vidal (18/124/1 with three catches for 14 yards and 23/117/1 with one catch for 10 yards). On the downside, their backs only have four touchdowns, ranking their offense 24th in fantasy points (155.10). Los Angeles gains 4.4 yards per rush but only 5.8 yards per catch.
The Titans have the second-worst running back defense, highlighted by allowing a league-high 13 rushing touchdowns (15 total). Backs are gaining 5.3 yards per carry with less room to roam in the passing game (30/189/2 on 38 targets – 6.3 yards per catch).
- Rams running backs (124 combined yards with one touchdown and two catches)
- Jonathan Taylor (17/102/3 with three catches for 16 yards)
- Woody Marks (119 combined yards with one catch and five catches)
- Arizona running backs (178 combined yards with two touchdowns and six catches)
- Jonathan Taylor (12/153/2 with two catches for 21 yards and another score)
Conclusion: Kimani Vidal vs. Tyrone Tracy Jr.
This week, I have Kimani Vidal projected to score 18.78 fantasy points (11th) in PPR formats. He has an excellent matchup, but the Chargers must give him more chances to run the ball in close. Tyrone Tracy won’t have a high-volume opportunity unless he runs the ball well early in the game. I have him projected to score 13.71 fantasy points (20th). Tracy does have a pass-catching profile, which could increase his value if the Giants chase on the scoreboard.
Vidal is the winner of this start/sit decision.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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