Evan TarraccianoNov 10, 2026
In their Week 9 studs and duds column, Tarracciano says C.J. Stroud has established themselves as a top-10 fantasy quarterback going forward, calls Joe Burrow the frontrunner for league MVP, and expects Jonathan Taylor to return to a featured-back role if the Colts don't trade them.
Published in writing · FantasyProsRead the original
What Evan Tarracciano said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromAfter a slow start, C.J. Stroud has turned things around and cemented himself as a top-10 starter for the foreseeable future.
- Where it was published
- FantasyPros
- The piece
- Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 9 (2026)
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Joe Burrow to win MVP“Scorching hot doesn’t begin to do Joe Burrow justice, who is in the driver’s seat for league MVP.”
- 2C.J. Stroud to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points“After a slow start, C.J. Stroud has turned things around and cemented himself as a top-10 starter for the foreseeable future.”
- 3Jonathan Taylor to be 1st on the depth chart“If Taylor is still with Indianapolis on Wednesday, look for him to revert back to his featured back and focal point of the offense.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow to win MVP1 | Award Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| C.J. Stroud to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points2 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Jonathan Taylor to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 calls · 3 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
3 checkable claims — 1 award pick, 1 depth chart call and 1 positional finish — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
1Award PicksJoe BurrowCincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow to win MVP
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Positional FinishesC.J. StroudHouston Texans
C.J. Stroud to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsJonathan TaylorIndianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Bobby Skinner · Trade and Signing Calls · Stefon Diggs · Miss 0
Skinner predicted Daniel Jones signs with and wins the starting job in Indianapolis, Milton Williams to New England, Lavonte David back to Tampa, Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams to the Giants, DJ Reid to Arizona, Hassan Reddick to Washington and Justin Fields staying in Pittsburgh, plus alternates they had listed.Chris Simms · Score Predictions · Houston Texans · Hit 81
Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said they wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game.Connor Rogers · Game Outcome Picks · Houston Texans · Hit 100
Rogers picked straight-up winners in every Week 9 game, agreeing with Simms on all of them, and gave a 24-20 Bills score over the Vikings on Monday night.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.