Amon-Ra St. Brown and Emeka Egbuka Are Expected to Play as Jaylen Wright Sits: The Sunday Morning Week 9 Fantasy Pivots

Amon-Ra St. Brown will play for Detroit in Miami. Tom Pelissero reported Sunday morning that the Lions receiver, listed as questionable with a rib injury after three limited practices, is good to go against the Dolphins. He was not the only Sunday-morning update that changes lineups: Pelissero also reported that Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka (foot) is expected to play Sunday night in Chicago, while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (quad) will not play against Detroit.

Friday's final injury reports settled most of Week 9, and our roundup covered the quarterback changes and the 49ers' receiver losses. This piece covers what has moved since: the questionable tags that have now been resolved, the weekend activations and the few calls still open as inactives approach.

The Sunday-morning calls

Here is every status that changed or firmed up after Friday's reports, with the source.

St. Brown had been on the report with an ankle issue the prior week before the rib injury surfaced in Week 8. The Lions gave no update Saturday, which made Pelissero's report the first real clarity. Detroit is about a 7-point favorite with a total near 50, one of the higher numbers on the early slate. Start him as a WR1 with no hedging. Miami has allowed relatively few fantasy points to wide receivers, but that figure is skewed by how few passes opponents have needed to throw against the Dolphins.

Egbuka sat Wednesday and then logged full practices Thursday and Friday. Head coach Todd Bowles had called him a game-time decision, so Pelissero's report moves him from a coin flip to a likely starter. He missed Weeks 7 and 8, and Tampa Bay has barely thrown in his absence, completing only a handful of passes over those two wins.

Fantasy fallout: who moves up and who moves down

Egbuka goes back into lineups as a WR3. His return is the biggest single change for the Buccaneers' passing game, which has looked more like a run-only offense than a functioning aerial attack the last two weeks. With Chicago favored by 6 to 6.5 points and a total that has climbed to about 47.5 at some books, the game script points toward Tampa Bay having to throw. That is good news for Egbuka and for Baker Mayfield, who moves from a pure QB2 to a borderline streamer in deeper leagues. Chris Godwin, who would have been the main beneficiary if Egbuka sat, drops back to a deep-league flex.

Bucky Irving stays an RB2 with upside. Egbuka's return does not change his early-down and goal-line role, but a negative game script and a Chicago front that added Jeffery Simmons are real concerns. Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson playing through his thumb injury also helps Chicago's secondary hold up against Egbuka and Godwin.

Ollie Gordon II is the Miami back to start. Wright's absence leaves Gordon as the clear lead runner. He has carried the Dolphins' backfield since De'Von Achane's knee injury in late September, and Wright had been the change-of-pace complement. As a 7-point home underdog, Miami may have to throw, which caps Gordon's ceiling, but he is a volume-based RB2/flex this week.

The weekend activations that matter

Several clubs made moves Saturday that matter for Sunday lineups.

Myles Garrett has been on injured reserve since arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-September and has played only the season opener for Los Angeles. He could be on a snap count, but his presence alone matters. Fire up the Rams defense with more confidence.

Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday that New Orleans plans to activate Kelvin Banks Jr., who has not played since Week 2, for the game against Cleveland. Rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson is also expected to make his debut, per Jordan Schultz. That combination gives Tyler Shough more help, but keep Tyson out of lineups in his first game.

Still unresolved before inactives

A few questionable tags have not been settled by a reliable report, and they deserve a final check before kickoff.

Hunter Henry (Patriots, foot) did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and was limited Friday. He left New England's Week 8 win after only eight snaps. Without a firm report, treat him as a risky start in Green Bay and have a fallback ready. If he sits, rookie Eli Raridon gets the tight end snaps, but he is not a fantasy start.

Deshaun Watson cleared the concussion protocol Saturday but remains questionable, and Rapoport expects him to be inactive. Shedeur Sanders starts regardless, so the practical impact is minimal. Harold Fannin Jr. remains a strong tight end start in New Orleans.

Bryce Young is a go for Carolina. He was a full participant all week with a new ankle listing, and Dave Canales said he will play against Denver.

Betting angle

The Sunday-morning news mostly confirms what the market already expected. Detroit has held around a touchdown, and St. Brown playing removes the one meaningful downside risk to the Lions' offense. Jaylen Wright's absence matters less to the Dolphins side than it would have earlier in the season, since Gordon has handled the lead role for weeks.

The Sunday night game is the most interesting. The Bears total climbing from its opener about a point suggests that the market already anticipated Egbuka's return. If you are betting the Bucs' passing props, wait for the official inactives about 90 minutes before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff rather than rushing. For the model's view on every game, see the Week 9 picks and the NFL predictions page.

What to do in your league

Make these moves before the 1 p.m. ET lock:

- Start Amon-Ra St. Brown as a WR1. - Move Emeka Egbuka back into WR3 or flex slots, but keep a 1 p.m. backup in mind since he plays Sunday night. - Start Ollie Gordon II over most bench running backs. - Start the Rams defense with confidence now that Garrett is active. - Keep Hunter Henry on the bench if a comparable tight end is available in an early game.

What's next

The Bengals and Falcons open the day in Madrid at 9:30 a.m. ET, and inactives for the 1 p.m. window arrive around 11:30 a.m. ET. Egbuka's and Stevenson's statuses will not be official until Sunday evening. Beyond today, Henry's foot and Watson's spot on the depth chart are the injury stories to track for Week 10, when the Bears, Broncos, Eagles and Buccaneers all go on bye.