Fantasy Injury Updates: Latest news on Christian McCaffrey, James Robinson, Elijah Mitchell affecting Week 9 start 'em, sit 'em calls

Matt Lutovsky

Fantasy Injury Updates: Latest news on Christian McCaffrey, James Robinson, Elijah Mitchell affecting Week 9 start 'em, sit 'em calls image

Just a handful of notable running backs are "questionable" heading into Week 9, but considering they're Christian McCaffrey, James Robinson, and Elijah Mitchell, then you better believe fantasy football owners are taking notice. We have the latest injury updates on these game-time decisions ahead of your start 'em, sit 'em decisions, and we'll continue to update this article until the official active/inactive reports are published on Sunday. 

For more on injured, early-afternoon WRs, including CeeDee LambAmari CooperRashod Bateman, and more, go here; for late-afternoon pass-catcher updates, including George Kittle, DeAndre Hopkins, and Deebo Samuel, click here; for the latest on ailing QBs Sam DarnoldKyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoaclick here; for the Week 9 weather report, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

WEEK 9 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em

We also have injury updates on "questionable" players in prime-time games, including A.J. Brown (click here), David Montgomery (click here), and Ben Roethlisberger (click here).

Is Christian McCaffrey playing Week 9?

UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday night that McCaffrey is expected to play against the Patriots, but this will still likely come down to a game-time decision.

UPDATE 2: McCaffrey is officially ACTIVE.

McCaffrey (calf) was activated from IR on Saturday, but his status for Sunday's game against New England is still up in the air. Carolina will officially decide when he'll be active after he goes through pregame warmups. 

If McCaffrey plays, he might not see a full complement of carries, but it's still tough to sit him in fantasy leagues. Chuba Hubbard would be best suited for your bench, though, as he'd likely just see a handful of touches. If McCaffrey is out, start Hubbard as a low-end RB2. 

WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Is James Robinson playing Week 9?

UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that the Jaguars aren't optimistic that Robinson will play against Buffalo, but a final decision won't be made until after pre-game warmups.

UPDATE 2: Robinson is officially OUT. 

Robinson (heel) managed to get in a limited practice on Friday and is officially "questionable" for Sunday's game against the Bills. 

Even if Robinson is active, it seems likely he'll see fewer touches than usual against Buffalo's top-tier defense. Still, he'll be tough to sit given how well he's played this year, so his owners might actually be rooting for him to be inactive. If he's out, Carlos Hyde will start in his place and be worth a flex spot based simply on volume and garbage-time potential.

WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Is Elijah Mitchell playing Week 9?

UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that Mitchell is expected to play against Arizona. 

UPDATE 2: Mitchell is officially ACTIVE.

Mitchell (ribs) got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday, though he was in a non-contact jersey both days. He seems truly "questionable" for Sunday's late-afternoon game against Arizona.

WEEK 9 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel DraftKings Yahoo

If Mitchell is active, he should still see a good amount of touches and be worth at least a flex spot. If he's out, JaMycal Hasty and Trey Sermon will split the RB duties, and it's possible Jeff Wilson Jr. (knee) will also be active and get some touches, too. It will be tough to trust any, especially against a solid defense. 

WEEK 9 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder

Matt Lutovsky

Matt Lutovsky Photo

Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.