Week 9 of the NFL Season draws to a close tonight with possible the best game of the week as the Bills travel to battle the Vikings. I’ll have a full preview of the game below. But first, let’s look at some takeaways from the rest of Week 9.

The NFC North is on fire

The Lions, Packers, and Bears all recorded wins on Sunday. That leaves the Packers with the worst record in the division at 6-3. In short, the NFC North is on fire and is setting up to be a big and competitive battle all the way to the end. Regardless of what the Vikings do tonight, each team will be at least three games over .500. Get ready for a race to the finish.

NFL Trade Deadline

The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the big question is who, if anyone, will be moving. Jonathan Taylor and Breece Hall have been bigger names at running back, with Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones mentioned at quarterback. But to this point, no one has moved and it’s unclear if anyone will end up moving.

The Chargers woes continue

The Chargers were blown out by the Houston Texans Sunday, with Justin Herbert being injured along the way. The team is now 0-8 and heading into a showdown with the reeling Baltimore Ravens. The watch is on to see when, or if, the Chargers will get that elusive first win.

And now, on to Monday Night Football.

Buffalo Bills (6-1) at Minnesota Vikings (6-1)

This is a great matchup featuring a couple of teams leading their divisions. While the Bills have a little breathing room in the AFC East, they are holding on to the top spot in the conference. The Vikings, meanwhile, suffered their first loss of the season and want to avoid back-to-back losses.

For the Bills, Josh Allen is the best in the business at the position. It’s a tough matchup, but he’s still as QB1 for me. I like James Cook here, too. He’s been tearing it up on the ground and remains a low-end RB1. In the passing game, we could see Dalton Kincaid, D.J. Moore, of Khalil Shakir, among others. It’s hard to have a set pick, so all of them are worth a flex option.

For the Vikings, Carson Wentz is in at quarterback. He’s been solid for the Vikings, so I like him as a QB2. I’m not trusting anyone in the backfield right now, with Aaron Jones being a flex option. I like Justin Jefferson, who is a WR2 with upside for me. Jordan Addison is a Flex option, and T.J. Hockenson is a TE2 with upside.

I’m taking the Bills.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.