Weekly Positional Rankings: Week Nine

In this series, I’ll give you my top 30 quarterbacks, 60 running backs, 60 wide receivers, and 30 tight ends each week to help you with your start/sit decisions in your leagues. To generate this list each and every week, I examine team trends, Vegas over/unders, implied points, pace of play, among various other factors to build a projection for each player and subsequently adjust rankings for upside and more detailed matchup specifics.

Among the rankings, there will surely be some that surprise you or that you may disagree with. At the end of each position section, I’ll give you my thoughts on some players that perhaps are ranked higher/lower than you might expect and insights as to why they are a good/bad play this week. Ultimately, these rankings should help your start/sit dilemmas and ensure you have the requisite resources to make an informed decision. As you start to push towards the fantasy playoffs, start/sit decisions can be the difference.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Week Nine’s positional rankings!

Quarterbacks

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 9 Rank
QB	Deshaun Watson	@JAC	1
QB	Russell Wilson	TB	2
QB	Dak Prescott	@NYG	3
QB	Matthew Stafford	@OAK	4
QB	Jameis Winston	@SEA	5
QB	Aaron Rodgers	@LAC	6
QB	Jimmy Garoppolo	@ARI	7
QB	Derek Carr	DET	8
QB	Lamar Jackson	NE	9
QB	Josh Allen	WAS	10
QB	Gardner Minshew	HOU	11
QB	Kirk Cousins	@KC	12
QB	Jacoby Brissett	@PIT	13
QB	Carson Wentz	CHI	14
QB	Tom Brady	@BAL	15
QB	Philip Rivers	GB	16
QB	Sam Darnold	@MIA	17
QB	Daniel Jones	DAL	18
QB	Mitchell Trubisky	@PHI	19
QB	Baker Mayfield	@DEN	20
QB	Mason Rudolph	IND	21
QB	Kyler Murray	SF	22
QB	Ryan Tannehill	@CAR	23
QB	Ryan Fitzpatrick	NYJ	24
QB	Matt Moore	MIN	25
QB	Kyle Allen	TEN	26
QB	Joe Flacco	CLE	27
QB	Case Keenum	@BUF	28

 

Start ‘em: Derek Carr, QB OAK

With an overall lackluster receiving group led by Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller, Carr hasn’t made a splash this season from a fantasy perspective. He ranks just QB22 in points per game. However, since coming off of his bye in week six, Carr has thrown for at least 280 yards and two touchdowns in each game. Over that same stretch, Carr has ranked QB11 in fantasy points per game, which is a big improvement from his season-long ranking. In week nine, Carr looks to be in good shape to continue his stretch of QB1 performances with a matchup against a beatable Detroit Lions team through the air. This game has the second-highest over/under of the week at 50.5 points, and the Lions have ranked sixth-worst against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy points per game this season. Playing at home, Derek Carr is a solid start this week and could easily clear the 300-yard mark with multiple touchdowns.

Sit ‘em: Kyler Murray, QB ARI

Coming off two consecutive bad starts in two pretty good matchups for fantasy quarterbacks, Murray should find your bench in week nine against a stout 49ers defense. Despite being at home, the Cardinals have the second-lowest implied team total in week nine with just 16.5 implied points. Murray has been up and down this season, expectedly, failing to throw a touchdown pass in five different games. His rushing upside has been limited as well, as he has only eclipsed 35 rushing yards in two games this season. The 49ers defense has given up just 8.2 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and while Murray may be one of the better quarterbacks they will face, he’s still a low-floor, low-ceiling option in week nine. He can safely be on your bench on Thursday night.

If you’re desperate: Mitchell Trubisky, QB CHI

This should be clear; you have to be really desperate to start Mitch Trubisky in a start-one quarterback league. His matchup though, on paper, this week is a good one. The Bears travel on the road to take on the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been a favorable matchup for opposing quarterbacks this season. The Eagles have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks while also allowing the sixth-most passing touchdowns in the league. The one thing the Eagles have been good at, however, is creating interceptions. Their eight interceptions rank fifth-most in the NFL. This is inherently why Trubisky is purely a desperation play, as the bottom could fall out quickly. However, the Eagles’ great run defense may force Trubisky to air it out early and often, leading to Trubisky attempting 40+ passes on the day. While turnovers are likely, Trubisky has a QB1 ceiling this week against a beatable secondary.

Running Backs

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 9 Rank
RB	Christian McCaffrey	TEN	1
RB	Saquon Barkley	DAL	2
RB	Dalvin Cook	@KC	3
RB	Ezekiel Elliott	@NYG	4
RB	Leonard Fournette	HOU	5
RB	Tevin Coleman	@ARI	6
RB	Aaron Jones	@LAC	7
RB	Le’Veon Bell	@MIA	8
RB	Melvin Gordon	GB	9
RB	Nick Chubb	@DEN	10
RB	Josh Jacobs	DET	11
RB	Marlon Mack	@PIT	12
RB	Chris Carson	TB	13
RB	Phillip Lindsay	CLE	14
RB	Derrick Henry	@CAR	15
RB	James White	@BAL	16
RB	Austin Ekeler	GB	17
RB	Carlos Hyde	@JAC	18
RB	Jordan Howard	CHI	19
RB	Jaylen Samuels	IND	20
RB	David Montgomery	@PHI	21
RB	Mark Ingram	NE	22
RB	Kenyan Drake	SF	23
RB	Sony Michel	@BAL	24
RB	Jamaal Williams	@LAC	25
RB	LeSean McCoy	MIN	26
RB	Royce Freeman	CLE	27
RB	Frank Gore	WAS	28
RB	Mark Walton	NYJ	29
RB	Ronald Jones	@SEA	30
RB	Devin Singletary	WAS	31
RB	Alexander Mattison	@KC	32
RB	Miles Sanders	CHI	33
RB	Tra Carson	@OAK	34
RB	Duke Johnson	@JAC	35
RB	Peyton Barber	@SEA	36
RB	Adrian Peterson	@BUF	37
RB	Ty Johnson	@OAK	38
RB	Tarik Cohen	@PHI	39
RB	Damien Williams	MIN	40
RB	Kalen Ballage	NYJ	41
RB	Dion Lewis	@CAR	42
RB	Rashaad Penny	TB	43
RB	Nyheim Hines	@PIT	44
RB	Zach Zenner	SF	45
RB	Chris Thompson	@BUF	46
RB	Tony Pollard	@NYG	47
RB	Dare Ogunbowale	@SEA	48
RB	Justice Hill	NE	49
RB	Jalen Richard	DET	50
RB	JD McKissic	@OAK	51
RB	Rex Burxhead	@BAL	52
RB	Ty Montgomery	@MIA	53
RB	Gus Edwards	NE	54
RB	Trey Edmonds	IND	55
RB	Dontrell Hilliard	@DEN	56
RB	Wendell Smallwood	@BUF	57
RB	CJ Prosise	TB	58
RB	Jordan Wilkins	@PIT	59
RB	Deandre Washington	DET	60

 

Start ‘em: Melvin Gordon, RB LAC

Gordon has not been anything more than a FLEX option for fantasy players since he returned from his suspension. The volume has been decent for the veteran running back, as he’s averaging about 14 touches per game, but Gordon hasn’t delivered like he has in the past. Aaron Jones, Tevin Coleman, and Latavius Murray all scored more points in week eight alone than Gordon has over the past four weeks combined. Safe to say, he hasn’t been what fantasy players have wanted him to be. However, in week nine, Gordon comes in the rankings as a low-end RB1 against a vulnerable Packers run defense that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, including big games to Josh Jacobs and the Eagles running back duo. Overall, this is a must-start game for Melvin Gordon and will ultimately be a clear window into whether or not can be a true RB1 the rest of the way.

Sit ‘em: Buccaneers Running Backs

Despite Ronald Jones flashing from time to time, Tampa Bay has chosen to split duties between he and Peyton Barber throughout the season. This has rendered neither running back fantasy viable, and that doesn’t look to be changing against a tough Seahawks matchup. A key reason why both Buccaneers running backs are sits this week is that Tampa Bay’s strengths – their passing game – lines up directly with the Seahawks’ defensive weaknesses. The Seahawks have allowed the third-most passing yards in the league this season, and their quarterback competition hasn’t been particularly impressive. They’ve faced quarterbacks like Matt Schaub, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, and Lamar Jackson (who isn’t known for his passing volume), among others. Opposition leaning on their passing game has, in turn, lead to far fewer rushing attempts against Seattle. They’ve seen the second fewest running back rush attempts against them per game to date. Given Ronald Jones and Peyton Barber aren’t particularly involved in the passing game and have been splitting running back touches, they both can be on your bench this week.

If you’re desperate: Mark Walton, RB MIA

Walton isn’t a guy I’d be particularly excited about putting in my lineup, but he’s been the clear favorite in the Miami backfield over the last few weeks. He’s seen at least 11 touches in each of Miami’s last three games, and he’s seen six targets in the passing game in two of those same games. With Kenyan Drake out of town, Walton looks to be the clear RB1 for this Dolphins team, which should lead to 60%+ of running back work each and every week. In week nine, the Dolphins actually have a matchup they could win, as they face a Jets team that’s equally pathetic. The Jets have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs in 2019, and they’ve allowed the second-most receptions per game to opposing backs. Given Walton’s involvement in the passing game, he looks to have a nice floor in week nine along with a positive game script ceiling. While Walton is still a Miami Dolphin, and thus can’t be ranked very highly, he’s a solid FLEX or desperation RB2 play with upside.

Wide Receivers

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 8 Rank
WR	DeAndre Hopkins	@JAC	1
WR	Chris Godwin	@SEA	2
WR	Amari Cooper	@NYG	3
WR	Tyler Lockett	TB	4
WR	Kenny Golladay	@OAK	5
WR	Mike Evans	@SEA	6
WR	Stefon Diggs	@KC	7
WR	Tyreek Hill	MIN	8
WR	Keenan Allen	GB	9
WR	Julian Edelman	@BAL	10
WR	Allen Robinson	@PHI	11
WR	TY Hilton	@PIT	12
WR	DJ Chark	HOU	13
WR	Courtland Sutton	CLE	14
WR	Juju Smith-Schuster	IND	15
WR	Adam Thielen	@KC	16
WR	John Brown	WAS	17
WR	Tyrell Williams	DET	18
WR	Marvin Jones	@OAK	19
WR	Odell Beckham Jr	@DEN	20
WR	Michael Gallup	@NYG	21
WR	Christian Kirk	SF	22
WR	Emmanuel Sanders	@ARI	23
WR	DJ Moore	TEN	24
WR	Robby Anderson	@MIA	25
WR	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	26
WR	Golden Tate	DAL	27
WR	Jarvis Landry	@DEN	28
WR	Terry McLaurin	@BUF	29
WR	Corey Davis	@CAR	30
WR	Mike Williams	GB	31
WR	Kenny Stills	@JAC	32
WR	Dede Westbrook	HOU	33
WR	Deebo Samuel	@ARI	34
WR	Albert Wilson	NYJ	35
WR	Dionte Johnson	IND	36
WR	DK Metcalf	TB	37
WR	Anthony Miller	@PHI	38
WR	Jamison Crowder	@MIA	39
WR	Cole Beasley	WAS	40
WR	Marquise Brown	NE	41
WR	Curtis Samuel	TEN	42
WR	AJ Brown	@CAR	43
WR	Allen Lazard	@LAC	44
WR	Devante Parker	NYJ	45
WR	Mecole Hardman	MIN	46
WR	Geronimo Allison	@LAC	47
WR	Danny Amendola	@OAK	48
WR	Preston Williams	NYJ	49
WR	Marquez Valdes-Scantling	@LAC	50
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	SF	51
WR	Mohamed Sanu	@BAL	52
WR	Paul Richardson	@BUF	53
WR	Taylor Gabriel	@PHI	54
WR	Keke Coutee	@JAC	55
WR	Hunter Renfrow	DET	56
WR	Demarcus Robinson	MIN	57
WR	Zach Pascal	@PIT	58
WR	Chris Conley	HOU	59
WR	Darius Slayton	DAL	60

Start ‘em: Marvin Jones, WR DET

Week eight saw Kenny Golladay explode back onto the scene after Marvin Jones broke fantasy football in week seven. Jones took a step back to what his production generally has been over the past month, seeing five targets on the day. In week nine, look for both Jones and Golladay to perform well against the Oakland Raiders, not just one of them. The Raiders have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers, including over 15 yards per reception, a bottom-five mark in the league. The Lions have made the deep ball a focus of their offense this season, and rightfully so. Jones and Golladay are two of the best big-play wide receivers in the league. With an average depth of target (aDoT) of over 13 yards on the season, Marvin Jones has tremendous upside in one of the highest-scoring games of the week. Plug him into your lineup with confidence.

Sit ‘em: Marquise Brown, WR BAL

As a general rule, I tend to lower expectations for players coming back from a multi-week absence in their first game back. Hollywood Brown started off this season incredibly hot, showing he could be a true number one wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens even as a rookie. His efficiency, though, was trailing off even before his ankle injury that forced him to miss two games. Brown averaged just three catches for 31 yards over his last three games. In week nine, he gets a welcome back party from the New England Patriots and their historically good defense. The Patriots are allowing just 1.08 fantasy points per target to opposing wide receivers, by far the best in the NFL. Look for Bill Belichick and crew to lock down Hollywood Brown and force the Ravens to beat them elsewhere. In his first game back from injury, I would avoid starting the rookie Hollywood Brown this week.

If you’re desperate: Anthony Miller, WR CHI

Over the first few weeks, the only place Anthony Miller could be found was on the side of a milk carton saying “Have you seen this wide receiver?”. He saw three or fewer targets in each of the Bears’ first four games and failed to pass just 15 receiving yards. For a second-year player, this was incredibly disappointing. Since week five, however, Miller has finally stepped up to that he belongs as a starting player for this Bears team. Miller has passed 50 yards receiving in each of his last three games and has seen 30% of Chicago’s air yards over this stretch. Make no mistake, Allen Robinson is this team’s alpha wide receiver. In week nine against the Eagles, though, there should be plenty of opportunity for Miller to make his mark. The Eagles have allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers in 2019, and, as previously mentioned, the Bears might find themselves in a passing situation early and often this week. Miller is a solid WR3/FLEX play this week with solid upside.

Tight Ends

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 9 Rank
TE	George Kittle	@ARI	1
TE	Travis Kelce	MIN	2
TE	Darren Waller	DET	3
TE	Evan Engram	DAL	4
TE	Hunter Henry	GB	5
TE	Mark Andrews	NE	6
TE	Zach Ertz	CHI	7
TE	Jimmy Graham	@LAC	8
TE	Greg Olsen	TEN	9
TE	TJ Hockenson	@OAK	10
TE	Darren Fells	@JAC	11
TE	Jonnu Smith	@CAR	12
TE	Dallas Goedert	CHI	13
TE	Eric Ebron	@PIT	14
TE	Kyle Rudolph	@KC	15
TE	Cameron Brate	@SEA	16
TE	Vance McDonald	IND	17
TE	Dawson Knox	WAS	18
TE	Foster Moreau	DET	19
TE	Ricky Seals-Jones	@DEN	20
TE	Jason Witten	@NYG	21
TE	Chris Herndon	@MIA	22
TE	Mike Gesicki	NYJ	23
TE	Jack Doyle	@PIT	24
TE	Noah Fant	CLE	25
TE	Charles Clay	SF	26
TE	Irv Smith	@KC	27
TE	Ben Watson	@BAL	28
TE	Ryan Griffin	@MIA	29
TE	Josh Oliver	HOU	30

 

Start ‘em: TJ Hockenson, TE DET

Since week one, Hockenson has performed much like we’d expect a rookie tight end to do. Averaging just five fantasy points per game since his massive week one game, Hockenson is actually averaging fewer fantasy points than fellow rookie tight ends Noah Fant and Irv Smith. Despite the poor fantasy production, though, there’s reason to be hopeful that Hockenson can turn it around, particularly this week. Hockenson has yet to play fewer than 50% of Detroit’s snaps in any game this season, and he’s consistently played about 65-70%. He’s also second on the Lions in red zone targets, earning seven to Kenny Golladay’s nine this season. He’s had multiple chances over the last few weeks to snag a touchdown but has come up just short. In a game where the Lions project to score early and often, Hockenson has an upper percentile chance of finding the end zone. Moreover, the Raiders have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game against to opposing tight ends including six touchdowns. The dreadful Arizona Cardinals defense against tight ends, for comparison, has let up eight touchdowns to opposing tight ends. Hockenson hasn’t been worthy of a start over the course of the season, but week nine brings a matchup where, in the state of the tight end position, Hockenson should be firmly on your radar as a start candidate.

Sit ‘em: Ben Watson, TE NE

After getting cut and then re-signed by the Patriots, Watson has played over 70% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps over their last two games. He’s the clear tight end of choice in what has been a strong Patriots offense to date. However, even with this utilization, Watson should be viewed as no more than a TE3 play with little upside, especially this week against the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots, as a team, have targeted the tight end position at the lowest rate in the NFL at just 7.4%. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens have allowed the fifth-fewest target share to tight ends so far in 2019. This low target share has lead the Ravens to rank ninth-best in points per game allowed to opposing tight ends. Watson will likely receiver his usual two or three targets in this Patriots offense, which keeps him at least on the tight end radar, but he’s ultimately a low-floor, low-ceiling play in week nine. There’s no real reason to start him in week nine.

If you’re desperate: Cameron Brate, TE TB

Brate is this week’s desperation play at tight end if fellow tight end OJ Howard is unable to play once again on Sunday. While Brate didn’t exceed expectations last week when Howard was out, he did manage to see six targets, ranking ninth among tight ends on the week in that category. In week nine, Brate goes up against the Seahawks, who have been dominated by opposing tight ends all season. The intriguing part about the Seahawks matchup is not just that they’ve allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, it’s who they’ve allowed them to. While they did allow Austin Hooper to continue his great play last week, they’ve also allowed big games to Ricky Seals-Jones, Gerald Everett, and Vance McDonald. This isn’t exactly a list of star tight ends. Ultimately, Brate is in a position to capitalize on good volume in a great matchup, which makes him the best desperation tight end play this week.

That concludes this week’s rankings article! As this series is released on Thursdays, be sure to follow any lingering injuries and changing injury status updates for players as Sunday approaches. If you’re wondering about a player I didn’t dive into detail about, feel free to reach out to me @FFzinger on Twitter. Best of luck this week, and I’ll be back next week to give Week Ten’s positional rankings.