What are the chances that DeAndre Hopkins can post back-to-back finishes as the week's top fantasy football receiver? Against the Colts defense, anything is possible. Another possibility is getting the Week 9 fantasy WR rankings exactly perfect from No. 1 to No. 72, but Hopkins finishing first definitely has much, much, much better odds than the latter. Nonetheless, we've given our best shot to help your fantasy football lineup, especially in the start 'em, sit 'em area.
Six teams (Bears, Browns, Chargers, Vikings, Patriots, Steelers) take a break this week, but six teams return to the field, turning the WR2 and WR3 decisions into some tough ones based on matchups, quarterback play and deciding which WR will be the No. 1 option on his team this week, notably vof the Jaguars, Rams, Packers and Cardinals. Joining the bye-week players, two injured WRs, DeVante Parker and Emmanuel Sanders, are on track to return to the field, while only one, Pierre Garcon, has a possible major injury worry.
There are some tough matchups for top guys like Doug Baldwin (vs. Redskins), Alshon Jeffrey (vs. Broncos), and A.J. Green (@ Jaguars), but the recent play by their QBs should quell any worries of a miserable outing. In the WR3 area, it'll be tough to figure out if last week's great performances can be repeated against tough defenses for guys like Mohamed Sanu (@ Panthers), Marvin Jones (@ Packers), Robby Anderson (vs. Bills), and Jamison Crowder (@ Seahawks), among many others.
WEEK 9 RANKINGS
Quarterback | Running back | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Reminder: We'll update our rankings throughout the week and add player analysis, so please check back often. And here's how you might lose in fantasy this week.
WEEK 9 DFS:
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Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: WRs
These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues
| 1 | Dez Bryant, Cowboys vs. Chiefs. The Chiefs are the only team allowing an average of 30 points to opposing WRs. Bryant is in line for a big day. |
| 2 | Michael Thomas, Saints vs. Bucs. |
| 3 | Julio Jones, Falcons @ Panthers. |
| 4 | Mike Evans, Bucs @ Saints. |
| 5 | Doug Baldwin, Seahawks vs. Redskins. |
| 6 | A.J. Green, Bengals @ Jaguars. |
| 7 | Tyreek Hill, Chiefs @ Cowboys. |
| 8 | DeAndre Hopkins, Texans vs. Colts |
| 9 | Demaryius Thomas, Broncos @ Eagles. |
| 10 | Alshon Jeffery, Eagles vs. Broncos. |
| 11 | Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals @ 49ers. |
| 12 | Jordy Nelson, Packers vs. Lions. |
| 13 | Jarvis Landry, Dolphins vs. Raiders. It's hard to imagine saying this, but Jay Cutler's return may help Landry's production. Before Cutler's injury, Landry had three straight games with a touchdown. It's worth noting that all three games were without DeVante Parker, who is returning this week, but Landry was still getting double-digit targets with Parker in the lineup, so that much won't change. |
| 14 | Michael Crabtree, Raiders @ Dolphins. |
| 15 | Golden Tate, Lions vs. Packers. |
| 16 | DeVante Parker, Dolphins vs. Raiders. Similar to Landry, Cutler's return helps. Parker had at least 69 yards and averaged nine targets in the three games he played before he suffered an ankle injury, and now that he's back, Parker should get back to racking up yards and targets. |
| 17 | Devin Funchess, Panthers vs. Falcons. After Kelvin Benjamin's trade to Buffalo, Funchess now the No. 1 WR in the Panthers offense, and as such, he should see a much higher amount of targets, get a majority of red-zone looks at his 6-6 frame, and start to produce the stats he did when Benjamin was hurt/struggling - eight-plus targets, 50-plus yards and a TD. |
| 18 | T.Y. Hilton, Colts @ Texans. In bad matchups, Hilton has done really bad. In good matchups, Hilton had his best games, recording over 150 receiving yards. The Texans defense struggled at stopping the big plays last week, and Hilton still has big play potential in him, making him starter-worthy this week when fantasy owners are starting to not feel bad about leaving him on the bench. |
| 19 | Amari Cooper, Raiders @ Dolphins. |
| 20 | DeSean Jackson, Bucs @ Saints. |
| 21 | Ted Ginn Jr., Saints vs. Bucs. Ginn is starting to become a major presence in the Saints offense, recording three straight games of 60-plus yards, including a 141-yard performance two weeks ago. The Bucs give up the second-most points to WRs this year, putting Ginn in a prime spot for a big game. |
| 22 | Mohamed Sanu, Falcons @ Panthers. Sanu has racked up the targets since he returned from a hamstring injury, posting 10 and seven the past two games with at least 60 yards in both. He also caught his second TD of the year last week. The Panthers are a tough matchup for WRs, but the raised amount of targets gives Sanu a raised ceiling to have a good fantasy day. |
| 23 | Sammy Watkins, Rams @ Giants. |
| 24 | Davante Adams, Packers vs. Lions. |
| 25 | Rishard Matthews, Titans vs. Ravens. |
| 26 | Marvin Jones Jr, Lions vs. Packers. The Lions haven't had much success at Lambeau (one win since 1991), but Jones had 205 receiving yards and two touchdowns last year. We shouldn't expect that to happen again, but it's noteworthy that he's produced 10-plus targets and 95-plus yards in the past two games. |
| 27 | Will Fuller V, Texans vs. Colts. He's got two touchdowns in three of four games, and against the second worst pass defense in the league, it wouldn't be shocking if he makes it four in five games. |
| 28 | Robby Anderson, Jets vs. Bills. |
| 29 | Jeremy Maclin, Ravens @ Titans. |
| 30 | Sterling Shepard, Giants vs. Rams. The Rams are the fifth-best team at limiting opposing WRs. Shepard is the only WR on the Giants worth starting, but they've been heavily targeting Evan Engram since the loss of Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall. Expect much of the same this week. |
| 31 | Marqise Lee, Jaguars vs. Bengals. Leonard Fournette will be back, and the Bengals hold opposing WRs to an eighth-fewest 17 FPPG, Lee and Hurns go back and forth each week in team-lead targets and yards, so this week, it's Lee's turn to be WR1 over Hurns on the Jaguars, but he's only a WR3/flex play on fantasy lineups. |
| 32 | Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos @ Eagles. |
| 33 | Nelson Agholor, Eagles vs. Broncos. |
| 34 | Allen Hurns, Jaguars vs. Bengals. |
| 35 | Cooper Kupp, Rams @ Giants |
| 36 | Paul Richardson, Seahawks vs. Redskins |
| 37 | Josh Doctson, Redskins @ Seahawks. Don't read into last week's decimation of the Seahawks secondary last week. Deshaun Watson is on another level with much better WRs. Doctson is not even close to the same level of Will Fuller or DeAndre Hopkins, and if Doctson continues to act as the No. 1 WR, Richard Sherman will shut him down easily. |
| 38 | Terrelle Pryor Jr., Redskins @ Seahawks. Pryor seems to be out of the loop again this week, and he has a tough matchup against the Seahawks secondary on the road. He had one target last week, and he's a bench player this week. |
| 39 | Kenny Stills, Dolphins vs. Raiders. With DeVante Parker expected to be back, Stills falls back into the shadows of the Dolphins offense. With Jarvis Landry and Parker, there's not much value left for Stills to consider worth starting. |
| 40 | Jordan Matthews, Bills @ Jets. |
| 41 | Corey Davis, Titans vs. Ravens |
| 42 | Tyler Lockett, Seahawks vs. Redskins. |
| 43 | Jermaine Kearse, Jets vs. Bills |
| 44 | Marquise Goodwin, 49ers vs. Cardinals |
| 45 | Donte Moncrief, Colts @ Texans |
| 46 | Brandon Coleman, Saints vs. Bucs |
| 47 | Robert Woods, Rams @ Giants |
| 48 | Roger Lewis Jr., Giants vs. Rams |
| 49 | John Brown, Cardinals @ 49ers |
| 50 | Cole Beasley, Cowboys vs. Chiefs |
| 51 | Randall Cobb, Packers vs. Lions |
| 52 | Curtis Samuel, Panthers vs. Falcons |
| 53 | J.J. Nelson, Cardinals @ 49ers |
| 54 | Taylor Gabriel, Falcons @ Panthers |
| 55 | Trent Taylor, 49ers vs. Cardinals |
| 56 | Aldrick Robinson, 49ers vs. Cardinals |
| 57 | Jaron Brown, Cardinals @ 49ers |
| 58 | Chris Moore, Ravens @ Titans |
| 59 | Willie Snead, Saints vs. Bucs |
| 60 | Deonte Thompson, Bills @ Jets |
| 61 | Jeremy Kerley, Jets vs. Bills |
| 62 | Eric Decker, Titans vs. Ravens |
| 63 | Adam Humphries, Bucs @ Saints |
| 64 | Brandon LaFell, Bengals @ Jaguars |
| 65 | Mike Wallace, Ravens @ Titans |
| 66 | Demarcus Robinson, Chiefs @ Cowboys |