Fantasy & Betting

10/30/24

9 min read

NFL Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: Predictions For Every Position

By C.H. Herrmann

Fantasy Writer

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It feels as though October, and even the fantasy football season, is flying by in a flash.

It’ll already be November and daylight savings time by the time our next full slate of NFL action is underway. Crazy, right? And while the clocks are falling back, your fantasy teams will hopefully continue to move forward. 

Only the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers are on a bye in Week 9. All other 30 teams will be ready and raring to go. Unfortunately, not every key member of those teams will be healthy enough to suit up for action.

Together, let’s sort through the latest rash of injury news and talk through position-by-position rankings for the fantasy week ahead:

NFL Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 9 Quarterback Rankings

Quick Takeaways

• Jordan Love suffered a groin injury in Week 8, causing him to leave the contest in the second half. Fortunately, the results from his MRI on Monday came back clean, and he’s got a real shot at suiting up this coming Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Keep an eye on his status through the practice week, but so far so good.
• At this point, I hope we're not getting the final goodbye for Anthony Richardson as a fantasy option in 2024. I hate picking on him, but he’s putting up historically bad passing numbers, and it’s stunting the offense. Unfortunately, benching such an inexperienced signal-caller may also stunt his development and wreck the considerable investment made into him to begin with. Head coach Shane Steichen opting to go with Joe Flacco in Week 9 makes temporary football sense, and it does add a significant value boost to all pass-catchers in Indy.

Trending Up

• Headed into 2024, the odds of Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix being fantasy-relevant weren’t all that high. The general dearth of surrounding playmakers and overall questions of how well coach Sean Payton would be with a young conductor scared me away from even contemplating Nix as a Superflex option, let alone a 1-QB asset.
• But to his credit, Nix is delivering an average of 37.2 rushing yards per game (tied for fifth among quarterbacks, per FantasyData) and 21.9 fantasy points per game in four-point per passing touchdown scoring since Week 5, ranking as the QB5 in that span. I’m not overly aggressive in hyping the former Oregon standout, considering the Broncos have faced some soft matchups of late, but he’s within the realm of streaming territory at a minimum.
• While we’re on the subject of giving people credit, Baker Mayfield performed phenomenally in Week 8 vs. the Atlanta Falcons, logging 330 passing yards and three aerial scores without Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) available. There isn’t much else to say about a guy who’s been the QB2 overall in points per game (23.1), but it’s worth pointing out that there’s no reason to be too terribly afraid of this offense collapsing without its biggest pass-catching stars. Keep on rolling with Baker.

Trending Down

• The Daniel Jones fantasy experience is starting to take a sour turn. In the past three weeks, the New York Giants veteran has thrown nary a touchdown and boasts a putrid 67.4 passer rating. Additionally, his average of 8.1 fantasy points per game is so bad that it almost makes more sense for Superflex managers to start a running back or wide receiver in that flexible spot instead of Jones.
• Half the reason he stayed afloat as a fantasy contributor over the years comes from his contributions on the ground, but even that facet of his game has dipped (21 rushing yards since Week 7). If you’re still holding onto Jones, don’t.

Week 9 Running Back Rankings

Quick Takeaways

• If it makes anyone feel better, I found myself up a creek with the Rico Dowdle pre-game illness scratch debacle in Week 8. It certainly stinks to stomach a goose egg, but we’re assuming health for Dallas Cowboys’ RB1 in Week 9. Nothing crazy to pass along, but I thought it'd be worth commiserating for a moment.
• So far, one of the more fascinating undercurrents of this season has been the slight dwindling of the committee backfield across the NFL. Per FantasyData, a total of 19 running backs are registering at least a 66 percent (or one-third) opportunity share in their backfield (totals as of Sunday night). For context, that number was 15 in 2023 and 12 in both 2022 and 2021.

Trending Up

• Rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. is winning over the Giants' backfield. Including Monday night’s totals, the Purdue product has occupied a 69.6 percent touch opportunity share (carries + targets) during the past two weeks since Devin Singletary returned from injury. Tracy Jr.’s 14.3 points in point-per-reception (PPR) scoring bring forth quality low-end RB2 value. Managers looking for that breakout are watching their wishes come true. It is worth noting that he’s in concussion protocol. Monitor his status this week.
• The Bucs' backfield of Rachaad White and Bucky Irving might be the league's best tandem. Since Week 6, the duo has combined for 169.9 scrimmage yards en route to averaging 18.1 and 16.9 PPR points per game, respectively.
• It’s also worth noting that White and Irving combined for a 28.9 percent target share in Week 8, per Fantasy Points Data. I don’t want to get too over my skis, but that’s a +11.3 percent swing above their combined target share from Week 1 through 7, with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans healthy. It’s entirely conceivable that the solution to the Buccaneers’ woes is just maintaining this uptick in backfield receiving and the boosted contributions of TE Cade Otton. Remember this as you potentially shop for White or Irving on the trade market — that’s what I’ll be doing.
• Kareem Hunt has been an absolute workhorse since signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. Across the four contests he’s donned the red, white, and gold, the veteran is tallying 22.8 touch opportunities (carries + targets) per game with an average of 16.2 PPR points per game, ranking as the RB12 in that measure. At his current pace of 77 rushing yards per game, Hunt is set to finish just shy of the thousand mark with 996 rushing yards. This volume is utterly ridiculous, and it’s getting to the point where I won’t rank him any lower than the top 15 weekly, even lesser matchups. 

Trending Down

• Granted, some of this downtick in success can probably be attributed to injuries all around the Carolina Panthers’ offensive ecosystem, but RB Chuba Hubbard has been slowed down the past two weeks. In that span, Hubbard’s averaging just 54 rushing yards and 10.1 PPR points per game. Those keeping score at home will note that those totals are down -47.6 and -10.6, respectively, from the four games prior to Week 7 — plainly speaking, his production has slashed in (approximately) half from his breakout window.

Potential Breakout

• This is where the Panthers’ backfield conversation shifts toward the attention of rookie Jonathon Brooks. The organization designated their second-round pick to return on October 16, meaning that the 21-day window for him to be fully activated will potentially run past Week 9. There is no guarantee he’ll debut this weekend, though Brooks has practiced in a limited fashion in the past two weeks.
• Should it seem Brooks will be in line to play, I’ll be sure to dive deeper into why he’s a big deal for fantasy in the Friday update of my rankings. Keep an eye out for that later on.

Week 9 Wide Receiver Rankings

Quick Takeaways

• Stefon Diggs suffered a non-contact knee injury in the second half of Week 8 vs. the Colts. The veteran was able to walk off the field, but as it turns out, he's been diagnosed with a season-ending torn ACL. With any luck, the Texans will have Nico Collins (hamstring) back for Week 10, so there's not a lot that's going to change for fantasy with this bunch.
• Speaking of injuries, Christian Kirk is done for the season after sustaining a broken collarbone against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. is also dealing with a rib/chest issue that’s fluctuated in reported severity, so that’s something managers will have to track as well.
• Either way, this is a massive blow for Trevor Lawrence. Should anyone emerge as a viable pass-catching option on the Jags, I’d watch for Parker Washington. The ex-Penn State receiver predominately played out of the slot in college and figures to be a solid option to replace Kirk, who registered an 81.1 slot route rate in the offense this year.

Trending Up

• Ladd McConkey is starting to come into his own. The second-round pick leads his team in route participation (80 percent) and air yards share (25.5 percent) in the past three weeks, all while averaging 15.7 PPR points per game. For as low-volume as the Chargers’ passing offense is, it appears fantasy managers can count on McConkey for reliable flex production.
• Albeit in a one-week sample, Calvin Ridley went nuts in his first game without DeAndre Hopkins: 10 catches on 15 targets, a 45.6 air yards share, and 22.6 PPR points. The vet led the team in each of these measures, and it looks like he’s perhaps got a mega-alpha role on his hands. The only real question is, how much does the undisputed target hog in the Titans offense matter? I’m not sure personally yet, but I’ll take the gamble on Ridley in the flex this week.

Week 9 Tight End Rankings

Trending Up

• In the past three weeks, Will Dissly has seen no fewer than five targets per game, leading the team with a 21.9 percent target share. Much like his teammate Ladd McConkey, the overall lack of passing volume will limit his weekly appeal, but Dissly’s establishment of a concrete role makes for speculative intrigue. 
• Calling back to the Jaguars’ situation, the biggest beneficiary of the injury whirlwind is unlikely to be Parker Washington, in all likelihood. Evan Engram is someone who has shown in the past that he can step up and be the lead guy without Christian Kirk in the lineup:

Trending Down

• After opening the season as a reliable option, Pat Freiermuth has been an afterthought with Russell Wilson in tow. The vet has logged an average of 2.5 targets and 5.5 PPR points per game over the past two weeks; whatever role he had is gone. Maybe offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will reevaluate these results and make a change during the bye, but for now, Freiermuth belongs out of starting lineups.

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C.H. Herrmann

Fantasy Writer

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C.H. 'Herms' Herrmann is a fantasy writer for The 33rd Team, leveraging his extensive experience from previous roles as a fantasy analyst and NFL writer at Draft Sharks, FantasyPros, ClutchPoints, and SB Nation. A respected voice in the fantasy football community, Herms' insights and accuracy have earned them the distinction of being the No. 1 most accurate DST ranker in FantasyPros’ ECR Draft Rankings in the 2023 season. Herms has worked in media since 2020.