Welcome to Week 9 of The List! This season, our Rankings Team will provide a few thoughts on players they are particularly high or low on this week, offering some perspective on their FLEX and positional rankings. You can find these thoughts below, followed by our full Top 150 FLEX. Positional rankings are also available to help you make your toughest lineup decisions of the week!
What could end up being an AFC Championship showdown, the Bills meet with the Chiefs for what could be the battle of the season. These two guys are easy to put in lineups; they’ve been there all season. The exciting part is the full arsenal of weapons Patrick Mahomes is rolling out now, which will force the Bills to keep their foot on the gas and not let the game slip away with James Cook. – Brian Hartman
Just as the city he resides in, Caleb Williams‘ season has blown in good games and bad. Coming off a multi-week skid, Caleb can’t find a better matchup than this week with the Bengals. Cincinnati has averaged over 20 points per game in this position this season. Though he didn’t find the end zone, he still had a productive day with 285 yards and 25 on the ground as well. Better days are ahead, and this week seems poised for another. He’s in my starting lineup this week and one of a handful of guys with the ceiling he’ll have in this game. – Brian Hartman
If you’re playing Caleb Williams, you may as well play his opponent on the other side. Joe Flacco has been a gift from above for fantasy players. What we thought was a lost season has resulted in Ja’Marr Chase receiving the highest targets in NFL history across three games. Chase Brown is now playable again. The Bears have all the weapons to turn this game into a shootout, and Vegas agrees, giving this game the second-highest point total of the week. – Brian Hartman
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is going to be the #1 waiver priority in many leagues this week after Cam Skattebo suffered a gruesome ankle injury that ended his season last week. While this injury will certainly increase Tracy’s workload and boost his ranking overall, I think we need to manage expectations a bit before firing him up immediately. Before the emergence of Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy was the de facto starter for the Giants and struggled to get anything going. Tracy is averaging a pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry this season and has logged an explosive run on just 4.4% of carries this season. At least his matchup with the 49ers is fertile ground for fantasy production, allowing a solid 20.0 fantasy points on the ground this season. Obviously, Tracy should move up the rankings, but I don’t think we can rule out the involvement of Devin Singletary. Factoring all that in, I’ve got Tracy listed as as my RB21. –Eric Romoff
Rico Dowdle has once again vaulted up my rankings as the Panthers gear up to face the Packers this week. After 2 weeks of proving that Chuba Hubbard didn’t lose his job to injury, despite clearly being the less-effective back, the Carolina coaching staff heavily suggested that Dowdle has played well enough to earn the starter’s workload this week. Dowdle’s 5.7 yards per carry is the third-most in the NFL this season, and he’ll put that efficiency to the test against a Green Bay team that is among the stingiest against the run this year. The tough matchup and the presumed split with Hubbard work to drag down Dowdle’s rankings, but even with those factors accounted for, he opens the week as my RB17 overall. –Eric Romoff
Zonovan “Bam” Knight is the embodiment of the “smoke ’em if you got ’em” mindset. Knight traversed a very crowded rotation in the Cardinals’ backfield following the injuries to both James Conner and Trey Benson and emerged as the clear workhorse as the Cardinals return from their bye having cut Michael Carter. This expanded workload couldn’t come in a more ideal spot as Arizona heads to Dallas to face a Cowboys team that is allowing 146 rushing yards per game this season. As per usual, this game is projected to be one of the highest-scoring on the slate, and Bam’s touchdown upside should be on full display as he leads the Cardinals in red zone carries despite only playing 3 games this season. Knight is unanimously ranked as a back-end RB2 this week, and I’ve got him as #22 at the position in this juicy matchup. –Eric Romoff
Week 9 is here, marking the halfway point of the fantasy football season. While this week doesn’t bring a long list of injury concerns, there are some notable names potentially returning to action — including Ricky Pearsall, Calvin Ridley, and Christian Kirk.
In the meantime, there are a few players you may want to stay clear of in Week 9 if possible. Courtland Sutton tops that list after a major disappointment in Week 8. He’ll face the Texans, who allow the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. It’s become clear that the Broncos don’t need to rely on Sutton to win games this season, and the matchup doesn’t do him any favors. Houston has allowed just two receivers to eclipse 80 yards all year, and both of those players primarily operated from the slot — not where Sutton typically lines up. Expect another quiet outing from him in Week 9. –Steve Pintado
Another player to consider benching in Week 9 is Nico Collins. Collins has been wildly inconsistent this season, with just one true breakout performance to his name. He now faces the No. 1-ranked Broncos defense, which has quietly become one of the toughest units in the league. Yes, Pat Surtain II will miss this game, but Denver’s secondary remains strong across the board. With C.J. Stroud likely spreading the ball around and avoiding tough coverage looks, Collins could once again disappoint fantasy managers. If you have other viable options, it’s wise to keep Collins on the bench in Week 9. –Steve Pintado
One player who flashed a few weeks ago and deserves your trust in Week 9 is Travis Hunter. The rookie wideout is coming off an 8-catch, 100-yard performance and now draws a fantastic matchup against the Raiders, who rank as the fifth-worst defense versus fantasy wide receivers. Las Vegas has surrendered five receiving touchdowns over their last two games, and Hunter’s big-play ability makes him a prime candidate to capitalize. Coming off the bye week, you can bet the Jaguars focused on getting their talented rookie more involved in the offense. Hunter profiles as a solid WR3 with upside in Week 9 lineups. –Steve Pintado
If you’re looking for a dart-throw flex play in Week 9, turn your attention to Alec Pierce. The Colts face the Steelers, who boast one of the league’s stronger run defenses, meaning Indianapolis may need to lean on the passing game more than usual, limiting Jonathan Taylor’s workload. Over the past two weeks, Pittsburgh has given up multiple chunk plays through the air, and Pierce fits that mold perfectly. He owns the second-highest average depth of target (21.4 yards) in the league, giving him legitimate big-play potential. While Pierce’s production has been inconsistent, this matchup offers more reward than risk and makes him a sneaky Flex option in Week 9. –Steve Pintado
Don’t be discouraged by Tyler Warren‘s second game under double-digit fantasy points. His usage was on par with what we’ve seen most of the season, and he was one Michael Pittman block away from taking a 40-ish yard screen pass to the house. Warren is my TE1 for Week 9, facing a Steelers defense that’s allowed three tight end touchdowns over the previous two weeks, including a double dip from Tucker Kraft on Sunday Night Football. –Jay Felicio
Congratulations to Travis Kelce for catching his 100th touchdown against the Commanders, but don’t expect a repeat performance. He goes from one of the friendliest matchups for tight ends to one of the worst. Buffalo has shut down opposing tight ends, allowing just one touchdown to the position and holding all but Hunter Henry under 45 receiving yards. He got 46. –Jay Felicio