Lineup decisions are often tough calls, so here are the Week 9 flex rankings listing the top-100 PPR options at running back, wide receiver, and tight end. With a lot of injured players questionable to play, including big names like James Conner, D.J. Chark, and more, make sure to check back for injury updates before finalizing lineups. Also, four teams are on bye this week, so get your Falcons, Bengals, Rams, and Saints out of your lineups. Good luck with your matchups this week!
For help getting ready for NFL Week 9, check out our Waiver Wire Recommendations and our FAAB Guide.
Shooting for Shootouts
This is a prime game to target in DFS and fire up all your Buccaneers and Seahawks in redraft. Seattle has already given up four 100-yard games to opposing wide receivers this season and has allowed the third-most passing yards thus far. Though Jameis Winston’s turnovers will make or break his fantasy day, this is a great matchup for Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, both of whom could eclipse 100 yards this week. Oh, and don’t forget about Cameron Brate if O.J. Howard is out again with a hamstring injury, especially in DFS. The Seahawks have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, and Brate sneaks into the top-100 in my flex rankings as a result.
On the other side, Tampa Bay is the top defense against the run in terms of rushing defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) per Football Outsiders. Seattle also just lost their starting center, Justin Britt, to a torn ACL. Despite Pete Carroll’s preference to run the ball, it would be advantageous for the Seahawks to attack the Buccaneers’ pass defense, which is seventh-worst in the league in terms of passing DVOA. Both Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are great options at wide receiver this week, as Russell Wilson will need to pass a lot in what should be a back-and-forth game. And if the Seahawks stubbornly try to remain run-heavy in this game, Tampa Bay has already knocked off one NFC West team this year and could do so again.
Benching Big Names?
Despite being the RB13 on the season thus far in PPR formats, Mark Ingram is my RB30 this week and ranked as the no. 71 option in my Week 9 flex rankings below. It’s not impossible that Ingram scores a touchdown here or breaks a long run or two as Nick Chubb managed to do against the Patriots last week, but it’s unlikely that Ingram will have a great game against a NE defense that has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Ingram is averaging just 14 carries per game with Lamar Jackson choosing to keep the ball himself, averaging 12 runs per game. And if the Patriots can manage a lead, Ingram gets little usage as a receiver with only 12 targets all year and could get game-scripted out.
David Montgomery was a hot waiver wire add this past week in leagues where he was drafted and dropped. And those who’ve held Montgomery on their benches for most of the year are likely chomping at the bit after he finally exploded for 135 yards and a touchdown last week vs the Chargers, but hold your horses. Philadelphia is the sixth-best run defense per rushing DVOA, and Montgomery has gotten fewer than 10% of the team’s total target share in the passing game, with Tarik Cohen getting almost 19% of the targets. Much like Ingram, it may be wise to stash Montgomery this week on your bench even after his big game against the Chargers. Let him loose next week vs Detroit, a team giving up the second-most fantasy points this year to opposing running backs…
Week 9 Flex Rankings (PPR)
Last updated on Thursday, October 31st at 12:42 PM CST.
| Rank | Player | Pos | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | |
| 2 | Ezekiel Elliott | RB | Fresh off their bye, DAL should handle this NFC East matchup with ease. Expect them to feed Elliott in a game where they'll be playing with a lead. |
| 3 | Dalvin Cook | RB | |
| 4 | Saquon Barkley | RB | |
| 5 | Amari Cooper | WR | NYG gives up the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing WRs, and Cooper should be 100% healed from his quad contusion after DAL's bye. |
| 6 | DeAndre Hopkins | WR | Hopkins has averaged 13 targets per game in the last two since Fuller got hurt. He remains a top option given his target volume. |
| 7 | Aaron Jones | RB | |
| 8 | Josh Jacobs | RB | DET's run defense is one of the worst in the league, and OAK's offensive line is healthier. Jacobs has huge upside with OAK favored at home. |
| 9 | Mike Evans | WR | Both SEA and TB are toward the bottom of the league in passing defense DVOA. This one could turn into a shootout. |
| 10 | Chris Godwin | WR | |
| 11 | Tyler Lockett | WR | With TB boasting the best run defense in the league, and having lost their starting center, SEA will have no choice but to pass in this one. |
| 12 | Tyreek Hill | WR | The once-vaunted MIN defense is quietly allowing the 10th most fantasy points to opposing WRs. Moore has adequate at getting the ball to Hill. |
| 13 | Leonard Fournette | RB | |
| 14 | Nick Chubb | RB | |
| 15 | Tevin Coleman | RB | SF is the heaviest favorite this week, and with the other SF RBs banged up, Coleman could see an even bigger share of the carries this week. |
| 16 | Adam Thielen | WR | |
| 17 | Julian Edelman | WR | Edelman is has the 6th most targets in the league, and a tough matchup vs BAL could mean Edelman will be featured even more than usual. |
| 18 | George Kittle | TE | ARI is the worst team vs opposing TEs, and Kittle is SF's primary receiver. Sanders's arrival should only help draw coverage away from Kittle. |
| 19 | Davante Adams | WR | GB is optimistic Adams will return this week. Given how efficient the offense has been, Adams should step right back into being a top-10 fantasy WR. |
| 20 | Le'Veon Bell | RB | |
| 21 | Keenan Allen | WR | |
| 22 | Travis Kelce | TE | |
| 23 | Kenny Golladay | WR | |
| 24 | Allen Robinson | WR | |
| 25 | Michael Gallup | WR | See Cooper, Amari. Gallup has been quiet the last couple of games, but he has the potential for 100+ yards and a score vs NYG. |
| 26 | Odell Beckham Jr. | WR | |
| 27 | Derrick Henry | RB | CAR has been sliced up on the ground even before SF ran all over them. Henry should grind plenty of yards and find the end zone this week. |
| 28 | Stefon Diggs | WR | |
| 29 | James White | RB | |
| 30 | James Conner | RB | Conner has been nicked up a lot this year but has yet to miss a game. Even with the poor matchup and the shoulder injury, start Conner if active. |
| 31 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | WR | |
| 32 | Tyrell Williams | WR | |
| 33 | D.K. Metcalf | WR | |
| 34 | John Brown | WR | A windstorm limited Brown to 5 catches for 54 yards vs PHI, but BUF's no. 1 target should find plenty of success vs a bottom-barrel WAS team. |
| 35 | Evan Engram | TE | |
| 36 | T.Y. Hilton | WR | |
| 37 | Austin Ekeler | RB | |
| 38 | Emmanuel Sanders | WR | |
| 39 | Robby Anderson | WR | Xavien Howard is a tough draw, but Anderson should still see a few snaps away from Howard's coverage and feast vs the rest of MIA's defense. |
| 40 | Hunter Henry | TE | |
| 41 | Marlon Mack | RB | |
| 42 | D.J. Chark | WR | Chark would be even higher were it not for a quad injury and a questionable tag going into a great matchup vs HOU's struggling secondary in London. |
| 43 | Darren Waller | TE | |
| 44 | Courtland Sutton | WR | |
| 45 | Phillip Lindsay | RB | |
| 46 | Melvin Gordon | RB | |
| 47 | Chris Carson | RB | TB hasn't allowed more than 75 rushing yards to any RB this year, and SEA just lost their starting center. There's not much upside here for Carson. |
| 48 | Mark Andrews | TE | |
| 49 | Sony Michel | RB | |
| 50 | Frank Gore | RB | BUF is likely to lead vs WAS and have been among the most run-heavy teams when the game script allows, which should benefit Gore. |
| 51 | Marvin Jones | WR | |
| 52 | Matt Breida | RB | |
| 53 | Jordan Howard | RB | Revenge game for Jordan Howard? PHI is favored at home, and Howard continues to be the goal line back. A TD or more isn't out of the question. |
| 54 | Royce Freeman | RB | |
| 55 | Christian Kirk | WR | |
| 56 | Miles Sanders | RB | |
| 57 | Kenny Stills | WR | |
| 58 | Jaylen Samuels | RB | Conner may not be at 100% and cede more work to Samuels. And if Conner can't go, then Samuels would get bumped up even more. |
| 59 | Chris Conley | WR | |
| 60 | DeVante Parker | WR | Don't look now, but Parker is averaging 7 targets per game since MIA's bye with Fitzpatrick and has scored 2 TDs in the last 3 weeks. |
| 61 | Tarik Cohen | RB | |
| 62 | Sammy Watkins | WR | |
| 63 | Carlos Hyde | RB | |
| 64 | Preston Williams | WR | The Jets are top-10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing WRs. Fitzpatrick is keeping MIA's WRs fantasy-relevant even in a winless season. |
| 65 | DeSean Jackson | WR | Finally returning from his groin injury, Jackson's speed would be a big boost for this PHI offense, and he could score a long TD even vs CHI. |
| 66 | Mohamed Sanu | WR | |
| 67 | Mark Walton | RB | |
| 68 | David Montgomery | RB | Don't be fooled by the big game against the Chargers' poor run defense. Montgomery is unlikely to find similar success vs PHI's front seven. |
| 69 | Mike Williams | WR | |
| 70 | Mark Ingram | RB | NE allows the fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs, and Ingram is still losing touches to Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. |
| 71 | Jarvis Landry | WR | |
| 72 | Zach Ertz | TE | |
| 73 | D.J. Moore | WR | |
| 74 | Phillip Dorsett | WR | |
| 75 | Terry McLaurin | WR | McLaurin faces a tough matchup vs Tre'Davious White, and the prospect of Dwayne Haskins starting isn't great considering his accuracy issues. |
| 76 | Alshon Jeffery | WR | |
| 77 | Golden Tate | WR | One of the NYG WRs might score here, but Shepard's return muddies the target share. Plus, DAL has allowed just one 100-yard game to WRs. |
| 78 | Sterling Shepard | WR | |
| 79 | Marquise Brown | WR | NE is a tough draw, but Brown has the game-breaking speed to take one to the house on any one of his targets. |
| 80 | Jamaal Williams | RB | |
| 81 | Adrian Peterson | RB | |
| 82 | Mecole Hardman | WR | Much like Marquise Brown, Hardman has similar big-play ability. He could score his 3rd TD in as many games vs an inconsistent MIN secondary. |
| 83 | Larry Fitzgerald | WR | |
| 84 | Jonnu Smith | TE | Averaging 5 catches for 71 yards in two games with Tannehill as TEN's starter, Smith is a primary target as long as Delanie Walker is out again. |
| 85 | Ronald Jones | RB | |
| 86 | LeSean McCoy | RB | |
| 87 | Kenyan Drake | RB | Even if Johnson and Edmonds are out, Drake is still settling into ARI, but his big play ability keeps him a viable flex option despite a limited workload. |
| 88 | Curtis Samuel | WR | |
| 89 | Jamison Crowder | WR | |
| 90 | Cameron Brate | TE | |
| 91 | Damien Williams | RB | Williams saw all the work after McCoy's fumble vs GB, including the goal-line carry for a TD. His performance could lead to more snaps vs MIN. |
| 92 | Devin Singletary | RB | Alexander Mattison rushed for 61 yards in garbage time vs this awful WAS run defense, and Singletary could see similar opporunity if BUF leads big. |
| 93 | Corey Davis | WR | |
| 94 | Peyton Barber | RB | |
| 95 | A.J. Brown | WR | |
| 96 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | WR | |
| 97 | Ty Johnson | RB | |
| 98 | Miles Boykin | WR | Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry drew away coverage for Demetrius Harris to score vs NE, and Brown and Andrews could do the same for Boykin. |
| 99 | Eric Ebron | TE | |
| 100 | J.D. McKissic | RB |
For more fantasy football content or specific questions about your lineup, follow me on Twitter @FFA_Meng.
For a look at how the rankings break down at each position, please check out Mick Ciallela’s Week 9 Rankings.
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