Some of the best running backs in fantasy football will be idle this weekend, and a handful of other important backs remain injured. Like we've had to all year, we must adjust on the fly to prepare ourselves and start a competitive lineup. Our Week 9 fantasy RB rankings for standard leagues will help you get up to speed and make the crucial start-or-sit decisions to win your week.
You probably already know the drill by now: Each week, we conduct a detailed analysis of the RB position. We discuss the cream of the fantasy crop for the upcoming games. We unveil the sleepers to consider unleashing as well as the waiver-wire pickups to put on your radar. We also ward you off the RBs we view as busts and get you up to speed on injuries.
Once we've covered all that, we get to the most important part: our full running back rankings for the week. So, let's get to it! Here's everything you need to know about the RB position this week, as well as our full Week 9 RB rankings for standard leagues.
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Which RBs are on bye in Week 9?
The 49ers, Lions, Jaguars, and Broncos are off this week, taking away Christian McCaffrey, Travis Etienne, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Javonte Williams from fantasy owners. McCaffrey and Etienne have been two of the best fantasy RBs all year, while both Williams and Gibbs have been playing at their highest levels over the past two weeks.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
The only good news is the 49ers, Lions, and Jaguars all rank in the top 10 in fewest fantasy points per game allowed to RBs. Denver was the most generous to the position, but we'll still take that trade-off.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy RBs in Week 9?
With Christian McCaffrey enjoying a much-deserved week off, Raheem Mostert (vs. Chiefs in Week 9) elevates to "Platzhirsch," or "Top Dog," as the Dolphins take on the Super Bowl champs in Germany. Mostert now has 10 TDs on the season, and he should be a major part of Mike McDaniel's game plan in a close (and very important) game with De'Von Achane (knee) still on IR.
Austin Ekeler (@ Jets) takes a small step back from his PPR ranking of numero uno, simply because he did so much damage against the Bears through the air. Alas, dominance is dominance, and the Jets can't stop dynamic RBs nearly as well as they can defend the pass. We also like Kenneth Walker III (@ Ravens) despite a tough matchup, as Arizona's Emari Demercado totaled 80 yards against Baltimore last week.
Jonathan Taylor (@ Panthers) might be No. 1 if not for the fact that running mate Zack Moss has been so awesome this season. Either way, JT continues to see increased usage with every week removed from the PUP list, and Carolina has been utterly abysmal against the run (29.3 standard PPG allowed as of Week 8). Breece Hall (vs. Chargers), Bijan Robinson (vs. Vikings), and Josh Jacobs (vs. Giants) all have juicy matchups, as well.
WEEK 9 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy RB sleepers, waiver pickups in Week 9?
We love the Rams' Darrell Henderson (@ Packers) this week, as Green Bay has been so brutal against the run. In fact, we might roll Royce Freeman out at flex if it remains cold and wet at Lambeau. Both could not just eat, but also feast.
It's also time for everyone to realize that the Ravens' backfield belongs to Gus Edwards (vs. Seahawks). Seattle got gashed by the Browns' three-headed monster last week, so the Gus bus will be rolling in fantasy land.
We mentioned JT before, but consider starting Zack Moss (@ Panthers), as well. He continued his breakout season last week against a solid Saints squad, racking up 74 yards and a TD on just 12 touches. He's practically a must-start against a Carolina D that allowed 134.3 ground yards per game through its first six games.
Rachaad White (@ Texans) might be lame against solid run defenses, but he's still plenty viable against beatable front-sevens. He put up a quiet 109 all-purpose yards against Buffalo, so we like his chances at hitting 80 on the ground against Houston. With a handful of fantasy stud RBs on bye, that could be well worth an RB2 or flex spot. We also like the potential offered by the Bears' D'Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson (@ Saints), the Panthers' Chuba Hubbard (vs. Colts), and the Commanders' Brian Robinson Jr. (@ Patriots).
WEEK 9 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Who are the biggest potential fantasy RB busts in Week 9?
The Titans' Tyjae Spears (@ Steelers) has become unstartable in standard leagues. He's simply not seeing enough volume behind Derrick Henry, and his upside would be capped even if he did get touches since Will Levis will likely be airing the ball out in negative game scripts more often than not.
We're also starting to wonder how much we can trust any back on the Browns (vs. Cardinals). Sure, Arizona serves as one of the softer run defenses in the NFL, but the fantasy adage remains: "If a team has three RBs, you shouldn't start any of them." Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, and Pierre Strong Jr. all saw 10-plus touches against the Seahawks. For now, we have Ford slightly above Hunt in standard leagues, but it's anyone's guess as to what will happen this week.
Aaron Jones (vs. Rams) just doesn't seem right, and we're starting to wonder if he's still hurt. He received just seven carries against Minnesota, finishing with 29 yards on the ground and adding 17 through the air. Los Angeles just limited Tony Pollard to 53 yards despite Dallas blowing the Rams out, so Jones could have trouble taking a step forward, especially if he's still splitting time and ceding touches to AJ Dillon.
What are the biggest RB injuries in Week 8?
Jerome Ford (ankle) had one first-half touch before being used as Cleveland's closer down the stretch against Seattle. He finished with nine carries and one catch, which seems to indicate that he's healthy, but we'll be monitoring him throughout the week ahead of a favorable matchup against the Cardinals.
Miles Sanders (shoulder) was active but struggled last week, and we're starting to think the veteran just won't be "well" for the majority of this season. Chuba Hubbard (vs. Colts) seems like the better fantasy option in Carolina right now.
David Montgomery (ribs) will hopefully take Detroit's bye week to heal up, while Kyren Williams (ankle), James Conner (knee), De'Von Achane (knee), and Khalil Herbert (ankle) will all remain on IR until at least Week 10.
We'll continue to update our standard RB rankings throughout the week, so check back for updates.
Fantasy RB Rankings Week 9: Who to start, sit at running back
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
Ranks Player
1 Raheem Mostert, Dolphins vs. Chiefs
2 Austin Ekeler, Chargers @ Jets
3 Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks @ Ravens
4 Alvin Kamara, Saints vs. Bears
5 Jonathan Taylor, Colts @ Panthers
6 Breece Hall, Jets vs. Chargers
7 D'Andre Swift, Eagles vs. Cowboys
8 Bijan Robinson, Falcons vs. Vikings
9 Josh Jacobs, Raiders vs. Giants
10 Saquon Barkley, Giants @ Raiders
11 Derrick Henry, Titans @ Steelers
12 Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs vs. Dolphins
13 Tony Pollard, Cowboys @ Eagles
14 Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots vs. Commanders
15 Darrell Henderson, Rams @ Packers
16 Gus Edwards, Ravens vs. Seahawks
17 Joe Mixon, Bengals vs. Bills
18 Alexander Mattison, Vikings @ Falcons
19 Chuba Hubbard, Panthers vs. Colts
20 James Cook, Bills @ Bengals
21 Zack Moss, Colts @ Panthers
22 Rachaad White, Buccaneers @ Texans
23 Devin Singletary, Texans vs. Buccaneers
24 Jerome Ford, Browns vs. Cardinals
25 Aaron Jones, Packers vs. Rams
26 D'Onta Foreman, Bears @ Saints
27 Roschon Johnson, Bears @ Saints
28 Kareem Hunt, Browns vs. Cardinals
29 Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders @ Patriots
30 Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins vs. Chiefs
31 AJ Dillon, Packers vs. Rams
32 Najee Harris, Steelers vs. Titans
33 Keaontay Ingram, Cardinals @ Browns
34 Cam Akers, Vikings @ Falcons
35 Pierre Strong, Browns vs. Cardinals
36 Jaylen Warren, Steelers vs. Titans
37 Tyjae Spears, Titans @ Steelers
38 Royce Freeman, Rams @ Packers
39 Miles Sanders, Panthers vs. Colts
40 Latavius Murray, Bills @ Bengals
41 Dalvin Cook, Jets vs. Chargers
42 Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles vs. Cowboys
43 Jamaal Williams, Saints vs. Bears
44 Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks @ Ravens
45 Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots vs. Commanders
46 Tyler Allgeier, Falcons vs. Vikings
47 Antonio Gibson, Commanders @ Patriots
48 Zamir White, Raiders vs. Giants
49 Darrynton Evans, Bears @ Saints
50 Justice Hill, Ravens vs. Seahawks
51 Mike Boone, Texans vs. Buccaneers
52 Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Buccaneers @ Texans
53 Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs vs. Dolphins
54 Joshua Kelley, Chargers @ Jets
55 Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs vs. Dolphins
56 Rico Dowdle, Cowboys @ Eagles
57 Boston Scott, Eagles vs. Cowboys
58 Matt Breida, Giants @ Raiders
Week 9 RB fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
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