Following a bye-free slate, four teams are idle this week, prompting a slight adjustment to our Week 9 fantasy WR PPR rankings. While quarterbacks continue to drop like flies, the WR pool has remained relatively healthy. While that's undoubtedly a positive, a deeper WR pool lends itself to more start-sit debates, causing fantasy football owners to contemplate the best options in a crucial week.
Fantasy owners understandably have worries when new QBs take over, but as we saw last week with Will Levis and DeAndre Hopkins, it's not always a bad thing. Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn are legit worries without Kirk Cousins (Achilles), and Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua would have lower ceilings if Matthew Stafford (thumb) is out, but we're not particularly worried about Diontae Johnson and George Pickens if Kenny Pickett (ribs) is out or any Falcons' receivers if Desmond Ridder (concussion) sits. And, let's face it, no one's playing any Giants' receivers anyway, so it doesn't really matter who starts for them.
With all that in the background, let's break down our Week 9 WR PPR rankings.
MORE: Watch NFL RedZone live with Sling (50% off first month)
Which WRs are on bye in Week 9?
With the Lions, 49ers, Broncos, and Jaguars idle in Week 9, the most notable WRs on bye include Amon Ra-St. Brown, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley, Courtland Sutton, and Jerry Jeudy.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Deep-leaguers also lose Josh Reynolds and Jameson Williams, but at least fantasy owners won't have to worry about whether Deebo Samuel (shoulder) and Zay Jones (knee) will suit up this week.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy WRs Week 9?
Tyreek Hill (vs. Chiefs in Week 9) is routinely a shoo-in for 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown, and he'll look to maintain his dominant play overseas in Germany against his former squad.
After totaling 125-plus receiving yards for a sixth-straight game, A.J. Brown (vs. Cowboys) vaults up to the No. 2 spot in our Week 9 WR PPR rankings. In Brown's most recent game against the Cowboys -- in a game where QB Jalen Hurts was injured -- Brown torched the Cowboys' secondary to the tune of eight catches for 103 yards. Look for another strong fantasy performance from this season's "Mr. Reliable".
Stefon Diggs (@ Bengals) has been just as steady, seeing a whopping 51 targets over his past four games. A 100-yard day is always in the equation for Buffalo's WR1.
Ja'Marr Chase (vs. Bills) consistently found the soft spots in the 49ers' defense in the Bengals Week 8 upset, securing 10 catches for 100 yards and a TD. With Joe Burrow back to 100 percent, Chase could easily finish as the overall WR1 in Week 9.
Cooper Kupp (@ Packers) hasn't put up Kupp-like numbers the past two weeks, but a rebound performance against a struggling Packers' coverage unit looks to be in store as long as Stafford suits up. If he's out, Kupp is still a must-start, but his ceiling definitely takes a hit.
CeeDee Lamb (@ Eagles) is climbing back up the WR rankings thanks to consecutive 115-plus yard efforts. Lambs' getting force-fed from Dak Prescott, seeing 21 targets over that span.
Davante Adams (vs. Giants) is also enduring a rough stretch, entering Week 8 with three straight sub-50-yard efforts. A favorable spot against a young Giants secondary could result in Adams producing at WR1-caliber level, though, so stick with the superstar.
WEEK 9 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy WR sleepers, waiver pickups Week 9?
Fantasy owners should consider utilizing a waiver claim on Jahan Dotson (@ Patriots), Brandin Cooks (@ Eagles), Jayden Reed (vs. Rams), JuJu Smith-Schuster (vs. Commanders), and Rashid Shaheed (vs. Bears) this week, though the latter isn't quite as reliable in PPR leagues.
Dotson's seeing eight-plus targets in back-to-back games, looking like the "breakout" WR many expected this offseason. New England's secondary is sound, but the Commanders' pass-heavy offense gives Dotson plenty of opportunity to post WR3/flex numbers moving forward.
Cooks and the Cowboys' offense are starting to hit their stride, as Cooks' has reached paydirt in consecutive weeks. Dallas might be playing from behind in Week 9, benefitting Cooks' immediate fantasy value. The Packers offense knows something about playing from behind, giving Reed flex appeal in PPR leagues. He's outplayed Christian Watson in each of the past two games.
Smith-Schuster's been a fantasy disappointment, but with fellow WRs DeVante Parker (head) and Kendrick Bourne (knee) suffering injuries last week, Mac Jones has to throw the ball to someone. Smith-Schuster recorded his first receiving TD as a Patriot in Week 8, a potential sign of things to come if Parker and Bourne remain out.
Similarly, Van Jefferson (vs. Vikings) could have fantasy appeal because of an injury, as Drake London's groin ailment gives Jefferson deep-league flex appeal in Week 9.
WEEK 9 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Who are the biggest potential WR busts Week 9?
While another potential negative game script boosts Marquise Brown's and Michael Wilson's (@ Browns) fantasy value as prime garbage-time contributors, we have little interest in starting either WR against one of the league's best coverage units.
Christian Watson (vs. Rams), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (@ Ravens), Wan'Dale Robinson (@ Raiders), and Elijah Moore (vs. Cardinals) should be relegated to bench duties. While Watson has the highest ceiling of the bunch, we can't trust any of these wideouts to churn out fantasy-worthy stat lines, especially in PPR leagues.
Smith-Njigba has scored a TD in consecutive weeks, but there are too many mouths to feed in the Seahawks' offense, and a tough matchup in Baltimore gives us little to no confidence in his Week 9 fantasy prospects.
Even if Daniel Jones (neck) is back under center, we want no part of the Giants offense, so Robinson's best suited on the bench in 12-team leagues. Despite a plus matchup against the Cardinals, Moore doesn't excite us when you factor in P.J. Walker's uneven QB play.
What are the biggest WR injuries Week 9?
Unlike the QB position, we lucked out on the injury front in Week 8, as just four WRs, Drake London (groin), Kendrick Bourne (knee), DeVante Parker (head), and Curtis Samuel (toe) exited early. For now, we've omitted all four WRs from our initial Week 9 rankings.
Entering Week 8, Deebo Samuel (shoulder), Robert Woods (foot), and Zay Jones (knee) were the most notable WRs to be ruled out ahead of game action. Woods won't be suiting up in Week 9, and Samuels and Jones will get a week to heal while on bye.
As usual, we'll update these WR PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.
Fantasy WR PPR Rankings Week 9: Who to start, sit at wide receiver
Rankings based on PPR scoring formats
Rank Player
1 Tyreek Hill, Dolphins vs. Chiefs
2 A.J. Brown, Eagles vs. Cowboys
3 Stefon Diggs, Bills @ Bengals
4 Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals vs. Bills
5 CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys @ Eagles
6 Davante Adams, Raiders vs. Giants
7 Keenan Allen, Chargers @ Jets
8 Cooper Kupp, Rams @ Packers
9 Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins vs. Chiefs
10 Adam Thielen, Panthers vs. Colts
11 Mike Evans, Buccaneers @ Texans
12 George Pickens, Steelers vs. Titans
13 Garrett Wilson, Jets vs. Chargers
14 Chris Olave, Saints vs. Bears
15 Michael Pittman Jr., Colts @ Panthers
16 Jordan Addison, Vikings @ Falcons
17 Puka Nacua, Rams @ Packers
18 DeVonta Smith, Eagles vs. Cowboys
19 Jakobi Meyers, Raiders vs. Giants
20 Amari Cooper, Browns vs. Cardinals
21 DeAndre Hopkins, Titans @ Steelers
22 DJ Moore, Bears @ Saints
23 Terry McLaurin, Commanders @ Patriots
24 DK Metcalf, Seahawks @ Ravens
25 Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Titans
26 Chris Godwin, Buccaneers @ Texans
27 Tee Higgins, Bengals vs. Bills
28 Marquise Brown, Cardinals @ Browns
29 Zay Flowers, Ravens vs. Seahawks
30 Gabe Davis, Bills @ Bengals
31 Josh Downs, Colts @ Panthers
32 Tyler Lockett, Seahawks @ Ravens
33 K.J. Osborn, Vikings @ Falcons
34 Romeo Doubs, Packers vs. Rams
35 Michael Thomas, Saints vs. Bears
36 Nico Collins, Texans vs. Buccaneers
37 Rashee Rice, Chiefs vs. Dolphins
38 Christian Watson, Packers vs. Rams
39 JuJu Smith-Schuster, Patriots vs. Commanders
40 Jahan Dotson, Commanders @ Patriots
41 Quentin Johnston, Chargers @ Jets
42 Rashid Shaheed, Saints vs. Bears
43 Jayden Reed, Packers vs. Rams
44 Tyler Boyd, Bengals vs. Bills
45 Brandin Cooks, Cowboys @ Eagles
46 Tank Dell, Texans vs. Buccaneers
47 Rondale Moore, Cardinals @ Browns
48 Treylon Burks, Titans @ Steelers
49 Darnell Mooney, Bears @ Saints
50 Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants @ Raiders
51 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks @ Ravens
52 Van Jefferson, Falcons vs. Vikings
53 Elijah Moore, Browns vs. Cardinals
54 Jonathan Mingo, Panthers vs. Colts
55 Odell Beckham Jr., Ravens vs. Seahawks
56 DJ Chark, Panthers vs. Colts
57 Demario Douglas, Patriots vs. Commanders
58 Derius Davis, Chargers @ Jets
59 Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs vs. Dolphins
60 Cedrick Wilson, Dolphins vs. Chiefs
61 Michael Gallup, Cowboys @ Eagles
62 Jake Bobo, Seahawks @ Ravens
63 Khalil Shakir, Bills @ Bengals
64 Brandon Powell, Vikings @ Falcons
65 Jamison Crowder, Commanders @ Patriots
66 Darius Slayton, Giants @ Raiders
67 Allen Lazard, Jets vs. Chargers
68 Jalen Reagor, Patriots vs. Commanders
69 Tutu Atwell, Rams @ Packers
70 Skyy Moore, Chiefs vs. Dolphins
71 Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans vs. Falcons
72 Alec Pierce, Colts @ Panthers
73 Jalin Hyatt, Giants @ Raiders
Week 9 WR PPR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
We're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 9 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for wide receivers -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!
TRY DRAFT SHARKS FREE: Dominate with exclusive tools, including Free-Agent Finder & Trade Navigator!
