Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, David Montgomery, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire have all been on the shelf for several weeks, but each is inching closer to returning. If any can return in Week 9, our fantasy RB rankings will be greatly affected by all the "new" faces. Get the latest injury updates on these backs so you're prepared for the week ahead.
For the latest on banged-up QBs Jameis Winston and Sam Darnold, click here; for injury news on Derrick Henry, James Robinson, Rob Gronkowski, and T.Y. Hilton, go here; for the latest on key pass-catchers Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, Darren Waller, and more, click here; for more on injured QBs Dak Prescott and Tyrod Taylor, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
MORE WEEK 9: Top waiver pickups | FAAB budget planner | Buy-Low, Sell-High
Saquon Barkley injury update
The Giants played Monday night, so we don't have any new updates on Barkley (ankle) just yet. The reality is New York is falling further down the NFC standings, and we might get to a point where they decide to be extra cautious with Barkley. We expect to see him at some point again this year, but it wouldn't be surprising if they continue to hold him out for a little bit longer. However, he does have the chance to make his return in Week 9 against Las Vegas, so it's a situation worth monitoring. The good news is Barkley hasn't been placed on the IR, so despite not practicing since his injury, he's always eligible to return.
If he finally comes back, Barkley is the RB8 in PPR and RB8 in standard leagues against Las Vegas -- a bottom-10 defense against fantasy RBs. If he remains out, Devontae Booker will continue to have the workhorse role in New York as an RB2.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Christian McCaffrey injury update
McCaffrey (hamstring) is reportedly "on-target" to return in Week 9 against the Patriots, but nothing is a given at this point. Matt Rhule said the team is hoping he can play in Week 10 if he can't go this week. The fact Rhule hinted toward Week 10 makes you think McCaffrey is trending toward being out, but that could just be speculation.
The recipe is there for success if McCaffrey can go, as Alvin Kamara and Austin Ekeler both scored at least 19 fantasy points against New England. CMC fits that same archetype, and we know he's largely matchup-proof in PPR leagues. However, we currently don't have CMC in our rankings and place Chuba Hubbard at the RB18 in PPR and RB22 in standard leagues. New England is a top-12 defense against fantasy RBs, so Hubbard's path to success figures to be a lot tougher, especially with Ameer Abdullah stealing more touches last week.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
David Montgomery injury update
Montgomery (knee) can return from IR at any point, but Matt Nagy isn't providing much information on his status. Nagy has said Montgomery is "improving every day", but we don't have anything more than that. If he does return this week, it will be a surprise given the lack of news, and since Chicago doesn't play until Monday, it's tough to trust him in fantasy lineups even if things are trending the right way. Unless you own Khalil Herbert, it would be tough to find any sort of competent replacement if you run the risk here.
Speaking of Herbert, his stellar play figures to hurt Montgomery's season-long fantasy outlook. Coming off of a knee injury, we can expect his workload to be reduced, and this could shape up to be more of a shared backfield. Pittsburgh gives up the sixth-fewest fantasy points to RBs, so Herbert ranks as our RB17 in standard and PPR leagues.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire injury update
Edwards-Helaire (knee) can return from IR in Week 9, but we'll have to monitor injury updates later in the week to get an indication of his status. What we do know is Green Bay is a middle-of-the-pack defensive unit against RBs, so the matchup is neither scary nor favorable. Chances are, this will be a high-volume passing game, and Edwards-Helaire hasn't been involved in the passing game on a consistent basis.
For now, our rankings are built around the assumption CEH will be out, and we rank Darrel Williams as the RB15 in standard and PPR leagues. Williams has arguably been more productive than CEH, especially through the air. Derrick Gore stole more touches and looked good on Monday night, so he has potential flex value in standard leagues.