Last week was a wild one at the RB position. Dalvin Cook scored four touchdowns and was the leading rusher and receiver for the Vikings; The Colts had two rushing TDs and two RB receiving scores, but none of them belonged to Jonathan Taylor; and several injury fill-ins, including Giovani Bernard, Gus Edwards, DeeJay Dallas, JaMycal Hasty, and Jamaal Williams, continued to play well. Now, with Christian McCaffrey, Chris Carson, and Aaron Jones all potentially returning, our Week 9 fantasy RB PPR rankings are looking stronger than ever.
McCaffrey nearly played in the Panthers' Thursday night game in Week 8, so it's assumed that he will be back in Week 9 against the Chiefs. Meanwhile, Jones' return for Thursday's game in San Francisco is less certain, as the Packers have been cautious with him, but he certainly could be back. Chris Carson's return against the Bills is also up in the air. If he and Jones are active, they're top-12 PPR backs, but if they're out, Williams and Dallas can hold down RB2 spots in their owners' lineups. Williams has flex potential even if Jones is active. (Update: Williams has been ruled "out" after being in close contact with AJ Dillon, who tested postive for COVID. Carson has also been ruled "out.")
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Even though there are some frustrating committees, guys like D'Andre Swift (@ Vikings), La'Mical Perine (vs. Patriots), and Justin Jackson (vs. Raiders) all have more value in PPR rankings than standard rankings. Swift is the riskiest of the bunch, but they can work as flexes given the several targets they should see.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
J.D. McKissic (vs. Giants), Nyheim Hines (vs. Ravens), and Duke Johnson (@ Jaguars) are some deeper sleepers in PPR formats. The last time McKissic faced the Giants, he had had eight carries for 41 yards and six catches for 43 yards. He's a dynamic playmaker and a preferred safety valve for Washington's QBs. Antonio Gibson may be ranked higher, but don't be surprised to see McKissic put up similar numbers to the rookie in a good matchup.
WEEK 9 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Hines is coming off a two-TD game, and with Taylor struggling, it wouldn't be a shock if Hines started seeing more snaps. Johnson had five catches in Houston's last game, and the Jaguars entered Week 8 allowing the fourth-most receptions per game to RBs (6.6), so he could pile up cheap PPR points all game. (Update: The same goes for Green Bay's Tyler Ervin, who should play more with Williams out.)
WEEK 9 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Reminder: As always, we expect to make plenty of changes to these RB PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for updates. For individual analysis of key RBs, click here.
MORE WEEK 9 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 9 Fantasy RB PPR Rankings
These rankings are for full-point PPR leagues.
WEEK 9 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey, CAR @ KC |
| 2 | Dalvin Cook, MIN vs. DET |
| 3 | Alvin Kamara, NO @ TB |
| 4 | James Robinson, JAX vs. HOU |
| 5 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC vs. CAR |
| 6 | James Conner, PIT @ DAL |
| 7 | Derrick Henry, TEN vs. CHI |
| 8 | David Johnson, HOU @ JAX |
| 9 | Chase Edmonds, ARZ vs. MIA |
| 10 | Aaron Jones, GB @ SF |
| 11 | Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs. PIT |
| 12 | Josh Jacobs, LV @ LAC |
| 13 | David Montgomery, CHI @ TEN |
| 14 | Antonio Gibson, WAS vs. NYG |
| 15 | JaMycal Hasty, SF vs. GB |
| 16 | Todd Gurley, ATL vs. DEN |
| 17 | Justin Jackson, LAC vs. LV |
| 18 | Melvin Gordon, DEN @ ATL |
| 19 | DeeJay Dallas, SEA @ BUF |
| 20 | Phillip Lindsay, DEN @ ATL |
| 21 | Damien Harris, NE @ NYJ |
| 22 | Jonathan Taylor, IND vs. BAL |
| 23 | Leonard Fournette, TB vs. NO |
| 24 | Wayne Gallman, NYG @ WAS |
| 25 | Le'Veon Bell, KC vs. CAR |
| 26 | Jerick McKinnon, SF vs. GB |
| 27 | JK Dobbins, BAL @ IND |
| 28 | Zack Moss, BUF vs. SEA |
| 29 | James White, NE @ NYJ |
| 30 | Gus Edwards, BAL @ IND |
| 31 | D'Andre Swift, DET @ MIN |
| 32 | Devin Singletary, BUF vs. SEA |
| 33 | Joshua Kelley, LAC vs. LV |
| 34 | La'Mical Perine, NYJ vs. NE |
| 35 | Duke Johnson, HOU @ JAX |
| 36 | Patrick Laird, MIA @ ARZ |
| 37 | Jordan Howard, MIA @ ARZ |
| 38 | Tyler Ervin, GB @ SF |
| 39 | Jordan Wilkins, IND vs. BAL |
| 40 | Ronald Jones II, TB vs. NO |
| 41 | Mike Davis, CAR @ KC |
| 42 | Adrian Peterson, DET @ MIN |
| 43 | Nyheim Hines, IND vs. BAL |
| 44 | J.D. McKissic, WAS vs. NYG |
| 45 | Alex Collins, SEA @ BUF |
| 46 | Dion Lewis, NYG @ WAS |
| 47 | Frank Gore, NYJ vs. NE |
| 48 | Rex Burkhead, NE @ NYJ |
| 49 | Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. DET |
| 50 | Benny Snell, PIT @ DAL |
| 51 | Latavius Murray, NO @ TB |
| 52 | Tony Pollard, DAL vs. PIT |
| 53 | Alfred Morris, NYG @ WAS |
| 54 | Jalen Richard, LV @ LAC |
| 55 | Brian Hill, ATL vs. DEN |
| 56 | Kerryon Johnson, DET @ MIN |
| 57 | Jeremy McNichols, TEN vs. CHI |
| 58 | D'Onta Foreman, TEN vs. CHI |
| 59 | Darrel Williams, KC vs. CAR |
| 60 | Royce Freeman, DEN @ ATL |
| 61 | Anthony McFarland, PIT @ DAL |
