Week 9 fantasy rankings: Best, QB, RB, WR and TEs to start, sit

We’re right at the halfway point of the 2023 NFL season, meaning we have more data points and film to put together our Week 9 fantasy rankings. As always, we’ll provide analysis and fantasy football advice for some of the top players at each position.

Week 8 provided fantasy managers with temporary relief as all 32 teams took the field. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in Week 9. It’s going to be a challenging weekend for fantasy managers setting lineups as the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars’ stars are on bye in addition to the Denver Broncos.

Related: Why Lamar Jackson should be NFL MVP

Let’s dive into our Week 9 fantasy rankings. Matchup previews for the top 15 players at each of our positional fantasy rankings will be provided throughout the week. Bookmark this page for updates taking you through Sunday morning.

Submit start/sit fantasy questions or request fantasy matchup previews on Twitter to @Matt_Sportsnaut

Week 9 fantasy QB rankings

Related: Year-Round Fantasy Football Advice

RANK	PLAYER	OPPONENT
1	Patrick Mahomes	vs Dolphins
2	Joe Burrow	vs Bills
3	Josh Allen	@ Bengals
4	Jalen Hurts	vs Cowboys
5	Lamar Jackson	vs Seahawks
6	Tua Tagovailoa	vs Chiefs
7	Dak Prescott	@ Eagles
8	Justin Fields (Q – Thumb)	@ Saints
9	Justin Herbert	@ Jets
10	Daniel Jones (Q – Neck)	@ Raiders
11	C.J. Stroud	vs Buccaneers
12	Derek Carr	vs Bears
13	Geno Smith	@ Ravens
14	Matthew Stafford (Q – Thumb)	@ Packers
15	Baker Mayfield	@ Texans
16	Sam Howell	@ Patriots
17	Mac Jones	vs Commanders
18	Bryce Young	vs Colts
19	Gardner Minshew	@ Panthers
20	Zach Wilson	vs Chargers

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs – The flu isn’t going to last two weeks, so we’re not worried about Patrick Mahomes being affected for the trip to Germany. This is a massive game for Kansas City and with home-field advantage now at play, Mahomes will be given every opportunity to attack a Dolphins’ defense that has allowed a 99 QB rating with a 12-4 TD-INT line.
2. Joe Burrow, Bengals – A healthy Joe Burrow against a Buffalo Bills defense that has allowed 240 passing yards and a 99.9 average QB rating in the last four games? Sign us up. We also expect Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to have great performances.
3. Josh Allen, Bills – A more spread-out offense really helped Josh Allen and this Bills’ offense, plus Dalton Kincaid broke out in his new role. While Bengals’ defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is typically great against high-end quarterbacks, Cincinnati’s inexperienced secondary will likely help make this a shootout.
4. Jalen Hurts, Eagles – Inconsistent is how we would define the Cowboys’ defense, especially since Trevon Diggs went down. The Eagles’ offensive line should hold up fairly well and Dallas doesn’t have the bodies to cover A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith.
5. Lamar Jackson, Ravens – While Lamar Jackson was a fantasy disappointment in Week 8, he’s still playing at an MVP level. Expect him to rebound on Sunday against a Seahawks’ defense that is great on the ground, but can give up some splash plays through the air.
6. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins – Revenge is truthfully propping Tua Tagovailoa up in our Week 9 fantasy QB rankings. Tyreek Hill wants to set records against his former team and his speed can make it happen. Just now the Chiefs’ defense has held opponents to an 84.2 QB rating and 176.1 pass ypg this season.
7. Dak Prescott, Cowboys – The Eagles’ defense is outstanding if its front six creates pressure, that will be much harder against Dallas than it was Miami. As long as he’s protected, Dak Prescott could get you 250-plus yards and two scores against an Eagles’ secondary that has allowed 16 touchdowns and a 97.2 QB rating.
8. Justin Fields, Bears* – We’re holding out hope that Justin Fields returns to action on Sunday. If he does, even limitations due to the injury won’t stop him from having a top-10 fantasy ceiling with so many other quarterbacks on the bye week.
9. Justin Herbert, Chargers – For as great as Justin Herbert looked on SNF, quarterbacks are averaging just 184.4 passing yards with a 78.1 QB rating and an 8-8 TD-INT line against the New York Jets defense. You start Herbert if you have him, but there’s risk here.
10. Daniel Jones, Giants* – On track to return this coming Sunday, Daniel Jones can easily take advantage of a Raiders’ defense that will give up touchdowns and allow Jones to run for 30-50 yards.
11. C.J. Stroud, Texans – Week 8 was a disappointment, but penalties played a role in that. We’re turning back to Stroud as a top-12 option on Sunday, especially since the Buccaneers’ defensive backfield has ceded a 107.1 QB rating with a 73.4% completion rate in the last three games.
12. Derek Carr, Saints – Derek Carr looked healthy this past week and now he gets to face the Chicago Bears defense. Chris Olave should have a monster day, but we even think Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed can help propel Carr to be a high-end fantasy starter.
13. Geno Smith, Seahawks – The only reasons that Geno Smith cracks the top-14 this week is because of injuries and other passers on the bye. Set your expectations pretty low, because the Ravens’ defense holds opponents under 180 passing yards per game with a 6-8 TD-INT line.
14. Matthew Stafford, Rams* – Matthew Stafford is currently questionable for Week 9 with a thumb injury. If he plays through the issue, he’s a low-tier quarterback against a Packers’ defense that has allowed a 4-1 TD-INT line with a 102 QB rating in the last three games.
15. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers – If you’re looking for a flier this week, it’s Baker Mayfield. Houston’s defense is successful when its pass rush is getting home, but that will prove far more challenging against the Bucs’ offensive line. With a clean pocket or against the blitz, Mayfield will let Evans and Godwin make plays, which is all we’re asking for.
16. Sam Howell, Commanders – Somehow, Sam Howell only took one sack in Week 8 against the Eagles’ defense. The short history of the Commanders’ quarterback suggests that isn’t sustainable. Even still, the positive plays outweigh the negatives enough to make him fantasy relevant.
17. Mac Jones, Patriots – No one would mistake Mac Jones for an above-average quarterback and the situation around him is now even worse with injuries to the Patriots’ receiving corps. Yet, Washington has allowed a 109.2 QB rating with 14 passing touchdowns in the last five games. If you’re desperate in 2QB leagues, there are worse options.
18. Bryce Young, Panthers – Bryce Young has looked much better as of late, averaging a 65.2% completion rate with a 93.4 QB rating in his last two games. If he had more offensive weapons, Young would be a little bit higher in these rankings.
19. Gardner Minshew, Colts – Gardner Minshew should have a spectrum of placements on fantasy QB rankings for Week 9. He has two games with 200-plus yards and two touchdowns, but he’s also capable of a three-interception outing. To top it all off, the Panthers’ defense is starting to get healthier.
20. Zach Wilson, Jets – Should an NFL team that wants to compete be starting Zach Wilson? No, probably not. However, the Chargers have allowed the most passing yards per game in the NFL and that justifies Wilson as a low-end QB2 thanks to bye weeks.

Stats, analysis and matchup previews will be provided for our top 15 fantasy QB rankings on Monday.

Week 9 fantasy RB rankings

RANK	PLAYER	OPPONENT
1	Austin Ekeler	@ Jets
2	Saquon Barkley	@ Raiders
3	Breece Hall	vs Chargers
4	Jonathan Taylor	@ Panthers
5	Bijan Robinson	vs Vikings
6	Josh Jacobs	vs Giants
7	Kenneth Walker III	@ Ravens
8	Derrick Henry	@ Steelers
9	Tony Pollard	@ Eagles
10	D’Andre Swift	vs Cowboys
11	Alvin Kamara	vs Bears
12	Joe Mixon	vs Bills
13	Brian Robinson Jr	@ Patriots
14	Isiah Pacheco	vs Dolphins
15	Raheem Mostert	vs Chiefs
16	James Cook	@ Bengals
17	Aaron Jones	vs Rams
18	Rhamondre Stevenson	vs Commanders
19	Jerome Ford	vs Cardinals
20	Najee Harris	vs Titans
21	Gus Edwards	vs Seahawks
22	Rachaad White	@ Texans
23	D’Onta Foreman	@ Saints
24	Chuba Hubbard	vs Colts
25	Dameon Pierce	vs Buccaneers
26	Darrell Henderson	@ Packers
27	Kareem Hunt	vs Cardinals
28	Emari Demercado	@ Browns
29	Alexander Mattison	@ Falcons
30	Tyler Allgeier	vs Vikings

Fantasy analysis and matchup previews for our Week 9 fantasy RB rankings will be released on Wednesday. Due to the NFL trade deadline, our fantasy analysis was pushed back. Stay tuned.

1. Austin Ekeler, Chargers
2. Saquon Barkley, Giants
3. Breece Hall, Jets
4. Jonathan Taylor, Colts
5. Bijan Robinson, Falcons
6. Josh Jacobs, Raiders
7. Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks
8. Derrick Henry, Titans
9. Tony Pollard, Cowboys
10. D’Andre Swift, Eagles
11. Alvin Kamara, Saints
12. Joe Mixon, Bills
13. Brian Robinson Jr, Commanders
14. Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs
15. Raheem Mostert, Dolphins
16. James Cook, Bills
17. Aaron Jones, Packers
18. Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots
19. Jerome Ford, Browns
20. Najee Harris, Steelers

Week 9 fantasy WR rankings

RANK	PLAYER	OPPONENT
1	Tyreek Hill	vs Chiefs
2	A.J. Brown	vs Cowboys
3	CeeDee Lamb	@ Eagles
4	Ja’Marr Chase	vs Bills
5	Stefon Diggs	@ Bengals
6	Davante Adams	vs Giants
7	Cooper Kupp	@ Packers
8	Chris Olave	vs Bears
9	DeVonta Smith	vs Cowboys
10	Mike Evans	vs Texans
11	Keenan Allen	@ Jets
12	Tee Higgins	vs Bills
13	Michael Pittman Jr	@ Panthers
14	DK Metcalf	@ Ravens
15	Chris Godwin	vs Texans
16	Amari Cooper	vs Cardinals
17	Terry McLaurin	@ Patriots
18	Jaylen Waddle	vs Chiefs
19	D.J. Moore	@ Saints
20	Tyler Lockett	@ Ravens
21	Zay Flowers	vs Seahawks
22	Puka Nacua	@ Packers
23	Diontae Johnson	vs Titans
24	Drake London	vs Vikings
25	Garrett Wilson	vs Chargers
26	DeAndre Hopkins	@ Steelers
27	George Pickens	vs Titans
28	Adam Thielen	vs Colts
29	Marquise Brown	@ Browns
30	Jahan Dotson	@ Patriots

Fantasy analysis and matchup previews for our Week 9 fantasy RB rankings will be delivered on Tuesday.

1. Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
2. A.J. Brown, Eagles
3. CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
4. Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
5. Stefon Diggs, Bills
6. Davante Adams, Raiders
7. Cooper Kupp, Rams
8. Chris Olave, Saints
9. DeVonta Smith, Eagles
10. Mike Evans, Buccaneers
11. Keenan Allen, Chargers
12. Tee Higgins, Bengals
13. Michael Pittman Jr, Colts
14. DK Metcalf, Seahawks
15. Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
16. Amari Cooper, Browns
17. Terry McLaurin, Commanders
18. Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins
19. D.J. Moore, Bears
20. Tyler Lockett, Seahawks

Fantasy TE rankings Week 9

RANK	PLAYER	OPPONENT
1	Travis Kelce	vs Dolphins
2	Mark Andrews	vs Seahawks
3	T.J. Hockenson	@ Falcons
4	Dallas Goedert	vs Eagles
5	Dalton Kincaid	@ Bengals
6	Kyle Pitts	vs Vikings
7	Jake Ferguson	@ Eagles
8	David Njoku	vs Cardinals
9	Cole Kmet	@ Saints
10	Tyler Higbee	@ Packers
11	Logan Thomas	@ Patriots
12	Trey McBride	@ Browns
13	Taysom Hill	vs Bears
14	Donald Parham Jr	@ Jets
15	Luke Musgrave	vs Rams

1. Travis Kelce, Chiefs
2. Mark Andrews, Ravens
3. T.J. Hockenson, Vikings
4. Dallas Goedert, Eagles
5. Dalton Kincaid, Bills
6. Kyle Pitts, Falcons
7. Jake Ferguson, Cowboys
8. David Njoku, Browns
9. Cole Kmet, Bears
10. Tyler Higbee, Rams
11. Logan Thomas, Commanders
12. Trey McBride, Cardinals
13. Taysom Hill, Saints
14. Donald Parham Jr, Chargers

Related: Best tight ends of all time

Best fantasy defenses for Week 9

You can check out our D/ST rankings for Week 9, with evaluations on the top matchups, below.

Week 9 fantasy rankings – Best fantasy kickers this week

Dive into our K rankings for the upcoming week below.