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 |
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Austin Ekeler, Chargers
- Saquon Barkley, Giants
- Breece Hall, Jets
- Jonathan Taylor, Colts
- Bijan Robinson, Falcons
- Josh Jacobs, Raiders
- Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks
- Derrick Henry, Titans
- Tony Pollard, Cowboys
- D’Andre Swift, Eagles
- Alvin Kamara, Saints
- Joe Mixon, Bills
- Brian Robinson Jr, Commanders
- Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs
- Raheem Mostert, Dolphins
- James Cook, Bills
- Aaron Jones, Packers
- Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots
- Jerome Ford, Browns
- 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.
- Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
- A.J. Brown, Eagles
- CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
- Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
- Stefon Diggs, Bills
- Davante Adams, Raiders
- Cooper Kupp, Rams
- Chris Olave, Saints
- DeVonta Smith, Eagles
- Mike Evans, Buccaneers
- Keenan Allen, Chargers
- Tee Higgins, Bengals
- Michael Pittman Jr, Colts
- DK Metcalf, Seahawks
- Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
- Amari Cooper, Browns
- Terry McLaurin, Commanders
- Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins
- D.J. Moore, Bears
- 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 |
- Travis Kelce, Chiefs
- Mark Andrews, Ravens
- T.J. Hockenson, Vikings
- Dallas Goedert, Eagles
- Dalton Kincaid, Bills
- Kyle Pitts, Falcons
- Jake Ferguson, Cowboys
- David Njoku, Browns
- Cole Kmet, Bears
- Tyler Higbee, Rams
- Logan Thomas, Commanders
- Trey McBride, Cardinals
- Taysom Hill, Saints
- 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.
