Week 9 Flex Rankings

Only two NFL teams have a bye in Week 9. Neither Pittsburgh nor Tennessee has a long list of Flex players among the year-to-date leaders in fantasy scoring at their respective positions. Only four Steelers and Titans (Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard, Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington) currently rank among the top 30 at their position in Half-PPR scoring. That means most fantasy football managers should have a sizable list of available options. With that in mind, here are my Week 9 Flex rankings in Half-PPR formats. I have included well over 200 players to help you make the correct lineup decisions this week. These could change with injury updates and the like, so stay on top of the news in the coming days.

Running Back Notes

I am not quite ready to declare a change of the guard at running back for the Las Vegas Raiders. But it was certainly jarring to see Mike Washington Jr. carry the ball 25 times to Ashton Jeanty’s two. Head coach Klint Kubiak described the backfield distribution as a “moving target,” which doesn’t inspire confidence in those who invested an early-round fantasy pick on Jeanty. However, I am still willing to roll with him for another week if I do not have an obvious replacement. I view Jeanty as a low-end RB2 in 12-team leagues. Washington feels very boom-or-bust, and with Las Vegas facing the San Francisco 49ers, I am betting on bust. I currently rank Washington as an RB4 in both 10- and 12-team formats.

Breece Hall is expected to make his return for the New York Jets this week when they square off with the Kansas City Chiefs. Hall has been out of action since Week 3, and Braelon Allen has filled in admirably. The third-year pro has at least 100 scrimmage yards in four consecutive starts. I ranked both Hall and Allen as RB3s for Week 9, meaning either could be worth starting in your Flex spot depending on the other options available to you. As of now, I have Hall ahead of Allen, but that may be wishful thinking on Hall’s behalf. It is hard to imagine the Jets suddenly relegating Allen back to single-digit touches, given how well he’s performed lately.

Wide Receiver Notes

As always, fantasy managers have plenty of injuries to navigate this week. That includes some big names at wide receiver, including A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Emeka Egbuka. I currently have all three players outside my overall top-100 in my Week 9 Flex rankings. That ranking is more of an indication that I am not counting on them being fully healthy heading into Sunday than anything. Though I suppose there are no guarantees that Smith can thrive with Tanner McKee under center, or that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will complete a forward pass this week.

While Zay Flowers has no injury designation heading into Week 9, his fantasy stock would indicate otherwise. The Baltimore Ravens are starting Joe Fagnano at quarterback against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night. By all accounts, Fagnano is a real NFL player. The problem is he might not be very good. He threw for just 91 yards on 21 attempts while relieving Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley last week. Now he faces the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a much better defensive unit than Fagnano saw last week in Buffalo. I have Flowers ranked as a fantasy WR2 in all formats, but I would be lying if I said I was starting him with supreme confidence.

Malik Washington scored a touchdown last week, which was a pleasant boost from his standard “high floor, low ceiling” output. The touchdown enabled Washington to finish the week as the overall WR17 in Half-PPR formats. His yardage was on the low side of his normal range. Washington has finished with between 35 and 70 scrimmage yards in every game this season. While counting on Washington to score is likely to end in disappointment, it is hard to deny his Week 9 matchup is worth considering. Miami hosts the Detroit Lions, who rank in the bottom 10 in nearly every pass-defense metric. The Dolphins are also expected to play from behind, which could increase Washington’s involvement. I currently rank Washington as my overall WR33 for this week.

Tight End Notes

Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson has finished in the top eight fantasy tight ends in three of his last four games. That includes two consecutive outings after the team’s bye week. Hockenson leads the team in receptions and trails only star wide receiver Justin Jefferson among Vikings players in targets, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He has operated as Kyler Murray’s safety blanket underneath, as the pair have connected on nearly 85 percent of intended targets. If you have one of the Steelers tight ends, or if your projected starter has a difficult matchup, Hockenson is a viable replacement. Minnesota’s Week 9 opponent is the Buffalo Bills, who rank in the middle of the pack at defending tight ends.

The Washington Commanders have been dreadful at limiting tight end production in the passing game this season. The problem for fantasy managers is that Washington plays the Los Angeles Rams this week. Los Angeles has arguably the deepest tight end room in the NFL. On top of that, the group is dealing with multiple injuries. Terrance Ferguson has not played since Week 3, while Colby Parkinson missed last week’s game. Tyler Higbee leads the group in most receiving categories this season, while Davis Allen is the only Ram tight end to catch multiple touchdowns. For now, I have Higbee ranked the highest, but all of them are currently outside the top 100 overall in my Week 9 Flex rankings.