Week 9 Fantasy Football Projections: Top 100 Players and PPR Predictions

We have reached the halfway point in the NFL season, which means it might be time to start getting aggressive in fantasy football.

It's fine to keep players stashed on your roster while waiting for a breakout, but after a certain point, you know exactly what you are going to get from these players. It might be time to start making trades or dropping players if that is what it takes to improve your roster.

Unfortunately, Week 9 might be a tough one to do too much with six teams on bye, including the 7-1 New England Patriots and all their weapons. The good news is there are always replacements as we head into the upcoming week of action.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Drew Brees	Saints	at SF	24
2	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	IND	23
3	Cam Newton	Panthers	at LA	21
4	Matt Ryan	Falcons	at TB	20
5	Andrew Luck	Colts	at GB	20
6	Ben Roethlisberger	Steelers	at BAL	19
7	Dak Prescott	Cowboys	at CLE	18
8	Philip Rivers	Chargers	TEN	18
9	Marcus Mariota	Titans	at SD	17
10	Blake Bortles	Jaguars	at KC	17

The options appear quite limited this week, but there could be a boost to a lot of fantasy teams with Ben Roethlisberger expected to return for Week 9, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

While it will be important to follow his progress throughout the week, the Pittsburgh Steelers star always seems to come back quickly from injuries. When he is in the lineup, he should be in yours as well.

There are also some fresher names this week, including the red-hot Dak Prescott. Dallas Cowboys teammate Dez Bryant did a great job of summing up the rookie's performance, per Bleacher Report's Jason King:

You don't get extra fantasy points for clutch efforts, but what Prescott has provided is consistency, scoring at least 17 points in standard leagues in each of the last six games. With a favorable matchup against the Cleveland Browns, he becomes a great option for fantasy leagues.

Other hot starts like Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford would be in the top 10 but face tough opponents, making them better options for your bench unless you are desperate.

Finally, watch out for Ryan Tannehill as a possible sleeper against a bad New York Jets secondary.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	at CLE	16
2	Le'Veon Bell	Steelers	at BAL	15
3	DeMarco Murray	Titans	at SD	14
4	Devonta Freeman	Falcons	at TB	14
5	Devontae Booker	Broncos	at OAK	12
6	Spencer Ware	Chiefs	JAX	12
7	Christine Michael	Seahawks	BUF	12
8	Melvin Gordon	Chargers	TEN	12
9	Matt Forte	Jets	at MIA	11
10	Jay Ajayi	Dolphins	NYJ	11
11	Carlos Hyde	49ers	NO	11
12	Terrance West	Ravens	PIT	11
13	Jonathan Stewart	Panthers	at LA	11
14	Todd Gurley	Rams	CAR	11
15	Frank Gore	Colts	at GB	10
16	Darren Sproles	Eagles	at NYG	10
17	Tim Hightower	Saints	at SF	10
18	Mike Gillislee	Bills	at SEA	9
19	Theo Riddick	Lions	at MIN	9
20	Mark Ingram	Saints	at SF	9
21	Derrick Henry	Titans	at SD	9
22	Matt Asiata	Vikings	DET	9
23	Antone Smith	Buccaneers	ATL	8
24	Isaiah Crowell	Browns	DAL	8
25	Jerick McKinnon	Vikings	DET	8
26	Latavius Murray	Raiders	DEN	8
27	T.J. Yeldon	Jaguars	at KC	7
28	Bilal Powell	Jets	at MIA	7
29	Rashad Jennings	Giants	PHI	7
30	Charcandrick West	Chiefs	JAX	7

The Week 9 bye weeks are especially rough at running back with David Johnson, Lamar Miller, LeGarrette Blount, Jeremy Hill and others unavailable.

Things only get tougher with potential injuries to Spencer Ware, Jacquizz Rodgers and DeMarco Murray, among others. These three are in solid situations in Week 9, which makes their backups great additions if they are to miss time.

Charcandrick West, Antone Smith (who got the majority of snaps with Rodgers hurt) and Derrick Henry should all be owned and would be worth starting if they get an opportunity.

Another interesting backup to monitor is Tim Hightower, who received a lot of praise from coach Sean Payton for his play in Week 8, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com:

It's always difficult to trust coaches in these situations, but the San Francisco 49ers defense is so bad that the running back is worth starting if he gets touches. Of course, Mark Ingram could still be a valuable commodity in this matchup and isn't worth giving up on until we know more information.

Jay Ajayi might come back to earth against a decent Jets run defense, mostly because it's near impossible to keep running for over 200 yards each game. However, there is no reason to doubt him, and he should be in your lineup until he proves otherwise.

There aren't many sleepers available in a week like this, but whoever starts at running back for the Packers could be worth the play in fantasy.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Antonio Brown	Steelers	at BAL	14
2	Julio Jones	Falcons	at TB	14
3	Mike Evans	Buccaneers	ATL	13
4	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	PHI	12
5	Dez Bryant	Cowboys	at CLE	12
6	Jordy Nelson	Packers	IND	12
7	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	at GB	12
8	Brandin Cooks	Saints	at SF	11
9	Jarvis Landry	Dolphins	NYJ	11
10	Emmanuel Sanders	Broncos	at OAK	11
11	Brandon Marshall	Jets	at MIA	11
12	Demaryius Thomas	Broncos	at OAK	11
13	Davante Adams	Packers	IND	11
14	Amari Cooper	Raiders	DEN	11
15	Terrelle Pryor	Browns	at CLE	10
16	Kelvin Benjamin	Panthers	at LA	10
17	Allen Robinson	Jaguars	at KC	10
18	Kenny Britt	Rams	CAR	10
19	Jordan Matthews	Eagles	at NYG	10
20	Jeremy Maclin	Chiefs	JAX	10
21	Marvin Jones	Lions	at MIN	9
22	Quincy Enunwa	Jets	at MIA	9
23	Stefon Diggs	Vikings	DET	9
24	Michael Thomas	Saints	at SF	9
25	Tyrell Williams	Chargers	TEN	8
26	Donte Moncrief	Colts	at GB	8
27	Allen Hurns	Jaguars	at KC	8
28	Michael Crabtree	Raiders	DEN	8
29	Torrey Smith	49ers	NO	8
30	Willie Snead	Saints	at SF	8

There are a lot better options at wide receiver this week, especially with Dez Bryant returning from injury in style. The Pro Bowler only caught four of the 14 passes thrown his way, which shows there is still room for his chemistry with Prescott to grow, but he finished with 113 receiving yards and a touchdown.

With a juicy matchup against the Browns, Bryant could be ready for another big day.

Jordy Nelson, Brandin Cooks and Jarvis Landry should all also be able to build off recent success with strong showings against weak opponents. Matchups don't tell you everything, but these players have a good chance of posting big numbers in Week 9.

Two players on the rise based on usage rates are Davante Adams and Jordan Matthews. Both players were targeted 14 times in Week 8 and are proving to be important players on their respective teams. The longer this continues, the more trustworthy these players will be.

Fantasy owners also shouldn't give up on Kenny Britt, who had a quiet showing his last time out with just 43 receiving yards after totaling 136 yards and two touchdowns the week before. A matchup against the Carolina Panthers coming after a bye should provide an opportunity to get back on track and remind people why he was such a hot waiver wire commodity.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Greg Olsen	Panthers	at LA	12
2	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	JAX	11
3	Jimmy Graham	Seahawks	BUF	9
4	Delanie Walker	Titans	at SD	9
5	Gary Barnidge	Browns	DAL	8
6	Antonio Gates	Chargers	TEN	7
7	Coby Fleener	Saints	at SF	7
8	Dennis Pitta	Ravens	PIT	6
9	Kyle Rudolph	Vikings	DET	6
10	Eric Ebron	Lions	at MIN	6

No Rob Gronkowski. No Jordan Reed. No Tyler Eifert. You won't even find useful recent players like Vernon Davis or C.J. Fiedorowicz.

For a position that already doesn't have a lot of depth, Week 9 is brutal for tight ends.

Greg Olsen is the clear top option even after a quiet game as the only one remaining who is a major part of his team's offense. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce has as much upside as anyone, which he showed with 101 yards and a touchdown in Week 8.

You have to get more creative as you go down the line, finding players who get a lot of targets and could have significant roles in the upcoming week. This includes Gary Barnidge and Dennis Pitta, neither of whom have put up big fantasy numbers lately. However, each player earns consistent looks from their quarterbacks.

Kyle Rudolph represents a high-upside play due to his work in the red zone, but it also comes with a lot of risk.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Minnesota Vikings	DET	10
2	Kansas City Chiefs	JAX	9
3	Philadelphia Eagles	at NYG	9
4	Seattle Seahawks	BUF	8
5	Denver Broncos	at OAK	8
6	Dallas Cowboys	at CLE	8
7	Carolina Panthers	at LA	8
8	Miami Dolphins	NYJ	7
9	Buffalo Bills	at SEA	7
10	Pittsburgh Steelers	at BAL	7

While there are recent question marks about the Minnesota Vikings' offense, the defense is still elite regardless of the opponent. The same theory would apply to the Denver Broncos, but the Oakland Raiders have played well enough to slide them down the list a bit.

Derek Carr is playing like an MVP candidate in the first half of the year with 17 touchdowns and only three interceptions. This doesn't leave a lot of room for points for the opposing defense.

Conversely, anyone facing the Browns or Jets represents quality streaming options every week, especially if they have any sort of talent on the defensive end. The Panthers and Miami Dolphins do, which makes them perfectly fine options.

The Buffalo Bills could be a bit of a sleeper against a Seattle Seahawks offense that has struggled mightily in recent weeks.

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Adam Vinatieri	Colts	at GB	8
2	Justin Tucker	Ravens	PIT	8
3	Matt Bryant	Falcons	at TB	7
4	Dan Bailey	Cowboys	at CLE	7
5	Steven Hauschka	Seahawks	BUF	7
6	Graham Gano	Panthers	at LA	7
7	Mason Crosby	Packers	IND	6
8	Brandon McManus	Broncos	OAK	6
9	Wil Lutz	Saints	at SF	6
10	Josh Lambo	Chargers	TEN	6

You never know what you are going to get from kickers, but all you can hope for is some form of consistency.

Adam Vinatieri and Josh Lambo had been putting up solid numbers coming into last week, but both fell short of projections. They both should bounce back in Week 9, although they can be quiet again just as easily.

Sticking with quality players on high-powered offenses is the best way to go at the position.

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