Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: Brandon Lloyd and More Surprise WR Starts

With Andre Johnson still out of commission and Calvin Johnson on a bye, there will be plenty of fantasy teams with holes in their starting lineups. These WRs will be good choices to pick up the slack:

Brandon Lloyd, St. Louis

In spite of the continuing health problems of QB Sam Bradford, Brandon Lloyd has flourished since arriving in St. Louis. Even with backup A.J. Feeley at the helm, Lloyd’s familiarity with Josh McDaniels’ offense has helped him jump into a No. 1 role without missing a beat.

With the Rams playing a vulnerable Arizona secondary this week, Lloyd should continue his leading role.  

Julio Jones, Atlanta

Back from a hamstring injury, Jones arrives to an outstanding get-healthy game. The Indianapolis Colts rank 22nd in the league in passing yards allowed.

The Falcons will get a rare opportunity for a blowout here, but they’re not likely to shut down the passing game entirely until Jones has already gotten some of his biggest numbers of the season.

Vincent Jackson, San Diego

Although Jackson has been far from stellar on the season, and the Chargers offense on the whole is in a rut, he’s still a solid choice this weekend. Green Bay, for all its consistent success, has just as consistently failed to defend the pass (31st in the NFL).

With Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense a good bet to win going away, Philip Rivers will be throwing early and often. Jackson should be a major fantasy beneficiary, even if it doesn’t show up in the real-life win column.