Fantasy Football Week 9: Flex and PPR Rankings

The 2014 fantasy football playoffs are quickly approaching, and it is imperative for owners to find the best flex and point-per-reception starters in Week 9 to offset injuries and the six teams on bye.

With Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Tennessee all off this week, fantasy owners will be forced to look toward their benches for spot starts. With so many options, starting the right player at the flex can make or break a matchup.

Here are the overall flex and PPR rankings for Week 9. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Flex Rankings

Rank	Player
1	DeMarco Murray, DAL, RB
2	LeSean McCoy, PHI, RB
3	Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
4	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB
5	Dez Bryant, DAL, WR
6	Antonio Brown, PIT, WR
7	Arian Foster, HOU, RB
8	Marshawn Lynch, SEA, RB
9	Le'Veon Bell, PIT, RB
10	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE
11	Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR
12	T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR
13	Ronnie Hillman, DEN, RB
14	Giovani Bernard, CIN, RB
15	Julius Thomas, DEN, TE
16	Keenan Allen, SD, WR
17	Andre Johnson, HOU, WR
18	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR, WR
19	Vincent Jackson, TB, WR
20	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE
21	Andre Ellington, ARI, RB
22	Branden Oliver, SD, RB
23	Mike Wallace, MIA, WR
24	Frank Gore, SF, RB
25	Steve Smith, BAL, WR
27	Brandin Cooks, NO, WR
28	A.J. Green, CIN, WR
29	Ahmad Bradshaw, IND, RB
30	Shane Vereen, NE, RB
31	Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN, WR
32	Antonio Gates, SD, TE
33	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
34	Justin Forsett, BAL, RB
35	Brandon LaFell, NE, WR
36	Chris Ivory, NYJ, RB
37	Julian Edelman, NE, WR
38	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI, WR
39	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR
40	Denard Robinson, JAX, RB
41	Michael Floyd, ARI, WR
42	Odell Beckham, NYG, WR
43	Doug Baldwin, SEA, WR
44	Ben Tate, CLE, RB
45	DeSean Jackson, WSH, WR
46	Lamar Miller, MIA, RB
47	Alfred Morris, WAS, RB
48	Martavis Bryant, PIT, WR
49	Martellus Bennett, CHI, TE
50	Reggie Wayne, IND, WR

In the crucial Week 9 matchups, fantasy owners should be looking to take educated risks on a players with high upside. One wide receiver who fits that mold is rookie Martavis Bryant of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Since making his debut in Week 7, Bryant has been a stud for Pittsburgh and is making a case to be the clear No. 2 receiver on the depth chart. Through two games, he has seven receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns, including two TDs against Indianapolis in Week 8.

The Steelers play Baltimore on Sunday, and Bryant should take advantage of the favorable matchup. The Ravens are giving up 256 passing yards per game, and a red-hot Ben Roethlisberger will pick apart the secondary.

Fantasy owners should expect six receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown.

Another flex option owners should explore is New York Jets running back Chris Ivory. Despite the absolute train wreck happening around him on offense, Ivory has been a legitimate fantasy threat for the majority of the season.

Not only has he taken over the role of goal-line back almost exclusively, but Ivory has also gotten the lion’s share of the workload over the last two games. He has 150 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries since Week 7.

New York plays Kansas City in Week 9, and the Chiefs have been susceptible against the run, allowing 112.9 yards per game. With the Jets desperate to put forth a strong effort after an embarrassing loss, Ivory should run the ball at least 15 times for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Expect closer to 100 yards if he gets 20 touches Sunday.

PPR Rankings

Rank	Player
1	LeSean McCoy, PHI, RB
2	Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
3	Antonio Brown, PIT, WR
4	Dez Bryant, DAL, WR
5	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB
6	DeMarco Murray, DAL, RB
7	Arian Foster, HOU, RB
8	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE
9	Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR
10	T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR
11	Marshawn Lynch, SEA, RB
12	Brandon LaFell, NE, WR
13	Le'Veon Bell, PIT, RB
14	Ahmad Bradshaw, IND, RB
15	Keenan Allen, SD, WR
16	Julius Thomas, DEN, TE
17	Ronnie Hillman, DEN, RB
18	A.J. Green, CIN, WR
19	Andre Ellington, ARI, RB
20	Giovani Bernard, CIN, RB
21	Andre Johnson, HOU, WR
22	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE
23	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR, WR
24	Julian Edelman, NE, WR
25	Branden Oliver, SD, RB
27	Shane Vereen, NE, RB
28	Mike Wallace, MIA, WR
29	Vincent Jackson, TB, WR
30	Steve Smith, BAL, WR
31	Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN, WR
32	Odell Beckham, NYG, WR
33	Denard Robinson, JAX, RB
34	Justin Forsett, BAL, RB
35	Brandin Cooks, NO, WR
36	Antonio Gates, SD, TE
37	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR
38	DeSean Jackson, WSH, WR
39	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
40	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI, WR
41	Doug Baldwin, SEA, WR
42	Martavis Bryant, PIT, WR
43	Michael Floyd, ARI, WR
44	Pierre Garcon, WAS, WR
45	Ben Tate, CLE, RB
46	Reggie Wayne, IND, WR
47	Mohamed Sanu, CIN, WR
48	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
49	Lamar Miller, MIA, RB
50	Alfred Morris, WAS, RB

Finding the right players to start in PPR can be difficult, but one wide receiver emerging as a juggernaut in the scoring format is Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Besides a two-catch performance against the Giants in Week 6, Maclin has been targeted at least nine times in every game, including a season-high 16 times Sunday against Arizona. He finished the day with 12 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

With Maclin and quarterback Nick Foles continuing to develop chemistry down the field, fantasy owners should be salivating at Philadelphia’s Week 9 matchup with the 28th-ranked Houston Texans pass defense.

After Sunday’s loss, Maclin spoke to Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com:

"

We believe that any time we touch the football we're going to score. It didn't happen, but that's the mindset that we have. This is a group full of fighters. Guys that don't quit. Guys that go out there and play hard. Sometimes you just come up short. We've got another week to get ready to go down to Houston and hopefully pull out a win. Penalties and turnovers on the road against a good football team are really hard to overcome. Today was living proof of it. And at the end of the day, we still had a chance to win the game. It's just kind of frustrating.

"

Fantasy owners should expect eight receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown from Maclin in Week 9.

Finding the right running backs in PPR leagues is an even more difficult task than finding the right wide receivers, but one favorable option is Ahmad Bradshaw of the Indianapolis Colts.

Fellow running back Trent Richardson didn’t see any action in Week 8 while recovering fro a hamstring injury, and there are questions about his availability in Week 9. Even if Richardson plays, Bradshaw has earned goal-line carries and is the preferred passing-down back.

Bradshaw may have carried the ball only six times for 35 yards and touchdown Sunday, but he also managed to haul in seven passes for 52 yards. In a PPR league, the extra 12 points receiving would have made his day even better.

Against the 22nd-ranked Giants run defense in Week 9, Bradshaw owners should expect 100 all-purpose yards, five receptions and a touchdown.

Stats via NFL.com.