Fantasy Football Week 9 Rankings: Examining Lineup Options After Injury Reports

Already gravely depleted with six teams on hiatus, Week 9's talent pool will take a deeper hit when injuries force more players out of commission.

In a season that has already lost a top fantasy quarterback (Aaron Rodgers), running back (David Johnson) and wide receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.), the NFL is down another burgeoning superstar. As reported Thursday by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Deshaun Watson tore his ACL in a non-contact practice injury.

The Houston Texans rookie led all quarterbacks in passing touchdowns and fantasy points despite starting the opening game as a spectator. He would have topped Week 9's rankings with Rodgers injured and Tom Brady on a bye.

Everyone who enjoyed his magnificent first half must quickly scramble for an alternative, and the options aren't pretty. (Tom Savage is not a suitable replacement for Houston or fantasy gamers.)

Watson is not the only notable player on an injury report. Let's examine the status of such contributors and identify a waiver-wire replacement available in over 50 percent of Yahoo Sports leagues.

Quarterback

1. Drew Brees, NO (vs. TB)

2. Russell Wilson, SEA (vs. WAS)

3. Dak Prescott, DAL (vs. KC)

4. Matthew Stafford, DET (at GB)

5. Alex Smith, KC (at DAL)

6. Derek Carr, OAK (at MIA)

7. Carson Wentz, PHI (vs. DEN)

8. Cam Newton, CAR (vs. ATL)

9. Kirk Cousins, WAS (at SEA)

10. Jameis Winston, TB (at NO)

11. Jared Goff, LAR (at NYG) 

12. Matt Ryan, ATL (at CAR)

Injury Update: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

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This hurts. Watson had just registered 402 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and 67 rushing yards on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. ESPN Stats & Info (via Elias Sports Bureau) put his historic start into perspective:

Per HoustonTexans.com's Deepi Sidhu, Savage—who was sacked six times in Week 1 before getting benched for Watson—said what Texans fans and fantasy players are all thinking as well:

Brady, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger will watch Week 9 with their respective teams on a bye. So are the Cleveland Browns, a popular defense to target. The San Francisco 49ers face Drew Stanton, and the vulnerable Indianapolis Colts are now wasted on Savage.

The answer may lie in the same game.

Healthy Alternative: Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts (21 Percent Owned)

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It's a brutal week for streaming quarterbacks, so Watson's investors may not like their last-second contingency options.

Available in 31 percent of Yahoo leagues, Jared Goff is a strong plug-in play against a New York Giants defense that has yielded three passing touchdowns or over 300 passing yards in three of their last four games.

It's probably too late to pick up the Los Angeles Rams quarterback in a competitive group, so let's dig deeper and take a chance on Jacoby Brissett. The Colts passer is averaging just 227.3 passing yards per game through seven starts, but he has also punched in three rushing touchdowns. He faces the Texans, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks after losing a 41-38 shootout to Seattle.

There won't be as much scoring in an AFC South showdown missing Watson and Andrew Luck, but both defenses are feeble enough to provide some cheap fantasy production. 

Running Back (Standard, Non-PPR Scoring)

1. Todd Gurley, LAR (at NYG)

2. Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (vs. KC)

3. Kareem Hunt, KC (at DAL)

4. Leonard Fournette, JAC (vs. CIN)

5. Mark Ingram, NO (vs. TB)

6. Lamar Miller, HOU (vs. IND)

7. Devonta Freeman, ATL (at CAR)

8. Adrian Peterson, ARI (at SF)

9. Doug Martin, TB (at NO)

10. Aaron Jones, GB (vs. DET)

11. Carlos Hyde, SF (vs. ARI)

12. Alvin Kamara, NO (vs. TB)

13. DeMarco Murray, TEN (vs. BAL)

14. Joe Mixon, CIN (at JAC)

15. Chris Thompson, WAS (at SEA)

16. Alex Collins, BAL (at TEN)

17. Christian McCaffrey, CAR (vs. ATL)

18. Orleans Darkwa, NYG (vs. LAR)

19. Ameer Abdullah, DET (at GB)

20. Tevin Coleman, ATL (at CAR) 

Injury Update: Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

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Now for some better news. Devonta Freeman investors received a scare when he ceded late snaps to Tevin Coleman last weekend. According to ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure, head coach Dan Quinn said there's no reason to worry about his star running back's Week 9 availability:

That doesn't ensure a huge workload. Freeman has averaged 13 touches in the last three games, with a snap rate below 75 percent in every contest this season.

Coleman, meanwhile, has recorded 5.3 yards per carry and 11.9 yards per reception. 

The Carolina Panthers have allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards (81.6) and third-fewest fantasy points (13.2) per game to running backs, so temper expectations for Freeman. Yet he's still a top-10 option in a slate without Le'Veon Bell, Melvin Gordon, Jordan Howard and Jerick McKinnon.

Healthy Alternative: DeAndre Washington, Oakland Raiders (17 Percent Owned)

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Anyone still scouring the waiver wire for a running back is in serious trouble. That is, unless, Orleans Darkwa (58 percent owned) or Kenyan Drake (49 percent owned) remain unclaimed.

With Marshawn Lynch serving a suspension, DeAndre Washington compiled 88 yards (26 rushing, 62 receiving) and a touchdown on 14 touches. His breakthrough was likely a one-off deal, but why should the Oakland Raiders keep committing to a 31-year-old running back averaging 3.7 yards per carry on a limited snap count?

Washington should at least see the field on passing downs, making him a decent desperation play in PPR formats.

Wide Receiver

1. Michael Thomas, NO (vs. TB)

2. Mike Evans, TB (at NO)

3. Julio Jones, ATL (at CAR)

4. Dez Bryant, DAL (vs. KC)

5. Doug Baldwin, SEA (vs. WAS)

6. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (vs. IND)

7. A.J. Green, CIN (at JAC)

8. Michael Crabtree, OAK (at MIA)

9. Tyreek Hill, KC (at DAL)

10. Amari Cooper, OAK (at MIA)

11. Golden Tate, DET (at GB)

12. Demaryius Thomas, DEN (at PHI)

13. Jarvis Landry, MIA (vs. OAK)

14. T.Y. Hilton, IND (at HOU)

15. Marvin Jones, DET (at GB)

16. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (at SF)

17. Devante Parker, MIA (vs. OAK)

18. Devin Funchess, CAR (vs. ATL)

19. Jordy Nelson, GB (vs. DET)

20. Sterling Shepard, NYG (vs. LAR)

Injury Update: Pierre Garcon, San Francisco 49ers

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In danger of missing Week 9, Pierre Garcon will now miss the remainder of the season. In a radio interview with KNBR's John Lund, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed the wide receiver going on injured reserve:

In the same interview (via ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner) Lynch lamented San Francisco's poor fortune.

"For every step going forward, we seem to be taking another one as we're going back," Lynch said. "That was a crushing blow and we're figuring out what we're going to do on that."

The 33-year-old tied Mike Evans for the seventh-most targets (68) through Week 8 and comfortably led the winless 49ers in receptions (40) and receiving yards (500). Marquise Goodwin becomes a solid volume play, particularly in point-per-reception leagues, but he wasn't targeted once last weekend.

Although Garcon's 2017 ended without a touchdown, most managers will struggle to locate a replacement as active in his team's passing offense.

Healthy Alternative: Josh Doctson, Washington (30 Percent Owned)

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It's rough out there. Assuming it's too late to grab Sterling Shepard, Paul Richardson or Mohamed Sanu, anyone still searching for an injury or bye-week replacement may need to toss a Hail Mary.

While Josh Doctson scored his third touchdown in five weeks on Sunday night, that one-yard score represented his entire Week 8 output. Even with Terrelle Pryor Jr. relegated to obscurity, the second-year wideout received just three targets, 10 fewer than Jamison Crowder.

Crowder, however, is questionable to play with a hamstring injury on Washington's injury report. While the Seahawks rank No. 12 in passing defense, they have also looked vulnerable in high-scoring shootouts against the Texans and Tennessee Titans.

Whether or not Crowder plays, Kirk Cousins should eventually give more opportunities to Doctson. Last year's first-round pick has played in 82.1 percent (101-of-123) of Washington's snaps in the past two games. 

This is the perfect week for many fantasy managers to gamble on a breakout outing.

Tight End

1. Jimmy Graham, SEA (vs. WAS)

2. Travis Kelce, KC (at DAL)

3. Zach Ertz, PHI (vs. DEN)

4. Jack Doyle, IND (at HOU)

5. Evan Engram, NYG (vs. LAR)

6. Cameron Brate, TB (at NO)

7. Jason Witten, DAL (vs. KC)

8. Vernon Davis, WAS (at SEA)

9. Jared Cook, OAK (at MIA)

10. Delanie Walker, TEN (vs. BAL)

11. Tyler Kroft, CIN (at JAC)

12. Austin Hooper, ATL (at CAR)

Injury Update: Delanie Walker (Tennessee), Zach Ertz (Philadelphia) and Jordan Reed (Washington)

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A week without Rob Gronkowski also features three of the NFL's top tight ends on the injury report.

Per Titans Online's Jim Wyatt, Delanie Walker (ankle) was a limited participant in Friday's practice. He's questionable to face the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends despite relinquishing 184.5 passing yards per game.

Zach Ertz is also listed as questionable due to a hamstring injury. According to ESPN's Tim McManus, head coach Doug Peterson expects his star tight end to suit up. The change in status nevertheless drops him from No. 1 to 3 in the rankings, but the position's top producer is a must-start if active. 

Washington has ruled Jordan Reed out for Sunday's game against Seattle, so anyone in need of a healthy tight end knows where to look first.

Healthy Alternatives: Vernon Davis, Washington (47 Percent Owned), Tyler Kroft, Cincinnati (39 Percent Owned)

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Vernon Davis has compiled 299 receiving yards over Washington's last five games, and opponents have targeted tight ends 8.7 times per game against Seattle. As noted by Rotoworld's Nick Mensio, the 33-year-old played tallied a snap rate above 95 percent in four of six 2016 games where Reed was either inactive or "severely limited."

When Reed missed Week 3's game against Oakland, his accomplished understudy recorded five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. He's a fine Plan B to replace Reed and even warrants consideration over an active Walker.

It's too late for many fantasy players to add Davis, whose ownership rate soared near the halfway mark after Washington revealed that Reed will not play. In that case, roll the dice on Tyler Kroft. The Cincinnati Bengals tight end posted three touchdowns and 22 targets in four October contests, and Andy Dalton may have to find him in the red zone since the Jacksonville Jaguars have permitted just one touchdown to a wide receiver this season.

Note: All fantasy scoring data courtesy of Yahoo Sports. Snap counts obtained from Pro Football Reference.