Fantasy Football Week 9 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers Who Could Emerge

Week 9 is upon us, which means we've reached the midpoint in the 2019 NFL season. It also means that we're closing in on the fantasy football postseason, as many leagues will begin the playoffs within the month.

It's been quite the unpredictable fantasy season thus far, due in large part to the number of significant injuries suffered around the league. Week 9 figures to be unpredictable even if you've managed to survive the injury bug or bypass it altogether.

With the Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints on bye, several fantasy stars will be unavailable this week.

Here, we'll examine the fantasy players who should shine in Week 9 and some sleepers who could prove valuable for the looming playoff stretch.

Week 9 Flex Cheat Sheet, PPR

1. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

5. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

6. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

7. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

8. Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders

9. Le'Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets

10. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

11. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans

12. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

13. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

14. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

15. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

16. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

17. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

18. Tevin Coleman, RB, San Francisco 49ers

19. Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots

20. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

21. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

22. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

23. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

24. DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

25. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

26. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

27. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

28. Darren Waller, TE, Oakland Raiders

29. Marlon Mack, WR, Indianapolis Colts

30. Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos

31. James White, RB, New England Patriots

32. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

33. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

34. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

35. Tyrell Williams, WR, Oakland Raiders

36. Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens

37. John Brown, WR, Buffalo Bills

38. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns

39. Hunter Henry, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

40. Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit Lions

41. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

42. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

43. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

44. Golden Tate, WR, New York Giants

45. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Redskins

46. Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

47. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

48. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

49. Mohamed Sanu, WR, New England Patriots

50. Kenny Stills, WR, Houston Texans

Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Diontae Johnson doesn't have as much fantasy value as he might with Ben Roethlisberger under center, but the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie is starting to see a significant role in the offense.

"He's a guy that's getting better every week," head coach Mike Tomlin said, per Matthew Marczi of the team's official website.

Johnson is coming off a five-catch performance that produced 84 yards and a touchdown. It came against the Miami Dolphins, of course, but it marked the third time this season he has had at least 50 receiving yards and a score.

Because Johnson is an inconsistent rookie and because the Steelers have Mason Rudolph at quarterback instead of Roethlisberger, Johnson is not a weekly must-start. However, he is worth picking up off the waiver wire and stashing while is role becomes more clear.

By playoff season, Johnson could emerge as a reliable WR or flex option. He is owned in just 12 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to Fantasypros.

Darrell Henderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

Rookie running back Darrell Henderson should be viewed similarly. He has yet to earn a consistent role in the Los Angeles Rams offense, but that could change in the coming weeks. He had a team-leading 11 carries in the Week 8 win over Cincinnati, and he could see more of a 1B role alongside Todd Gurley moving forward.

The problem with grabbing Henderson is that the Rams also have veteran Malcolm Brown on the roster. He's been inactive the past two weeks with an ankle injury, but Los Angeles leaned on him in Week 6 when Gurley was out.

This is again a situation in which a player is worth a stash and an evaluation period. If the Rams come out of the bye and go back to using Brown as Gurley's primary complement, then Henderson can be dumped before the fantasy postseason.

If, however, Los Angeles determines that Henderson is the better option, the rookie could prove to be quality fantasy depth in the playoffs. He is available in 73 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, New York Jets

Had the New York Jets moved wideout Robby Anderson at the trade deadline, fellow receiver Demaryius Thomas would be a top target on the waiver wire. With Sam Darnold back in the lineup, though, Thomas is still worth an add.

Over the past three weeks, he has averaged four receptions and 55 yards. Those aren't eye-opening fantasy numbers, but they could improve heading into the fantasy playoffs.

Between now and Week 15, the Jets play the Miami Dolphins (twice), New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens. None of those teams rank in the top half of the league in pass defense, and four of them—New York, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Oakland—rank in the bottom 10.

If Thomas continues to be one of Darnold's top targets, he could shine over the next several weeks. He's a good pickup for a Week 9 bye and a solid stash for the future.

Thomas is available in 93 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FanasyPros.

Other Sleepers to Watch

Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets

Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Tra Carson, RB, Detroit Lions

Anthony Miller, WR, Chicago Bears

Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers

Jonnu Smith, TE, Tennessee Titans

Darren Fells, TE, Houston Texans