Fantasy Football Week 9 Rankings: Projections to Love and Matchups to Exploit

For many fantasy managers, Week 9 of the 2020 NFL season got off to a rousing start. On Thursday night, Green Bay Packers wide receivers Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling shredded the undermanned San Francisco 49ers.

A strong performance from Adams (10 catches, 173 yards, 1 TD) didn't come as a surprise, as he's one of the best in the game and certainly one of the top wide receivers in fantasy.

"Yeah, I think that's fair to say," Adams told reporters when asked if he was the best. "I think that's not being conceited. That's just confident."

For Valdes-Scantling, it was a matter of the right matchup. The Packers wideout hasn't been particularly consistent, but on Thursday, he caught two passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

Here, we'll examine some of the top plays remaining for Week 9, along with some favorable matchups that could pay off the way Valdes-Scantling's did.

As a reminder, the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles are on bye this week. Rankings and picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Quarterback

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1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

3. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

4. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

7. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

8. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

10. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

Matchup to Love: Deshaun Watson at Jacksonville Jaguars

While he opened the season with some struggles, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been pretty spectacular in recent weeks. Over his last four games, he has thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions and has reached at least 300 passing yards in each.

This week, Watson has a tremendous matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His NFC South rivals rank just 28th against the pass, 31st in points allowed and have only produced six sacks on the season. To put it bluntly, they've been fairly friendly to opposing signal-callers.

Expect Watson to have his fifth big fantasy game in a rook in Week 9.

Projection: 320 passing yards, 3 TDs, 30 rushing yards.

Running Back

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1. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

3. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

4. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

6. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

7. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs

8. Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

9. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

10. Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

11. David Johnson, Houston Texans

12. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens

13. Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons

14. Justin Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers

15. D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions

Matchup to Love: James Conner at Dallas Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner is an enticing play against the Dallas Cowboys for two reasons. The first is that Dallas' defense has simply been terribly against the run. The Cowboys rank dead-last in run defense and 30th in yards per carry allowed (5.1).

The other factor to consider is that Dallas' offense has been awful since the loss of quarterback Dak Prescott. In their last three games, the Cowboys have scored 10, three and nine points.

While Conner will split time with Benny Snell Jr., he'll also be  heavily used if Pittsburgh builds an early lead and looks to grind out the clock. With Dallas set to make yet another quarterback change, this scenario feels likely.

Projection: 110 rushing yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions, 32 receiving yards

Wide Receiver

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1. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals

2. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

3. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

4. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

5. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

6. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

8. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

9. Allen Robinson II, Chicago Bears

10. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team

11. Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers

12. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

13. D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers

14. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

15. Will Fuller V, Houston Texans

16. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

17. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

18. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

19. Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans

20. DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Matchup to Love: Stefon Diggs vs. Seattle Seahawks

While Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has fallen back to earth in recent weeks, wideout Stefon Diggs has remained a reliable fantasy WR. He has caught six passes in each of his last three games and has had at least 46 yards in each.

This gives Diggs a fairly reliable floor, though he also has an extremely high ceiling against the Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle ranks dead-last in pass defense. It also has a potent offense led by MVP candidate Russell Wilson. This means that the possibility of a shootout is very real. Expect Buffalo to remain in pass-first mode for much of the contest.

Projection: 8 receptions, 110 receiving yards, 1 TD

Tight End

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1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

4. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

5. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos

6. Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7. Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints

8. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans

10. Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons

Matchup to Love: Noah Fant at Atlanta Falcons

While consistency hasn't been Noah Fant's strong suit, the Denver Broncos tight end has a juicy matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.  Atlanta ranks just 31st against the pass and 22nd in point allowed.

Fant is coming off a seven-catch, 47-yard game, and his PPR value remains high against Atlanta. Expect quarterback Drew Lock to have plenty of success against the Falcons secondary and for Fant to be one of his go-to targets.

While the yardage ceiling for Fant isn't high—he has yet to reach 85 yards in a game this season—he should rack up the receptions.

Projection: 6 receptions, 51 receiving yards, 1 TD