Fantasy Football Week 9 Rankings: Each Position's Flex and PPR Projections

After weeks of waiting, it appears fantasy managers are set to get Christian McCaffrey back in their lineups. The Carolina Panthers officially activated their star running back from injured reserve Saturday, and he should be good to face the Kansas City Chiefs.

While McCaffrey is likely to split the workload with Mike Davis, he should still have some decent fantasy production against the Chiefs and their 29th-ranked run defense. In short, if McCaffrey is on your roster, it's time to put him back in the starting lineup.

Of course, not every Week 9 fantasy decision will be as easy. This is especially true at the flex spot, which is still affected by multiple key injuries.

Here, we'll run down the top players at each flex position—running back, wide receiver and tight end—along with some potential waiver-wire targets who still may be available.

All picks and rankings are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Running Back

Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press

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. Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

8. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs

9. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

10. Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

11. Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons

12. David Johnson, Houston Texans

13. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

14. Justin Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers

15. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

Waiver-Wire Target: Jordan Howard, RB, Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins traded for running back DeAndre Washington just before Tuesday's deadline. While it seemed like purely a depth deal at the time, Barry Jackson reported after the deadline that starter Myles Gaskin has a sprained MCL and is expected to miss three weeks.

According to ESPN's Cameron Wolfe, fellow Dolphins back Matt Breida will also be out with a hamstring injury.

With Gaskin and Breida both out, the Dolphins will have to turn back to Jordan Howard, who has mostly disappointed this season. While Howard hasn't logged a carry since Week 4 and has averaged less than one yard per rush, he has scored touchdowns in three of his four appearances.

Howard should again see much of the goal-line work, which gives him legitimate scoring potential against the Arizona Cardinals. While Howard shouldn't be considered a high-end play, he can at least slot into the flex and leave managers without a blank. He is rostered in just 33 percent of Yahoo leagues and 19 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wide Receiver

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

1. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals

2. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

3. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

4. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

5. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

6. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

7. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

9. Allen Robinson II, Chicago Bears

10. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team

11. Will Fuller V, Houston Texans

12. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

13. Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers

14. D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers

15. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

16. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

17. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

18. Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans

19. Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions

20. Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers

21. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos

22. DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins

23. Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans

24. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

25. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys

Waiver-Wire Target: Mecole Hardman, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs wideout Mecole Hardman exploded in Week 8, catching seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. He's should again be a strong play against the Carolina Panthers with Sammy Watkins out for a third straight game, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Hardman has taken the challenge of replacing Watkins head-on.

"I think I'm ready for the challenge... there is nothing that I don't think I can handle," Hardman told reporters after Watkins was injured.

Hardman didn't make his presence felt immediately, as he had just one target and no receptions in Week 6. However, he had two receptions, a rush and 70 scrimmage yards in Week 7 and then had his breakout game against the New York Jets.

Expect Hardman to again be a significant piece of the offensive puzzle. He's rostered in just 35 percent of Yahoo leagues and 40 percent of ESPN leagues.

Tight End

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

4. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

5. Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos

7. Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints

8. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons

10. Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans

Waiver-Wire Target: Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Football Team

Finding a start-worthy tight end this late in the weekend isn't going to be easy. However, Washington Football Team tight end Logan Thomas is still widely available. He's rostered in just 36 percent of Yahoo leagues and 15 percent of ESPN leagues.

Thomas has been dealing with an ankle injury, but he was a full participant in practice Thursday, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

While Thomas might not be a high-upside play against an underrated New York Giants defense, he should have a solid floor. Over his last two games, Thomas has caught seven passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Managers should expect a three-reception outing from Thomas at a minimum.

*Yahoo and ESPN roster percentages from FantasyPros.