Fantasy Football Week 9: The Top 3 Players at Every Position

Week 9 of the NFL season brings fantasy owners some juicy matchups for the studs on their team.

This is very fortunate, because we are now entering the portion of the fantasy season where playoff hopes are either secured or destroyed.  Each week is now a battle to be won or lost, and only the strong will see their playoff chances flourish.

And if you want to be one of those few who come through this week with a tally in the win column, I suggest you pay attention.  It is now time for me to go through each position and list the players most likely to bring their owners fantasy glory.

Come with me if you want to win.

QB: Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

As many Michael Vick owners can attest to, the quarterback's performance this season hasn't necessarily lived up to expectations.  

On Sunday night in front of the entire nation, though, Vick showed why he was drafted with a high first-round pick in many leagues.  Not only did he dismantle the secondary of the Dallas Cowboys to the tune of 279 passing yards, two touchdowns and 50 rushing yards, but he didn't turn the ball over once.

This is the same quarterback who gave up the ball at least once the first six games of the season.

Whatever the reason for Vick's success last week, it is clear that something has finally clicked.  This week, No. 7 goes up against the Chicago Bears and their woeful secondary.  

Projection: 300 yards, 2 touchdowns, 60 rushing yards

QB: Eli Manning, New York Giants

Don't look now, but Eli Manning is headed for a career season.  

Not only is he on pace for a career-best 4,861 passing yards, but it seems he has finally learned how to avoid throwing completions to the other team (on pace for only ten interceptions).

This week, Manning has earned the rights to legit QB1 status.  On top of his improved performance of late, he has the good fortune of going up against the 32nd ranked pass defense of the New England Patriots

Expect Manning to find receivers Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz early and often in what should be a high-scoring game.

Projection: 300 yards, three touchdowns

QB: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

If I had the chance to talk to San Diego's quarterback, the first thing I would ask is, "Who are you, and what have you done with the real Philip Rivers?"

Rivers has not lived up to his billing as a top 10 quarterback this season, and his owners are paying dearly.  He currently has seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

No, I did not get those numbers mixed up.

Fortunately, it is not too late for Rivers to redeem himself and he put on a strong showing in the second half of the season.  This week, he has the enviable task of throwing against a Green Bay Packers' secondary that has not been playing at a Super Bowl level. 

I fully expect Rivers to put up the kind of numbers that will reassure the owners who were beginning to question why they drafted him.

Projection: 350 yards, two touchdowns

RB: Arian Foster, Houston Texans

After an injury-plagued start to the season, it seems that Arian Foster has fallen back into good health and into the good graces of his owners.  

In the last two weeks, he has racked up 358 total yards and 4 touchdowns.  Look for him to add some more impressive numbers to that stat line this week.  

He gets to take his talents up against a Cleveland Browns defense that has given up 127.3 yards on the ground, good for 26th in the league.  His combination of speed and power will have the Browns bruised and humiliated by the time the final whistle blows

Projection: 200 total yards, two touchdowns

RB: Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals

Labeled as a bust prior to the season, Beanie Wells has proven he is far from it.  

The back out of Ohio State runs with determination and power, making opponents regret having to tackle him.  In just six games this season, he has already matched his career-high of seven rushing touchdowns.  

I firmly expect him to add to that this weekend against the St. Louis Rams, who have allowed a league-worst 165.6 yards on the ground.  

Granted, Wells is battling a knee injury that may cause owners to worry, but this match up is just too juicy to justify benching the third-year back.

Projection: 110 total yards, two touchdowns

RB: LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LeGarrette Blount owners can breathe a sigh of relief.  After riding the pine with an injury the past two weeks, it is finally safe to insert the bruising back into starting lineups.  

And what a week to come back from injury.  

Blount should see plenty of action in Week 9 against a Saints defense that has allowed 124.1 yards per game rushing and seven rushing touchdowns.

Now that Earnest Graham has been ruled out for the season, it seems that Blount may be the only back the Bucs have left capable of toting the pigskin.  Which means fans will get to see plenty of Blount's patented hurdles coming out of the backfield.

Projection: 100 total yards, 1 touchdown

WR: Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles

It seems not even the threat of a serious illness can slow down Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Just months after reports that Maclin was dealing with a mysterious sickness, he  is on pace for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns.  Needless to say, he has overtaken the speedy DeSean Jackson as Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver.

Maclin has the speed to stretch the field and the toughness needed to catch the football over the middle.  That combination, plus the abundance of weapons on his team drawing attention away from him, makes it mighty difficult for defenses to cover him.

This week, the receiver out of Missouri faces a Chicago Bears secondary that has already allowed 11 touchdowns through the air.

Projection: 110 yards, 2 touchdowns

WR: Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

Despite being labeled as a "diva," Dez Bryant has actually been fairly quiet this season.  Unfortunately that may not be a good thing.

Many experts projected Bryant to have a breakout season, and for stretches of games it looks that way.  The problem is that he disappears for long portions of games, leaving many owners scratching their heads.

This week should be different.  After being held to 35 yards by the Philadelphia Eagles, Bryant will make it known that he wants the ball in his hands against the Seattle Seahawks this week.

If he can put on a dominant performance for an entire game, I fully expect this young man to put up season-high numbers.

Projection: 130 yards, one touchdown

WR: Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

It appears as though Andre the Giant will finally see game action in Week 9 after battling injury for most of the first half of the season.  

For fantasy owners, it couldn't come any sooner.

Skeptics may point to the fact that Johnson faces a Cleveland Browns' secondary that has been surprisingly good (second in the league) against the pass so far this season.  But don't let that deter you.

No defense—no matter how good—is capable of limiting a healthy Johnson, and it is very plausible that the big man knocks the Browns down a couple of notches in the pass defense rankings.

Projection: 100 yards, one touchdown

TE: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

Not enough can be said about the type of year that young Jimmy Graham is having.  

Heck, his 713 yards and 5 touchdowns are more than some of the supposed "elite" wide receivers in the game like Miles Austin and Brandon Marshall.  Those owners savvy enough to draft him are reaping the benefits with smiles on their faces and points on their fantasy team.

Those smiles should grow even bigger after this week.  Up against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has given up 11 touchdowns through the air, Graham is more than capable of abusing that secondary for one or two more touchdowns.

Projection: 90 yards, two touchdowns

TE: Fred Davis, Washington Redskins

Fred Davis is easily the biggest surprise among tight ends this season.  

With 517 yards and two touchdowns already on the season, Davis has made geniuses out of owners who either drafted him with a late round pick or scooped him up off of waivers.

Now that wide receiver Santana Moss is out due to injury, Davis can reap the benefits of being the only capable receiver on the Washington Redskins' offense.  Which means that he will likely see his targets and catches go up, ensuring that he pads his already impressive stats.

This week, he goes up against a San Francisco 49ers defense that has been abused through the air (255.7 yards per game, 10 touchdowns).

Projection: 100 yards, one touchdown

TE: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Antonio Gates has proven that he is still an elite tight end even after sustaining injuries.  

Last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, Gates posted four catches for 73 yards, despite seeing double coverage for most of the game.  If the other playmakers on the San Diego Chargers step up, defenses won't be able to constantly focus on Gates, allowing him to break out for one of his typically huge games.

He gets the Green Bay Packers this week, who have been torched through the air this season by opposing offenses.  Keep him in your lineup. 

Projection: 100 yards

K: Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

Mason Crosby has benefited from being a part of the explosive Green Bay Packers' offense.  With 73 points on the season, No. 2 is the fifth highest scoring kicker so far this season.  

Expect him to put up double digit numbers for you as he enters a match up with the San Diego Chargers that should end up being a high-scoring battle.

Projection: three PAT's, two field goals

K: Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons

While he has seen his numbers dip compared to last season, Bryant still has a favorable matchup this week that will allow him to put up solid numbers.

He goes up against an Indianapolis Colts team that has allowed 252 points already this season, good for dead last in the league.

That equates to a prime opportunity for Bryant to knock a few pigskins through the uprights. 

Projection: two PAT's, two field goals

K: Robbie Gould, Chicago Bears

Robbie Gould has been an average starter for fantasy owners so far this season.  But that doesn't mean he isn't capable of producing an impressive stat line this week.

His Chicago Bears face a tough match up against the Philadelphia Eagles, which means less touchdowns but more field goal opportunities.  

Expect him to capitalize big time on those opportunities.

Projection: one PAT, three field goals