Kate Magdziuk shares her Week 9 wide receiver rankings for standard scoring leagues and highlights several streaming options.
There are just two teams on a bye in Week 9, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, which means most fantasy wide receivers will be available for our rosters this week … you know, aside from the way-too-many players who have incurred season-ending injuries in the past several weeks.
This week, it was WRs Christian Kirk (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Stefon Diggs (Houston Texans) who suffered season-ending injuries — a broken clavicle and torn ACL, respectively. The bad news for the Jaguars didn’t stop there, either, as star rookie WR Brian Thomas Jr. is also dealing with a chest injury, considered day-to-day.
Whether you’re navigating one of the many season-long injuries or just looking for some advice to set your fantasy football lineup, you’re in the right place. Here’s a look at several wide receiver sleepers to consider, as well as Week 9 WR rankings.
Week 9 WR flex plays and sleepers
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts vs. MIN
The Colts have had an elephant looming in the room — and that elephant is the decision of what to do at quarterback. They finally acknowledged that elephant this week, deciding to move forward with veteran Joe Flacco as their starter in Week 9 after another disastrous week from Anthony Richardson.
Downs leads the team with 29 targets from Flacco this season, having caught 79.4% of them for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Downs has had no fewer than eight targets in any game with Flacco, and despite Brian Flores ranking among the league’s defensive coordinators this year, they’re allowing the second-highest EPA per dropback (0.41) on targets to opposing wide receivers. The strength of the Vikings’ offense under Kevin O’Connell is also high-powered enough to force opposing teams into a pass-heavy game script, having seen the second-most targets in coverage to the position, ranking third in fantasy points given up to the position.
DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs vs. TB
Brand new Kansas City Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins didn’t have a significant role in the offense in his first week with the team, having run just 14 total routes on the season. He earned targets on 21.4% of those routes run, which ranked third on the team this past week — not bad for his first game in the mix. Heading into Week 9, the Chiefs get a matchup in what should be a high-scoring, get-right game for the passing attack, ranked sixth in fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. It helps, too, that the Bucs’ offense has been so high-powered that it’s difficult to maintain a run against them.
QB Patrick Mahomes leads all QBs with an 80.2% adjusted completion rate and seems due for some positive regression — especially with a veteran like Hopkins in the mix for another week. The Buccaneers are allowing the second-highest successful pass rate on targets to opposing WRs at 58.1% per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns vs. LAC
To be clear, the Los Angeles Chargers haven’t been a great defensive matchup on paper against the Chargers this year; they’re allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing wideouts, though, to be fair, it’s in part thanks to an exceedingly low passing volume they’ve faced at the position — they’re the only team to have faced fewer than 96 targets at the position. Interestingly, however, the Chargers are allowing the sixth-highest EPA per dropback (0.38) on targets to opposing wide receivers per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers vs. NO
The Carolina Panthers made some moves ahead of the NFL’s November 5 trade deadline, sending WR Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a late-round pick swap. That means it’s the next man up for the Panthers — even if those targets aren’t as valuable as they might be from a more capable quarterback. Expect rookie Xavier Legette to be the focal point of the offense moving forward, an excellent athlete at his size of 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds coming off a strong final season at South Carolina. Legette has ranked only behind Johnson in terms of total targets, red zone targets and end zone targets this season, and he should have plenty of opportunity against a struggling Saints defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts over the past four weeks.
Fantasy football: Week 9 WR rankings
| # | Player (team) | Matchup | ECR | vs. ECR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Jefferson (MIN) | vs. IND | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | CeeDee Lamb (DAL) | at ATL | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | A.J. Brown (PHI) | vs. JAC | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Ja’Marr Chase (CIN) | vs. LV | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) | at GB | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Tyreek Hill (MIA) | at BUF | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Malik Nabers (NYG) | vs. WAS | 7 | 0 |
| 8 | Drake London (ATL) | vs. DAL | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | Puka Nacua (LAR) | at SEA | 11 | +2 |
| 10 | Jayden Reed (GB) | vs. DET | 9 | -1 |
| 11 | DJ Moore (CHI) | at ARI | 12 | +1 |
| 12 | Cooper Kupp (LAR) | at SEA | 10 | -2 |
| 13 | Garrett Wilson (NYJ) | vs. HOU | 14 | +1 |
| 14 | Zay Flowers (BAL) | vs. DEN | 13 | -1 |
| 15 | Terry McLaurin (WAS) | at NYG | 15 | 0 |
| 16 | Tank Dell (HOU) | at NYJ | 20 | +4 |
| 17 | DeVonta Smith (PHI) | vs. JAC | 17 | 0 |
| 18 | Brian Thomas Jr. (JAC) | at PHI | 16 | -2 |
| 19 | Amari Cooper (BUF) | vs. MIA | 18 | -1 |
| 20 | Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI) | vs. CHI | 21 | +1 |
| 21 | DK Metcalf (SEA) | vs. LAR | 72 | +51 |
| 22 | Davante Adams (NYJ) | vs. HOU | 19 | -3 |
| 23 | Jaylen Waddle (MIA) | at BUF | 22 | -1 |
| 24 | Darnell Mooney (ATL) | vs. DAL | 23 | -1 |
| 25 | Xavier Worthy (KC) | vs. TB | 27 | +2 |
| 26 | Khalil Shakir (BUF) | vs. MIA | 24 | -2 |
| 27 | Courtland Sutton (DEN) | at BAL | 25 | -2 |
| 28 | Jakobi Meyers (LV) | at CIN | 35 | +7 |
| 29 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA) | vs. LAR | 26 | -3 |
| 30 | Tee Higgins (CIN) | vs. LV | 48 | +18 |
| 31 | Ladd McConkey (LAC) | at CLE | 28 | -3 |
| 32 | Romeo Doubs (GB) | vs. DET | 29 | -3 |
| 33 | Cedric Tillman (CLE) | vs. LAC | 31 | -2 |
| 34 | Chris Olave (NO) | at CAR | 34 | 0 |
| 35 | Calvin Ridley (TEN) | vs. NE | 30 | -5 |
| 36 | Keon Coleman (BUF) | vs. MIA | 33 | -3 |
| 37 | Josh Downs (IND) | at MIN | 40 | +3 |
| 38 | DeAndre Hopkins (KC) | vs. TB | 32 | -6 |
| 39 | Jordan Addison (MIN) | vs. IND | 36 | -3 |
| 40 | Keenan Allen (CHI) | at ARI | 37 | -3 |
| 41 | Christian Watson (GB) | vs. DET | 43 | +2 |
| 42 | DeMario Douglas (NE) | at TEN | 46 | +4 |
| 43 | Jalen McMillan (TB) | at KC | 39 | -4 |
| 44 | Jerry Jeudy (CLE) | vs. LAC | 45 | +1 |
| 45 | Dontayvion Wicks (GB) | vs. DET | 47 | +2 |
| 46 | Jalen Tolbert (DAL) | at ATL | 42 | -4 |
| 47 | Sterling Shepard (TB) | at KC | 52 | +5 |
| 48 | Tyler Lockett (SEA) | vs. LAR | 38 | -10 |
| 49 | Michael Pittman Jr. (IND) | at MIN | 44 | -5 |
| 50 | Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG) | vs. WAS | 41 | -9 |
| 51 | Xavier Legette (CAR) | vs. NO | 51 | 0 |
| 52 | Rome Odunze (CHI) | at ARI | 49 | -3 |
| 53 | Michael Wilson (ARI) | vs. CHI | 53 | 0 |
| 54 | Rashod Bateman (BAL) | vs. DEN | 50 | -4 |
| 55 | Tre Tucker (LV) | at CIN | 54 | -1 |
| 56 | Kalif Raymond (DET) | at GB | 61 | +5 |
| 57 | Gabe Davis (JAC) | at PHI | 59 | +2 |
| 58 | Elijah Moore (CLE) | vs. LAC | 55 | -3 |
| 59 | Andrei Iosivas (CIN) | vs. LV | 56 | -3 |
| 60 | Tim Patrick (DET) | at GB | 60 | 0 |
| 61 | Noah Brown (WAS) | at NYG | 57 | -4 |
| 62 | Demarcus Robinson (LAR) | at SEA | 66 | +4 |
| 63 | Trey Palmer (TB) | at KC | 58 | -5 |
| 64 | Jalen Nailor (MIN) | vs. IND | 63 | -1 |
| 65 | Alec Pierce (IND) | at MIN | 62 | -3 |
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
