Antonio Brown (ankle) has been inactive the past few weeks, so his owners know what it’s like to be without him. However, with Tampa on bye this week, owners of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will also be missing their stars. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are also out of commission, so let’s just hope the next time they take the field it will be with Russell Wilson (finger). You can’t use Terry McLaurin this week, either, and we hope you haven’t been counting on any Lions’ WRs at any point this year.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Attractive plays on the start-or-sit bubble include Jamison Crowder (@ Colts), Jerry Jeudy (@ Cowboys), Cole Beasley (@ Jaguars), and Hunter Renfrow (@ Giants). Each matchup is against teams in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points per game allowed to WR, so the PPR upside should be there. They’ve all proven to be heavily targeted commodities and more attractive in this format. Crowder has proven to at least draw a solid number of targets no matter the matchup or regardless of who his QB is, though his outlook is better if Corey Davis (hip) is out again. Renfrow and Crowder don’t have the high ceilings like Jeudy and Beasley, but you can do a lot worse in this spot in Week 9.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Going a little deeper, DeVante Parker (vs. Texans), Tajae Sharpe and Russell Gage (@ Saints), Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb (@ Chiefs), Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith (vs. Falcons), Chase Claypool (vs. Bears), Henry Ruggs (@ Giants), and Van Jefferson (vs. Titans) are also in good spots. Not all of those guys are traditional PPR receivers (especially Smith, Lazard, Claypool, Ruggs, Jefferson), but given the matchups, they still have some boom-or-bust upside.
WEEK 9 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
Parker has the highest floor of this group, but if you think you need big points from your WR3 or flex spot, you can try for a bigger-play guys. Sharpe and Gage are the biggest question marks, as Sharpe picked up the slack last week with Calvin Ridley (personal) out, but Gage has been more productive in the past.
WEEK 9 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Jakobi Meyers (@ Panthers) looks to be in a tough spot this week, but since he typically draws a steady amount of targets, he should have a WR3-worthy afternoon. DeVonta Smith (vs. Chargers) hasn’t been reliable enough to fully trust him against one of the league’s least generous teams to WRs, but his ceiling still gives him some WR3 potential.
WEEK 9 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Marvin Jones (vs. Bills) and Laviska Shenault (vs. Bills) have also disappointed this season, and we can’t expect them to break out against Buffalo. The same things can be said about Odell Beckham Jr. (@ Bengals) and Jarvis Landry (@ Bengals). We’ve banged the table to go out and snag Michael Gallup (vs. Broncos) off waivers, but if he returns this week, he’s not a must-start in this matchup like his teammates are.
Another interesting player is Rashod Bateman (vs. Vikings). The matchup isn’t great, and if Sammy Watkins (hamstring) returns, it’s tough to say just how involved Bateman will be. Fantasy owners love physically impressive rookies, but Bateman is probably riskier than most realize, especially in PPR leagues.
Keep an eye out for injury updates on Michael Thomas (vs. Falcons). He might still be a few weeks away, but it would be tough to keep him shelved against Atlanta’s suspect secondary if he’s active. We love chasing upside, and Thomas would instantly have more upside than the large group of WRs found in the later part of the rankings. Will Fuller (vs. Texans) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (@ Chiefs) are also eligible to come back this week, and given the matchup, both have some boom-or-bust potential.
UPDATE 11/3: Michael Thomas (ankle) reportedly will not play this season. Feel free to drop him if you’ve been stashing him in an IR spot.
Note: We’ll be updating these WR PPR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.
Fantasy WR PPR Rankings Week 9: Who to start at wide receiver
Rankings based on full-point PPR scoring
