These rankings will be updated throughout the week up until Sunday at 1 PM ET for injuries or other reasons. [Note: our rankings are for standard (non-PPR) leagues, but you can simply move guys up or down based on how many passes they are expected to catch]
QUARTERBACK
1. Drew Brees (v TB)
2. Russell Wilson (v WAS)
3. Cam Newton (v ATL)
4. Dak Prescott (v KC)
5. Alex Smith (@ DAL)
6. Derek Carr (@ MIA)
7. Marcus Mariota (v BAL)
8. Matt Ryan (@ CAR)
9. Jared Goff (@ NYG)
10. Matthew Stafford (@ GB)
11. Tyrod Taylor (@ NYJ)
12. Jay Cutler (v OAK)
13. Brett Hundley (v DET)
14. Carson Wentz (v DEN)
15. Kirk Cousins (@ SEA)
16. Jacoby Brissett (@ HOU)
17. Jameis Winston (@ NO)
18. Joe Flacco (@ TEN)
19. Eli Manning (v LAR)
20. Tom Savage (v IND)
21. Josh McCown (v BUF)
22. Blake Bortles (v CIN)
23. C.J. Beathard (v ARI)
24. Andy Dalton (@ JAC)
25. Brock Osweiler (@ PHI)
Drew Brees should make up for the touchdowns he didn’t throw last week this Sunday against the Bucs… Anyone who picked up Deshaun Watson has to be feeling pretty good about it… Cam Newton is basically a volatile, high-upside QB1 at this point, but the rushing numbers are helping in even the worst of passing days… Dak Prescott and Alex Smith are both solid QB1 options in a potential shootout… Coming off the bye, Marcus Mariota should be closer to 100% and run the ball some against Baltimore… Matt Ryan torched Carolina last season, so maybe this will be the week he returns to form… Tyrod Taylor stays on the streaming radar, but has a wide range of outcomes playing in an unpredictable TNF game… No one would blame fantasy owners for sticking with him, but Carson Wentz is downgraded against Denver… Jay Cutler should be airing it out more with Jay Ajayi gone… I expect Brent Hundley to be better with an extra week of preparation.
. . .
RUNNING BACK
1. Kareem Hunt (@ DAL)
2. Ezekiel Elliott (v KC)
3. Todd Gurley (@ NYG)
4. Mark Ingram (v TB)
5. LeSean McCoy (@ NYJ)
6. DeMarco Murray (v BAL)
7. Adrian Peterson (@ SF)
8. Lamar Miller (v IND)
9. Doug Martin (@ NO)
10. Christian McCaffrey (v ATL)
11. Ameer Abdullah (@ GB)
12. Tevin Coleman (@ CAR)
13. Devonta Freeman (@ CAR)
14. Joe Mixon (@ JAC)
15. Alvin Kamara (v TB)
16. Carlos Hyde (v ARI)
17. Aaron Jones (v DET)
18. Alex Collins (@ TEN)
19. Chris Ivory (v CIN)
20. Jay Ajayi (v DEN)
21. Chris Thompson (@ SEA)
22. Ty Montgomery (v DET)
23. Matt Forte (v BUF)
24. Derrick Henry (v BAL)
25. Bilal Powell (v BUF)
26. Jonathan Stewart (v ATL)
27. Devontae Booker (@ PHI)
28. T.J. Yeldon (v CIN)
29. Marshawn Lynch (@ MIA)
30. Frank Gore (@ HOU)
31. Eddie Lacy (v WAS)
32. Kenyan Drake (v OAK)
33. C.J. Anderson (@ PHI)
34. Orleans Darkwa (v LAR)
35. Marlon Mack (@ HOU)
36. Theo Riddick (@ GB)
37. Javorius Allen (@ TEN)
38. Wayne Gallman (v LAR)
39. Damien Williams (v OAK)
40. Jamaal Charles (@ PHI)
41. LeGarrette Blount (v DEN)
42. Robert Kelley (@ SEA)
43. Thomas Rawls (v WAS)
44. Andre Ellington (@ SF)
45. DeAndre Washington (@ MIA)
46. Jalen Richard (@ MIA)
47. Matt Breida (v ARI)
48. D’Onta Foreman (v IND)
49. Alfred Morris (v KC)
50. J.D. McKissic (v WAS)
51. Shane Vereen (v LAR)
52. Mike Tolbert (@ NYJ)
53. Giovani Bernard (@ JAC)
54. Dwayne Washington (@ GB)
55. Charcandrick West (@ DAL)
56. Alfred Blue (v IND)
57. Charles Sims (@ NO)
58. Cameron Artis-Payne (v ATL)
59. Corey Clement (v DEN)
60. Corey Grant (v CIN)
Kareem Hunt is the clear number-one option with Le’Veon Bell on a bye week… Leonard Fournette should be good to go against a Bengals team that just got run on by Indianapolis… Mark Ingram has been tremendous since the AD trade; Alvin Kamara also remains a solid RB2 with six teams on bye… DeMarco Murray is expected to get the bulk of the work and be closer to 100% with an extra week to rest… Arizona is going to feed Adrian Peterson with Drew Stanton at quarterback, and he gets a great matchup with the 49ers… Tevin Coleman out-touched Devonta Freeman last week, but Freeman is still the preferred fantasy option with a safer floor; Coleman is still a high-upside RB2… We are still waiting for a huge game from Christian McCaffrey, but fantasy owners should stick with him… Ameer Abdullah couldn’t get going against the Steelers last Sunday night, but the Lions will hopefully be playing ahead on Monday Night Football… Carlos Hyde has weekly workload concerns on a winless team, but his talent makes him an every-week RB2… Aaron Jones looks like the guy to own in the Packers backfield, but I wouldn’t write off Ty Montgomery yet… Even in a difficult matchup with little time to learn the playbook, Jay Ajayi is worth a look behind a very good offensive line; he’s a great trade target with an easy schedule down the stretch… Alex Collins looked like a star last week against the Dolphins… Matt Forte and Bilal Powell are both worth looks against a Buffalo defense that bends but typically doesn’t break… Thomas Rawls and/or Eddie Lacy are trending up with the trade for left tackle Duane Brown… Kenyan Drake is probably the preferred pickup in the Miami backfield, but neither he or Damien Williams are likely to turn into difference-makers behind a weak offensive line.
. . .
WIDE RECEIVER
1. Julio Jones (@ CAR)
2. Michael Thomas (v TB)
3. Dez Bryant (v KC)
4. Amari Cooper (@ MIA)
5. Jordy Nelson (v DET)
6. DeAndre Hopkins (v IND)
7. Mike Evans (@ NO)
8. Tyreek Hill (@ DAL)
9. Sammy Watkins (@ NYG)
10. Demaryius Thomas (@ PHI)
11. Michael Crabtree (@ MIA)
12. DeVante Parker (v OAK)
13. A.J. Green (@ JAC)
14. Doug Baldwin (v WAS)
15. T.Y. Hilton (@ HOU)
16. Devin Funchess (v ATL)
17. Davante Adams (v DET)
18. Golden Tate (@ GB)
19. Jarvis Landry (v OAK)
20. Jeremy Maclin (@ TEN)
21. Larry Fitzgerald (@ SF)
22. Ted Ginn (v TB)
23. Marvin Jones (@ GB)
24. Emmanuel Sanders (@ PHI)
25. Will Fuller (v IND)
26. DeSean Jackson (@ NO)
27. Paul Richardson (v WAS)
28. Nelson Agholor (v DEN)
29. John Brown (@ SF)
30. Mohamed Sanu (@ CAR)
31. Sterling Shepard (v LAR)
32. Alshon Jeffery (v DEN)
33. Robert Woods (@ NYG)
34. Marqise Lee (v CIN)
35. Cooper Kupp (@ NYG)
36. Jermaine Kearse (v BUF)
37. Mike Wallace (@ TEN)
38. Jordan Matthews (@ NYJ)
39. Kenny Stills (v OAK)
40. Marquise Goodwin (v ARI)
41. Robby Anderson (v BUF)
42. Rishard Matthews (v BAL)
43. Tyler Lockett (v WAS)
44. Corey Davis (v BAL)
45. Curtis Samuel (v ATL)
46. Willie Snead (v TB)
47. Allen Hurns (v CIN)
48. Randall Cobb (v DET)
49. Cole Beasley (v KC)
50. Eric Decker (v BAL)
51. Demarcus Robinson (@ DAL)
52. Zay Jones (@ NYJ)
53. Josh Doctson (@ SEA)
54. Donte Moncrief (@ HOU)
55. Brandon Coleman (v TB)
56. J.J. Nelson (@ SF)
57. Aldrick Robinson (v ARI)
58. Taylor Gabriel (@ CAR)
59. Russell Shepard (v ATL)
60. Terrelle Pryor (@ SEA)
61. Jaron Brown (@ SF)
62. Andre Holmes (@ NYJ)
63. Adam Humphries (@ NO)
64. Roger Lewis (v LAR)
65. T.J. Jones (@ GB)
66. Terrance Williams (v KC)
67. Trent Taylor (v LAR)
68. Chris Godwin (@ NO)
69. Brice Butler (v KC)
70. Bruce Ellington (v IND)
71. Tavon Austin (@ NYG)
72. Seth Roberts (@ MIA)
73. Jeremy Kerley (v BUF)
74. Ryan Grant (@ SEA)
75. Cordarrelle Patterson (@ MIA)
Julio Jones leads a messy group of wideouts for Week 9; a monster game should come soon… Amari Cooper should have no problems turning around the Miami cornerbacks on Sunday night… Jordy Nelson has had a couple huge games against Detroit, including their first meeting in 2016; the chemistry with Brett Hundley should be improved following the bye… Dez Bryant should dominate the other Kansas City corners as he avoids Marcus Peters… Denver needs to do a much better job of scheming the ball to Demaryius Thomas and letting him do work after the catch… DeVante Parker should be healthy and vaults up to high-end WR2 status for a team that just traded their offensive centerpiece; it’s Parker now… Sammy Watkins is a buy-low candidate with an easy playoff schedule, and he gets to face the Giants without Janoris Jenkins (suspension) in Week 9… A.J. Green gets a big downgrade against Jacksonville… Jeremy Maclin is up to FLEX status in a good matchup… Larry Fitzgerald is going to be a frustrating own without Carson Palmer, and the 49ers have done a nice job against slot receivers… Jamison Crowder came to life last week and is the type of receiver to give Seattle fits… Alshon Jeffery caught a long touchdown last week, but he should stay out of lineups against Denver; Nelson Agholor is the preferred play, but he’s also better left on the bench… Paul Richardson seems to make plays every week, and he will avoid Josh Norman enough to be worth FLEX consideration… Pierre Garcon was held to 36 yards in his first matchup with Patrick Peterson this year… One of the various options from Bills-Jets on Thursday night will probably have a nice game, but it’s anyone’s guess who it will be.
. . .
TIGHT END
1. Travis Kelce (@ DAL)
2. Jimmy Graham (v WAS)
3. Cameron Brate (@ NO)
4. Evan Engram (v LAR)
5. Delanie Walker (v BAL)
6. Jack Doyle (@ HOU)
7. Jared Cook (@ MIA)
8. Vernon Davis (@ SEA)
9. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (v BUF)
10. Trey Burton (v DEN)
11. Tyler Kroft (@ JAC)
12. Nick O’Leary (@ NYJ)
13. Ed Dickson (v ATL)
14. Ryan Griffin (v IND)
15. Jason Witten (v KC)
16. Benjamin Watson (@ TEN)
17. George Kittle (v ARI)
18. Austin Hooper (@ CAR)
19. A.J. Derby (@ PHI)
20. Tyler Higbee (@ NYG)
21. Gerald Everett (@ NYG)
22. Julius Thomas (v OAK)
23. O.J. Howard (@ NO)
24. Coby Fleener (v TB)
25. Anthony Fasano (v OAK)
Zach Ertz is the top option with Gronk on a bye week… Cameron Brate and Evan Engram both make the top five in decent matchups… Jack Doyle is coming off a 12-catch game and gets a Texans team that declined to cover Jimmy Graham last week… Jared Cook is a great streaming option against Miami on Sunday night… The same goes for Vernon Davis if Jordan Reed (hamstring) is inactive… Nick O’Leary should draw another start with Charles Clay (knee) expected to be out again, and the Jets haven’t been very good against opposing tight ends… Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett are decent desperation options against a New York team that has allowed a touchdown to the position in each game this season.
. . .
DEFENSE
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (v CIN)
2. Houston Texans (v IND)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (v DEN)
4. Buffalo Bills (@ NYJ)
5. Los Angeles Rams (@ NYG)
6. Arizona Cardinals (@ SF)
7. New Orleans Saints (v TB)
8. Seattle Seahawks (v WAS)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (@ JAC)
10. Detroit Lions (@ GB)
11. Denver Broncos (@ PHI)
12. Baltimore Ravens (@ TEN)
13. San Francisco 49ers (v ARI)
14. New York Jets (v BUF)
15. Oakland Raiders (@ MIA)
16. Carolina Panthers (v ATL)
17. Atlanta Falcons (@ CAR)
18. Green Bay Packers (v DET)
19. Tennessee Titans (v BAL)
20. Miami Dolphins (v OAK)
. . .
KICKER
1. Will Lutz (v TB)
2. Harrison Butker (@ DAL)
3. Justin Tucker (@ TEN)
4. Greg Zuerlein (@ NYG)
5. Matt Prater (@ GB)
6. Ka’imi Fairbarin (v IND)
7. Jake Elliott (v DEN)
8. Matt Bryant (@ CAR)
9. Giorgio Tavecchio (@ MIA)
10. Blair Walsh (v WAS)
11. Steven Hauschka (@ NYJ)
12. Ryan Succop (v BAL)
13. Mason Crosby (v DET)
14. Cody Parkey (v OAK)
15. Josh Lambo (v CIN)
get ready for the trade deadline fireworks though.. Murray or Hyde to Dallas?
Think Benjamin will play??
im playing him if he plays
mhmm Amari 2?
Good to see Parker up at 12 for his first game back.
Ravens run d still soft i think Murray finna go off
Hoping Jordy Nelson does good.