Editor’s update No. 2: The Second Circuit has granted Ezekiel Elliott a brief administrative stay, which means he WILL play this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City has done a fairly solid job against running backs, but Elliott is a must-start. In the meantime, Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden lose all fantasy value for this weekend. They are worth hanging onto for when Elliott inevitably loses his appeal.
Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Editor’s update: Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a torn ACL on Thursday. He is out for the year, and his status for the start of the 2018 season is unclear. For purposes of Week 8, we are working on updating our rankings, but Lamar Miller’s value changes a little bit. He is still someone you start in most leagues, but it will be something to track with the change to Tom Savage at quarterback.
Le’Veon Bell is on a bye. Ezekiel Elliott is almost out of appeals. David Johnson is pretty much out for the season. Week 9 arrives with three of the top running backs in the NFL out of action, all for entirely different reasons, but all with the same effect on our PPR rankings.
For one of the only times this season, we have a unanimous No. 1. And even with those other guys out of action, LeSean McCoy is worthy of the honor.
After a somewhat slow start to his season, the bellcow of the Bills is finally fulfilling his preseason promise. For the second straight week, McCoy shredded his opponent, rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown, while also catching six passes, for a fine fantasy total of 29 points.
Now, McCoy gets to face the Jets on Thursday night, a team ranked 27th in DVOA against pass-catching backs. Lock and load, McCoy owners.
Leonard Fournette, who is expected to return to the Jaguars’ backfield after missing Week 7 with an ankle injury, is second in our rankings, followed by the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt, Todd Gurley of the Rams, Green Bay’s Aaron Jones, and the Texans’ Lamar Miller.
Miller finds himself in arguably the best matchup on the board for a PPR back, taking on the woeful Colts at home. Indianapolis ranks dead last in DVOA for pass-catching backs, and Miller is coming off his second multi-TD game in his past four, both featuring a receiving touchdown.
Other top spots for PPR backs include the Saints’ Alvin Kamara, facing the Buccaneers, who rank No. 25 in DVOA against pass-catching backs, and Baltimore’s Alex Collins, who gets 29th-ranked Tennessee.
Adrian Peterson had four targets in Week 7 against the Rams, and now gets to face the 49ers, who rank 31st in pass-catching back DVOA. Maybe this signals the return to fantasy relevance of Andre Ellington, who was PPR gold before Peterson’s arrival and Carson Palmer’s injury.
Wide Receiver (standard) rankings, Week 9
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
RB PPR rankings, Week 9
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | KB | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ NYJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | vs. CIN | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Kareem Hunt | KC | @ DAL | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | Todd Gurley | LAR | @ NYG | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Lamar Miller | HOU | vs. IND | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | Aaron Jones | GB | vs. DET | 14 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| 8 | Mark Ingram | NO | vs. TB | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | @ CAR | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Doug Martin | TB | @ NO | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 8 |
| 11 | Chris Thompson | WAS | @ SEA | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 13 |
| 11 | Joe Mixon | CIN | @ JAC | 16 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
| 13 | Adrian Peterson | ARI | @ SF | 15 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 14 |
| 14 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | vs. ATL | 10 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 15 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | @ GB | 21 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 21 | 11 |
| 16 | Carlos Hyde | SF | vs. ARI | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 23 | 12 |
| 17 | Alvin Kamara | NO | vs. TB | 7 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 17 |
| 17 | Alex Collins | BAL | @ TEN | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 26 | 15 |
| 19 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | @ PHI | 20 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 18 |
| 20 | Alfred Morris | DAL | vs. KC | 32 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 14 | 20 |
| 21 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | vs. BAL | 13 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 12 | 23 |
| 22 | Marlon Mack | IND | @ HOU | 29 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 |
| 23 | Kenyan Drake | MIA | vs. OAK | 33 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 |
| 24 | Orleans Darkwa | NYG | vs. LAR | 26 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| 24 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | @ CAR | 17 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 16 | 27 |
| 26 | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | vs. DEN | 37 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
| 27 | Frank Gore | IND | @ HOU | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| 28 | Matt Forte | NYJ | vs. BUF | 24 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| 29 | Robert Kelley | WAS | @ SEA | 43 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 32 |
| 30 | Jay Ajayi | PHI | vs. DEN | 23 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 40 |
| 31 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | @ MIA | 27 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 25 |
| 32 | Buck Allen | BAL | @ TEN | 22 | 34 | 30 | 31 | 34 | 34 |
| 33 | Derrick Henry | TEN | vs. BAL | 31 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 31 |
| 34 | Thomas Rawls | SEA | vs. WAS | 45 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 30 |
| 35 | Darren McFadden | DAL | vs. KC | 34 | 33 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 28 |
| 36 | Theo Riddick | DET | @ GB | 25 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 39 |
| 37 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | vs. ATL | 40 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 |
| 38 | Ty Montgomery | GB | vs. DET | 30 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 36 |
| 39 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | vs. BUF | 19 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 47 | 35 |
| 40 | Damien Williams | MIA | vs. OAK | 36 | 38 | 39 | 38 | 39 | 37 |
| 41 | Devontae Booker | DEN | @ PHI | 48 | 41 | 38 | 40 | 45 | 44 |
| 41 | D'Onta Foreman | HOU | vs. IND | -- | 40 | 45 | 46 | 37 | 38 |
| 43 | Jalen Richard | OAK | @ MIA | 42 | 43 | 47 | 42 | 42 | 43 |
| 44 | DeAndre Washington | OAK | @ MIA | 41 | 45 | 41 | 41 | 41 | -- |
| 45 | Wendell Smallwood | PHI | vs. DEN | -- | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 42 |
| 46 | Wayne Gallman | NYG | vs. LAR | 47 | 44 | 46 | 47 | 40 | 46 |
| 47 | Eddie Lacy | SEA | vs. WAS | 50 | 46 | 43 | 44 | 46 | 41 |
| 48 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | @ JAC | 46 | 47 | 44 | 45 | 44 | 45 |
| 49 | Andre Ellington | ARI | @ SF | 35 | 50 | -- | 50 | -- | 49 |
| 50 | Matt Breida | SF | vs. ARI | 39 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | Shane Vereen | NYG | vs. LAR | 38 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Mike Tolbert | BUF | @ NYJ | -- | 48 | 48 | 48 | 49 | -- |
| -- | Jamaal Charles | DEN | @ PHI | 44 | -- | -- | -- | 48 | -- |
| -- | Jeremy Hill | CIN | @ JAC | -- | 49 | 49 | 49 | 50 | -- |
| -- | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | @ NO | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 47 |
| -- | Chris Ivory | JAC | vs. CIN | 49 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | C.J. Prosise | SEA | vs. WAS | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 50 |
| -- | JD McKissic | SEA | vs. WAS | -- | -- | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
