Fantasy Football Week 9 RB rankings: Sleepers, bye week replacements, and more

Modified Nov 02, 2023 23:37 GMT

Cleveland Browns v Indianapolis Colts — Fantasy Football Week 9 RB rankings

Running backs have always been among the most important players in fantasy football each season. They can legitimately make or break an entire lineup with their polarizing weekly outcomes, as most hold high ceilings and low floors, depending on their specific matchups. This makes it crucial for managers to properly analyze the position before finalizing their lineups.

With the exception of a few rare options that can be started every week due to their elite upside, managers should stay away from blindly starting any running backs. The key to getting the most out of the position is to target players in favorable situations.

This can be determined by breaking down a wide range of variables for each option in a given week. Some of these factors include recent individual performances, direct weekly matchups, expected offensive roles, injury situations to relevant players, and potential game scripts, among many others.

This process can be long and complicated, but utilizing the Start/Sit Optimizer can make it much easier. This valuable tool analyzes every factor for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions.

Bye weeks will also play an important role when setting lineups each week as it determines the size of the available player pool. In Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season, four teams will be off, so their players will be unavailable in fantasy football lineups.

The San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars are all on their bye weeks. This means that lineup staples like Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, Javonte Williams, and Travis Etienne must be replaced in Week 9.

The official injury report also plays an important role when setting fantasy lineups each week. Managers should also pay close attention to practice activity and official injury designations for any player that shows up on the report. This will give a better idea of whether a specific player can be started or should be benched.

Managers dealing with any of these bye weeks or injury situations, or looking to replace a struggling running back in their lineups should consider the following sleepers. They all provide upside in Week 9 and are being relatively undervalued in most fantasy leagues.

Fantasy Football Week 9 RB sleepers

Chuba Hubbard

Miles Sanders opened the 2023 NFL season as the clear featured back for the Carolina Panthers. He recorded more than two-thirds of the backfield touches in each of the first two games this year, but his workload has significantly decreased since then. He has also regressed in total touches in his past three consecutive games.

Chuba Hubbard has quietly taken over the lead role for the Panthers, totaling 37 touches in his past two games. This includes last week when Sanders received just two carries and was not targeted in the passing game. Hubbard makes for a sneaky strong play in Week 9 as a leading back against the Indianapolis Colts, who allow the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.

Kareem Hunt

The Cleveland Browns signed Kareem Hunt when superstar running back Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending injury. Hunt previously played for the Browns, so he was a logical addition due to his knowledge of their offensive system. While he plays in tandem with Jerome Ford, Hunt has recorded three consecutive finishes among the top 16 running backs in PPR leagues.

The Browns have an extremely favorable matchup in Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals, one of the worst overall teams this season. This includes allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs. The game script also suggests plenty of running plays by the Browns, with them being massive favorites to win so that Hunt could be in line for a high-volume game in fantasy football.

Zack Moss

All of the fantasy football hype with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 is centered around Jonathan Taylor potentially having a breakout game and for good reason. He is one of the most talented players in the NFL and faces off against the Carolina Panthers, who allow the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs.

Even if Taylor has the monstrous performance that his fantasy football managers have been waiting for, that doesn't mean that Zack Moss can't also be productive. He has totaled 32 touches across his past two games and is still seeing a 40 percent snap share even with Taylor back in the lineup. Moss finished as RB11 in fantasy football in his most recent game despite being the Colts' RB2.

Darrell Henderson

When Kyren Williams was placed on the injured reserve list, the Los Angeles Rams signed Darrell Henderson to join a committee of RBs to replace him. Henderson has already played in the Rams' system, which may have helped him earn the most touches in their new-look backfield. In two games, he has totaled 34 touches.

While the Green Bay Packers have a relatively solid defense, they are much stronger against the pass than the run. In fantasy football, they rank inside the top ten for limiting fantasy scores against opposing quarterbacks but allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to running backs. The Rams would be wise to take advantage of their most favorable matchup this week and hand it off to Henderson often.

Rachaad White

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lack depth at their running back position, heavily contributing to Rachaad White remaining relevant in fantasy football. His reliable volume, especially as a receiver out of the backfield, has made up for his alarming inefficiencies. Despite his struggles on the football field, he still ranks as the RB24 overall in fantasy football, making him an RB2 on most rosters.

White has quietly finished among the top 12 running backs in the PPR league in his past two games and has averaged 17 fantasy points. He can keep his under-the-radar hot streak rolling in Week 9 against the Houston Texans, who rank in the bottom half of the NFL in defending fantasy running backs.

Managers looking to acquire any of these Week 9 targets should consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.