For the past eight weeks, we've been diligently navigating the unpredictable world of fantasy football running back options. We've tackled injuries and made predictions about breakouts and disappointments. We have kept a close eye on rookie performance and hopefully helped you secure some victories along the way. The grind never stops, so let's dive back in and prepare you for success with our Week 9 fantasy football RB PPR rankings.
Every week, we analyze the running back position, highlighting the top-tier choices for upcoming games. We reveal potential hidden gems, as well as players available on the waiver wire who should be on your radar. Of course, we also try to provide cautionary advice about starting RBs we believe will underperform and keep you updated on critical RB injuries. Let's get down to it.
Bye Teams This Week
After enjoying a bye-free weekend last time, Week 9 will see four teams with strong fantasy football running backs on bye: the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Denver Broncos.
Top Selections
With Christian McCaffrey on a bye week, Austin Ekeler ascends to the top spot in our fantasy football rankings. Ekeler showcased his skills on Sunday night against the Bears, accumulating over 100 total yards and a touchdown by halftime. Speaking of the Bears, we expect Alvin Kamara to thrive against their struggling defense. We also have high expectations for Raheem Mostert in the game in Germany.
Kenneth Walker III may have had a lackluster Week 8, but it's worth noting that Arizona's Emari Demercado managed 79 all-purpose yards against Baltimore last week. Breece Hall is poised for a strong rebound performance against a defense that has been giving up significant PPR points per game to RBs. We're also predicting impressive numbers from Bijan Robinson and Josh Jacobs, both of whom have favorable matchups in various aspects. Saquon Barkley continues to improve each week, too. He faces a Vegas defense that ranks among the five most generous against RBs in PPR formats.
Hidden Gems
Darrell Henderson is one of the main fantasy football sleepers this week. He was owned by only 45 percent of fantasy football managers at the start of the week. Now he faces a Packers defense that has surrendered the third-most PPR points to RBs this season.
Jeff Wilson Jr. could see increased involvement in the Week 9 game in Germany for the Dolphins. He came back from the injured reserve a few weeks ago. He quietly gained 37 yards on seven touches against New England in Week 8. That makes him a promising fantasy football option against a Chiefs defense that recently struggled against Javonte Williams.
Potential Busts
We're starting to lose confidence in Aaron Jones of the Packers. It's hard for us to place him in the top fantasy football 25 PPR rankings given his limited 11 touches in Green Bay's Week 8 loss to the Vikings. We still prefer Jones over Najee Harris of the Steelers, though. Harris faces a tough run defense. Ditto with Miles Sanders, who is playing behind the more productive Chuba Hubbard.
The Browns have a strong running identity, but it's unclear who will be the RB1 from week to week. Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, and Pierre Strong all received double-digit opportunities against Seattle, and each averaged over four yards per touch. We expect Hunt to have the most success against Arizona, but there's a risk that they might cannibalize each other's fantasy football production.
Kareem Hunt with a goal line score makes it 17-14.
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Injury Updates
Jerome Ford was active for Cleveland's Week 8 game against Seattle but had limited involvement, making the Browns' backfield situation uncertain. Miles Sanders (shoulder) played last week but didn't perform well. This leads us to believe that he might not be fully healthy for most of the season. Hopefully, those who own Sanders had previously picked up Chuba Hubbard, who has outperformed him.
Now, let's dive into our NFL Fantasy Football Running Back rankings for Week 9 of the 2023 regular season. Standard rankings are indicated in parentheses.
NFL Fantasy Football Week 9 RB Rankings
1. Alvin Kamara, NO vs. CHI (1)
2. Saquon Barkley, NYG @ LV (2)
3. Austin Ekeler, LAC @ NYJ (7)
4. Breece Hall, NYJ vs. LAC (5)
5. Josh Jacobs, LV vs. NYG (3)
6. Jonathan Taylor, IND @ CAR (4)
7. Bijan Robinson, ATL vs. MIN (6)
8. Joe Mixon, CIN vs. BUF (8)
9. D'Andre Swift, PHI vs. DAL (12)
10. Raheem Mostert, MIA @ KC (10)
11. Tony Pollard, DAL @ PHI (13)
12. Isiah Pacheco, KC vs. MIA (11)
13. Derrick Henry, TEN @ PIT (9)
14. Rachaad White, TB @ HOU (19)
15. Rhamondre Stevenson, NE vs. WAS (21)
16. Kenneth Walker III, SEA @ BAL (14)
17. James Cook, BUF @ CIN (17)
18. Aaron Jones, GB vs. LAR (23)
19. Chuba Hubbard, CAR vs. IND (18)
20. Kareem Hunt, CLE vs. ARI (28)
21. Zack Moss, IND @ CAR (20)
22. Gus Edwards, BAL vs. SEA (15)
23. Jerome Ford, CLE vs. ARI (24)
24. Najee Harris, PIT vs. TEN (25)
25. Royce Freeman, LAR @ GB (39)
26. Emari Demercado, ARI @ CLE (29)
27. Brian Robinson Jr., WAS @ NE (22)
28. Alexander Mattison, MIN @ ATL (26)
29. Jaylen Warren, PIT vs. TEN (31)
30. Darrell Henderson Jr., LAR @ GB (16)
31. Devin Singletary, HOU vs. TB (34)
32. Dameon Pierce, HOU vs. TB (30)
33. AJ Dillon, GB vs. LAR (33)
34. D'Onta Foreman, CHI @ NO (27)
35. Roschon Johnson, CHI @ NO (35)
36. Tyler Allgeier, ATL vs. MIN (32)
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