If your fantasy football squad went up against a Bengals stack in Week 8, you probably started to look ahead to next week before the late afternoon games even kicked off.
At quarterback, Joe Burrow (42.5 points) outscored Bryce Young, Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Jacoby Brissett and Lamar Jackson ... combined. Running back didn't feature any Bengals madness, but it did have Tyler Allgeier post more points (33.6) than the combined totals of Kenneth Walker III, Bijan Robinson, Javonte Williams, Jonathan Taylor and Jeremiyah Love. Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase at the WR1 and WR2, respectively, with MNF pending. The WR3 is Adonai Mitchell ... as we all expected. Finally, the Bengals had two tight ends (Mike Gesicki and Jack Endries)
who outscored everyone in this group: Dallas Goedert, Sam LaPorta, Hunter Henry, Tyler Warren, Tyler Higbee and Kyle Pitts. Fun.
Let's move on to Week 9.
Here's an early look at Week 9 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception) and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format. Scroll to the bottom to view the complete rankings.
Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your roster decisions. Looking for up-to-date player news? We’ve got it. We also have a list of 10 players to buy or sell and the 12 biggest takeaways from Week 8.
Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.
(The risers and sleepers sections will focus on players available in at least 50% of Yahoo leagues. All snap and target data are from PFF.)
Week 9 fantasy football quarterback rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Dolphins QB Malik Willis (20% rostered) - Willis has finished inside the top-15 in each of the last three weeks, and he now gets the king of all matchups. The Dolphins will take on the Lions, who have ceded the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, including at least 18 in every game.
- Seahawks QB Sam Darnold (43%) - While this is being written before MNF, Darnold does get one of the best matchups in Week 9. The Cardinals have surrendered more than 26 points to quarterbacks in three of their last six games, and they haven't limited a passer to fewer than 17 fantasy points since Week 1.
Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Colts RB Seth McGowan (31%) - With the Colts very open to trading Jonathan Taylor, McGowan could very well be Indy's RB1 by this time next week. Volume alone should give the rookie RB2 upside, and he should be rostered in all leagues through the deadline.
- Raiders RB Mike Washington Jr. (27%) - Only Bucky Irving (27) carried the ball more times than Washington (25) in Week 8. The rookie played 60% of snaps against the Jets, and he garnered 20 more touches than Ashton Jeanty. While he only managed 83 scoreless yards on that heavy workload, the workload itself is impossible to ignore. What's also impossible to ignore is the fact that Washington leads the league in attempts inside the 10 over the last three weeks (9).
- Browns RB Dylan Sampson (17%) - While game script played a significant role, Sampson did have the edge over Quinshon Judkins in both snaps (39 to 27) and routes (32 to 10). Sampson has now racked up nine opportunities in back-to-back games, and Cleveland's next two contests are against teams that are top 10 in most receptions allowed to opposing running backs. The 22-year-old is a viable streaming option in PPR formats.
- 49ers RB Kaelon Black (31%) - When we last saw the 49ers, Black played 47% of their snaps and garnered 15 opportunities (12 carries, 3 targets). It's possible that the rookie will continue to see a healthy snap rate if the 49ers want to keep Christian McCaffrey fresh for the stretch run, making him a viable plug-and-play option for those in need. At worst, Black is one of the most valuable handcuffs in all of fantasy.
- Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson (19%) - Johnson currently ranks as the RB5 in Week 8, but it's hard to read much into it given that he only played 18% of snaps. Like Black, it's possible that Johnson could start to see more work if the Chiefs want to keep Kenneth Walker fresh. And also like Black, the rookie is one of the best handcuffs in fantasy.
Week 9 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Commanders WR Antonio Williams (26%) - Against the Eagles on SNF, Williams led the Commanders in snaps, routes, and targets. The rookie turned his seven targets into 54 scoreless yards, but his 24% target share was encouraging. After the Rams in Week 9, the Commanders face one of the easiest schedules for wide receivers, making Williams a prime breakout candidate going forward.
- Dolphins WR Caleb Douglas (28%) - In Week 8, Douglas led the Dolphins in snaps, routes and targets. The rookie has surpassed 14 PPR points in two of his four games, and now gets to face a Lions defense that's allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts.
- Patriots WR DeMario Douglas (37%) - While his targets haven't been eye-popping, Douglas has racked up more than 15 half-PPR points in three of his last four games. With A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and now Hunter Henry banged up, Douglas should continue generating high-value targets. Upcoming matchups against the Packers and Lions are a nice bonus.
- Jets WR Adonai Mitchell (11%) - Just when we thought Omar Cooper Jr. had established himself as the Jets' WR2, Mitchell explodes for 142 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Cooper still played more snaps, and with Garrett Wilson entrenched as the team's WR1, this is likely to be a frustrating situation going forward. Those in deeper leagues can look to Mitchell as a flyer, but he's nothing more than that despite the massive performance.
- Cowboys WR Ryan Flournoy (34%) - Flournoy has now racked up at least nine half-PPR points in four consecutive games. The 27-year-old doesn't have a massive ceiling unless one of Dallas' big boys goes down, but he's still a viable flex option during bye weeks.
Week 9 fantasy football tight end rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Rams TE Terrance Ferguson (16%) - If you watched the Rams in Week 8, it seemed pretty evident that they could benefit from having another explosive option to take pressure off Puka Nacua. With the news that Ferguson is likely to practice this week, he immediately becomes the top claim at tight end. The 23-year-old has showcased significant upside in spurts, and the opportunity will be there for him with Davante Adams out.
- Bengals TE Mike Gesicki (18%) - On the back of six touchdowns in seven games, Gesicki currently ranks as fantasy's TE6 in points per game. While chasing touchdowns is never wise, the Bengals do have plus tight end matchups in three of their next four games.
Early Week 9 fantasy football rankings: PPR and standard
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Early Week 9 fantasy football rankings: 14 sleepers and streamers
