Fantasy Football Week 9 Rankings: Guide for Top Players and Sleepers

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 27: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws a pass during the regular season game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 27, 2022 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Fantasy football managers will have their work cut out for them in Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season.

Six different teams are on bye, and they collectively feature some of the heaviest hitters in the fantasy realm.

Between the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, the list of normally helpful fantasy contributors who are unavailable due to byes alone is staggering.

Throw in the perpetually growing injury list, and chances are you could have your share of holes to fill this weekend.

That's why we're supplying a sleeper at each of the three marquee positions along with our weekly rankings.

Quarterback

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 30: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field on October 30, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Top 10

1. Josh Allen, BUF (at NYJ)

2. Jalen Hurts, PHI (at HOU)

3. Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. TEN)

4. Lamar Jackson, BAL (at NO)

5. Justin Herbert, LAC (at ATL)

6. Kyler Murray, ARI (vs. SEA)

7. Joe Burrow, CIN (vs. CAR)

8. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (at CHI)

9. Kirk Cousins, MIN (at WAS)

10. Geno Smith, SEA (at ARI)

Sleeper: Andy Dalton, NO (vs. BAL)

An injury to Jameis Winston opened the door for Andy Dalton, and he's answered it in such impressive fashion that the gig is now his to lose.

So far, that possibility doesn't look like it will come into play.

While the 35-year-old's numbers were bigger in Week 7 (361 passing yards and four touchdowns), his production in Week 8 was cleaner. He upped his completion percentage nearly 10 points (63.8 to 73.3) and effectively eliminated his mistakes (three interceptions to zero). And his stat line wasn't too shabby, either, as he threw for a solid 229 yards and two scores.

There's a chance this week will allow him to balance both the high volume with the newfound efficiency. The Ravens have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position, per Yahoo, and have managed just three interceptions against quarterbacks not named Mac Jones or Tua Tagovailoa.

Running Back

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 30: Josh Jacobs #28 of the Las Vegas Raiders runs with the ball during the first quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on October 30, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Top 20

1. Derrick Henry, TEN (at KC)

2. Dalvin Cook, MIN (at WAS)

3. Josh Lacobs, LV (at JAX)

4. Austin Ekeler, LAC (at ATL)

5. Aaron Jones, GB (at DET)

6. Joe Mixon, CIN (vs. CAR)

7. Miles Sanders, PHI (at HOU)

8. Alvin Kamar, NO (vs. BAL)

9. Travis Etienne Jr., JAX (vs. LV)

10. Rhamondre Stevenson, NE (vs. IND)

11. Kenneth Walker III, SEA (at ARI)

12. Jonathan Taylor, IND (at NE)

13. Raheem Mostert, MIA (at CHI)

14. D'Andre Swift, DET (vs. GB)

15. D'Onta Foreman, CAR (at CIN)

16. James Conner, ARI (vs. SEA)

17. Leonard Fournette, TB (vs. LAR)

18. Tyler Allgeier, ATL (vs. LAC)

19. David Montgomery, CHI (vs. MIA)

20. Dameon Pierce, HOU (vs. PHI)

Sleeper: Kenyan Drake, BAL (at NO)

Timing one of Kenyan Drake's good games can be tricky, so expectations should be tempered.

That said, the 28-year-old has some interesting fantasy weeks every once in a while. On Thursday, he turned 11 touches into 67 scrimmage yards and a score. Two weeks prior, he racked up a season-high 127 scrimmage yards on another 11 touches.

Could this be another fantasy-relevant effort for Drake? It's definitely doable.

The matchup is pretty middle of the road, but the opportunity could be great. Gus Edwards left Baltimore's last game early with a hamstring injury that could cost him "a week or so," per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

If Edwards is unavailable, Drake could see more usage this weekend than he has all season.

Wide Receiver

Top 20

1. Cooper Kupp, LAR (at TB)

2. Justin Jefferson, MIN (at WAS)

3. Davante Adams, LV (at JAX)

4. Stefon Diggs, BUF (at NYJ)

5. Tyreek Hill, MIA (at CHI)

6. A.J. Brown, PHI (at HOU)

7. Tee Higgins, CIN (vs. CAR)

8. Jaylen Waddle, MIA (at CHI)

9. Chris Olave, NO (vs. BAL)

10. Mike Evans, TB (vs. LAR)

11. DeAndre Hopkins, ARI (vs. SEA)

12. Keenan Allen, LAC (at ATL)

13. Christian Kirk, JAX (vs. LV)

14. Tyler Lockett, SEA (at ARI)

15. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (vs. GB)

16. JuJu Smith-Schuster, KC (vs. TEN)

17. Tyler Boyd, CIN (vs. CAR)

18. Allen Lazard, GB (at DET)

19. Chris Godwin, TB (vs. LAR)

20. Terry McLaurin, WAS (vs. MIN)

Sleeper: Mecole Hardman, KC (vs. TEN)

The Chiefs have been searching for playmaking pass-catchers not named Travis Kelce since trading away Tyreek Hill this offseason.

And it seems like they're giving Mecole Hardman a legitimate chance to earn that role.

Powered by blink-and-you'll-miss-him burst, the 24-year-old doesn't need a ton of touches to deliver big numbers. That's just as well, since the six touches he received last week were a season high.

To hammer home the point of capitalizing on his chances, though, those six touches yielded 60 scrimmage yards and three scores. Over his last three outings, he's had 11 receptions and three carries for 182 yards and four touchdowns.

There isn't a huge margin for error given the relatively light workload, but if Hardman gets a handful of opportunities, he could be interesting. You have to at least like the matchup here, as the Titans have allowed the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers.