Fantasy Football Week 9 Rankings: Projections to Love and Matchups to Exploit

Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season got off to a productive start on Thursday.

Nearly every fantasy-relevant member of the Philadelphia Eagles put up solid-or-better stats—DeVonta Smith being the lone exception (two catches for 22 yards)—while Houston Texans bell-cow running back Dameon Pierce got as busy as ever with career-highs of 27 carries and 139 rushing yards.

If you had any exposure to the matchup, you're probably in good shape heading into the weekend. If you didn't, you might have some ground to make up if your opponent did. Either way, you need to knock your Week 9 lineup decisions out of the park, and we're here to help by laying out our rankings at the four offensive positions and spotlighting one player with an exploitable matchup at each spot.

Top 10

1. Josh Allen, BUF (at NYJ)

2. Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. TEN)

3. Justin Herbert, LAC (at ATL)

4. Lamar Jackson, BAL (at NO)

5. Joe Burrow, CIN (vs. CAR)

6. Kyler Murray, ARI (vs. SEA)

7. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (at CHI)

8. Geno Smith, SEA (at ARI)

9. Aaron Rodgers, GB (at DET)

10. Kirk Cousins, MIN (at WAS)

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Matchup to Exploit: Aaron Rodgers at Detroit Lions

Rodgers' days as a set-it-and-forget-it weekly starter are over.

Without any playmaking pass-catchers around him, his statistical volume is almost always muted—at least by his standards. He has yet to throw more than two touchdown passes in a game, and his season-high for yards is just 255. For context, he had six outings with three-plus touchdown passes last season and eclipsed 260 passing yards nine different times.

If he was ever going to make major noise, though, this is the game to do it. The Lions have surrendered the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, per Yahoo, and allowed Carson Wentz, Geno Smith and Tua Tagovailoa to all throw for 300-plus yards and multiple touchdowns.

Projected stats: 272 passing yards, two touchdowns

Top 20

1. Austin Ekeler, LAC (at ATL)

2. Derrick Henry, TEN (at KC)

3. Alvin Kamar, NO (vs. BAL)

4. Aaron Jones, GB (at DET)

5. Josh Jacobs, LV (at JAX)

6. Dalvin Cook, MIN (at WAS)

7. Travis Etienne, JAX (vs. LV)

8. Joe Mixon, CIN (vs. CAR)

9. Kenneth Walker III, SEA (at ARI)

10. Rhamondre Stevenson, NE (vs. IND)

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

12. Jonathan Taylor, IND (at NE)

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

14. Leonard Fournette, TB (vs. LAR)

15. Raheem Mostert, MIA (at CHI)

16. David Montgomery, CHI (vs. MIA)

17. Devin Singletary, BUF (at NYJ)

18. Tyler Allgeier, ATL (vs. LAC)

19. Jamaal Williams, DET (vs. GB)

20. James Conner, ARI (vs. SEA)

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Matchup to Exploit: Tyler Allgeier vs. Los Angeles Chargers

It's possible Cordarrelle Patterson makes it back for this contest, but if this backfield remains without the speedy veteran, then Allgeier could be in line for his best output yet.

The rookie fifth-rounder hasn't been hugely productive, but he has been helpful more often than not. He has handled at least 14 carries in each of his last three outings and gone for 50-plus scrimmage yards in five of his last six contests.

The Chargers have one of the leakiest run defenses around. They've given up the second-most fantasy points to running backs and the sixth-most rushing yards per game.

Projected stats: 78 rushing yards, 11 receiving yards, one touchdown

Top 20

1. Tyreek Hill, MIA (at CHI)

2. Cooper Kupp, LAR (at TB)

3. Justin Jefferson, MIN (at WAS)

4. Stefon Diggs, BUF (at NYJ)

5. Davante Adams, LV (at JAX)

6. DeAndre Hopkins, ARI (vs. SEA)

7. Jaylen Waddle, MIA (at CHI)

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

9. Tee Higgins, CIN (vs. CAR)

10. DK Metcalf, SEA (at ARI)

11. Terry McLaurin, WAS (vs. MIN)

12. Mike Evans, TB (vs. LAR)

13. Tyler Lockett, SEA (at ARI)

14. DJ Moore, CAR (at CIN)

15. Chris Godwin, TB (vs. LAR)

16. Christian Kirk, JAX (vs. LV)

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

18. Chris Olave, NO (vs. BAL)

19. Allen Lazard, GB (at DET)

20. Michael Pittman Jr., IND (at NE)

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Matchup to Exploit: JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Tennessee Titans

Patrick Mahomes needed a new go-to wide receiver once Kansas City traded away Tyreek Hill this summer, and the Chiefs quarterback seemed to lock in on Smith-Schuster pretty early. He saw eight targets in his first outing with Kansas City and has exactly that many targets in five of his seven games.

Those chances are really starting to pay off. Over his last two games, Smith-Schuster has 12 receptions on 13 targets for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

There's a chance he could set a season-high for receiving yards for the third consecutive game this weekend. The Titans have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the position.

Projected stats: 102 receiving yards, two touchdowns

Top 10

1. Travis Kelce, KC (vs. TEN)

2. Mark Andrews, BAL (at NO)

3. Zach Ertz, ARI (vs. SEA)

4. Gerald Everett, LAC (at ATL)

5. T.J. Hockenson, MIN (at WAS)

6. Tyler Higbe, LAR (at TB)

7. Kyle Pitts, ATL (vs. LAC)

8. Darren Waller, LV (at JAX)

9. Hayden Hurst, CIN (vs. CAR)

10. Robert Tonyan, GB (at DET)

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Matchup to Exploit: Zach Ertz vs. Seattle Seahawks

The return of DeAndre Hopkins has cut into Ertz's opportunities, but the tight end showed on Sunday how he can still be a fantasy asset.

While his five targets were the third-fewest he's seen all season, he hauled in four of them for 34 yards and a touchdown.

The Seahawks, who have allowed more fantasy points to tight ends than anyone, could allow Ertz to get loose.

Projected stats: 52 receiving yards, one touchdown