Fantasy: Week 9 Rankings - Analysis

theScore's Justin Boone is currently ranked number one in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition and is the top-ranked pro over the last three seasons. Scroll down to see his rankings for Week 9.

A final rankings update will be available on Sunday morning.

Quarterbacks

• The highest over/under of the week goes to the Broncos vs. Patriots, which will feature two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have been absolutely eviscerating their opponents recently. Over the last four games, Tom Brady is averaging 317 yards and 3.5 touchdowns per outing, while Peyton Manning is averaging 330 yards and 3.5 touchdowns. After a slow start to the year, Brady has come on strong and is a top-five play this week. 

• Another potential quarterback duel may not materialize as Tony Romo is looking like a game-time decision against the Cardinals. On the other side of the field, Carson Palmer is over his own injury woes and has been a solid, but not spectacular, fantasy quarterback since returning. Palmer has a plethora of weapons and is an excellent bye-week fill-in if he's available in your league. 

• Speaking of Romo, if he is held out against the Cardinals, Brandon Weeden will not only be a scary fantasy option, but he'll drag the value of the Cowboys' other fantasy stars down. Maybe his time on the bench in Dallas has helped him develop, but I just keep having flashbacks to some of the baffling throws he made while starting for the Browns. 

• One of the mistakes owners often make is overvaluing a player based on his performance the week before. This week's example would be Ben Roethlisberger, who threw for 522 yards and six touchdowns last Sunday. The Steelers quarterback's value is definitely rising, especially with the emergence of Martavis Bryant. However, prior to that massive stat line Roethlisberger had just one game with 20-plus fantasy points. Keep your expectations in check as he goes up against the division rival Ravens, as they have allowed the third fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. 

• Michael Vick is still fun to watch when he scrambles around, but don't be tempted to start him in fantasy based on his name and the good times you may have enjoyed with him in your lineup in years past. Trying to right the Jets offense on the road in Kansas City is not an easy task.

Running Backs

• After scoring six touchdowns in his first four games of the year, Marshawn Lynch hasn't found the end zone in three weeks. Beast Mode will definitely put an end to that drought this week, as the Seahawks welcome the Raiders to Seattle. The Raiders run defense leaves a lot to be desired and I expect Lynch to break the 100-yard mark with at least one touchdown. 

• DeMarco Murray may have to carry the offense all by himself this week if Romo sits out. Murray is in the midst of a  monster season, but this week he faces a tough test against the Cardinals, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing rushers this year. That isn't a reason to consider benching Murray, just an explanation for why he is ranked third and not first this week. 

• Murray's outstanding campaign has overshadowed a pretty impressive first half from Arian Foster. While Murray has rushed for 100 yards in every game, Foster has done so in six of the seven contests he's played in. That trend should continue at home against the Eagles. 

• Coming off a 172-yard, one-touchdown effort, Mark Ingram has another quality matchup versus the Panthers on Thursday night. He will continue to receive the vast majority of snaps with Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson likely out. Cadet will be used in the passing game, but he only had one carry last week. Ingram is a fantasy RB1 for Week 9. 

• Giovani Bernard is reportedly dealing with a hip pointer and his clavicle is still an issue for him. With that in mind,  it might be smart for the Bengals to hold him out of a winnable game at home versus the Jaguars, especially since the team plays the Thursday nighter in Week 10. If Bernard doesn't suit up, Jeremy Hill will be ranked in the top 10 for this excellent matchup. 

• The Browns running game hasn't been the same since center Alex Mack was lost to injury. Ben Tate, Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell are all seeing snaps, but they haven't been able to do much with them in recent weeks. Until the team decides to give the bulk of the carries to one player, it's a dangerous situation to flirt with. 

• If you have to rely on the Buccaneers backfield this week, I would play Bobby Rainey over the rookie Charles Sims. It's Sims' first game since suffering an ankle injury before the season and Tampa's rushing attack doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Sims is an interesting pickup for the stretch run, but not someone I would want to roll the dice on Sunday. 

Wide Receivers

• Demaryius Thomas may have to deal with Darrelle Revis on Sunday, meaning Emmanuel Sanders could once again be the more productive Broncos receiver. In Week 8, Sanders caught all nine of his targets, finishing with 120 yards and three touchdowns. The Patriots have done a good job versus the pass this season, but the Denver defense is far more potent than anything New England has had to deal with this season.  

• With so many teams on bye, the rankings get really interesting at wide receiver after the top five. Players like Kelvin Benjamin and Rueben Randle are higher than usual, but are very capable of posting big weeks in front of national audiences. Benjamin will get to showcase his talents on Thursday night, going up against a very generous Saints secondary. Randle has a tougher matchup on Monday Night Football (though it will get easier if Vontae Davis is ruled out), but he is now Eli Manning's top target with Victor Cruz out for the season. 

• Larry Fitzgerald has posted a couple solid games in the last few weeks, but the Cardinals have remained adamant that they will throw to the open receiver, regardless of whether it's Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd or John Brown. Head coach Bruce Arians knows how to build a quality passing game, but I worry fantasy owners may have a hard time guessing which receiver will benefit in a given week. Despite his zero-catch performance last week, Floyd is still a player I want to own. 

• Just a reminder that Denard Robinson is ranked under both running back and wide receiver because in Yahoo leagues he is eligible at both positions. His matchup on the road in Cincinnati isn't great, but Robinson has established himself as the clear lead back in Jacksonville with back-to-back 100-yard performances. 

• Terrance Williams will be an intriguing start if Romo is under center, but right now Williams is ranked outside of the top 20. Brandon Weeden won't be able to support two fantasy receivers and Dez Bryant will get his yards regardless of who is passing him the ball. 

• Brandon LaFell has emerged as Tom Brady's favorite receiver on the outside, with tight end Rob Gronkowski being his top option overall. LaFell caught all 11 of his targets for 124 yards and a score last week. Even in a tougher matchup against the Broncos secondary, LaFell is in the low-end WR2, high-end WR3 conversation now. 

• I could probably copy and paste this every week, but if A.J. Green doesn't return to action, Mohamed Sanu will get a significant bump up the rankings into WR1 territory. Much like Golden Tate, Sanu has excelled during the absence of his team's top receiver.

• Don't be afraid to start rookies like Mike Evans, Allen Robinson, Donte Moncrief, John Brown or Martavis Bryant. They have lower floors than most receivers, but each is capable of outproducing their current ranking. 

Tight Ends

• Jimmy Graham contributed last week with five receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. It's clear he's getting healthier and he remains one of the best options at the position even on limited snaps.  

• Rob Gronkowski was back to running defenders over and sometimes carrying them downfield with him last week. The Broncos are a favorable matchup for any tight end, so expect Gronk to carve them up. 

• Larry Donnell should be set for a strong second half, starting with Monday night's matchup against the Colts. Prior to the bye, Donnell hauled in seven passes for 90 yards, which is more than you can ask for from most players at his position. Eli Manning loves throwing to Donnell and Indianapolis gives up the sixth most fantasy points to tight ends. 

• Jordan Cameron isn't ranked, as he deals with a concussion. Unfortunately, Cameron has a history of concussions, putting not only his next few weeks in doubt, but perhaps the rest of his season. If there is a suitable waiver wire replacement, you can feel free to drop Cameron. 

• Players like Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz have the talent to be impact fantasy players, but their teams just aren't using them as feature options. They still have high ceilings each week, but unfortunately that comes with very low floors as well. 

• Tim Wright has touchdowns in his last three games and gets the same quality matchup as Gronkowski. It wouldn't surprise me if Bill Belichick acquired Wright simply to try and exploit Denver's weakness against tight ends. 

Defense/Special Teams

Kickers