Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances from Week 9

Running back rankings for half-PPR fantasy points scored in Week 9. Kyle reacts to the best fantasy football RB performances and projects them moving forward.

Week 9 was an interesting and difficult one for fantasy running backs as some of the best RBs for fantasy this year were on their bye week. This included Christian McCaffrey, Nick Chubb, and Saquon Barkley. Just five running backs went over 20.0 fantasy points in half-PPR formats on the week and many of them who ranked 6-10 likely wouldn't have made the Top 10 in most other weeks. Sometimes fantasy football is purely just a war of attrition. When injuries and bye weeks come all we can do is try to scrounge up as many points as we can and hope for the best.

Instead of saving some touchdowns for a rainy day or spreading them out during the course of the season, Joe Mixon absolutely exploded on Sunday for the Bengals delivering the top fantasy performance of the season. In just one week Mixon went from being the RB11 in fantasy all the way up to the RB4. Mixon dropped 53.1 fantasy points after having just one game this season of 15-plus fantasy points on the season.

Here are the Top 10 running back from Week 9 (excluding MNF) based on fantasy points scored in half-PPR formats. Make sure to bookmark our live fantasy football scoreboard so you can see all the live scoring and top fantasy football performances each week, during the games, and afterward as well.

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Top 10 Running Backs - Fantasy Football Week 9

Here are the top 10 running back from Week 8 of the NFL season in half-PPR scoring:

1. Joe Mixon

Mixon's positive touchdown regression week finally arrived! After leading all running backs in goal line carries so far this season, Mixon had just 2 touchdowns on the season before absolutely exploding in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers. Before today's contest, Mixon was averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and many fantasy managers everywhere were starting to get concerned as Mixon was also averaging a career-low in yards per carry as well as yards per reception.

In Week 9, Mixon went bonkers rushing 22 times for 153 yards and 4 TDs while catching 4 passes for 58 yards and a TD. If you were unlucky enough to have to go against him yesterday, all we can send you at this time are our thoughts and prayers. In 8 games this season Mixon had just 3 TDs and then he went out and scored 5 in a single week. Somebody make it make sense, please!

The Bengals head into their bye next week in Week 10 and have the Steelers and Titans afterward. Due to his high snap-share on the season, Mixon has simply been too valuable for fantasy from a sheer volume perspective. While many would prefer that he spread his fantasy production out over the season versus just one week like today, if you are rostering Mixon you should be feeling good about his fantasy outlook for the second half of the season. He should be viewed as a solid RB1 for the rest of the way.

2. Kenneth Walker III

K-9 (as many around the league are calling him) simply cannot be stopped at the Seattle Seahawks sit atop the NFC West at 6-3 as Walker continues to make his case for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. After wearing down the Arizona Cardinals' defense through 3 quarters the levy finally broke as Walker rumbled to two fourth-quarter touchdowns en route to a 31-21 victory.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll remains committed to the running game and it has been working brilliantly with how well quarterback Geno Smith has been playing this year. Yesterday was no different as Walker rushed 26 times for 109 yards and 2 TDs on top of catching 3 passes for 20 yards.  After largely not playing for the first month of the season, Walker has put up double-digit fantasy points in five straight games and has been averaging 19.3 fantasy points in half-PPR formats over the last 5 games since becoming the team's starting running back after Rashaad Penny's unfortunate injury.

Walker is in your lineup every week and should be viewed as a solid RB1 with Top 5 upside for the rest of the season. The Seahawks have Tampa Bay in Week 10 followed with a bye in Week 11, and then the Raiders and Rams. It's hard not to see Seattle getting to 10 wins this season (something most of us never saw coming) and likely they will continue to ride Walker to victory along the way.

3. Travis Etienne Jr.

The Jaguars snapped a five-game losing streak on Sunday after an impressive come-from-behind victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. For the third-straight week, Etienne rushed for over 100 yards on the ground and found the end zone. The Jaguars now sit at 3-6 and are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive. Since James Robinson was traded to the New York Jets two weeks ago, Etienne has seen 80 percent of the team's offensive snaps and is being treated like a bell cow type of running back.

We still have yet to see Etienne get it going in the passing game as he had just 2 receptions for 17 yards on Sunday, but if he continues to play 80 percent of the team's offensive snaps his fantasy value is going to be good regardless. The only real challenge for Etienne is going to be finding the end zone on a consistent basis as the Jaguars' offense has struggled at times this year to put up points on the board.

Coming up the Jaguars face the Chiefs in Week 10 followed by a Bye in Week 11, and then the Ravens and Lions. The Week 13 contest against the Lions' struggling defense should be penciled in on your calendar. With Robinson out of the way, it's now wheels up for Etienne and we should be viewing him as a solid RB1 with upside.

4. Derrick Henry

How many people in the fantasy community should be required to write this on the chalkboard 100 times? "I WILL NOT FADE DERRICK HENRY FOR REASONS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM. I WILL NOT FADE DERRICK HENRY FOR REASONS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM. After suffering an injury towards the end of last season that resulted in surgery to put several screws in his foot, many across the fantasy industry were worried about Henry for 2022, but since he is superhuman it doesn't matter.

On Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs, Henry went over 100 yards rushing for the fifth-straight week carrying the rock 17 times for 115 yards and 2 TDs in a 20-17 overtime loss. With starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill sidelined for the second straight week the Titans have had to rely heavily on their star running back and it worked the week before as Henry went over 200 yards rushing in a victory over the Texans.

Henry is in our lineups every week and should be viewed as a Top 3-5 RB for the rest of the season. Coming up the Titans face the Broncos, Packers, and Packers for their next three games. What's even more incredible about Henry this season is that he is averaging 4.8 yards per carry on the ground and had a long rush of 56 yards last night. He has shown no signs of slowing down and Tennessee will need to ride him to the finish line. Currently, the Titans are 5-3 and sit atop the AFC South.

5. Austin Ekeler

Arguably the most reliable player in fantasy this season, Ekeler had another solid performance for fantasy purposes as the Chargers survived the Chargers 20-17 on a game-winning field goal. With the Chargers driving late in field goal range, Ekeler fumbled and the ball was recovered by Atlanta who proceeded to fumble downfield and the Chargers recovered. Cameron Dicker made a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chargers the victory.

It wasn't pretty during the game as Ekeler rushed 14 times for 47 yards (3.4 AVG) and a long of 9 yards, he found the end zone on the ground and through the air as he caught 7 passes for 24 yards and a TD as well. After a slow start to the season, Ekeler has been a top-11 RB in each of his last 5 games, averaging 23.3 fantasy points per game!

In their next three games, the Chargers face the 49ers, Chiefs, and Cardinals. With Los Angeles' receiving corps currently depleted and no real depth behind him, the Chargers will have to continue to rely on Ekeler as they now sit at 5-3 and just one game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. Austin Ekeler is one of the toughest and grittiest players in all the National Football League. Even if he is banged up he will still be out there giving 110% for his team. Like the other RBs listed above, he is a solid RB1 for the rest of the season and is in our lineup every week.

6.Cordarelle Patterson

After being activated from Injured Reserve earlier this week, C-Patt picked up right where he left off rushing 13 times for 44 yards and 2 TDs while hauling in 1 reception for 9 yards. Patterson has been the lead back in a surprisingly good rushing offense for the Falcons this year. In the first month of the season when Patterson was healthy, he had two Top 4 finishes in Weeks 1 and 3. He has 5 rushing TDs in just 5 games so far this season and will continue to be the staple of the Atlanta rushing attack in the red zone.

Patterson is also a fantastic receiver out of the backfield, but we likely shouldn't expect good receiving numbers from Patterson for fantasy the rest of the season with how little the Falcons are throwing the ball, much to the chagrin of Kyle Pitts and Drake London fantasy managers.

Coming up the Falcons have a rather favorable schedule over the next month before heading to their Week 14 bye. Atlanta plays the Panthers, Bears, Commanders, and Steelers, and we likely can feel good about Patterson's outlook in those games. Even at 4-5, the Falcons are still in the thick of the NFC South race and Arthur Smith will likely continue to keep pounding the rock as he feels that is the best way for the Falcons to remain competitive.

7. Miles Sanders

One of the more talented running backs in the league, Sanders has been able to shine this season and has been one of the better later-round RB values for fantasy. On Thursday Night Football against the Texans, Sanders rushed 17 times for 93 yards and a TD in a 29-17 victory. While he didn't catch a pass, he has been spearheading one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL on the 8-0 Philadelphia Eagles.

One thing that has been holding Sanders' fantasy value back has been his lack of consistent volume as a rusher and he hasn't had a lot of receiving work this year out of the backfield. Some of this is due to quarterback Jalen Hurts, who would often rather scramble for a first down versus checking it down. Sanders is averaging 5.0 rushing yards per carry this season and has looked great! The only thing holding him back has just been the consistent volume and the receiving work.

Sanders should be viewed as a solid RB2 with upside for the rest of the season. While he has had 4 finishes in the Top 12 on the season, he has only had one big game for fantasy. It's nice to see Sanders performing well as he is a solid running back, but he needs to get a little more guaranteed volume to be a top RB for fantasy. Nonetheless, he is likely still in your lineup every week.

8. Michael Carter

One of the better backups in the league, Carter was left on the sideline for much of the first two months of the season as Jets rookie running back Breece Hall simply couldn't be stopped. Unfortunately, Hall went down with an ACL injury several weeks ago and is now out for the season. The Jets traded for James Robinson and plan to use him in the weekly gameplan, but for this week it was Carter who shined as the Jets pulled off an epic upset of the Buffalo Bills 20-17.

In the game, Carter rushed 12 times for 76 yards and a TD while catching one pass for 10 yards. He only scored 15 fantasy points, but once a week with so many good running backs on a bye, 15 points was good enough for an RB8 finish. The Jets are now 6-3, which is a testament to how great of a coaching job Robert Saleh has done this year. General Manager Joe Douglas has done a tremendous job as well as stocking the Jets roster with some budding young talent.

Going forward, the Jets' offense is likely to use a two-man committee with Carter and Robinson, so it is hard to view Carter as a safe, startable asset for fantasy purposes each and every week. Nonetheless, he is worth a roster spot and can be viewed as a high-end RB3 or flex option for the rest of the season. The Jets head to a bye in Week 10 where they will face the Patriots, Bears, and Vikings in Weeks 11-13.

9. Jeff Wilson Jr.

A player who was recently traded from San Francisco after the Christian McCaffrey trade, Wilson headed to Miami where he landed with a familiar face in Mike McDaniel. Wilson already knows the offense and will be a solid depth piece for the Dolphins at running back for the rest of the season. On Sunday in a 35-32 thriller over the Chicago Bears, Wilson rushed 9 times for 51 yards while catching 3 passes for 21 yards and a TD. It wasn't a great performance for fantasy, but it was good enough to get the job done.

Raheem Mostert is still the starting running back on the Dolphins going forward, but Wilson is worth a roster spot for your teams should anything happen to Mostert. The Miami offense has been one of the better units in the league this season when Tua Tagovailoa has been starting. Miami is 6-0 when Tua has played the full game and 0-3 when he has either been knocked out with an injury or didn't play.

Coming up the Dolphins play the Browns, followed with a Bye Week, and then the Texans and 49ers. The Browns' defense has been one of the worst against fantasy running backs and if Mostert should pop up on the injury report for whatever reason, Wilson would be in our lineups.

10. Rhamondre Stevenson

Another player who seems to finish in the Top 10 each and every week, Stevenson had another solid performance on Sunday in a 26-3 drubbing of the Indianapolis Colts that resulted in head coach Frank Reich's dismissal. Stevenson rushed 15 times for 60 yards while catching 3 passes for 10 yards and a TD. As mentioned above, a lot of the performances in the bottom half of the Top 10 likely wouldn't have made it in others, but it was good enough.

Stevenson has been a Top 11 fantasy running back in each of the last 5 weeks and he seems to have supplanted Damien Harris as the lead running back on the team playing 77, 63, and 73 percent of the team's offensive snaps over the last few games. The lingering question that remains is if this is because Bill Belichick and the Patriots coaches view him as the lead running back on the team or if it does to Damien Harris' lingering hamstring injury. As the Patriots head into a Bye in Week 10 it is likely a question that will be answered upon their return.

After the bye week, the Patriots play the Jets, Vikings, and Bills in consecutive weeks. Until proven otherwise, Stevenson should be viewed as a low-end RB1 / high-end RB2 for fantasy purposes and is in our lineup every week. After a rough start at 1-3, the Patriots have battled back to get to 5-4. All of the teams in the AFC East currently have a winning record.

Looking Forward

How did you do in Week 9? Hopefully, you didn't get stuck going up against Joe Mixon this week. As we head into another week of byes, Week 10 will feature the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, and New York Jets all on a bye.

A lot can change throughout the course of the season and it's important to stay up to date on all team injury reports and news so that you can use your waivers and FAAB priority wisely. Having running back depth can be crucial for your team over the full grind of a fantasy season and we should always be looking to find value at RB whenever possible.

Are there any running backs not on this list who you expect to bounce back in Week Ten? If you have any FAAB or waiver questions as well, feel free to get at me on Twitter.

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