X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 9 Running Back (RB) Rankings & Matchups Analysis

Below you will find our Week 9 running back rankings, to help determine your RB starts/sits for this week, brought to you by Bill Dubiel (@Roto_Dubs), Nick Mariano (@NMariano53) and Ben Ruppert (@Ben_Ruppert_21).

Featured writer Ben Ruppert also highlights some RB rankings and matchups analysis for Week 9, and draws some matchup conclusions. He tells you who he likes, who he doesn't, and most importantly who he thinks you should be starting in Week 9. You can also check out RotoBaller's overall player rankings here.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive our full season NFL (or NBA) Premium Pass for free, a $59.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium pass.

 

Week 9 Running Backs - Rankings & Matchups Analysis

LeSean McCoy is looking like he is going to play on Monday night for the Bills, which gives him an immediate boost in our rankings. Not too much higher up given Seattle’s defense is excellent against the run, however. Over the past five weeks there has been no tougher run defense to face. Shady is an exceptional talent, but Seattle has already had to stop Devonta Freeman, David Johnson, and Matt Forte over the past few weeks. Last time Shady came in to play after saying he was OK, he barely made it through a half. I would cautiously sit McCoy through his bye week, and hope he is heathy for the stretch run of your playoffs. This defense on the road in prime time will be too much to handle for Shady and the Bills run game.

It will be interesting to see how things shake out in the Saints backfield, as they enter a juicy matchup with the 49ers this Sunday. After Mark Ingram was benched last week due to fumbling the football, Tim Hightower came in and rushed 26 times 102 yards against the tough Seahawks defense. Since 2011, Ingram has received 25 carries only twice, and has no games this season with over 20 rushing attempts. Heading into this week, word on the street is the two will (brace yourselves) be in a committee moving forward. Ingram went from a solo backfield to the back-end a two-man committee in no time, leaving fantasy owners in the dust. Even in this primes matchup, I would sit both options until we see how this plays out.

The only things the Panthers defense has been good at stopping this season is the running game; they have given up the eighth fewest fantasy points to the RB position this season. Todd Gurley certainly sees enough volume to still have a productive day, but this is the team that just held David Johnson to only 24 rushing yards on 10 carries. His 3.0 YPC leaves much to be desired, but over the past few weeks the Rams have gotten him more involved in the passing game, averaging 4.5 receptions for 40 yards per game. Over the past two weeks we’ve seen the highs and lows of QB Case Keenum, leaving the defense free to stack the box and take out the Rams most threating offensive player. You’re likely starting Gurley if you own him, but this matchup will be far from an easy one for Gurley.

Those of you lucky enough to grab Charcandrick West will have yourselves a very nice week or two of production. It’s tough to predict exactly how much or how long a concussion affects someone, but here’s to hoping for a speedy return for RB Spencer Ware. In the meantime, West will carry the rock much like he did for the stretch of games he played last season when Jamaal Charles went down with n injury. Last season from Weeks 7-to-10 (before West hurt his hamstring and Ware earned playing time), West averaged 22 carries for 92 yards and a TD per game. West makes for a solid option this week against a Jaguars defense that was just torn apart by DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry last week. He is a strong play until Ware makes his return from injury.

Can Jay Ajayi keep his 200-yard game streak going? He is among 4 players in league history to hit that mark for two straight games, but no one has ever done it in three straight. He will have an uphill battle this week with the Jets coming to town. The Jets have given up the 17th most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season, but have only allowed opposing RBs to rush for 68.5 yards per game on average. Miami’s healthy offensive line has made all the difference for Ajayi, when at the beginning of the year no RB on the roster (including Arian Foster) could find room to run. This will be a great game to watch as Ajayi chases history. Regardless of the matchup, you must start him if you own him.

My favorite matchup for RBs this week comes in the Titans vs. Chargers matchup in San Diego. DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry formed a lethal 1-2 punch last week, as the pair bowled over the Jaguars last week in prime time. Both RBs played and looked dominant, and should play similar roles this week with Henry earning some more touches, per HC Mike Mularkey. Murray is still the lead back, but Henry also looked amazing last week. San Diego has been bad against opposing RBs all season long, and has seen their pass defense improve with the arrival of QB disrupter Joey Bosa. Meaning, that well see a heavy dose of these backs on Sunday. On the other side we have Melvin Gordon, who has been a TD machine all season long. Tennessee has limited RBs to only 69 yards rushing per game, but also 41 yards receiving this season. Gordon excels in both aspects of the game, so with no competition for touches he gets the buffet all to himself. Expect a ton of rushing attempts on both sides of the ball.

 

Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings - Running Backs

Rank Player Name Pos
3 Le'Veon Bell RB
4 Ezekiel Elliott RB
8 DeMarco Murray RB
11 Devonta Freeman RB
12 Devontae Booker RB
15 Melvin Gordon RB
17 Matt Forte RB
19 Theo Riddick RB
22 Carlos Hyde RB
25 Jay Ajayi RB
30 Christine Michael RB
39 Frank Gore RB
41 Charcandrick West RB
43 Matt Asiata RB
45 Jonathan Stewart RB
48 Terrance West RB
49 Mark Ingram RB
50 Darren Sproles RB
52 Todd Gurley RB
57 Isaiah Crowell RB
59 Tim Hightower RB
62 Duke Johnson RB
64 Latavius Murray RB
68 Rashad Jennings RB
70 Bilal Powell RB
74 C.J. Prosise RB
77 Mike Gillislee RB
78 Spencer Ware RB
80 Derrick Henry RB
85 LeSean McCoy RB
86 Ryan Mathews RB
88 T.J. Yeldon RB
96 Jerick McKinnon RB
97 DeAndre Washington RB
99 Antone Smith RB
101 Chris Ivory RB
105 Shaun Draughn RB
107 Kenneth Dixon RB
115 Terron Ward RB
118 Paul Perkins RB
119 Aaron Ripkowski RB
121 Alfred Morris RB
125 Jalen Richard RB
126 Bobby Rainey RB
130 Mike Davis RB
133 Peyton Barber RB
138 Zach Zenner RB
142 Damien Williams RB
143 DuJuan Harris RB
146 Kapri Bibbs RB
150 Reggie Bush RB
159 Fozzy Whittaker RB
160 DeAngelo Williams RB
167 Benny Cunningham RB
168 Don Jackson RB
169 Ronnie Hillman RB
172 Robert Turbin RB
174 James Starks RB
180 Jonathan Williams RB
185 Travaris Cadet RB
188 Wendell Smallwood RB
189 Dwayne Washington RB
190 Lance Dunbar RB
192 Daniel Lasco RB

 


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Austin Reaves9 hours ago

Expected To Play Versus Cleveland
D'Angelo Russell9 hours ago

Questionable Versus Cleveland
Bogdan Bogdanovic10 hours ago

Undergoes Non-Surgical Procedure
Dyson Daniels11 hours ago

Won't Play Against Washington
Immanuel Quickley11 hours ago

Likely Out Again Versus Charlotte
Scottie Barnes11 hours ago

Out On Wednesday Evening
Myles Turner11 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Wednesday's Game
Josh Hart11 hours ago

Uncertain To Face The Heat
Kyle Kuzma11 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Atlanta
Michael Kesselring12 hours ago

Battling An Illness
Mathieu Joseph12 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Bobby Brink12 hours ago

Returns To Flyers Lineup
Juraj Slafkovsky13 hours ago

Returns To Action Tuesday
Alexander Romanov13 hours ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Jamal Murray13 hours ago

Will Suit Up Against The Nets
Jared Spurgeon13 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Stefon Diggs13 hours ago

Officially Placed On IR By Texans
Bryan Rust13 hours ago

Out On Tuesday, Considered Week-To-Week
Sam Hauser13 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up Wednesday
Andrew Wiggins14 hours ago

Unavailable Tuesday
Paul George14 hours ago

Sidelined Wednesday Against Pistons
Joel Embiid14 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday Versus Detroit
Joe Flacco16 hours ago

Will Start On Sunday Night Football In Week 9
Anthony Richardson17 hours ago

To The Bench, Colts Will Start Joe Flacco
Diontae Johnson17 hours ago

Being Shipped To Baltimore
Stefon Diggs17 hours ago

Out For The Season With A Torn ACL
Diontae Johnson19 hours ago

Trade, Seemingly Inevitable
Mikael Granlund20 hours ago

Leads The Charge In First Sharks Win
Adin Hill20 hours ago

Logs First Shutout Of The Season
Kyle Connor20 hours ago

Totals Four Points Versus Toronto
John Tavares21 hours ago

Hits 12th Career Hat Trick
Ross Colton21 hours ago

To Miss Time With A Lower-Body Injury
Connor McDavid21 hours ago

Leaves Road Trip With Injury
Maxi Kleber21 hours ago

To Remain Out On Tuesday
Vít Krejčí21 hours ago

Vit Krejci Suffers A Groin Injury Monday
Kyle Kuzma21 hours ago

Exits Monday's Game With Groin Soreness
Taylor Hendricks22 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of The Season
Josh Hart22 hours ago

Exits Early Versus Cleveland
Scottie Barnes22 hours ago

Makes Early Exit On Monday
Tyrone Tracy Jr.1 day ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Najee Harris1 day ago

Notches Third Consecutive 100-Yard Game
De'Anthony Melton1 day ago

Battling Another Back Issue
Alexandar Georgiev2 days ago

Looks To Start A Winning Streak On Monday
Jared Spurgeon2 days ago

Comes Through Full Practice On Monday
Bryan Rust2 days ago

Misses Monday's Practice
Frederik Andersen2 days ago

Out On Monday
Nicolas Aube-Kubel2 days ago

Ready To Rejoin Sabres Lineup
Jake McCabe2 days ago

Signs Five-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Aleksander Barkov2 days ago

Returns To Panthers Lineup
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron2 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Derek Carr2 days ago

Practicing Ahead Of Week 9
Jordan Love2 days ago

Avoids Serious Injury
Cleveland Browns2 days ago

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Out Of Hospital, Denzel Ward In Concussion Protocol
Chicago Bears2 days ago

Braxton Jones Considered Week-To-Week
Khamzat Chimaev2 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Kansas City Chiefs2 days ago

Joshua Uche Traded To Kansas City
Robert Whittaker2 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Justin Fields2 days ago

Could Sit Out On Monday Night
DK Metcalf2 days ago

Optimistic For Week 9 Return
Aleksandar Rakic2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Diontae Johnson2 days ago

Expected To Be Traded Before Deadline
Brian Thomas Jr.2 days ago

To Miss 2-4 Weeks
Armen Petrosyan2 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov2 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Travis Sanheim2 days ago

Racks Up Three Points On Sunday
Drake Maye2 days ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Jordan Love2 days ago

Could Miss Week 9 Matchup
Christian McCaffrey2 days ago

On Track For Week 10 Return
Brian Thomas Jr.2 days ago

To Get An MRI On His Ribs
Joey Logano2 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige2 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy2 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev2 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308
Ilia Topuria2 days ago

Defends Featherweight Belt In Highlight-Reel Fashion At UFC 308
NASCAR3 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Earns Best Qualifying Run in Over a Year at Homestead
Zane Smith3 days ago

Expect Zane Smith's Steady Consistency to Continue at Homestead
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Both Ryan Preece and Stewart-Haas Racing Seem Ill-Suited to Intermediates
Michael McDowell3 days ago

Couldn't Overcome Ford's Intermediate Speed Deficit in Homestead Qualifying
Joey Logano3 days ago

Team Likely to Ignore Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Carson Hocevar3 days ago

Looks to Clinch Rookie of the Year Award
Daniel Hemric3 days ago

Qualifies Ninth for Best Start of the Year
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Is Strong at Homestead, but Sometimes Struggles in the Clutch
Justin Haley3 days ago

Benefits in Qualifying From Spire Motorsports Speed
Austin Cindric3 days ago

Slowest Ford Regular in Homestead Qualifying
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Lacks Intermediate Track Consistency
Josh Berry3 days ago

Hopes to Stay Alive in Rookie Race at Homestead
NASCAR3 days ago

Is Bubba Wallace Worth Rostering For Homestead This Week?
Freddie Freeman4 days ago

Hits First Ever Walk-Off Grand Slam In World Series
Freddie Freeman4 days ago

Returns To Dodgers Lineup
Miguel Rojas5 days ago

Alex Vesia, Brusdar Graterol, Miguel Rojas Return To Dodgers Roster
Evan Phillips5 days ago

Not On Dodgers World Series Roster
Nestor Cortes5 days ago

On Yankees Roster For World Series
Robert Whittaker5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Three
Khamzat Chimaev5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Aleksandar Rakic5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Shohei Ohtani5 days ago

Won't Pitch In World Series
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

In A Title-Eliminator Bout At UFC 308
Dan Ige6 days ago

A Big Underdog At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy6 days ago

Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC 308
Max Holloway6 days ago

Challenges For Featherweight Title At UFC 308
Ilia Topuria6 days ago

Defends Belt For First Time At UFC 308

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Rome Odunze - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Smash Starts for Week 9 Include Courtland Sutton, Rome Odunze, Ladd McConkey, Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs

The WR position is in continual flux this season. With in-season trades and multiple injuries, the position has been anything but stagnant. This week added to the WR drama as Diontae Johnson was dealt to the Ravens after they collapsed against their division rivals. Stefon Diggs went down with a torn ACL, and Cooper Kupp […]


Stefon Diggs - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 9 Updates For Brian Thomas Jr., Stefon Diggs, Christian Kirk, Tee Higgins

A first for this season: Three top wide receivers from the same team suffered an injury on Sunday. Plus, a star wide receiver's season is over. It just keeps getting tougher out there. To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player […]


Tyrone Tracy - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 9 Updates for Christian McCaffrey, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jordan Mason, Kendre Miller

Below is our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 9, as of October 30. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 9, including Christian McCaffrey, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jordan Mason, and Kendre Miller. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction, and lineup […]


Trey Hendrickson Cincinnati Bengals Defense - Fantasy Football DST Streamers, Rankings, Pickups

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 9, 10, 11, 12) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 9, 10, 11, and 12 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. If you like to stream defenses weeks in advance or are looking for a defense to pick up and play this week, you have come to […]


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 9) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

Bye weeks are back in Week 9 with the 49ers and Steelers getting the week off. For many teams, it is time to scour the waiver wire again to try and make a push for the fantasy playoffs. Several teams entered Week 8 with offensive line injuries, but the Vikings suffered one of the worst […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 9

Week 8 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact, but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. Each week, we’ll take a look back at the previous week to see if […]


Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 9 Include Caleb Williams, Alvin Kamara, DeVonta Smith, Josh Jacobs, more

What a week it was for fantasy goodness. Quarterbacks were on fire, and thus, so were offenses around the NFL. If you were on the right side of that output, then I commend you. If you received duds on your roster, then I feel your pain. This was a topsy-turvy week in the NFL and […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 9 Including Davante Adams, Chase Brown, J.K. Dobbins, Aaron Jones

We can't even begin discussing Week 8 without acknowledging National Tight Ends Day. Unless you started Jake Ferguson or Cole Kmet, you were happy with the output you got from your tight end last week. Don't expect to be as pleased this week -- we are much more likely to revert to the tight-end landscape […]


Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Tight Ends You Must Have in 2024

Tight End Turnaround? Fantasy Football Tight End Outlook After Eight Weeks

The tight-end position has been brutal for fantasy football managers this season, with top names underperforming and forcing teams to rely on low-scoring streamers. But Week 8 may have finally flipped the script. Several tight ends went off, giving fantasy managers hope that points are finally in sight. And what better timing? It all happened […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Bo Nix, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Ladd McConkey, Cedric Tillman, Cade Otton

Week 8 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the eighth week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players? Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous […]


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Texans vs. Jets TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: C.J. Stroud, Joe Mixon, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz, Aaron Rodgers, Breece Hall, Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson

The Week 9 Thursday Night Football matchup is a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions. Despite adding pieces over the last 18 months, the Jets are near the bottom of the AFC with a 2-6 record. They have acquired Aaron Rodgers, Braelon Allen, and Davante Adams, and added back Haason Reddick over the […]


Jalen Hurts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 9)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series High-Value Touches and Opportunities for Week 9 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're halfway through the fantasy football season, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, especially in the […]


Jaguars Defense - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Foyesade Oluokun IDP Draft Sleepers

Week 9 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

What exactly is a struggling NFL player? Is it a player whose statistics are rough, or is it one whose film leaves you scratching your head? When Brock Purdy leads his receivers too much or misses multiple open receivers but finishes with a win and a QBR of 75.5 … is he struggling? When Josh […]