Fantasy football injuries can force teams and owners alike to adjust their strategy on short notice, and that is the case again heading into the Week 9 NFL schedule. Chicago will once again turn to rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent, as starter Justin Fields is doubtful with a thumb injury that has sidelined him since Week 6. Bagent has not been an adequate replacement in Fantasy football lineups, throwing two interceptions against the Chargers last week. Should you avoid him with your Week 9 Fantasy football picks?
Fields' absence has been detrimental to wide receiver D.J. Moore's output as well, with the 26-year-old finishing under 60 receiving yards in three straight games. Where should Moore be in your Week 9 Fantasy football WR rankings? Before you lock in your lineups, be sure to check out the Week 9 Fantasy football rankings from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine's model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons especially when there were big differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season. Head to SportsLine now to see its Week 9 Fantasy football rankings.
Top Week 9 Fantasy football picks
One player the model is high on this week: Texans receiver Nico Collins. Houston's top wide receiver finished with just 30 yards at Carolina last week, but he has recorded at least 80 in four of his first seven games this season. Collins had seven receptions for a season-best 168 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh last month.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had his worst performance of the season last week, which led to Collins' mediocre output. Both players should be more productive on Sunday, as Tampa Bay's secondary has allowed the sixth-most receiving yards to wide receivers. The model has Collins finishing with better numbers than other wide receivers like Keenan Allen and Mike Evans this week, ranked inside the top 15 at his position.
And a massive shocker: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns in last week's victory over the Rams, stumbles big-time and doesn't even crack the top 12 at his position. He's a player to consider leaving out of your Week 9 Fantasy football lineups.
Prescott is coming off his best performance of the season, throwing for four touchdowns and completing five passes of more than 20 yards, his highest mark of the year. However, Prescott and the Cowboys will square off against the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that has given up 17 points or fewer in three of their last four games. In addition, Prescott has failed to throw more than one touchdown pass in four of his last five outings, a big reason why the model favors streaming a quarterback like Derek Carr or Jordan Love in Week 9. For more start/sit Fantasy football advice, be sure to check out the rest of the Week 9 Fantasy football rankings.
How to set Week 9 Fantasy football rankings
The model is also calling for an underrated wide receiver to finish in the top 10 of its Fantasy football WR rankings, ahead of studs like Davante Adams, Keenan Allen and Jaylen Waddle. These picks could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. See the Week 9 Fantasy football rankings here.
So who should you start and sit this week, and which underrated wide receiver could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 9 Fantasy football rankings for every position and see which shocking wideout comes out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that has outperformed experts big-time.
