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Fantasy Football: Top 10 Sleepers for Week 9

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:17 p.m. ET

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Sep 18, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Charcandrick West (35) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into your Week 9 fantasy football action, keep an eye on these top 10 sleepers entering favorable matchups.

The fantasy football world continues to bring unpredictability, hidden sleepers rising to the occasion and a plethora of injuries. It’s no secret that fantasy football owners all across the globe are always ready for anything. But sometimes it will all come down to a sleeper pick that brings home a final victory.

The secret to dominating your fantasy league is to always work the waiver wire and scout potential players entering favorable matchups. Remember to disregard the popular names or your personal allegiance to your favorite team. It’s all about which player can dominate based on who they are facing.

Heading into Week 9, there are some great matchups as now is the time to start stashing some of the more consistent sleeper picks as they get red hot. Such is the case with running back Darren Sproles with the Philadelphia Eagles. Even though most might think running back Ryan Mathews is the better option to start, Sproles is red hot, running with purpose, and is an all-around threat through the air or ground.

There are six teams on a bye this week so make sure to adjust your lineups accordingly. Also, even though it might not be necessary to say but keep in mind, it’s not wise to start a sleeper pick that is dealing with a lingering injury. The general rule of thumb is to look at injury reports throughout the week to determine how much activity a player gets in practice. If they’re limited or did not even participate, look elsewhere this week.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 sleepers to start this week in Week 9 fantasy football action. Do your best to add them immediately if they’re still available in your league or consider trading some of your less productive players in favor for them.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson (29) is tackled by New York Jets cornerback Marcus Williams (20) during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

10. Duke Johnson, RB — Cleveland Browns

Don’t let their current 0-8 record heading into Week 9 fool you, the Cleveland Browns will eventually end their losing streak. Will it come this week against the red-hot Dallas Cowboys? Highly unlikely. But hey, that’s why it’s best to always live by that “any given Sunday” mentality. At any rate, the Browns actually do have a few players that should do well in fantasy this week against the Cowboys.

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Running back Duke Johnson is easily one of them. Even though the offensive playbook is heavily centered around passing the football, Johnson is one of the reasons why it works so well. He is a dual-threat option capable of keeping those chains moving either through the ground or even the air as a receiving target.

So far this season, Johnson has totaled 211 rushing yards and a touchdown on 42 carries. As a receiving option, he’s totaled 297 yards and has an average of 8.7 yards per reception. Against the tough defense of the Cowboys, it will be a true test to everything Johnson brings to the table. He should continue to be one of the main weapons on offense for the Browns.

Fantasy owners should highly consider using Johnson as a FLEX option this week. He might not be able to do much damage through the ground since the Cowboys defense tends to do very well against the run. If the Browns are able to put up any points on the scoreboard, it’ll be thanks to Johnson being able to use his speed and agility to surprise many.

Considering he had a good game last week against the New York Jets, the Browns will more than likely want to continue his momentum. Expect to see Johnson do most of his damage as a receiving option out of the backfield and do his best to keep this game relatively competitive.

9. Terrelle Pryor, WR — Cleveland Browns

While it might be too risky to even consider starting a member of the Browns, there are certain expectations in the grand scheme of things. Just like Johnson, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor will be another X-factor this week. Make no mistake about it, he’s a fantastic player and is one of the very few consistent performers on the Browns. As the Browns have a tough test against the Cowboys, they do have a fighting chance if their offense clicks on all cylinders.

Basically, it will come down to their ground game led by Johnson and, of course, Pryor continuing to be a multi-purpose threat. The man can do anything when his number is called and will need to once again deliver if the Browns hope to end their current eight-game losing streak. Winning fixes everything as a win for the Browns would be huge and something worth smiling about again in Cleveland.

The only way the Browns have a shot in actually stunning the football world with a huge upset over the Cowboys is attacking their secondary. The defensive backs of the Cowboys are currently dealing with numerous injuries and could be something the Browns expose early on in this matchup. Pryor could be used as a intermediate-to-deep passing threat against this unit and it’s worth taking a risk on since that means a lot of fantasy points.

Pryor is coming off his second 100+ receiving yard game of the season. Against the Jets, Pryor totaled 101 receiving yards on six receptions. Despite not being able to score a touchdown, don’t be surprised seeing Pryor get one or even two against the Cowboys. Fantasy football owners would be wise to start Pryor this week either as a WR2 or FLEX option. He’ll be worth starting this week when all is said and done.

Oct 30, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) is tackled for a loss in the third quarter against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee (50) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

8. Darren Sproles, RB — Philadelphia Eagles

Things sure are interesting over in Philadelphia with the Eagles. The overall offense, a once powerhouse in the NFL, has unfortunately started to slump. Whether it’s quarterback Carson Wentz cooling off or just the wear and tear of the regular season, things haven’t been as consistent as they should be.

Running back Darren Sproles, on the other hand, has been heating up over the past few weeks. Despite not scoring a rushing touchdown yet this season, he’s been having such a huge impact on offense for the Eagles. Sproles is coming off one of his better games of the season, despite his Eagles losing to the Cowboys in Week 8. It was a tough loss but Sproles made the Eagles able to open things up more offensively.

Against America’s Team, Sproles totaled 86 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Now, as previously mentioned, many feel that the Eagles should give more reps to Mathews. Unfortunately he can’t be trusted at this point in time. Mathews has a problem holding onto the football and gaining any type of consistent momentum.

As the Eagles hit the road to face the New York Giants, expect to see the Eagles launch both running backs against their defensive line. The majority of reps, however, will be given to Sproles as he’ll continue being more versatile. Plus Sproles is much more dangerous in open space than Mathews at this point.

Fantasy football owners should consider Sproles as their RB2 this week as he’ll undoubtedly rack up plenty of points. The defensive line of the Giants has historically had problems containing Sproles, so expect to see him do what he does best. This should be another classic NFC East rivalry game and come down to the wire. But if Sproles resembles anything he’s been doing the past two weeks, the Eagles are favorites to leave MetLife Stadium victorious.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (81) catches a deep pass as Cleveland Browns cornerback Tracy Howard (41) and cornerback Jamar Taylor (21) give chase during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Jets won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

7. Quincy Enunwa, WR — New York Jets

Luckily for the New York Jets, they were able to rally and have something worth mentioning this season. They ended their four-game losing streak in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens. Last week, even though they played an abysmal first half on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, they were able to bounce back and leave victorious. It wasn’t easy, but now the Jets have a two-game winning streak and something positive to think about.

This week, they hit the road to face the Miami Dolphins in a classic AFC East division matchup. Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa has been slowly but steadily turning into a household name. It’s hard to even believe that, at this point of the fantasy football season, Enunwa is still available in some leagues.

Enunwa is currently on a streak of scoring at least a touchdown in each of his last two games. He has finally put everything together and is developing into quite the receiving threat. Since all eyes are on his partner in crime, Brandon Marshall, he’s been able to do what he does best and put the Jets in a position to make plays. He’s emerging as the next big receiving threat on the Jets this season.

Fantasy football owners should consider Enunwa as a WR2 this week as the defensive secondary of the Dolphins leaves much to the imagination. Enunwa is getting hot at the right time for a Jets team still in search of their real identity. There is still a lot of football left to be played but at the end of the day, Enunwa is easily one of the top weapons the Jets will use against the Dolphins. It’s important they leave the Sunshine State victorious. For that to happen, expect a lot of passes headed in Enunwa’s direction.

6. Charcandrick West, RB — Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have some interesting decisions to make on offense. Unfortunately, quarterback Alex Smith is out due to suffering a concussion last week. It undoubtedly brought back bad memories as, the last time that happened, he lost his starting job to quarterback Colin Kaepernick back when he was with the San Francisco 49ers.

At any rate, Smith won’t be playing this week and quarterback Nick Foles will be under center. Now, this doesn’t mean the offense of the Chiefs will start being pass happy all of a sudden with a new face starting. If anything, it just means they’ll continue being what they are: a run-oriented offense. Running back Charcandrick West should see a ton of reps coming his way as they prepare to face the Jacksonville Jaguars with Jamaal Charles now on IR and Spencer Ware potentially out.

It would be hard to believe the Chiefs will dramatically change their offense due to Foles being in the starting lineup as there really won’t be a quarterback controversy this time around. West is a power running back and should be unleashed in this matchup.

Fantasy football owners should start West this week. He should do well either as an RB2 or even FLEX option since the Jaguars are terrible against the run. They won’t have any answers for him as the Chiefs will continue their momentum from last week when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts. They completely dismantled them, 30-14, a game which saw West have a decent game.

West totaled 52 rushing yards on 14 attempts, but failed to score a touchdown. Considering he hasn’t even scored a single touchdown either through the ground or air bodes well for him to finally get in the end zone this week.

5. Jay Ajayi, RB — Miami Dolphins

Considering that the Jets have the No. 1 run-stopping defense in the league shouldn’t make fantasy football owners too worried about starting running back Jay Ajayi this week. Yes, the defense of the Jets has consistently been great at stopping opposing running backs. But as of right now, Ajayi is a touchdown-producing machine.

So far, Ajayi has five touchdowns this season and is riding a nice streak of scoring at least one touchdown per game. Ajayi even had two touchdowns a few weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While it’s hard to believe Ajayi will wreak damage against the Jets, he should be able to keep the streak going since he’s running with purpose and determination. Since this is a division rivalry game, it should be even more exciting for him to do his best in beating the Jets despite their two-game winning streak. The Dolphins also have also won the past two games, mostly due to how solid Ajayi has been against opponents.

Fantasy football owners should consider Ajayi as a FLEX option this week and only that. It’s doubtful he’ll get close to or even surpassing 100 yards on the ground against this defense but he should easily score a touchdown or two in red zone situations. The Jets are atrocious when it comes to stopping teams in position to score so this could be an ideal situation that Ajayi thrives in.

This game will more than likely come down to the battle of the trenches. The offensive line of the Dolphins has been relatively healthy and taking care of business. If they can get the right gaps and rushing lanes open for Ajayi to burst into, he could actually surprise the football world and put up a huge game.

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate (15) waves before the game against the Washington Redskins at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

4. Golden Tate, WR — Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has been playing some incredible football all season long. Many thought that the offense of the Lions wouldn’t be the same with the retirement of wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Stafford, even without his trusty Megatron in the lineup, hasn’t missed a beat and is turning everyone else around him into becoming even better players.

Such is the case with wide receiver Golden Tate. While he hasn’t scored as many touchdowns as he’d like, Tate has been reliable in the grand scheme of things. So far this season, Tate has totaled 434 receiving yards, 38 receptions, and just one touchdown. As the Lions to prepare to go up against the Minnesota Vikings this week, it will prove to be a big test for Tate and his partners in crime.

It’s no secret that the defense of the Vikings is pretty solid, but Stafford should be able to make some serious damage with short-to-medium passes. Tate thrives in this role, one that is supportive and is able to produce big results seemingly out of nowhere. Stafford tends to do well against the Vikings in what should be another great NFC North clash.

Fantasy football owners should put Tate in as their FLEX option since he could be an X-factor in this matchup. It’s been two weeks since his last touchdown reception as this could be the game that sees him get in the end zone at least once or twice against the Vikings. Especially if Tate gets great mismatches on defense that Stafford can exploit.

Oct 23, 2016; London, United Kingdom; Los Angeles Rams receiver Kenny Britt (18) is defended by New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) during game 16 of the NFL International Series at Twickenham Statdium. The Giants defeated the Rams 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

3. Kenny Britt, WR — Los Angeles Rams

When it comes to succeeding in fantasy football, as previously mentioned, it all comes down to matchups. This week, the Los Angeles Rams welcome the Carolina Panthers to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It’s no secret that the Panthers haven’t resembled anything close to the team the football world saw last season. Their offense has lost a step and a once feared defense simply can’t contain anyone going up against them.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt has been decent so far this season with the Rams, but isn’t consistent. Of course, it all doesn’t fall on just him as the overall offense of the Rams leaves much to be desired. However, the defensive secondary of the Panthers makes this a great matchup for Britt to have a solid game and do his best to have the Rams bring a victory home in front of their fans.

Britt is worth being at least a FLEX option this week since he should be able to score a touchdown in this matchup. The Panthers, ever since parting ways with cornerback Josh Norman, haven’t been able to contain opposing wide receivers at all. Expect to see the Rams attack their secondary hard since it could be one of the only shots they have at beating the Panthers.

It wouldn’t be smart to throw Britt in as a WR2 this week since he more than likely won’t produce much when it comes to receiving yards. He should find the end zone in this matchup, but won’t total enough stats to warrant anything higher in fantasy lineups than slotting him as a FLEX.

So far this season, Britt has totaled 535 receiving yards, 33 receptions, and two touchdowns. While his numbers don’t exactly scream out at owners, for this week at least, he’s worth starting thanks to one heck of a favorable matchup.

Oct 16, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace (17) runs the ball against New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (41) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

2. Mike Wallace, WR — Baltimore Ravens

Week 9 brings many division rival games, but none bigger than the Pittsburgh Steelers hitting the road against the Baltimore Ravens. This popular AFC North game should be another great one with both teams always fighting until the final whistle. The overall defense of the Steelers has been solid, but this game will come down to the battle of the quarterbacks. Both Ben Roethlisberger (returning from injury) and Joe Flacco should put on quite the fireworks display, with the possibility of wide receiver Mike Wallace stealing the show.

If Flacco gets the right protection in the pocket, he should be able to do what he does best, which bodes well for Wallace. The defense of the Steelers tends to give up the big play and with the superb arm strength of Flacco, should be able to hit Wallace early and often in this matchup.

Considering that Wallace was targeted 13 times in Week 7 and is coming off a bye week, he’ll be ready for anything coming his way against the Steelers and that should be quite a few targets. Fantasy football owners should throw Wallace in as their WR2 this week since he has the potential to not only make some big plays, but also put some points up on the scoreboard.

So far this season, Wallace has totaled 490 receiving yards, 35 receptions, and three touchdowns. Wallace’s speed and unique skillset could make him a catalyst on offense. The Ravens are riding a four-game losing streak and, after a bye week to recalibrate, should be back ready to end it with a big victory over their division neighbors.

Oct 30, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower (34) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks cornerback DeShawn Shead (35) during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Seahawks 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tim Hightower, RB — New Orleans Saints

Is there any other better matchup in fantasy football when offensive stars go up against the San Francisco 49ers? Sorry Niners Nation; anytime an opposing running back goes up against the 49ers, it always produces solid fantasy points.

The run defense of the 49ers is the worst in the league as it’s been a complete disaster. As the New Orleans Saints hit the road to face the 49ers in Levi’s Stadium, running back Tim Hightower should absolutely feast on every rep he gets against this abysmal defense. Even if running back Mark Ingram gets reps against this unit, both should thrive against it.

Expect to see the Saints really commit to the run as they should be able to steamroll past the 49ers with their high-octane offense. This game could get ugly real fast as the Saints have been clicking on all cylinders for the most part on offense. It’s not perfect, but this week they should all look like superstars against the 49ers.

Fantasy football owners should throw Hightower in as an RB1 or RB2 this week due to this incredible matchup. Not only should Hightower see a plethora of reps, but expect him to score at least a touchdown or two against the 49ers. With how potent the ground game of the Saints can be, expect to see them launch both Hightower and Ingram against the 49ers. Hightower should be receiving the majority of reps due to Ingram having issues holding onto the football.

Even though owners might be willing to go with Ingram in this matchup, it wouldn’t be advised. The Saints benched him last week due to fumbles and there is no guarantee he’ll get more reps than Hightower in this matchup. If anything, this could be Hightower’s breakout game since he’s yet to score a touchdown this season.

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