Dallas Cowboys

15 Fantasy football scoring leaders from NFL Week 9

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

It has been a fun and exciting NFL week 9, but you probably are celebrating if you had these 15 fantasy football scoring leaders .

New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) gets into our fantasy football scoring leaders despite concerns coming into the week about his workload.

Yesterday had its highs and lows for NFL teams across the country as playoff races started to take shape. In fantasy football, it’s already crunch time in the playoff push, so hopefully the weekend was a good one for you. These top 15 fantasy football scoring leaders came up huge for their owners, so scroll through the following slides to see who the biggest fantasy stars were in Week 9.

Some of these players are stars who show up in my fantasy football scoring leaders every week while others are sleepers who came through with a big game. To see who led the way in fantasy football this week check out the next few slides where I’ll also outline what I think these players’ value is moving forward.

In this weekly list of fantasy football scoring leaders, you can find the top options at each of the main fantasy positions. I try to highlight the players who went off in fantasy football week 9 and powered their fantasy teams to win. Hopefully, your team had several players on this list and you got a big “W” as a result.

To stay locked in to all our weekly coverage make sure to drop a bookmark on our fantasy football hub so that you’re ready to have your own bounce back week in Week 9. You can also check out our new start/sit tool and follow @FansidedFantasy on Twitter to help you get into the winners’ circle for Week 10.

Let’s jump right into our recap of fantasy football week 9 highlights starting with the top team defense of the week.

Nov 6, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is sacked by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jerraud Powers (26) in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens D/ST

The Ravens had the best fantasy defense of the week even though they faced the high-flying Steelers. Big Ben was back, but the Ravens kept the Steelers in neutral most of the afternoon.

The Ravens only got to Big Ben for two sacks-one for Matt Judon and one for Jerraud Powers. However, they did force a turnover with a pick from Big Ben by Timmy Jernigan. They added a special teams score on a blocked punt return.

The Ravens D has been under-rated most of the year and has posted double-digit fantasy points in each of their last two games. Next week, the Ravens get the Browns and will be a top-10 team defense in that great matchup.

Nov 6, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) reacts after scoring a touchdown as tight end Delanie Walker (82) watches during the second quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Rishard Matthews-WR-Tennessee Titans

Matthews drew double-digit targets as the Titans scrambled to come back against the Chargers. He earned his way into our fantasy football scoring leaders with his best week of the season.

Matthews caught a season-high six passes for 63 yards and ended up with a pair of touchdowns. Matthews now has five touchdowns in his last five weeks and is emerging as a solid No. 1 receiver for the Titans attack.

The Titans are still going to be a run-first attack most weeks and don’t want to have to air the ball out this much every week. As a result, Matthews is a WR3 moving forward. He is the lowest risk of all the Titans receivers, and can be a solid starter if you need him over the next three weeks against the Packers, Colts, and Bears.

Nov 6, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace (17) reacts after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Wallace-WR-Baltimore Ravens

Even with Steve Smith Sr. back, Mike Wallace made his way into our fantasy football scoring leaders. He had ten catches in Week 7 before the bye, and even though he didn’t get that much work in Week 9 against the Steelers he still had his second straight week over 120 yards.

Wallace totaled 124 yards on his four catches with most of that total coming on a huge 95-yard touchdown score in the first quarter. He was relatively quiet the rest of the game as the Ravens played from ahead and cruised to win over Wallace’s former team.

The Ravens need his vertical threat on a weekly basis, and he should continue to be a high-ceiling option every week. Wallace is a little boom-or-bust from week-to-week, but he definitely has a connection with Joe Flacco that makes him a WR3 with upside every week. He has at least 97 yards in each of his last three games, and can be started in almost every format against the Browns, Cowboys, Bengals, and Dolphins in the coming weeks.

November 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) catches a touchdown against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) during the fourth quarter at Levi

Michael Thomas-WR-New Orleans Saints

The first of three Saints on our fantasy football scoring leaders is rookie Michael Thomas who has been a solid fantasy option for most of the year. Thomas has been the best rookie receiver in the NFL and continued that with a big game this week in San Francisco.

Thomas caught a one-yard touchdown early in the game and added a second score with a highlight-reel 32-yard reception later in the game. He finished with 73 yards on five catches to go with his two scores.

He has at least five catches in five of his last six weeks and has scored five touchdowns in those six contests. His yardage totals have also been solid with at least 70+ yards in four of those six games. He has a tough matchup next week against the Broncos, but he’s still a borderline WR2/3 and brings plenty of upside in one of the league’s best passing offenses.

Nov 6, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore (23) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Indianapolis won 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Frank Gore-RB-Indianapolis Colts

Gore turned back the clock and got into Week 9’s fantasy football scoring leaders with a big game against the Packers. Green Bay had one of the best run defenses early in the year, but they’ve struggled lately and Gore continued piling it on.

He had a modest 60 yards on his 19 carries and added 11 yards on two catches. The reason he made it into this week’s fantasy football scoring leaders, though, is that he punched in a pair of touchdowns equalling his total on the season leading up to week 9.

Moving forward, Gore has good matchups against the Titans and Steelers the next two weeks, but he’ll still be a touchdown-dependent RB2. He can be used, but his ceiling isn’t all that high on a weekly basis.

Nov 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Witten-TE-Dallas Cowboys

This is Witten’s first foray into our fantasy football scoring leaders this season, but a few years ago he would have been in this list almost every week. He had a throwback Sunday against the Browns and turned in the most fantasy points of any tight end this week.

Witten was targeted ten times and hauled in a season-high eight catches for a season-high 134 yards. He hauled in a touchdown for the second straight week after going without a score for the first seven weeks of the season.

Witten caught the touchdown to win the game in Week 8 against the Eagles, and he was extremely involved in Week 9 as well. Consider Witten a low-end TE1 next week against the Steelers and remember that the Browns have been a great matchup for TE. Witten probably won’t be this productive and involved again, but if you need a TE streamer and he’s available you could take a flier on him.

Nov 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) looks on from the field against the Cleveland Browns in the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Ezekiel Elliott-RB-Dallas Cowboys

Elliott was my No. 1 ranked running back coming into the week in a great matchup against the Browns. While it isn’t a shock that he put up big numbers, it’s still very encouraging to see him step up and expoit the favorable matchup.

Against the Browns’ bad run defense, Zeke totaled 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 18 carries. The Cowboys were able to keep his workload light in a rout, but he still did enough to carry his fantasy owners through the week.

Elliott will continue to be an elite option moving forward as he faces the Steelers and Ravens the next two weeks. He isn’t in as good a matchup as this one again, but he has been so dependable lately that there’s no question he should be in your lineup every week.

Nov 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) runs the ball for a first down against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Cowboys won 35-10. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Dak Prescott-QB-Dallas Cowboys

The other half of the Cowboys dynamic duo of rookies also made our fantasy football scoring leaders as QB Dak Prescott shredded the Browns through the air as well.

Prescott piled up 247 yards passing on an efficient 21-of-27 passing. He threw for three scores and added 20 yards on four carries as well. Prescott took advantage of a great matchup and seems to be set up to continue as the Cowboys QB going forward.

Tony Romo is getting healthy, though, which does present a major problem for the Cowboys and a major risk for fantasy owners of Prescott. As long as Dak keeps starting, he’ll be a fringe QB1 with upside to make him a star when he’s in good matchups. If he still starts next week, it’ll be against the Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Nov 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) hands off to running back Tim Hightower (34) against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Levi

Drew Brees-QB-New Orleans Saints

As the Saints went west to face the 49ers, Brees seemed a lock to get into our fantasy football scoring leaders again this week. He didn’t disappoint finishing in the top five at QB once again.

Brees completed 28 of his 39 passes as the Saints cruised to a 41-23 win. He finished with 323 yards and three touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over once. Brees has at least three touchdowns in three of his last four games, and three of his next four games are at home where he always seems to light up the scoreboard.

Brees will have a challenging matchup this week, though, as he faces the Broncos in the Superdome. He has been among the fantasy football scoring leaders almost every week, though, so you can still start him as a QB1 despite the matchup in Week 10. After that, he has nice matchups for the rest of the season with the Bucs (twice), the Panthers, the Lions, and the Falcons all giving him chances to lead our QB Rankings like he did this week.

Nov 6, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) dives in for a third quarter touchdown as San Diego Chargers free safety Dwight Lowery (20) defends at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Mariota-QB-Tennessee Titans

Even in a losing effort, Marcus Mariota made it into our fantasy football scoring leaders in a good matchup against the Chargers. The Titans scored 35 points, but still fell on the road due to some costly turnovers and a leaky run defense.

Mariota attempted 43 passes completing 27 for a total of 313 yards and three touchdowns. He added a fourth touchdown on the ground while totaling 14 yards on three rushes. However, Mariota did have three turnovers–two of which resulted in defensive touchdowns for the Chargers.

While not a locked-in QB1 every week, Mariota has had a great stretch since Week 5, and he should be able to continue to produce with the Packers, Colts, and Bears on teh schedule leading up to a Week 13 bye. If you’ve been on the Mariota train so far, keep riding him through the rest of the season since the Oregon QB is having a breakout fantasy campaign and becoming a weekly fixture in our fantasy football scoring leaders.

Nov 6, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass during the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lambeau Field. Indianapolis won 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers-QB-Green Bay Packers

The Packers took a tough loss at home against the Colts after given up a kickoff return touchdown and never quite recovering. While the NFC North is totally up for grabs, Rodgers has looked more like himself lately and will remain a QB1.

He finished this week with 297 yards passing and three touchdowns. He did throw an interception, but added 43 yards on the ground which erased that mistake in most scoring systems.

The Packers still have little running game and a defense that gives up points, so look for Rodgers to keep throwing the ball a lot in the coming weeks. He attempted 43 passes this week against the Colts while throwing at least three touchdowns for the third straight week. Next week, he and the Packers start a three-game stretch of games on the road in Tennessee, Washington, and Philadelphia. Rodgers should be in the top-5 QB’s to play each of those weeks and has a good shot to keep getting into our fantasy football scoring leaders every week.

Nov 3, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Atlanta Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 43-28. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Evans-WR-Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans had the best game of any WR this week as he and the Bucs tried to come back on Thursday night against the Falcons. Evans has clearly established himself as the go-to receiver for Jameis Winston and a WR1 who is an elite weekly option.

After a down Week 8, he exploded in Week 9 for a season-high 150 yards. He hauled in two touchdowns as well giving him eight touchdowns on the season and five in his last four games.

Evans will continue to be top-5 play every week since the Bucs are often playing form behind and he gets plenty of targets every week. Next week, Evans gets a good matchup against the Bears and will look to return to our fantasy football scoring leaders for Week 10.

Nov 3, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws a touchdown pass to Atlanta Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo (not pictured) during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Ryan-QB-Atlanta Falcoms

The top fantasy QB of the week actually was on the board before most of the games started yesterday. Back on Thursday Night Football, Matt Ryan continued his stellar fantasy season by helping his team pick up a road win over their division-rival Bucs who beat them in Atlanta back in Week 1.

Ryan has been a regular in my fantasy football scoring leaders this season and had another big game with four touchdowns and 344 yards. He did lose a fumble, but other than that had a  perfect day.

Ryan continues to be a QB1 in Kyle Shanahan’s offense and will look to keep his fantasy owners in the playoff hunt next week in Philadelphia before taking a week off in Week 11. The way Eli Manning tore up the Eagles in Week 9, Ryan could easily be back in my fantasy football scoring leaders next week.

Nov 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) carries the ball to score a 75-yard touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at Levi

Mark Ingram-RB-New Orleans Saints

The top player in this week’s fantasy football scoring leaders was unfortunately on many owner’s benches this week. There were rumors that Mark Ingram would give up his carries to Tim Hightower. In all fairness, that did happen, but he still went off for a monster game against the woeful 49ers run defense.

Ingram had only 15 carries but racked up 158 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He added a second score through the air and caught both passes thrown his way for a total of 13 receiving yards.

Even with this monster game, Ingram is an RB2 going forward since the Saints tend to abandon the running game and don’t give him red zone touches. Next week, he’s in a rough matchup at home against Denver, so he isn’t even a lock to be in your lineup next week never mind a spot in these fantasy football scoring leaders.

Nov 6, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (28) stumbles at the end of a second quarter run against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Melvin Gordon-RB-San Diego Chargers

The Titans run defense had been under-rated this season, but Melvin Gordon and the Chargers destroyed them in San Diego this week. Gordon has been a regular in our fantasy football scoring leaders this season and has emerged as a true feature-back in a league weher they are getting fewer and further between.

Gordon ran for a massive 196 yards on his 32 carries while adding 65 more yards on four catches. He scored a rushing touchdown bringing his total to nine on the season and posted his second straight game rushing for over 100 yards.

He’ll look to keep his massive production going next week as the Chargers stay home and welcome in the Dolphins. Gordon is a locked-in top ten RB and will look to keep carrying his fantasy teams down the stretch with some great matchups ahead.

More from FanSided

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from Dallas Cowboys Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Dallas Cowboys

National Football League