While Week 8 featured some underachieving performances from some big names like Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker, seven running backs eclipsed 100 yards rushing, and James Cook and Josh Jacobs really dominated. 

The Bills had the Seahawks on their heels for almost the entire game, and James Cook feasted. He racked up 111 yards on 17 carries, added three catches for 22 yards, and notched two touchdowns as a cherry on top of a standout fantasy day. 

Josh Jacobs was right there with him for the Packers as well. Jacobs ran for 127 yards and two scores of his own against the Jaguars. Jacksonville usually funnels production to the passing game, but with Jordan Love dealing with a groin injury, Jacobs was able to shoulder the heavy load as the Packers converted a game-winning field goal as time expired. 

Jacobs faces a much tougher matchup this week against the Lions, while Cook will face off against the Dolphins in an AFC East clash. Joe Mixon, Jahmyr Gibbs, D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, and Saquon Barkley all went over the century mark as well and will look to keep the momentum going in Week 9. 

WEEK 9 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers

Fantasy RB Rankings Week 9: Who to start, sit at running back

Rankings based on PPR scoring. These rankings will be updated throughout the week, so check back often.

Who are the best fantasy RBs for Week 9?

Kenneth Walker was a big disappointment against the Bills, but that’s not scaring us off this week against the Rams. Seattle was a mess all day against the Bills, and Walker was only able to muster 12 yards on nine carries. But he was also able to add 33 yards on four catches as his role in the passing game continues to be significant. With a much better matchup on deck, look for Walker to rebound in a big way in a matchup that could turn into a shootout. 

While the Ravens suffered a surprising loss to the Browns, Derrick Henry had another productive fantasy day, racking up 73 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Henry continues to be an afterthought in the passing game, but with a matchup against the Broncos next, which funnels production to the running game, Henry could easily be the overall RB1 for Week 9. 

Breece Hall had a productive day on the ground against the Patriots, compiling 80 yards on 16 carries, but he only had one catch, and failed to reach the end zone in a brutal loss. There is a chance that the Jets are just broken right now, but we’re going to bet on Hall’s talent. We expect Hall to be featured more in the passing game moving forward, and if he can get back into the end zone, then he could have another big day against the Texans. 

Who are the RBs on byes in Week 9? 

San Francisco 49ers: Jordan Mason will be on fantasy benches in Week 9, but he may remain there in Week 10 as well. Coming out of the bye is when we may finally see Christian McCaffrey make his return. The 49ers will likely want to do everything possible to keep McCaffrey healthy for a postseason run, though, so the workload may not be massive right out of the gates. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers love to run the ball, so Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren fantasy managers will have to look elsewhere for backfield production in Week 9. Warren has battled through a hamstring injury to start the season, but he’s finally getting back to his old self, and the bye will only help accelerate that progression. 

Who are the best fantasy RB waiver pickups for Week 9?

The running back position is pretty thin on the waiver wires at this point in the season. Braelon Allen is rostered in just 37% of Yahoo! leagues. While Breece Hall has seen his usage spike under new play-calling, Allen still converted on a goal line opportunity against the Patriots in Week 8. Allen has some standalone value, but only if you’re really hurting with byes and/or injuries. If Hall were to ever miss time, he could have massive value, though. 

Tyler Allgeier is coming off a clunker against the Buccaneers, so he may go overlooked on waiver wires this week. Allgeier is also rostered in just 37% of Yahoo! leagues and is a similar situation. Typically, Allgeier will carry even more standalone value than Allen, but he was only able to compile 33 yards on 12 carries. That being said, that was only one carry fewer than Bijan Robinson had. 

Check out our full list of Week 9 Waiver Wire recommendations

Who are the best fantasy RB sleepers for Week 9?

Chase Brown struggled most of the day against the Eagles, racking up just 32 yards on 12 carries, but he did reach paydirt and added two yards on two catches as well. Zack Moss continues to be phased out of the running game, so even though the Chargers boast a stingy defense, Brown’s explosiveness could be able to cut through, especially if Brown can see a couple more passes thrown his way. 

While the Washington defense has been much-improves over the last few weeks, their run defense still struggles mightily at times. Devin Singletary is back for the Giants, but Tyrone Tracy Jr. isn’t going away. Tracy may be the more explosive runner, and he’s even more likely to be the better receiving threat. Look for this to be more of a committee situation moving forward, which should be enough usage for a solid fantasy day. 

What are the biggest RB injuries for Week 9?

Travis Etienne continues to miss time with a hamstring injury. He has also emerged as a trade candidate. So his status is definitely still up in the air with the Eagles up next for Jacksonville. We’ll be monitoring this situation on both fronts, but for now, Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson are the running backs ranked from the Jags. 

Rico Dowdle was a surprise inactive against the 49ers with an illness. Since it was illness-based, we’re going to leave him ranked for now. Dalvin Cook has entered the murky RB situation in Dallas as well, so stay tuned for more updates.