This is my ninth season writing for CBS Fantasy. I've been in the industry for around 15 years, playing Fantasy Football for more than 20. In those 20 years, there have not been a lot of running back waiver wires worse than the one we have in Week 9.
There is not one running back in my top 36 at the position this week that is rostered in less than 65% of leagues. The lone hope is Tyjae Spears, and as of Tuesday morning, we aren't expecting him to play. If you are desperate for a starting running back in Week 9 your only option is to make a trade. Here are three backs I would target at different price points:
Tony Pollard has scored at least 14 PPR Fantasy points in three of his last four games and five of seven games this season. But he's on a terrible offense, Spears could be coming back soon, and Pollard didn't cost a lot on Draft Day. I'm hoping those three factors mean you could acquire Pollard for a mi-RB2 cost because I think he's closer to a top-12 running back the rest of the season.
Alexander Mattison should be cheaper than Pollard, but his volume has been very similar lately. Mattison has at least 17 touches in four straight games. He's coming off a terrible performance against Kansas City, but they are one of the most difficult matchups for running backs. You should be able to get him for a bench piece or a very small upgrade somewhere else.
Devin Singletary is the bargain rental. Tyrone Tracy is in the concussion protocol, and the Giants are on a short week, so we expect Singletary to handle the majority of the work in Week 9. The Giants face the Commanders, who have given up 5.35 yards per carry to running backs this year, second only to the Giants. He should be even cheaper than Mattison because he's hopefully just a one-week rental.
Now, let's get to the rest of the Week 9 RB Preview:
Fantasy Football Today Newsletter
Know What Your Friends Don't
Get tips, advice and news to win your league - all from the FFT podcast team.
By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount's Privacy Policy.
2.01 -- Aaron Jones is the only running back with more than 100 routes this year and a YPRR over two.
203 -- Breece Hall has run 203 routes this year, 28 more than any other running back.
26 -- Najee Harris has 26 red zone rush attempts but only one rush TD. Every other back with at least 20 red zone rush attempts has at least three rush TDs.
How bad is the running back waiver wire this week? The top guy is currently not being projected to play this week. But if Spears is able to get healthy, he'll face a Patriots defense that has given up the second-most Fantasy points to opposing running backs. He had 17 touches in his last full game, and the Titans are favorites, so this could be a game they lean on both running backs.
The Broncos have been very good against running backs on the ground, but they're allowing 5.5 receptions per game to the position. If Baltimore struggles to run, this could turn into a Justice Hill game. He's a fine flex.
Guerendo is on bye this week, and Christian McCaffrey could be back next week, so don't spend much. But Guerendo just turned 17 touches into 19.2 PPR Fantasy points and is averaging more than six yards per carry. He needs to be rostered.
Walker is at home against a bad Rams defense in a game with one of the highest over/unders on the slate at 48.5. He's averaging more than five targets per game this season, and despite last week's poor showing, he's still one of the best big-play backs in the league.
Taylor will be low-rostered because his team is an underdog, and the Vikings have been very good against running backs this season. I am just not sure those things matter for Taylor. He's averaging 108 yards per game, and he still hasn't had what I would call a true plus matchup. Taylor is more desirable in leagues that score half a point per reception, at least as long as Anthony Richardson is starting.
RB Preview
Heath's Projections
My full set of Week 9 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. You'll find them here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 9. Projected stats for all starting running backs are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.
