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Week 9 Rest of Season Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Buy Stefon Diggs Over Dez Bryant?

Up to date rankings of NFL WRs for the remainder of the 2015 fantasy football season before Week 9.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing makes the NFL more fun than fantasy football and few things make fantasy sports more fun than rankings, rankings, and more rankings. WRs are ranked in this post with the ESPN and Yahoo! standard fractional scoring.

Rank Player Team Last Week
1 DeAndre Hopkins Texans 1
2 Julio Jones Falcons 2
3 Odell Beckham Jr. Giants 5
4 Antonio Brown* Steelers 3
5 A.J. Green Bengals 4
6 Brandon Marshall Jets 6
7 Calvin Johnson Lions 7
8 Larry Fitzgerald Cardinals 9
9 Amari Cooper Raiders 12
10 Julian Edelman* Patriots 13
11 Alshon Jeffery Bears 15
12 Allen Robinson Jaguars 17
13 Demaryius Thomas Broncos 16
13 Randall Cobb* Packers 11
15 Stefon Diggs* Vikings 27
16 Dez Bryant* Cowboys 10
17 Mike Evans Buccaneers 14
18 Martavis Bryant Steelers 18
19 Emmanuel Sanders* Broncos 20
20 T.Y. Hilton* Colts 21
21 Malcolm Floyd Chargers 53
22 James Jones Packers 22
23 Rishard Matthews Dolphins 23
24 Michael Floyd Cardinals ---
25 Davante Adams* Packers 28
26 Travis Benjamin Browns 24
27 Brandon LaFell Patriots 26
28 John Brown Cardinals 25
29 Allen Hurns Jaguars 29
30 Kamar Aiken Ravens 50
31 Eric Decker Jets 30
32 Jarvis Landry* Dolphins 32
33 Brandin Cooks* Saints 38
34 Jeremy Maclin* Chiefs 37
35 Michael Crabtree Raiders 39
36 Jordan Matthews* Eagles 31
37 Willie Snead* Saints 46
38 Nate Washington Texans 52
39 Donte Moncrief Colts 34
40 Marvin Jones Bengals 35
41 Kendall Wright* Titans 40
42 Vincent Jackson Buccaneers 33
43 Sammy Watkins Bills 47
44 Steve Johnson* Chargers 74
45 Tavon Austin Rams 42
46 Golden Tate Lions 36
47 Marquess Wilson Bears 71
48 Ted Ginn Panthers 41
49 Mike Wallace* Vikings 45
50 Chris Givens Ravens ---
51 Dwayne Harris Giants ---
52 Pierre Garcon* Washington 51
53 Rueben Randle* Giants 70
54 Victor Cruz Giants 43
55 Anquan Boldin* 49ers 44
56 Leonard Hankerson Falcons 48
57 DeSean Jackson Washington 49
58 Tyler Lockett Seahawks 54
59 Percy Harvin* Bills 59
60 Dorial Green-Beckham Titans 58
61 Riley Cooper Eagles 65
62 Torrey Smith 49ers 56
63 Terrance Williams Cowboys 57
64 Andre Johnson Colts ---
65 Lance Moore* Lions 61
66 Eddie Royal* Bears 55
67 Devin Funchess Panthers 62
68 Charles Johnson Vikings 67
69 Brian Quick Rams 63
70 Cecil Shorts* Texans 60
71 Devante Parker Dolphins 64
72 Justin Hunter Titans 73
73 Jermaine Kearse Seahawks 66
74 Jeff Janis Packers 68
75 Breshad Perriman Ravens 72
* - notable players with increased PPR value

Notes:

  • There is a special bump for the receiver who have had their byes, as they have nine games remaining in their regular seasons against everyone else's eight.

  • As we go down the rankings, there is an increase in the weight of strength of schedule. And the better matchups sooner than later because there is sell-high value to come. These are not weekly rankings, but the idea of these rankings is to measure whom we should be owning now over whom. For example, an WR3 with a bad schedule until Week 12 is useless to our rosters compared a below average WR4 with two or three nice matchups in the coming weeks.

  • There are a lot of injured players in these rankings. Their value combine my expectation of how many weeks they will play for how many points plus replacement level values of roughly eight points per week for the weeks they are expected to miss.

    Dez Bryant will still have to field passes from Matt Cassel, so his upside is who he is, but the floor is little different than what we saw from Antonio Brown with Michael Vick under center. With Ben Roelisberger back, Brown is solid top-5 with #1 upside. We have to be 8-0 or 7-1 to want Bryant over Stefon Diggs. Otherwise, we cannot afford to wait for Tony Romo.

  • I have zero interest in WRs who don't get the ball enough to elevate above replacement level. I don't care how good they are IRL. Players who are not getting snaps but have upside greater than the Anquan Boldins of the NFL are more worthy of roster spots. If a guy will never enter our lineups, the bench spots are better utilized by stashing players with upside--especially at the WR position where boom potential is greatest.

    DeAndre Hopkins is WR1, simply because there is no WR we can trust to get the ball often more than him. Brian Hoyer looks for him every play, the Texans defense is not allowing them to abandon the pass, and Hopkins is running perfect routes. This is the 2015 version of what Hoyer did for Josh Gordon in 2013.

  • Do your research and use rankings cautiously, as they are always a work-in-progress. Rankings are a bad tools to tell us what to do. They are conversation starters, tier setters, value mirrors, and a combination of the scientific explanations of what has happened with the art of predicting what will happen. Feel free to supply contrary evidence to me on Twitter at @AlexSontySBN or in the comments. They will help me help you.