The Big Lead

Fantasy Football Starter Rankings, Week 9: Will Dez Bryant Do Better Despite Matt Cassel at QB?

By Jason Lisk

None
facebooktwitter

Congratulations, Dez Bryant owners, he came back last week, earlier than expected. Of course, he was catching (2) passes from Matt Cassel, and so now one of the big issues is just where do you play a top 5 wide receiver who is limited by his QB? For this week, I’ve got him at WR#20, though to be fair, there are plenty of questions at the position as we wait for further injury news as the week progresses. With 6 teams out on bye plus plenty of the big name receivers listed on the injury report, this may be a start ’em if you got ’em type week.

Here are the early rankings heading into Thursday. All players marked with a + are probable and ++ questionable for this weekend.

QUARTERBACKS

  1. Tom Brady vs WAS
  2. Drew Brees vs TEN
  3. Philip Rivers vs CHI
  4. Andy Dalton vs CLE
  5. Ben Roethlisberger vs OAK
  6. Cam Newton vs GB
  7. Matt Ryan at SF
  8. Aaron Rodgers at CAR
  9. Jay Cutler at SD
  10. Eli Manning at TB
  11. Derek Carr at PIT
  12. Peyton Manning at IND++
  13. Tyrod Taylor vs MIA+
  14. Jameis Winston vs NYG
  15. Ryan Tannehill at BUF
  16. Andrew Luck vs DEN++
  17. Marcus Mariota at NO+
  18. Sam Bradford at DAL
  19. Kirk Cousins at NE
  20. Blake Bortles at NYJ
  21. Ryan Fitzpatrick vs JAC+
  22. Teddy Bridgewater vs STL
  23. Nick Foles at MIN
  24. Johnny Manziel at CIN+
  25. Matt Cassel vs PHI+
  26. Blaine Gabbert vs ATL

 

RUNNING BACKS

  1. Devonta Freeman at SF
  2. Todd Gurley at MIN
  3. Mark Ingram vs TEN
  4. Adrian Peterson vs STL
  5. Doug Martin vs NYG
  6. DeAngelo Williams vs OAK
  7. Jeremy Hill vs CLE
  8. Chris Ivory vs JAC+
  9. LeSean McCoy vs MIA
  10. Darren McFadden vs PHI
  11. Jonathan Stewart vs GB
  12. Dion Lewis vs WAS++
  13. Lamar Miller at BUF
  14. DeMarco Murray at DAL
  15. LeGarrette Blount vs WAS
  16. Jeremy Langford at SD
  17. Latavius Murray at PIT
  18. T.J. Yeldon at NYJ
  19. Ronnie Hillman at IND+
  20. Giovani Bernard vs CLE
  21. Danny Woodhead vs CHI
  22. Melvin Gordon vs CHI
  23. Eddie Lacy at CAR
  24. Antonio Andrews at NO
  25. Frank Gore vs DEN
  26. C.J. Spiller vs TEN
  27. C.J. Anderson at IND+
  28. Charles Sims vs NYG
  29. Ryan Mathews at DAL++
  30. Shane Vereen at TB
  31. Matt Jones at NE
  32. Rashad Jennings at TB
  33. Duke Johnson at CIN
  34. Dexter McCluster at NO
  35. Chris Thompson at NE+
  36. Isaiah Crowell at CIN
  37. Orleans Darkwa at TB
  38. Karlos Williams vs MIA+
  39. James Starks at CAR
  40. Darren Sproles at DAL
  41. Christine Michael vs PHI
  42. Kendall Gaskins vs ATL (monitor injury reports out of SF)
  43. Pierre Thomas vs ATL (monitor injury reports out of SF)
  44. Alfred Morris at NE
  45. Antone Smith at SD
  46. Zac Stacy vs JAC
  47. Marcel Reece at PIT
  48. Tevin Coleman at SF
  49. Taiwan Jones at PIT
  50. Mike Tolbert vs GB

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

  1. Julio Jones at SF
  2. Antonio Brown vs OAK
  3. Alshon Jeffery at SD
  4. A.J. Green vs CLE
  5. Odell Beckham, Jr. at TB
  6. Demaryius Thomas at IND
  7. Amari Cooper at PIT
  8. Julian Edelman vs WAS++
  9. Randall Cobb at CAR
  10. Brandon Marshall vs JAC++
  11. Martavis Bryant vs OAK++
  12. Emmanuel Sanders at IND++
  13. Mike Evans vs NYG
  14. Michael Crabtree at PIT
  15. Brandin Cooks vs TEN
  16. Steve Johnson vs CHI
  17. Allen Hurns at NYJ++
  18. Allen Robinson at NYJ
  19. Stefon Diggs vs STL++
  20. Dez Bryant vs PHI++
  21. Eric Decker vs JAC++
  22. Jarvis Landry at BUF
  23. Travis Benjamin at CIN
  24. Willie Snead vs TEN++
  25. Tavon Austin at MIN
  26. Malcom Floyd vs CHI
  27. Sammy Watkins vs MIA++
  28. Brandon LaFell vs WAS
  29. Richard Matthews at BUF
  30. T.Y. Hilton vs DEN++
  31. Jordan Matthews at DAL
  32. DeSean Jackson at NE++
  33. Donte Moncrief vs DEN
  34. Rueben Randle at TB++
  35. Ted Ginn vs GB
  36. Davante Adams at CAR
  37. Marvin Jones vs CLE
  38. James Jones at CAR
  39. Dwayne Harris at TB
  40. Dorial Green-Beckham at NO
  41. Andre Johnson vs DEN
  42. Robert Woods vs MIA
  43. Marques Colston vs TEN
  44. Pierre Garcon at NE
  45. Harry Douglas at NO
  46. Mike Wallace vs STL
  47. Marquess Wilson at SD
  48. Corey Brown vs GB
  49. Anquan Boldin vs ATL++
  50. Terrance Williams vs PHI

TIGHT ENDS

  1. Rob Gronkowski vs WAS
  2. Greg Olsen vs GB
  3. Antonio Gates vs CHI
  4. Tyler Eifert vs CLE
  5. Jordan Reed at WAS
  6. Delanie Walker at NO
  7. Benjamin Watson vs TEN
  8. Gary Barnidge at CIN
  9. Martellus Bennett at SD
  10. Heath Miller vs OAK
  11. Charles Clay vs MIA
  12. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins vs NYG++
  13. Jason Witten vs PHI
  14. Zach Ertz at DAL
  15. Jacob Tamme at SF
  16. Will Tye at TB
  17. Jordan Cameron at BUF
  18. Julius Thomas at NYJ+
  19. Vernon Davis at IND
  20. Richard Rodgers at CAR
  21. Coby Fleener vs DEN
  22. Ladarius Green vs CHI++
  23. Kyle Rudolph vs STL
  24. Garrett Celek vs ATL
  25. Jared Cook at MIN

KICKERS

  1. Stephen Gostkowski vs WAS
  2. Matt Bryant at SF
  3. Mike Nugent vs CLE
  4. Brandon McManus at IND
  5. Kai Forbath vs TEN
  6. Josh Lambo vs CHI
  7. Josh Brown at TB
  8. Mason Crosby at CAR
  9. Nick Folk vs JAC
  10. Graham Gano vs GB
  11. Blair Walsh vs STL
  12. Robbie Gould at SD
  13. Greg Zuerlein at MIN
  14. Chris Boswell vs OAK
  15. Dan Carpenter vs MIA

TEAM DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

  1. BRONCOS at IND
  2. BENGALS vs CLE
  3. JETS vs JAC
  4. PATRIOTS vs WAS
  5. RAMS at MIN
  6. FALCONS at SF
  7. EAGLES at DAL
  8. SAINTS vs TEN
  9. BILLS vs MIA
  10. VIKINGS vs STL
  11. PANTHERS vs GB
  12. PACKERS at CAR
  13. GIANTS vs TB
  14. BUCS vs NYG
  15. DOLPHINS at BUF