Downs, Doubs among 4 must-start Week 9 fantasy football wide receivers

MIAMI, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Josh Downs and Romeo Doubs are among my four must-start wide receivers for Week 9 of the fantasy football campaign.

A.J. Brown leads my Week 9 Top-50 rankings, which are listed below. Malik Nabers, CeeDee Lamb, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson also land inside the Top 5 of my rankings.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London, Puka Nacua, Terry McClaurin and Zay Flowers join those pass catchers in my Top 10. Ladd McConkey and Xavier Legette join Downs and Doubs as my four must-start plays.

Those who roster Brian Thomas Jr., D.K. Metcalf, Tee Higgins and other players dealing with injuries should monitor their status before plugging them into starting lineups. Players from the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, who are on bye, should be benched or potentially dropped.

Wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Christian Kirk, who sustained season-ending injuries in Week 8, can be dropped.

Players also will be removed from or adjusted within the rankings based on injuries. Players from Thursday's New York Jets and Houston Texans game also were removed from my rankings. My free agent targets article for Week 9 is available here. My Week 9 running back, tight end and quarterback rankings also are available.

Josh Downs

Downs is a fringe WR1 this week when his Indianapolis Colts take on the Minnesota Vikings. The Colts wide receiver totaled the fourth-most fantasy points among wide receivers last week, when he hauled in four catches for 109 yards and a score against the Texans.

Downs scored in three of his last five games. He also eclipsed 65 receiving yards four times during that span. The Colts are set to face a Vikings defense that allowed the most fantasy points, receiving touchdowns (1.6) and second-most catches (16.9) and receiving yards (204.9) per game to wide receivers through eight weeks.

The Vikings allowed 192 yards and three touchdowns to Los Angeles Rams wide receivers in Week 8. They surrendered 151 yards and two scores to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond in Week 7. Including those generous performances, the Vikings allowed at least two touchdowns to opposing wide receivers in four consecutive games.

I expect that streak to continue this week, with Colts quarterback Joe Flacco finding Downs for another touchdown. Downs is my No. 13 option.

Rome Doubs

Doubs can be plugged in as a low-end WR2 in Week 9, when the Green Bay Packers take on the Detroit Lions in a game that could be high scoring.

The Lions allowed the most catches (17.7), receiving yards (210.7) and third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers so far this season. They also just surrendered 10 catches for 143 yards to Calvin Ridley in Week 8.

Doubs totaled 16 targets, 11 catches and 166 receiving yards over his last two games. He also scored twice in Week 6. Look for the Packers pass catcher to draw a lot of targets in this fantasy football friendly matchup.

Ladd McConkey

McConkey is coming off his best game of the season, when he totaled six catches for 111 yards and two scores in a Week 8 win over the New Orleans Saints. He also drew at least six targets in six of his first seven NFL appearances.

This week, McConkey and the Los Angeles Chargers will take on a Cleveland Browns defense that surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, including a run of nine touchdowns allowed to the position over their last five appearances.

McConkey, my No. 20 option, likely needs to find the end zone to warrant this ranking, but I think he has a great chance against this generous secondary. He can be used as a WR2/WR3 streamer if your normal starter is injured, faces a tough matchup or is on bye.

Xavier Legette

Legette is another solid streaming play for Week 9, when his Carolina Panthers battle a Saints defense that just allowed McConkey's terrific performance.

Legette, a fellow rookie from the class of 2024, didn't score through the first three weeks of the season, but found the end zone in three of his last five games since that stretch, including in Week 8.

The young pass catcher only eclipsed 42 yards once through the first eight weeks of 2024, but is set to earn more targets after the Panthers traded top target Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens.

Legette, my No. 25 option, should be a sneaky WR3 down the stretch, especially in good matchups like this one.

Week 9 wide receiver rankings

1. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles vs. JAX

2. Malik Nabers, New York Giants vs. WAS

3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys at ATL

4. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals vs. LV

5. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. IND

6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions at GB

7. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons vs. DAL

8. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams at SEA

9. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders at NYG

10. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens vs. DEN

11. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals vs. CHI

12. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins at BUF

13. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts at MIN

14. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles vs. JAX

15. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears at ARI

16. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints at CAR

17. Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons vs. DAL

18. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers vs. DET

19. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams at SEA

20. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers at CLE

21. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos at BAL

22. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers vs. DET

23. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars at PHI

24. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders at CIN

25. Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers vs. NO

26. Amari Cooper, Buffalo Bills vs. MIA

27. Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans vs. NE

28. Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants vs. WAS

29. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills vs. MIA

30. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts at MIN

31. Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns vs. LAC

32. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs vs. TB

33. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. LAR

34. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks vs. LAR

35. Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys at ATL

36. Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears at ARI

37. DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs vs. TB

38. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings vs. IND

39. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins at BUF

40. Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills vs. MIA

41. Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at KC

42. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns vs. LAC

43. Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns vs. LAC

44. Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens vs. DEN

45. Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears at ARI

46. DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots at TEN

47. Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams at SEA

48. Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers vs. DET

49. Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals vs. CHI

50. Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders at CIN