Fantasy football: Week 9 running back rankings

Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and Le'Veon Bell top my Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings for 2019.

Aaron Jones, Leonard Fournette, Josh Jacobs, Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry round out my top 10 options for Week 9.

There are plenty of other running backs with great matchups this week. If you need help at the position, check out my weekly waiver wire article. Try to find players who will be on the field for a lot of snaps and are highly involved in their respective offenses when deciding on starting options for your lineup.

You also should remove Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints players from your lineup, as those teams have Week 9 byes.

Here are some of my favorite players in this week's top 30 rankings:

TOP SHELF

Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott is my No. 1 running back for Week 9. Elliott had a somewhat slow start to the season -- by his standards -- but has posted back-to-back weeks with at least 140 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. He also has 50 carries and 61 total touches in his last two games entering a Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants. The rival Giants are allowing the 10th most fantasy points per game to running backs. Elliott should have a huge day here and get a ton of work in this NFC East clash. He is an elite option, regardless of matchup, but should give you a huge advantage over your opponent this week.

New York Jets veteran Le'Veon Bell is an RB1 option this week against the Miami Dolphins, a unit allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs. The winless Dolphins have also allowed a league-high 992 rushing yards to running backs. Bell is my No. 5 option due to this spectacular matchup. He should get at least 100 yards from scrimmage and has a great chance to score.

SNEAKY PLAYS

Oakland Raiders rookie Josh Jacobs is my No. 8 option this week, landing in RB1 territory. Jacobs is averaging 5.0 yards per carry and has four touchdowns on the season. He piled up 247 yards and two scores on the ground in the two weeks leading into his Week 8 showing. Jacobs got a limited workload last week, but should rebound in a big way against the Detroit Lions, a unit allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs.

Phillip Lindsay is my No. 11 option in Week 9, landing in low-end RB1/high-end RB2 territory. The Denver Broncos running back appeared to be heating up in Week 5 and Week 6, but has failed to reached 60 rushing yards in his last two games. He should find much more room to operate in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns, a unit allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game to running backs. The San Francisco 49ers gashed the Browns on the ground in Week 5. Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson went off against the Browns in Week 6. New England Patriots running back James White had a great receiving day against the Browns last week. I expect Lindsay to post at least 100 yards from scrimmage in this matchup. He could be a top-10 play if he dominates his backfield split with Royce Freeman, who is a flex consideration.

LONGSHOTS

The Miami Dolphins traded starting running back Kenyan Drake to the Arizona Cardinals this week, opening up a big opportunity for Mark Walton. Walton has led the Dolphins backfield in carries in back-to-back weeks entering a Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets, a unit tied for allowing the second-most rushing touchdowns to running backs. I think Walton has a great chance to score in this game, which I expect to be close. Walton is my No. 17 option for Week 9, landing in low-end RB2 or flex territory. He is a great bye week fill in option.

If you are looking for a lottery ticket type of play, take a chance on Buffalo Bills rookie Devin Singletary. He still shares the Bills backfield with Frank Gore, but I think he could have his coming out party in Week 9 against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are tied for allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs. The Redskins have also allowed the most rushing attempts and fourth-most rushing yards to running backs. Singletary is my No. 24 option and is a low-end RB2 or a solid flex play this week, especially if your lineup is in need of a spark.

Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings

1. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys at NYG

2. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings at KC

3. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers vs. TEN

4. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants vs. DAL

5. Le'Veon Bell, New York Jets at MIA

6. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers at LAC

7. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. HOU

8. Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders vs. DET

9. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns at DEN

10. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans at CAR

11. Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos vs. CLE