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MIAMI, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Joe Flacco and Patrick Mahomes are among my five must-start fantasy football quarterbacks for Week 9. Jalen Hurts leads my Top 20 quarterback rankings, which are below. Jayden Daniels, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are among my other Top-5 plays. Bo Nix, Mahomes, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Kirk Cousins round out my Top 10.
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My Week 9 running back and wide receiver rankings remain available for your preparation. My free-agent targets article is available here.
My positional rankings will continue to be updated for developments, including injuries. Those who roster Love, Drake Maye and other injured quarterbacks should monitor their practice status before starting them. Brock Purdy and Russell Wilson should be benched, as the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers serve Week 9 byes.
Aaron Rodgers and C.J. Stroud, who played in Thursday's New York Jets-Houston Texans game, were removed from my rankings.
Nix, Darnold and Aaron Rodgers join Flacco and Mahomes as my must-start options. Several streaming options also can be found within my rankings.
Each of my must-start options land inside the Top 14 of my quarterback rankings.
Bo Nix
Nix is among my must-start quarterbacks for the second-consecutive week. The Denver Broncos rookie posted the second-most fantasy points among quarterbacks in Week 8, when he threw for 284 yards and three scores, while rushing for another touchdown, in a win over the Carolina Panthers.
Nix continues to provide value as a passer and runner and should submit another Top 10 performance this week against a Baltimore Ravens defense that allowed the most passing yards (311.6) and tied for allowing the most touchdown passes (2.1) per game to opposing quarterbacks through eight weeks.
The Ravens allowed multiple touchdown passes in four-consecutive games. They also surrendered more than 300 passing yards in four of their last six outings, including 334 yards and three scores from Jameis Winston in Week 8.
Nix is my No. 6 quarterback for Week 9.
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes was not a Top-20 option in terms of fantasy points per game among quarterbacks through the first eight weeks of the season, but should be a QB1 in Week 9.
Mahomes and the Chiefs will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have allowed the most fantasy points, fourth-most passing yards (271.8) and sixth-most passing scores (1.9) per game to opposing quarterbacks.
That generous stretch included allowing nine passing scores over the last two weeks and 14 over their last four games. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for a combined 785 yards and eight scores in his two meetings with the Buccaneers.
Mahomes, who is coming off his best fantasy performance so far this season, should take advantage of this spectacular matchup. He is my No. 7 play.
Sam Darnold
Darnold sits right behind Mahomes in my Week 9 quarterback rankings. The Minnesota Vikings veteran was a Top 14 quarterback option over the first eight weeks of the season.
He provided his fifth multiple-touchdown game of seven appearances in Week 8. This week, Darnold and the Vikings will host an Indianapolis Colts defense that allowed the eighth-most passing yards (242.9) per game to quarterbacks so far in 2024.
The Colts faced lower-tier passers in Week 6 and Week 7, in the Tennessee Titans' Will Levis and Miami Dolphins backups, respectively. They then allowed 285 yards to Texans star C.J. Stroud in Week 8. The Colts also surrendered more than 300 passing yards each week from Week 3 through Week 5.
Look for Darnold to eclipse 275 yards and to find the end zone for multiple scores for the second-consecutive week.
Joe Flacco
Flacco is the new full-time starter for the Colts, replacing second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. The veteran averaged the seventh-most fantasy points per game among quarterbacks through his first three appearances this season.
He totaled multiple touchdown passes in each of his outings, including a 359-yard, three-score performance in Week 5.
This week, the Colts will battle a Vikings defense that allowed the second-most passing yards (284.4) and tied for allowing the fourth-most passing touchdowns (2.0) per game to quarterbacks so far this season. They also surrendered multiple passing scores to opposing quarterbacks in four-consecutive games, including two four-touchdown pass efforts.
Flacco is my No. 11 play and can be plugged in as a streaming starter.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers, who was my No. 12 play, threw for 211 yards and three scores in the Jets' 21-13 win over the Texans on Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J.
Week 9 fantasy football quarterback rankings
1. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles vs. JAX
2. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders at NYG
3. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers vs. DET
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals vs. LV
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens vs. DEN
6. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos at BAL
7. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. TB
8. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings vs. IND
9. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. MIA
10. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons vs. DAL
11. Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts at MIN
12. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys at ATL
13. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams at SEA
14. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. CHI
15. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears at ARI
16. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at KC
17. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions at GB
18. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers at CLE
19. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints at CAR
20. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks vs. LAR
