Before we get into my favorite running backs for fantasy football Week 9, let's take a look back at some of the players I liked in Week 8.

Most of the time, I gently mock myself to open the article by looking back at some of my favorites from the previous week who disappointed. 

In Week 8, though, I had some great hits.

Let's see if I can keep the good times going as we hit the midway point of the regular season.

As of Tuesday evening, here's an early look at my (preliminary) favorite Week 9 fantasy plays—the guys who (in some combination) …

  • Might be high in my fantasy rankings relative to the industry consensus.
  • Need to be started in most season-long leagues.
  • Must be added if they are on waivers.
  • Possess underappreciated upside.
  • Have advantageous matchups.
  • Should be considered in daily fantasy.
  • Make for desirable dynasty acquisition targets.
  • Are on teams with player-friendly betting odds.
  • Catch my eye with their player projections.
  • Stand out in our Fantasy Life Player Prop Tool.

Some notes.

Updates: After I submit this piece, any changing opinions I have will be reflected in my rankings and my projections (accessible with a FantasyLife+ subscription), which I will update throughout the week.

Scoring & Ordering: All fantasy points are half-PPR scoring unless otherwise stated. Players are ordered within position roughly (but maybe not precisely) according to my rankings.

Abbreviations: Check out the end of the piece for abbreviations I might use.

Bye Week: This week, the Steelers and 49ers are on bye.

Sports Betting Data: Odds are as of 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and based on the consensus lines in our Fantasy Life Odds Page.

Freedman's Favorites: Although we publish this piece as four separate articles broken out by position, I think of it as one cohesive whole and write it as such. With that in mind, please be sure to check out the rest of my favorite Week 8 fantasy football plays in the other positional previews.

Best RBs for Fantasy Football Week 9

Kyren Williams (Rams) at Seahawks

  • Rams: -1.5
  • O/U: 48.5
  • TT: 25

Williams has a TD in every game this year (10 TDs total), and I have him projected for 0.84 TDs this week. I think his odds of finding the end zone are -245, which comes out to a 71.0% implied probability (per our Fantasy Life Odds Calculator).

Despite already having had a bye, Williams is No. 2 with 11 goal-line carries, trailing only Derrick Henry (12).

Whenever the sportsbooks post Williams' TD odds for Week 9, I'll be paying attention.

Use our Fantasy Life Prop Finder to find the best odds available for almost any player-focused bet.

With 17-plus opportunities in every game this year, Williams has an incredibly solid fantasy floor, and with WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua now back, the Rams offense gives him a high ceiling: Williams is one of the few RBs with a realistic chance of racking up 100-plus yards and multiple TDs.

The Seahawks are No. 29 in defensive rush SR (45.3%).

De'Von Achane (Dolphins) at Bills

  • Dolphins: +6
  • O/U: 50
  • TT: 22

In his two games this year with QB Tua Tagovailoa and No. 2 RB Raheem Mostert, Achane has balled out.

  • Week 1: 100 yards, 1 TD | 10 carries, 7 targets
  • Week 3: 147 yards, 1 TD | 10 carries, 8 targets

And against the Bills in Week 2, he went nuclear with 165 yards and a TD on 22 carries and seven targets.

In his two games against the division-rival Bills last year, Achane had 181 yards and three TDs on 18 carries and six targets.

With his three-down skill set, Achane has the ability to go off independent of game script, and I like his matchup: The Bills are No. 4 in most fantasy points allowed to RBs (23.7), without LB Matt Milano (biceps, IR), and likely to be without LB Terrel Bernard (ankle, pectoral, personal), who neither practiced nor played last week.

Kareem Hunt (Chiefs) vs. Buccaneers

  • Chiefs: -9
  • O/U: 45.5
  • TT: 27.25

Hunt's efficiency with the Chiefs this year is nothing special (3.7 yards per carry, 5.7 yards per target), and it's in keeping with his numbers since 2022 (3.5, 4.6).

But his volume is—dare I say?--delicious: 21 carries and 1.8 targets per game.  

And since becoming the starter in Week 5, his volume has been even better: 23.3 carries, 1.3 targets per game.

The result: 348 yards and four TDs in four games.

I expect Hunt to have a similar workload and output this week as a large home favorite, and the Buccaneers could be without LB Lavonte David (ankle).

The Checkdown

  • James Cook (Bills -6, TT: 28) vs. Dolphins: Cook dominated the Dolphins in Week 2 (95 yards, three TDs), and he has impressed as a home favorite since becoming the lead back last year (1,255 yards, six TDs in 13 games). The Bills have the week's highest implied point total (28), and the Dolphins are No. 28 in defensive rush DVOA (3.9%).
     
  • Alvin Kamara (Saints -7, TT: 25.25) at Panthers: If you take a gander in our industry-leading Fantasy Life Utilization Report, you'll see that Kamara ranks No. 1 in our Fantasy Life Utilization Score (9.3). The dude is a workhorse, and he had 110 yards and a TD on 15 carries and five targets in Week 1 against the Panthers, who are No. 1 in most fantasy points allowed to RBs (29.1).
     
  • D'Andre Swift (Bears Pick'Em, TT: 22.25) at Cardinals: Swift was forgettable to open the year (114 yards in Weeks 1-3), but in the month since then he has turned his season around (533 yards, four TDs in four games). Without DTs Bilal Nichols (undisclosed, IR), Roy Lopez (ankle), and EDGE Dennis Gardeck (knee, IR) last week, the Cardinals allowed 217 yards and three TDs to opposing RBs.
     
  • Tony Pollard (Titans -3, TT: 20.5) vs. Patriots: In all but one game this year Pollard has had 20-plus opportunities, and he could have similar usage again this week, especially if No. 2 RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring) misses his third game in a row. The Patriots are No. 2 in largest fantasy boost allowed to RBs (+4.9).
     
  • J.K. Dobbins (Chargers -2, TT: 22.25) at Browns: Dobbins has 236 yards and two TDs on 56 carries and 12 targets in three games without No. 2 RB Gus Edwards (ankle, IR) since the Week 5 bye. The Browns could be without starting LBs Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) and Jordan Hicks (elbow, triceps).

Abbreviations

  • Fantasy Points per Game (FPPG)
  • Against the Spread (ATS)
  • Over/Under (O/U)
  • Team Total (TT)
  • Moneyline (ML)
  • Return on Investment (ROI)
  • Adjusted Yards per Attempt (AY/A)
  • Expected Points Added (EPA)
  • Success Rate (SR)
  • Completion Percentage Over Expected (CPOE)
  • Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA)
  • AirYAC (Air Yards + Yards After Catch)
  • Weighted Opportunity Rating (WOPR)
  • Average Depth of Target (aDOT)
  • Short Down and Distance (SDD)
  • Long Down and Distance (LDD)