Week 9 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet for Best Values and Top Sleepers

Week 9 will begin with a Thursday matchup that looked better a few weeks ago than it does now. The Jacksonville Jaguars will visit the Baltimore Ravens, who won't have starting quarterback Lamar Jackson or backup Tyler Huntley because of injuries.

The Ravens are hoping that they get enough out of rookie Joe Fagnano to keep pace with the Jags. Likewise, many fantasy managers are hoping that they can navigate Week 9 with a roster full of sleepers and waiver-wire pickups.

Injuries continue to be a scourge on the fantasy football landscape. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans are also on bye this week.

Here, you'll find updated point-per-reception (PPR) rankings for Week 9, a cheat sheet for value plays, and a look at some top sleeper options who may still be available on the wire.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

Waiver Target: J.J. McCarthy, QB, New York Giants

Considering how inconsistently he played with the Minnesota Vikings, J.J. McCarthy has been a very pleasant surprise for the New York Giants. In his first start with New York, the Michigan product helped deliver an overtime victory over the Houston Texans.

Of course, McCarthy didn't do much for fantasy managers in Week 7, finishing with just 10.2 fantasy points.

However, McCarthy has a very good chance to rebound this week against the rival Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants are coming off their bye and have had extra time to prepare for Vic Fangio's defense. That defense, meanwhile, has largely underwhelmed.

The Eagles have surrendered the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. McCarthy is rostered in only 14 percent of leagues.

Teams That Should Buy at Trade Deadline 🤝

Waiver Target: Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins receiver Caleb Douglas isn't a weekly must-start just yet. However, the rookie has largely served as Malik Willis' go-to perimeter target when healthy and has flashed a ton of upside.

Douglas logged 14.4 fantasy points in Week 1 and recorded 21 points in Week 7. While he's coming off a modest 8.3-point outing, he should be viewed as a strong streamer moving forward.

This week, Douglas will have a must-start-caliber matchup. The Dolphins are set to host the Detroit Lions, who have surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season. Given Detroit's ability to put points on the board while defending the run well, Douglas should see a high volume of targets.

Douglas is rostered in only 25 percent of fantasy leagues.

*Fantasy roster and scoring information from FantasyPros .