Week 9 Power Rankings
Sometimes in fantasy football, you’ve got to take a leap of faith—even if it feels like you’re hurtling through the air backward.
Take Saquon Barkley, for example. This week’s top-scoring RB juked one defender, spun away from another, and then elevated—backward—right over a third. Barkley’s “reverse hurdle” was one of those plays you have to see to believe, and just like it, the best moves in fantasy are sometimes the ones that feel improbable or downright risky. Fantasy isn’t just about the obvious choices; it’s about trusting your gut, closing your eyes, and hoping your leap lands you a few extra yards.
Jess literally benefited from Barkley’s backward leap, with that play alone accounting for 2.4 points—the exact margin she needed to edge past Chelsie. But Samantha’s leap of faith in flexing Chase Brown for the first time this season paid off even bigger. Brown put up a season-high 26.7 points, sealing a narrow nine-point win over Kelly.
My team finding creative ways to avoid wins every week.
Of course, Saquon’s reverse hurdle wasn’t the only bizarre sight on the field this week. We also witnessed the rise of the headstand TD celebration trend. For those who missed it, the move—involving a player balancing on the crown of their helmet like an upside-down pencil—was first pulled off by UIW’s Jalen Walthall. Then on Sunday, both Drake London and Amon-Ra St. Brown decided to go topsy-turvy.
In our fantasy league, that headstand might be the perfect metaphor for the double-TE craze sweeping through lineups. Chelsie started it off, playing Brock Bowers and George Kittle—a solid, understandable choice. Then Josh jumped on board with Cade Otton and Evan Engram, which, alright, I can respect. But now Geoff is rolling out Kyle Pitts and Taysom Hill. What. Is. Happening?! Just like the headstand, it started with one bold move, and now everyone’s flipping their lineups to keep up with this upside-down trend.
Can I flip my record upside-down too?
If fantasy football has taught us anything, it’s that this game can be a wild ride—full of reverse hurdles and headstands that make you question reality and wonder if you have any clue what you're doing. But in the end, it’s those unexpected leaps of faith that make it so thrilling. So the next time you find yourself spinning, disoriented, with a defender bearing down on you from behind—jump.
You might just be surprised where you land.
Speaking of players hurdling over the competition, let’s get to this week’s Power Rankings!
We have a new team owner on top of this season’s Power Rankings—Beth Ann!
No, it’s not Alex, Jess, or Geoff on top of the Power Rankings—it’s Beth Ann!
Scoring 147.4 points in her win over Greco, Beth Ann not only claimed her first weekly prize of the year but her first since Week 14 of 2021, nearly three years ago. That impressive win was more than enough to catapult her over Jess and Alex to the top spot. The last time she held that position? It was the year she went on to win it all.
Beth Ann’s strength continues to be at RB, where she leads the league with nearly 50 ppg from the position, thanks to Alvin Kamara (RB2), Kyren Williams (RB6), and J.K. Dobbins (RB13). And her WRs aren’t slacking either—she’s got Justin Jefferson (WR2) and Darnell Mooney (WR12). If she can get consistent production from her QB and TE, watch out! Projections may not always pan out, but it’s no surprise she has the highest ESPN projection in the league this week.
Other big moves in the Power Rankings include Alex dropping three spots after his worst game since Week 2. Expect him to bounce back in a big matchup against Beth Ann next week if he can survive the litany of byes to his studs. And Gray who also climbed into the top half for the first time since Week 3, returning to fifth—his highest ranking so far this season.
Alright, let’s take a look at the Playoff Picture.
This week’s biggest movers: Gray surged (+33%) and Geoff took the biggest hit (-34%).
The Favorites (Jess, Samantha and Alex)
Jess’ narrow win over Chelsie raised her record to 7-2, making her nearly a lock for the playoffs. She missed the playoffs in just five out of 10,000 simulations.
Samantha, also at 7-2 after a win over Kelly, is on a similar track. Despite losing Chris Godwin, she’s thriving with strong performances from Chase Brown and DeAndre Hopkins, missing the playoffs in only 63 simulations.
Alex, at 5-4 after a loss to Erik, now sits fourth in the standings (just behind Josh). However, with an 86.3-point cushion over the current team that would be competing with him for the final playoff spot, Alex has a solid buffer, even if he hits a rough patch down the stretch. But one more loss and he could slip down into the next tier.
The Contenders (Beth Ann, Josh, Chelsie, Geoff, and…Gray!)
Beth Ann’s playoff odds shot up by 24% after her big win over Greco and a rise to the top of the Power Rankings. At 5-4 and leading all contenders in points, she’s in a strong position but faces a tough schedule with four of her last five games against top-six teams.
I’ve given Josh a lot of crap this year for being lucky, which is deserved. He’s 6-3 despite a TW% below .500. That being said, he’s got the hottest team in the league over the last three weeks, leading all others in TW% (.848) and points (135.8 ppg). His win over Geoff boosted his playoff odds by 21%, and if the playoffs started today, he’d be third and just one game from a first-round bye.
Gray is the latest addition to the contender group, with a playoff odds increase of 33%. After beating Brandon, he’s now won four straight to reach 5-4. The Garrett Wilson trade with Brandon was a key factor in last week’s win, and while he may lack some firepower compared to other contenders, he’d currently be in the playoffs. But can he hold on?
Chelsie’s tough loss this week came courtesy of a late comeback by Jess and Baker Mayfield. Now at 5-4, her playoff odds dropped by 11%. If the playoffs started today, she’d be out, due to the fact that she trails all other contenders in points. But with Christian McCaffrey back, she’s got a chance to turn things around.
Geoff’s loss to Josh pushed him down the rankings to 4-5, one game back from the other contenders and two back from Josh. Despite this, he still has a 42% chance to make the playoffs, and the good news? He’s got the easiest remaining schedule. However, with Jonathon Brooks’ slated to make his debut for the Panthers, Chuba Hubbard’s role (a key player for Geoff) may involve a timeshare despite the new contract.
The Dark Horse (Brandon)
With Gray moving up, Brandon is now the lone dark horse. His playoff odds fell by 22%, leaving him at just a 6% chance. He started 3-5 last year and still made the playoffs, but this year’s 3-6 record means he’ll have to do even better, likely needing to win out or take four of his last five and hope for a tiebreaker. Despite strong weekly projections, he’s faced extreme bad luck, ranking as the second-unluckiest team in league history as measured by the gap between his true win percentage (TW%) and his actual win percentage (W%).
The Long Shots (Greco, Erik and Kelly)
Greco’s playoff hopes took a hit with Puka Nacua’s ejection and a start by a defense on bye. With tough matchups against all three playoff favorites to close the regular season, she’ll face a tough road and likely needs to win out to have a shot. If she does win out, her playoff odds improve to 74%; at 7-7, they drop to just 1%.
Erik’s win over Alex keeps him in the running, but he faces the league’s toughest schedule, with no easy matchups left. Like Greco, he’ll likely need to win out, reaching 81% playoff odds if he does and only 3% if he finishes 7-7.
Kelly, at 1-8, can no longer clinch a top-two seed but technically isn’t out. She could finish 6-8 if she wins out, but she’ll need significant help to squeak in. With her current TW% and scoring hovering right around the records set by the Worst’s worst team ever (Nick from 2020), her primary focus may be avoiding that dubious honor. We’ll be keeping an eye on it!
That’s a wrap on Week 9! With only five weeks left in the regular season, the finish line is in sight. Good luck to everyone in Week 10—like Saquon Barkley, be bold, and you just might hurdle your way into the playoffs.
