The NFL's wide receiver landscape has changed drastically. Christian Watson is WR3, Tee Higgins is WR5, and Matthew Golden is WR7. By contrast, Rashee Rice is WR52, DJ Moore is WR59, Ladd McConkey is WR62, and Brian Thomas Jr. is WR87. Luckily for us, we can crunch the data to find the best options. The following eight wide receivers look like viable starts in Week 9.
Wilson is averaging 9.5 targets, 5.6 receptions, and 60.8 yards per game. His volume matches that of many top NFL wide receivers. Better yet, Wilson had 15 targets in Week 8 as Gardner Minshew entered the game. Minshew is here to stay, newly named QB1, which seems like a positive sign.
Flournoy is one of the most consistent fantasy football players. He has at least four targets and three receptions every game. He has five straight games with at least 37 receiving yards, and his median PPR points per game is 9.35. You might not get the upside, but you'll avoid a low floor, especially in deeper leagues.
Shakir's median PPR fantasy points are 11.4. He has at least six targets in five of seven games. The Vikings rank 10th-best in Yards per Target Allowed to slot wide receivers. They are also a pressure-heavy defense, and Josh Allen is the NFL's 2nd-best quarterback in EPA per Dropback vs. Blitz. I wouldn't call this anything close to a bad matchup for Shakir.
Allen has at least seven targets in four of his last five games. He is averaging 7.3 targets and 5.1 receptions per game. The Cowboys are 3rd-worst in EPA per Pass Allowed, so let Allen eat.
Tucker has faced three defenses this season that rank in the top-8 in yards per Target Allowed to outside receivers. Over those three games, Tucker is averaging 8.7 targets, 4.7 receptions, and 81.3 yards per game. In Week 9, Tucker faces the Chiefs, who rank 7th-best in that cited metric.
In Yards per Reception, Tucker averaged 16.3 yards. He is 22nd in EPA per Target and overall, a great player. I would view Tucker as a low-end WR2 in a tough matchup and a high-end WR2 in a good one. Either way, he's plug-and-play.
Over his last three games, Douglas leads all Dolphins with a 91% route rate. He ranks 2nd in the NFL at wide receiver in Yards per Target and 4th in EPA per Target. The Lions rank 29th in EPA per Pass Allowed. Take this for what it's worth - in games in which Douglas has played this season, the Dolphins' average margin of loss is 5.7 points, compared to 12.0 points when he is inactive.
Diggs is not the far-and-away Commanders WR1, but he is the WR1. Diggs has a 21% target share over his last three games. He runs about an 80% route rate and, over the season, Diggs averages one target per four routes run.
The game script should favor us if we're expected to lose to the Rams this week. Worst case, they are in the game, and Diggs gets meaningful targets. Either way, Diggs will see work, and Jayden Daniels will likely attempt at least 30 passes. He also has a shorter 9.1 Average Depth of target and is likely to capitalize on usage despite a tougher matchup on paper.
The rookie needs a good matchup to thrive. The Browns aren't the scariest offense, so that's the reality. He has faced only one team this season ranked among the worst 10 in Yards per Target Allowed to slot wide receivers. In that game, Concepcion caught 8 of 10 targets for 129 yards. This Sunday, he faces the Saints, who rank 7th-worst in this regard, so I would be optimistic.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Michael Wilson, Tre Tucker, and 6 More Must-Start Wide Receivers in Week 9 Fantasy Football .
