Week 9 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Tyrone Tracy Rises, Alvin Kamara Falls

In 2025, the NFL continues to shift to a more pass-heavy league, yet running backs still reign supreme in fantasy football. The elite workhorses—guys like Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Jonathan Taylor—remain the ultimate cheat codes, piling up receptions, yardage, and touchdowns while leaving defenders in the dust.

Week 8 Best Fantasy Football Running Backs

Just last week, we witnessed five running backs eclipse 25 fantasy points in PPR formats. Jonathan Taylor led the way with another three-touchdown performance en route to 37.4 fantasy points but James Cook (33.6), Saquon Barkley (33.4), and Breece Hall (32.9) were right on his heels. Chase Brown’s two touchdowns helped him finish as the RB5 with 25.5 points.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

RJ Harvey: 24.1 points
De’Von Achane: 20.1 points
Kimani Vidal: 19.7 points
Derrick Henry: 19.1 points
Javonte Williams: 17.9 points

Heading into Week 9, instead of six teams idle as was the case in Week 8, four times won’t be in action. This week, two elite squads in the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off while two teams with barely any fantasy assets – the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns – will also have their bye weeks. However, those two basement dwellers actually have very strong running backs on the roster. Fantasy managers will need to navigate the waiver wire and trade block cleverly if they want to find solid replacements for Saquon Barkley, Rachaad White and Bucky Irving, Breece Hall, and Quinshon Judkins.

Plus, if you own an injured running back like Cam Skattebo, the waiver wire will be even more pivotal to your Week 9 success. If you’re lucky, maybe you can scoop up Tyrone Tracy Jr. assuming he was dropped after Skattebo’s surge in recent weeks. If he’s not available, Bam Knight could be a decent option particularly in the wake of Arizona’s release of Michael Carter. Or perhaps you want to take a chance on Tyjae Spears, who has seen a recent uptick in production despite Tony Pollard’s presence.

But before we get to this week’s running back rankings, let’s explore the top running backs this season thus far.

The Best Running Backs In 2025 Fantasy Football

After eight weeks of the season, here are the top 12 running backs in PPR formats:

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
James Cook, Buffalo Bills
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Cam Skattebo, New York Giants *INJURED*
D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
Breece Hall, New York Jets

With Week 9 kicking off Thursday night as the Miami Dolphins host the Baltimore Ravens, let’s take a look at where all the running backs in the league stack up in our rankings. Both backs in that game are among our top 10, but let’s examine the rest of the top rushers in the NFL.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. Enters RB2 Discussion

A tough moment for the Giants came Sunday when rookie running back Cam Skattebo was carted off the field against Philadelphia. With Skattebo sidelined, Tyrone Tracy Jr. steps into the RB1 role and an intriguing fantasy opportunity. Tracy logged 10 carries for 39 yards and caught two passes for 14 yards in Week 8, and while his 2025 production has been modest, we’ve already seen what he’s capable of — three 100-yard rushing performances and 38 receptions as a rookie last season.

Impossible to replace what Cam Skattebo brought this team. His energy and physicality were infectious, and his production was undeniable.

That being said Tyrone Tracy Jr. can be a good RB in this league. He had over 1k total yards and 5 TDs as a rookie last season.

RB will be… pic.twitter.com/9mNbOmpPLb
— Tommy (@TommyG105) October 27, 2025

Now set to handle the bulk of New York’s backfield touches ahead of Devin Singletary, Tracy projects to play around 60% of snaps this week, with that number likely to climb beyond Week 9. He draws a favorable matchup against a 49ers defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points allowed to running backs, making him a strong waiver wire pickup and a viable RB2 or Flex play in all formats.

With volume, versatility, and a clear path to touches, Tracy could easily turn into one of this week’s sneakiest fantasy starters — and perhaps a long-term gem down the stretch. He’s currently our RB18 behind Ashton Jeanty, J.K. Dobbins, and Travis Etienne in PPR formats.

Chase Brown Back in the Top 12

Week 9 Fantasy Football Must-Start Running Back: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengal — Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at Paycor Stadium. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

As surprising as it sounds, Brown has climbed his way back into the fantasy football top 10 — and he’s earned it. Over the last two weeks with Joe Flacco at quarterback, the Bengals’ offense suddenly looks revived, and Brown has been a major beneficiary. He’s coming off a monster outing with 105 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, showing burst, vision, and versatility that defenses are struggling to contain.

Now, he gets a juicy matchup against a Chicago Bears defense that’s surrendered the 8th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Brown’s blend of explosiveness and opportunity makes him a must-start option this week and a player who could easily remain in your lineup until further notice. Yes, the Bengals will continue to pepper Ja’Marr Chase with targets but near the goal line, Brown is the go-to guy despite Samaje Perine’s recent uptick in production.

Alvin Kamara Drops Out of Top 25

It’s hard to believe, but Kamara is free-falling from fantasy must-start status to potential bench consideration — and it’s happening fast. If he stays in New Orleans beyond the trade deadline, savvy managers might want to flip him before their fantasy deadlines hit. Kamara’s age and mileage are starting to show, and the Saints appear ready to shift toward a youth movement on offense.

Kamara handled just six carries and two targets last week, while rookie Devin Neal not only out-targeted him but also seems poised to take on more carries moving forward. To make matters worse, Kamara draws a brutal Week 9 matchup against a stingy Rams defense that’s allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs. The writing’s on the wall. Kamara’s days as an automatic fantasy start are officially behind him.

With a quarterback controversy on their hands, a 1-7 record, and a total of three points in their Week 8 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there’s no reason to be confident about Kamara in Week 9 and beyond. AK is currently the RB23 in PPR formats with 363 yards on 100 carries (3.63 YPC), one rushing touchdown that came all the way back in Week 1, and 27 catches for 147 scoreless yards. He’s averaging a career-low 10.2 fantasy points per game. Simply put, the lack of dump off passes makes him an afterthought in the running back market, particularly in Week 9 against a stout Rams defensive front.

Alvin Kamara is averaging a career-low 3.6 yards per carry. He’s on pace for by far the fewest receiving yards of any season in his career. And he’s scored just one touchdown. pic.twitter.com/BLPTjqYMVK
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 28, 2025

Javonte Williams Enters The Top 5

Week 9 Fantasy Football Star: Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboy — Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams (33) looks on before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Javonte Williams continues to be one of fantasy football’s most reliable touchdown machines — and Week 9 sets up perfectly for another explosive outing. Despite the Cowboys’ offensive hiccups last week, Williams once again delivered, punching in two more scores to bring his season total to eight touchdowns, tied for third-most among all running backs. His volume and red-zone usage remain elite, and that combination should keep him firmly in top-five territory heading into a potentially high-scoring clash with the Arizona Cardinals.

While Arizona has held its own in raw rushing yards allowed, the defense has quietly been exposed by dual-threat backs who can stay active in the passing game. They rank 12th in fantasy points allowed to running backs (PPR), and their bend-don’t-break front hasn’t faced many runners with Williams’ blend of patience, power, and finishing ability. With Dallas projected to pile on points at home, expect Williams to stay busy early and often — and to keep fantasy managers smiling when he finds the end zone yet again.

Williams is ranked just ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs and Derrick Henry this week, though we wouldn't fault you at all for starting either of those two superstars over the first-year Cowboy.

Let’s examine where the rest of the NFL’s premiere backs stack up in our Week 9 rankings.