RADIO
Week 8 of the XFL season saw the Houston Roughnecks and D.C. Defenders clinch playoff berths. It will be interesting to see how that affects the teams' game plans over the final two weeks of the season. Either way, there are just a couple of opportunities remaining to participate in some XFL DFS fun!
We're back with our Week 9 XFL rankings for fantasy football, diving into QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs! The four-team XFL playoff is just a few weeks away, so it's time to lock in and set our best DFS lineups to date.
These positional XFL rankings are a team effort, combing the rankings and analysis of three rankers:
Featured Promo: Looking for some fantasy football action? Join a dynasty startup league over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. FFPC is the leader in dynasty leagues and has standard, superflex and best ball formats. Dynasty not your thing? No worries, FFPC has Best Ball leagues as well. Join A League Today!- Quarterbacks - Jackson Sparks
- Running Backs - Andrew Lennox
- Wide Receivers - Brant Henson
- Tight Ends - Jackson Sparks
As always, just because you haven't hit the jackpot yet -- doesn't mean you won't over the last two weeks of the season! Let's get it RotoBallers!
Quarterback XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Jackson Sparks
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Ben DiNucci | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 2 | AJ McCarron | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 3 | Jordan Ta'amu | DC Defenders |
| 4 | Quinten Dormady | Orlando Guardians |
| 5 | Brandon Silvers/Cole McDonald | Houston Roughnecks |
| 6 | Luis Perez | Arlington Rengades |
| 7 | Jalan McClendon | Vegas Vipers |
| 8 | Kurt Benkert/Jack Coan | San Antonio Brahmas |
Ben DiNucci continues to provide consistent fantasy production weekly. He leads the XFL with 2,072 passing yards and ranks second with 15 passing touchdowns. He's a "set 'em and forget 'em" fantasy QB play.
AJ McCarron leads the XFL with 17 touchdown passes, and he's second in the league in passing yards (1,544) and completion percentage (68.9%, minimum 20 attempts). He is the best pure passer in the league, so he'll continue to occupy a spot at the top of the rankings. He sat out last week's contest against the Vipers, but the team needs a win to secure a spot in the playoffs. He'll likely be back for Week 9.
Jordan Ta'amu's Defenders have been the best team in the XFL at 7-1, and he delivered his best performance of the year in Week 8. The Ole Miss product threw for 247 yards and four scores against the Sea Dragons last weekend.
Quinten Dormady delivered the best fantasy performance among QBs all season in Week 7. The Orlando signal-caller put up 350 yards and six touchdowns to hand the Defenders their first loss. In Week 8, he delivered another solid effort with 303 passing yards, two total touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has to be considered a high-upside play after two stellar weeks.
Brandon Silvers punched his ticket to the playoffs with a two-touchdown, two-interception performance in Week 8. He's a boom-or-bust play at QB, but the upside is there.
Jalan McClendon is the new signal-caller in Vegas. With 62 yards rushing last week, his upside on the ground is evident. However, his lack of passing upside could make him a risky play.
Luis Perez failed to score a touchdown in his first start with Arlington. The Renegades' offense has been mediocre all season, so it's tough to project big fantasy numbers for the former Vegas Viper.
Running Back XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Andrew Lennox
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Abram Smith | DC Defenders |
| 2 | Brian Hill | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 3 | DeVeon Smith | Arlington Renegades |
| 4 | Jacques Patrick | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 5 | Rod Smith | Vegas Vipers |
| 6 | Max Borghi | Houston Roughnecks |
| 7 | John Lovett | Vegas Vipers |
| 8 | Phillip Lindsay | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 9 | Ryquell Armstead | DC Defenders |
| 10 | Brycen Alleyne | Houston Roughnecks |
| 11 | Jah-Maine Martin | Orlando Guardians |
| 12 | Leddie Brown | Arlington Renegades |
| 13 | Brian Burt | Vegas Vipers |
| 14 | Devin Darrington | Orlando Guardians |
| 15 | Dejoun Lee | Houston Roughnecks |
Abram Smith maintained his position as the most effective running back in the league, rushing for 66 yards on 17 carries, scoring a touchdown, and adding an additional 18 yards on one reception in Week 8. Since Abram Smith has rushed for fewer than 50 yards only once this season, there is little reason to expect any difference in Week 9.
Jacques Patrick has been inconsistent for the Brahmas all season, but he did have a massive day on the ground in Week 8. San Antonio lost to Houston 17-15, but Patrick rushed for 96 yards on 16 carries. Hard to know what we will see from Patrick in Week 9. He does, however, have the luxury of going against the 1-7 Orlando Guardians.
Week 9 will feature a crucial game between the Sea Dragons and the Battlehawks, with significant playoff implications at stake. It remains to be seen how Phillip Lindsay will fit into Seattle's offensive strategy, as he managed just eight carries for 23 yards in his first game. However, Lindsay could find his footing and have a breakout game against the Battlehawks.
The Renegades improved to 4-4, with De'Veon Smith delivering another decent performance in Week 8, logging one touchdown and rushing for 44 yards on 13 carries. In Week 9, Arlington will face the 7-1 Defenders, who have an average defense despite their winning ways.
Brian Hill had a relatively unproductive game on the ground against Vegas, rushing for just 35 yards on 10 carries. Nonetheless, he contributed to the Battlehawks' passing game, catching six passes for 37 yards. Hill has established himself as a versatile offensive weapon for St. Louis, and he could very well continue the trend in a crucial game against Seattle.
Wide Receiver XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Jahcour Pearson | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 2 | Darrius Shepherd | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 3 | Hakeem Butler | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 4 | Blake Jackson | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 5 | Cody Latimer | Orlando Guardians |
| 6 | Jeff Badet | Vegas Vipers |
| 7 | Josh Gordon | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 8 | Marcell Ateman | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 9 | Lucky Jackson | D.C. Defenders |
| 10 | Landen Akers | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 11 | Juwan Green | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 12 | Chris Blair | D.C. Defenders |
| 13 | Deontay Burnett | Houston Roughnecks |
| 14 | Austin Proehl | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 15 | Charleston Rambo | Orlando Guardians |
| 16 | Mathew Sexton | Vegas Vipers |
| 17 | Michael Bandy | Houston Roughnecks |
| 18 | Damion Willis | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 19 | Jordan Veasy | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 20 | Gary Jennings | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 21 | Geronimo Allison | Vegas Vipers |
| 22 | Eli Rogers | Orlando Guardians |
| 23 | Martavis Bryant | Vegas Vipers |
| 24 | Travell Harris | Houston Roughnecks |
| 25 | Daniel Williams | Orlando Guardians |
| 26 | Brandon Smith | D.C. Defenders |
| 27 | Cinque Sweeting | Vegas Vipers |
| 28 | Justin Smith | Houston Roughnecks |
| 29 | Tyler Vaughns | Arlington Renegades |
| 30 | Cedric Byrd | Houston Roughnecks |
| 31 | K.D. Cannon | Orlando Guardians |
| 32 | Fred Brown | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 33 | Brandon Arconado | Arlington Renegades |
| 34 | T.J. Vasher | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 35 | Lujuan Winningham | Arlington Renegades |
| 36 | Josh Hammond | D.C. Defenders |
| 37 | JaVonta Payton | Arlington Renegades |
| 38 | Travis Toivonen | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 39 | Caleb Vander Esch | Arlington Renegades |
The game to stack this week is Sunday afternoon's Seattle-St. Louis matchup, which holds major playoff implications, much like Week 8's electric DC-Seattle game. Monitor St. Louis QB A.J. McCarron's shoulder injury, which kept him out of last week's come-from-behind win. If McCarron can go, which it seems he will, Darrius Shepherd and Hakeem Butler are home run starts, with Marcell Ateman and Austin Prohel being high-ceiling dart throws.
Jahcour Pearson finally found the end zone last week but again was overshadowed by a strong teammate performance with Juwan Green's astounding 7-142-2 line. Picking the right Seattle receiver each week is a tough game to play, but all should be in consideration this week in what should be another high-scoring matchup.
Jeff Badet missed last week and could sit again this week. If he can't go, Mathew Sexton and Geronimo Allison will continue to split his work in what could be a lower-scoring affair against a slowing Houston team.
The Orlando passing game is continuing to find its groove under Quinten Dormady, but they take on a San Antonio Brahmas team that has consistently limited opposing offenses. Cody Latimer has been as consistent as they come and should still be a safe bet to produce. On the other side of the ball, Landen Akers has been dominating target share and is a high-floor play with a limited ceiling.
The DC passing game has been on fire recently, but Arlington likes to play at a slower pace. Lucky Jackson and Chris Blair have dominated target share and should still be safe plays, but be cautious entering either into the starting lineup.
Tight End XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Jackson Sparks
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Sal Canella | Arlington Renegades |
| 2 | Alize Mack | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 3 | Jake Sutherland | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 4 | Ethan Wolf | DC Defenders |
| 5 | Logan Carter | Orlando Guardians |
| 6 | Garrett Owens | Houston Roughnecks |
| 7 | Deon Yelder | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 8 | Alex Ellis | DC Defenders |
| 9 | Brandon Dillon | Vegas Vipers |
| 10 | Nate Becker | Arlington Renegades |
| 11 | Ryan Becker | Orlando Guardians |
| 12 | Travis Koontz | Vegas Vipers |
Through seven weeks, Sal Canella continues to lead all tight ends in targets (48), receptions (32), and receiving yards (282) -- despite seeing no targets in Week 8. Unfortunately, his high usage hasn't translated to nuclear fantasy performances, but he's still far and away the locked-in TE1.
Alize Mack caught five of his six targets for 36 yards in the loss to the Roughnecks. No tight end is putting up a ton of yards on a weekly basis, but six targets are notable. That said, Mack can't move any lower than the No. 2 spot in the rankings.
Ethan Wolf and Alex Ellis seem to have equal opportunities for targets in the D.C. offense, but Wolf has a stronger production profile from early on in the season.
Jake Sutherland should benefit from A.J. McCarron returning to the lineup against Seattle. This should be a high-scoring affair, so Sutherland is a great Week 9 value.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
