An owner in one of my leagues traded Antonio Brown to acquire Josh Gordon last year. It's a dynasty league and it looked like a steal at the time. Gordon went on to finish the 2013 season as the leading fantasy receiver; Brown ended as the sixth-best fantasy receiver in 2013. Both owners were happy, but the Gordon owner thought he had won the trade.
We all know the situations that Gordon got himself into in the offseason, resulting in a suspension to start this season. Brown, on the other hand, has put together an amazing 2014 season. He leads all fantasy receivers in points and has even thrown for a touchdown. Even if Gordon hadn't been suspended to start the season, I think he'd still be behind Brown in fantasy points. Including his last effort, he's finished with double-digit points in seven of eight games. Brown also had his third two-touchdown game in 2014. Pittsburgh has some positive matchups down the stretch and he should finish with some astronomical fantasy numbers.
Not one fantasy owner was looking forward to Week 9. Six teams have their bye this week: Buffalo, Tennessee, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Atlanta. That means we're without the following receivers: Sammy Watkins, Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Julio Jones and Roddy White. It should make for a very interesting week and requires some advance preparation. For Chicago and Atlanta specifically, I hope the week off will give them a chance to right the ship and get their passing attack on track. It should also give some more time for Calvin Johnson to heal and Aaron Rodgers to recover from his hamstring strain. Without Rodgers, Nelson and Cobb would see their fantasy stats plummet.
On the injury front, Brian Quick was lost for the season with a dislocated shoulder and rotator cuff injury. He had become a nice WR3 and hopefully will make a full recovery. A.J. Green remained sidelined in Week 8, but seems to have made "significant progress." If he practices this week, then we'll probably see him suit up on Sunday. Reggie Wayne missed Sunday's game and there has been little information shared regarding his status. Cordarrelle Patterson had a walking boot on his left foot after the game against the Buccaneers. He said he was fine and already he's out of the boot. Calvin Johnson and Nate Washington will hopefully further recover from their injuries and maybe we'll see them in Week 10.
Martavis Bryant and Donte Moncrief are must-adds this week. Bryant has broken out over the last two weeks and Big Ben is certainly looking for him in the passing game. Antonio Brown is the main target in the offense, but Bryant is carving a niche for himself. This week will be the test to see if he remains a large part of their game plan. I have been a big fan of Moncrief since the preseason. I never drafted him but he has the size/speed combination that NFL teams look for. Reggie Wayne will steal back targets once he returns and Hakeem Nicks is still part of the picture also.
If you don't pick him up, keep an eye on him because he has serious fantasy potential. One last waiver grab should be Kenny Britt. With Brian Quick out for the year, someone has to step up in the passing game and I imagine it will be Britt. The potential he has will now meet opportunity. Austin Davis has performed quite well, which will hopefully lead to some fantasy points for Britt.
Wide receiver rankings (Standard), Week 9
(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)
| Rank | Consensus | Team | Opponent | DK | DC | JD | SK |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT | BAL | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Dez Bryant | DAL | ARI | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | @NE | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 4 | Jeremy Maclin | PHI | @HOU | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | @NYG | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| 6 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | NO | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | @NE | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | Steve Smith Sr. | BAL | @PIT | 12 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| 9 | Mike Wallace | MIA | SD | 9 | 10 | 13 | 8 |
| 10 | A.J. Green | CIN | JAC | 6 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
| 11 | DeSean Jackson | WAS | @MIN | 21 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| 12 | Andre Johnson | HOU | PHI | 10 | 11 | 21 | 13 |
| 13 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | PHI | 20 | 12 | 9 | 15 |
| 14 | Keenan Allen | SD | @MIA | 16 | 22 | 14 | 16 |
| 15 | Michael Floyd | ARI | @DAL | 11 | 21 | 16 | 22 |
| 16 | Rueben Randle | NYG | IND | 27 | 19 | 15 | 19 |
| 17 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | OAK | 17 | 24 | 20 | 23 |
| 18 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN | JAC | 36 | 13 | 22 | 14 |
| 19 | Allen Robinson | JAC | @CIN | 19 | 28 | 11 | 30 |
| 20 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | @DAL | 28 | 14 | 31 | 17 |
| 21 | Eric Decker | NYJ | @KAN | 15 | 30 | 17 | 28 |
| 22 | Terrance Williams | DAL | ARI | 24 | 20 | 40 | 11 |
| 23 | Brandon LaFell | NE | DEN | 25 | 23 | 26 | 21 |
| 24 | Denard Robinson | JAC | @CIN | 13 | 34 | 18 | 31 |
| 25 | Vincent Jackson | TAM | @CLE | 32 | 17 | 34 | 18 |
| 26 | Pierre Garcon | WAS | @MIN | 31 | 18 | 32 | 20 |
| 27 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | IND | 22 | 25 | 30 | 25 |
| 28 | Marques Colston | NO | @CAR | 26 | 26 | 25 | 29 |
| 29 | Brandin Cooks | NO | @CAR | 29 | 16 | 43 | 24 |
| 30 | Michael Crabtree | SF | STL | 14 | 27 | 49 | 27 |
| 31 | Mike Evans | TAM | @CLE | 30 | 33 | 24 | 32 |
| 32 | Julian Edelman | NE | DEN | 18 | 29 | -- | 33 |
| 33 | Andrew Hawkins | CLE | TAM | 23 | 31 | 44 | 34 |
| 34 | Anquan Boldin | SF | STL | 45 | 32 | 29 | 26 |
| 35 | Cordarrelle Patterson | MIN | WAS | 41 | 35 | 23 | 36 |
| 36 | Andre Holmes | OAK | @SEA | 37 | 38 | 28 | 39 |
| 37 | Donte Moncrief | IND | @NYG | 42 | 40 | 27 | 40 |
| 38 | Wes Welker | DEN | @NE | 34 | 39 | -- | 35 |
| 39 | John Brown | ARI | @DAL | 48 | 47 | 19 | 46 |
| 40 | Martavis Bryant | PIT | BAL | 49 | 37 | 39 | 38 |
| 41 | Dwayne Bowe | KAN | NYJ | -- | 36 | 42 | 37 |
| 42 | Cecil Shorts III | JAC | @CIN | 38 | 42 | 46 | 42 |
| 43 | Malcom Floyd | SD | @MIA | 35 | 43 | 48 | 43 |
| 44 | James Jones | OAK | @SEA | 33 | 46 | -- | 45 |
| 45 | Torrey Smith | BAL | @PIT | 43 | 41 | -- | 41 |
| 46 | Greg Jennings | MIN | WAS | 47 | 45 | 45 | 44 |
| 47 | Kenny Stills | NO | @CAR | 50 | -- | 33 | -- |
| 48 | Kenny Britt | STL | @SF | -- | 50 | 36 | 48 |
| 49 | Jerricho Cotchery | CAR | NO | -- | -- | 35 | -- |
| 50 | Reggie Wayne | IND | @NYG | 39 | 48 | -- | 50 |
| -- | Steve Johnson | SF | STL | 40 | 49 | 50 | 49 |
| -- | Percy Harvin | NYJ | @KAN | -- | 44 | 47 | 47 |
| -- | Jarvis Landry | MIA | SD | -- | -- | 37 | -- |
| -- | Jordan Matthews | PHI | @HOU | -- | -- | 38 | -- |
| -- | Brian Hartline | MIA | SD | -- | -- | 41 | -- |
| -- | Louis Murphy | TAM | @CLE | 44 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Eddie Royal | SD | @MIA | 46 | -- | -- | -- |
Wide receiver rankings (PPR), Week 9
(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)
| Rank | Consensus | Team | Opponent | DK | DC | JD | SK |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT | BAL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Dez Bryant | DAL | ARI | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | @NE | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 4 | Jeremy Maclin | PHI | @HOU | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | @NYG | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | NO | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| 7 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | @NE | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | Steve Smith Sr. | BAL | @PIT | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| 9 | Mike Wallace | MIA | SD | 11 | 8 | 15 | 8 |
| 10 | Keenan Allen | SD | @MIA | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 |
| 11 | Andre Johnson | HOU | PHI | 9 | 9 | 24 | 9 |
| 12 | A.J. Green | CIN | JAC | 8 | 13 | 16 | 15 |
| 13 | DeSean Jackson | WAS | @MIN | 22 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| 14 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | PHI | 19 | 17 | 10 | 17 |
| 15 | Rueben Randle | NYG | IND | 25 | 16 | 12 | 13 |
| 16 | Michael Floyd | ARI | @DAL | 13 | 23 | 19 | 22 |
| 17 | Allen Robinson | JAC | @CIN | 18 | 25 | 9 | 28 |
| 18 | Eric Decker | NYJ | @KAN | 14 | 26 | 14 | 26 |
| 19 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | OAK | 17 | 27 | 17 | 25 |
| 20 | Pierre Garcon | WAS | @MIN | 31 | 14 | 28 | 14 |
| 21 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN | JAC | 38 | 15 | 23 | 16 |
| 22 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | @DAL | 28 | 20 | 31 | 20 |
| 23 | Brandin Cooks | NO | @CAR | 29 | 18 | 37 | 18 |
| 24 | Brandon LaFell | NE | DEN | 23 | 28 | 27 | 24 |
| 25 | Denard Robinson | JAC | @CIN | 20 | 29 | 18 | 36 |
| 26 | Marques Colston | NO | @CAR | 27 | 24 | 25 | 27 |
| 27 | Julian Edelman | NE | DEN | 16 | 22 | 48 | 21 |
| 28 | Vincent Jackson | TAM | @CLE | 30 | 19 | 40 | 19 |
| 29 | Terrance Williams | DAL | ARI | 24 | 21 | 46 | 23 |
| 30 | Andrew Hawkins | CLE | TAM | 21 | 31 | 34 | 32 |
| 31 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | IND | 26 | 30 | 32 | 30 |
| 32 | Mike Evans | TAM | @CLE | 32 | 32 | 21 | 34 |
| 33 | Michael Crabtree | SF | STL | 15 | 33 | 44 | 33 |
| 34 | Cordarrelle Patterson | MIN | WAS | 39 | 34 | 22 | 40 |
| 35 | Andre Holmes | OAK | @SEA | 37 | 36 | 29 | 35 |
| 36 | Anquan Boldin | SF | STL | 43 | 39 | 30 | 31 |
| 37 | Donte Moncrief | IND | @NYG | 42 | 40 | 26 | 39 |
| 38 | Wes Welker | DEN | @NE | 35 | 35 | -- | 29 |
| 39 | Cecil Shorts III | JAC | @CIN | 36 | 38 | 43 | 38 |
| 40 | John Brown | ARI | @DAL | -- | 48 | 20 | 48 |
| 41 | James Jones | OAK | @SEA | 33 | 45 | -- | 42 |
| 42 | Dwayne Bowe | KAN | NYJ | -- | 37 | 50 | 37 |
| 43 | Martavis Bryant | PIT | BAL | 46 | 44 | 42 | 43 |
| 44 | Greg Jennings | MIN | WAS | 45 | 41 | 49 | 41 |
| 45 | Malcom Floyd | SD | @MIA | 34 | 47 | -- | 46 |
| 46 | Percy Harvin | NYJ | @KAN | -- | 42 | 45 | 45 |
| 47 | Reggie Wayne | IND | @NYG | 40 | 46 | -- | 47 |
| 48 | Jordan Matthews | PHI | @HOU | 48 | -- | 35 | -- |
| 49 | Jarvis Landry | MIA | SD | -- | -- | 33 | -- |
| 50 | Torrey Smith | BAL | @PIT | 49 | 43 | -- | 44 |
| -- | Brian Hartline | MIA | SD | -- | -- | 36 | -- |
| -- | Kenny Stills | NO | @CAR | 50 | 50 | 38 | -- |
| -- | Kenny Britt | STL | @SF | -- | 49 | 41 | 49 |
| -- | Jerricho Cotchery | CAR | NO | -- | -- | 39 | -- |
| -- | Steve Johnson | SF | STL | 44 | -- | 47 | -- |
| -- | Louis Murphy | TAM | @CLE | 41 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Eddie Royal | SD | @MIA | 47 | -- | -- | 50 |