XFL 2023 Week 9 Fantasy Rankings, Schedule, Live Stream and Odds
Only two weeks remain in the 2023 XFL regular season, and two teams have already punched their tickets to the playoffs. During a wild Week 8, the D.C. Defenders and Houston Roughnecks won excruciatingly close contests to clinch playoff berths.
In fact, all of the games in Week 8 were close. The four victors—D.C., Houston, the Arlington Renegades and the St. Louis Battlehawks—won by a combined nine points. The Roughnecks and Battlehawks won in overtime.
For football fans, Week 8 was a masterful showcase of just how entertaining spring football can be. With two playoffs spots still up for grabs, Week 9 should bring more of the same.
The action kicks off on Saturday when the Roughnecks host the Vegas Vipers. Here's everything you need to know about the Week 9 slate, including scheduling information, odds and updated fantasy rankings.
XFL Standings
XFL North
D.C. Defenders 7-1
St. Louis Battlehawks 6-2
Seattle Sea Dragons 5-3
Vegas Vipers 2-6
XFL South
Houston Roughnecks 5-3
Arlington Renegades 4-4
San Antonio Brahmas 2-6
Orlando Guardians 1-7
XFL Week 9
Saturday, April 15
Vegas Vipers at Houston Roughnecks
When: 12:30 p.m. ET
Line and Over/Under: Houston -6.5, 43.5
TV and Live Stream: ABC and ESPN+
Orlando Guardians at San Antonio Brahmas
When: 7 p.m. ET
Line and Over/Under: San Antonio -1.5, 39.5
TV and Live Stream: ESPN, ESPN Depirtes and ESPN+
Sunday, April 16
Arlington Renegades at D.C. Defenders
When: 12 p.m. ET
Line and Over/Under: D.C. -8.5, 41.5
TV and Live Stream: ESPN and ESPN+
Seattle Sea Dragons at St. Louis Battlehawks
When: 3 p.m. ET
Line and Over/Under: St. Louis -1, 45.5
TV and Live Stream: ESPN and ESPN+
*Odds via FanDuel
Week 9 Fantasy Rankings
Quarterback
1. Ben DiNucci, Seattle Sea Dragons
2. AJ McCarron, St. Louis Battlehawks
3. Jordan Ta'amu, D.C. Defenders
4. Quinten Dormady, Orlando Guardians
5. Brandon Silvers, Houston Roughnecks
6. Luis Perez, Arlington Renegades
7. Jalan McClendon, Vegas Vipers
8. Kurt Benkert, San Antonio Brahmas
Running Back
1. Abram Smith, D.C. Defenders
2. Brian Hill, St. Louis Battlehawks
3. De'Veon Smith, Arlington Renegades
4. Max Borghi, Houston Roughnecks
5. Phillip Lindsay, Seattle Sea Dragons
6. Jacques Patrick, San Antonio Brahmas
7. Rod Smith, Vegas Vipers
8. John Lovett, Vegas Vipers
9. Brycen Alleyne, Huston Roughnecks
10. Ryquell Armstead, D.C. Defenders
Wide Receiver
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. Lucky Jackson, D.C. Defenders
6. Juwan Green, Seattle Sea Dragons
7. Jeff Badet, Vegas Vipers
8. Josh Gordon, Seattle Sea Dragons
9. Chris Blair, D.C. Defenders
10. Landen Akers, San Antonio Brahmas
Tight End
1. Sal Cannella, Arlington Renegades
2. Alizé Mack, San Antonio Brahmas
3. Cody Latimer, Orlando Guardians
4. Jake Sutherland, St. Louis Battlehawks
5. Ethan Wolf, D.C. Defenders
6. Logan Carter, Orlando Guardians
7. Alex Ellis, D.C. Defenders
8. Deon Yelder, San Antonio Brahmas
Week 9 Analysis
The big question entering Week 9 is whether the Defenders or the Roughnecks will rest any key players. It feels unlikely, as neither team has locked up home-field advantage for the division championship, but player statuses will be worth watching up until kickoff.
Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron, for example, missed Week 8 with a shoulder injury and will bear tracking.
There are a couple of tight lines this week, which is unsurprising after last weekend's shenanigans. D.C. is a heavy favorite over a middling Renegades team, though. The underdog is a favorable pick, as Arlington is battling to secure a playoff berth and just survived a scrappy Orlando Guardians team.
Orlando, by the way, picked up its first win of the season in Week 7 over the previously unbeaten Defenders. The Guardians have looked like a more cohesive team than the Vegas Vipers over the last two weeks, and Houston is the heavy favorite to back in Week 9.
The San Antonio Brahmas and Battlehawks appear to be favorites strictly because they're at home. Their respective games can be viewed as proverbial coin flips.
Not much has changed in the fantasy landscape, and the usual stars—like quarterbacks Ben DiNucci and Jordan Ta'amu, running backs Abram Smith and Brian Hill, wideouts Jahcour Pearson and Darrius Shepherd and tight ends Sal Cannella and Cody Latimer—remain among the best plays.
We do want to highlight two players who shined in Week 8. Sea Dragons receiver Juwan Green had a couple of long touchdown receptions and finished with seven catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Green has moved ahead of former NFL star Josh Gordon among Seattle wideouts.
Phillip Lindsay, another former NFL standout, made his XFL debut for the Sea Dragons in Week 8. He carried eight times for 23 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes. If the Sea Dragons are willing to incorporate him into the offense even more in his second game, he could be a sneaky-good daily fantasy sports (DFS) play.
Choosing DFS lineups has become a fairly straightforward process late in the season. Managers should stick to the most consistent performers across the board and only roster potential sleepers at running back, wide receiver or flex, if at all.
Lower-tier quarterbacks and tight ends are not worth a roster spot in XFL DFS games.
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