About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NFL season is truly the quickest and most intense marathon there is. Things can change so much on a weekly basis, but we also have to stick with the process. With wide receivers, though, there are so many factors, aside from themselves, that contribute to their overall success.
Let's take a spin through our expected top-15 wide receivers entering Week 9 of the NFL season. And then, we can see how much things change on a weekly basis:
MORE: Bold predictions for Week 9 of 2026 NFL season
Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Wilson (14) is introduced before their game against the Denver Broncos at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 25, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
At least for one week, the Cardinals shifted to Gardner Minshew, and if anything, maybe it generated a slight benefit for Wilson. He's truly emerged as the number one receiver in Arizona, and the bigger concern is how he responds after breaking two ribs last week. However, it didn't stop him from returning to the game and catching eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown last week. Now, we just need his total to increase as he currently sits at just two touchdowns on the season.
Having Caleb Williams healthy and back under center makes a real difference for Burden. He caught seven of nine targets last week for 56 yards and a touchdown. With 547 receiving yards and 56 targets on the season, Burden continues to develop as a true weapon in his second season.
The biggest issue here is who will be playing quarterback for the Ravens for the remainder of the season. Last week, Flowers was targeted five times and left without a catch despite a favorable matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Flowers should be in a position to succeed this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but having Joe Fagnano under center wouldn't be ideal.
After going for 192 yards in Week 4, McMillan has combined for just 184 yards in his last three games. That was also the only game this season in which he had a touchdown reception, so there's some level of concern moving forward despite his upside.
Jefferson hasn't had more than the 92 receiving yards he had in Week 1 in what's been a rough season for him. Having Kyler Murray as his quarterback has proven to be less than ideal for Jefferson, so for his sake, it could be a plus if Carson Wentz is under center for Week 9. If not, we have to hope that he can take advantage of the Buffalo Bills defense.
Dec 21, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) scores a touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Olave continues to be the number one receiver in New Orleans, but things have calmed down over the past few weeks. In his last three games, Olave has a total of 14 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown, which is a drop-off from his pace earlier in the season. That could be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
It seemed as if we were out of the woods with London's struggles, but then he caught just one pass for eight yards last week. London was targeted six times, so the blame can likely be shared. Facing the Cincinnati Bengals this week, though, should provide London with just the opportunity he needs to get back on track.
If we remove Week 5, in which Higgins was injured, he's had between 148 and 157 receiving yards in his last three games. There are many teams on which Higgins could be a number one receiver, and so far in 2026, he's having a better and more explosive season than Ja'Marr Chase. He's already at 726 receiving yards and four touchdowns for the season, and he continues to impress.
Back, mid-game, from the hospital, a broken rib didn't slow Watson down last week. He finished with eight catches for 113 yards last week, and he's already up to 708 receiving yards through eight games this season. Watson continues to rise up this list while earning his off-season contract extension.
So far, only a bye week has slowed Nabers down. Having the bye week for Nabers and JJ McCarthy to further improve their chemistry should serve to benefit the Giants' offense. This should also allow New York to set up the offensive game plan to better suit McCarthy as he gets more comfortable with the playbook.
MORE: NFL power rankings entering Week 9: All 32 teams ranked worst to first
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'marr Chase (1) celebrates a first down reception in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. The Bengals scored 35 points in the second half to win 35-13 on the road.
Chase is still one of the best receivers in the league even if Tee Higgins has had a more successful start to the season. But if we needed a reminder as to how good Chase is, look no further than his 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown last week.
It's crazy that St. Brown has gone four weeks without a touchdown catch. The receptions and yardage are still there, so there shouldn't be cause for concern. With 53 catches for 571 yards through seven games, it's another customarily strong season for the wide receiver.
Lamb had double digits for the third straight game, and we shouldn't be surprised by that. We shouldn't be surprised that he had eight catches in Week 8. The issue, though, is that it was for only 58 yards, as the Cowboys simply fell apart against the Arizona Cardinals. I'm not sure how much we should hold that against Lamb, but he does need to be more efficient with his targets.
It was just another normal game for Nacua as he caught 11 of 12 targets for 80 yards and a touchdown. Nacua remains an elite option, and Matthew Stafford will give him all the work he can handle. And Nacua is capable of all of it.
Stop me if you've heard this before, for Smith-Njigba had another game of more than 100 yards. He finished with six catches for 118 yards and a touchdown as he's now just 16 yards short of 1,000 on the season with nine more games to go.
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Source: Sports
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