Can I achieve more volume at the top and less rubbing at the bottom of the breasts with a lift alone? (photos)

A lift alone would reshape your breasts to make them rounder and perkier. Your breasts wouldn’t lie so flat against your body. Implants would not be necessary unless you want larger or significantly rounded breasts.

You have substantial sagging below your inframammary fold, and a breast lift will reduce that to nearly zero sag; this will eliminate the rubbing. In the process your tissue will be redistributed into the mid and upper portions of your mound, along with a repositioning of your nipple areolar complex. This should give you some sense of upper pole fullness and more mound projection.