KC Concepcion Jr. was not the start I hoped for last week. Rachaad White had a late touchdown save his night, but Keon Coleman was a complete dud. I hit the mark on sitting Sam LaPorta, but whiffed on Tony Pollard; who would have thought he’d have a strong day against a tough Bengals defense?
Let’s give Week 9 a go!
A reminder that I judge my “start” or “sit” against a full-PPR format.
Start ‘Em
Malik Willis, QB – Miami Dolphins
Week 9: vs. Detroit Lions
Dating back to Week 5 (with a Week 6 BYE), Malik Willis is averaging 26.03 fantasy points per game, throwing for 556 yards, five touchdowns, and chipping in 113 rushing yards in that span. There are only two QB’s on BYE this week (Aaron Rodgers and Cam Ward), but Willis is finding himself on the streaming radar against the lowly Lions defense. Detroit is allowing the most fantasy points per game (29.1) to opposing QBs this season. Last week, Kyler Murray threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
FantasyData has Willis projected to finish as the QB12 on the week, and he offers top-10 upside because of the matchup alone.
Woody Marks, RB – Houston Texans
Week 9 Matchup: @ Los Angeles Chargers
News dropped on Wednesday that David Montgomery is still not ready to return to action from a groin injury that has kept him out since Week 6. Enter Woody Marks, who will assume RB1 duties against a Chargers defense that has allowed nine touchdowns to opposing RBs this season. The Chargers are giving up an average of 24.9 fantasy points per game to running backs per FantasyData.
You’ll want to see the yardage on the ground pick up some, as Marks has not eclipsed 70+ rushing yards in any game this season; his highest being 66 in Week 7 against the Giants. Look for him to continue to be involved in the pass game as well, which is helping beef up his fantasy output week over week. In the last three games Montgomery has missed, Marks has averaged 10.6 full-PPR points in that span, despite not finding the end zone in any of those games.
Keenan Allen, WR – Indianapolis Colts
Week 9 Matchup: vs. Dallas Cowboys
What year is it that I’m writing on Keenan Allen as a start candidate? When you look at the sheer numbers, it’s justifiable to consider Allen as a FLEX play this week. Just last week, albeit a blowout loss to the Jaguars, Allen caught all seven of his targets for 67 yards. He’s averaging 11.3 full-PPR points dating back to Week 5, and in the last three games, is out-targeting Josh Downs 22.2% to Downs’ 18.1%.
Dallas is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers this year. With such uncertainty to the Colts’ offense, you could do worse than Allen in this spot.
Sit ‘Em
Jalen Coker, WR – Carolina Panthers
Week 9 Matchup: vs. Denver Broncos
Jalen Coker has cooled off mightily over the last two weeks, catching just three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown in that span, with the touchdown coming very late in the fourth quarter against the Packers in Week 8. He enters Week 9 against a tough Denver defense that is allowing the 8th fewest points to WRs on the season, and owns a catch % of 61.4: 27 receptions on 44 targets for 364 yards and three touchdowns. Given the matchup and the recent play of Coker, it’s best to push him to your bench until he gets right.
Mike Washington, Jr. – Las Vegas Raiders
Week 9 Matchup: @ San Francisco 49ers
Ashton Jeanty was put on notice by his coaches last week against the Jets, conceding snaps to rookie Mike Washington Jr. to the tune of 38 to 25, and Washington did well with the uptick in touches. He turned 25 carries into 83 yards, with no targets in the pass game. He has just three receptions on the season entering Week 9, and it’s hard to say if Jeanty himself just won’t get it right, leaving Washington to struggle for looks. It does feel like Vegas will ride the hot hand week-over-week until a clear lead back takes over.
The 49ers are rested coming out of their BYE, and they added DeForest Buckner from the Colts to aid in the run defense. I’d want to see Washington do it again before simply auto-banking on him to build off of his Week 8 increased usage.
Juwan Johnson, TE – New Orleans Saints
Week 9 Matchup: vs Cleveland Browns
Juwan Johnson has been a letdown this fantasy season. He enters Week 9 ranking as the TE17 on the year, with 26 receptions (on 37 targets) for 255 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints were on BYE in Week 8, and so through Week 5-7, Johnson caught five of 10 targets for 23 scoreless yards. Pair this all with the fact that rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson could finally make his NFL debut in this game after missing all summer with a hamstring injury, and things aren’t looking optimistic for Johnson’s target share, which has been low as is.
Look to stream a different tight end this week, and maybe even for the foreseeable future.
– Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)