WR Start/Sit Week 9: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Picks

Looking for Week 9 WR start/sit picks? Here are the wide receivers to start and sit in your fantasy football lineups. WR is the position with the widest range of potential outcomes, as there are a multitude of variables that factor into a receiver’s weekly production. Following key injuries across the league through eight weeks, most fantasy managers have difficult lineup decisions to make. Let’s break down my Week 9 fantasy WR start/sit picks.

Fantasy Football Week 9 WR Start/Sit: Wide Receiver Picks

Wide receivers to start: Keenan Allen, Makai Lemon
Wide receivers to sit: Jaylen Waddle, Omar Cooper Jr.

Week 9 WR Start: Makai Lemon vs. Giants

Misfortune can often create opportunities, which is exactly the case for Makai Lemon amidst a lost Eagles’ season. With Jalen Hurts expected to miss the remainder of the year and a myriad of other key injuries throughout the roster — including No. 1 receiver DeVonta Smith — Lemon has taken advantage of his expanded role.

Now operating as Philly’s WR1, the rookie has played a sizable role in Philly’s last two contests, hauling in 13 of 17 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown. With Joe Milton and his upgraded arm now under center instead of Tanner McKee, Lemon’s upside only grows against a middling Giants secondary. Fire up the rookie as a WR3/FLEX.

Week 9 WR Sit: Omar Cooper Jr. at Chiefs

The Omar Cooper experience got off to a ridiculously hot start in New York following his return from IR, as the talented rookie racked up 22 PPR points in back-to-back contests. That said, rookies often struggle with consistency, and Cooper Jr. didn’t even draw a target after playing 78% of snaps against the Raiders in his subsequent outing.

Now, Cooper Jr. faces the tall task of trying to bounce back against a formidable Chiefs’ defense. Kansas City allows the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers per game, putting Cooper Jr. firmly in boom-or-bust territory. I would lean towards the latter in Week 9.

Find all of my Week 9 start/sit picks for each position here!

Week 9 WR Start: Keenan Allen vs. Cowboys

34-year-old Keenan Allen isn’t just beating the “washed” allegations, he’s making them a distant memory. The veteran obviously isn’t the elite athlete he once was, but he’s still one of the game’s most polished route runners. In this league, that’s enough to garner consistent production.

Allen has scored only one touchdown this season, but he’s carved out a significant role in the Colts’ passing attack. He has racked up at least 13 PPR points in two of his last three games, and now draws an enticing matchup against Dallas. The Cowboys’ secondary is porous, surrendering the seventh-most fantasy points to receivers per contest. Fire Allen up as a legitimate WR3/FLEX in Week 9.

Week 9 WR Sit: Jaylen Waddle at Panthers

Spoiler alert: another Broncos star appears on this list later in a positive light. The same cannot be said about Jaylen Waddle.

The man who was hyped up as the new star receiver in Denver has struggled to find any semblance of consistency this year. He’s managed to amass double-digit fantasy points just once over his last four contests, becoming a touchdown-dependent fantasy option. That’s not an ideal situation heading into a Week 9 clash with the Panthers, whose secondary has held its own in 2026. Pivot away from Waddle to a receiver with a better matchup.