Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 9 Picks

Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season has arrived! As the year continues, more significant injuries pile up around the league, setting the stage for tough lineup decisions for all fantasy managers. Let’s break down my fantasy football start/sit Week 9 picks for the 2026 season.

Week 9 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Picks

QB Start/Sit Week 9

Start: Malik Willis vs. Lions

Still only 27 years old, I declared Malik Willis one of the most underrated additions of the offseason for any NFL team, and we’re finally starting to see what he’s capable of near the midpoint of the 2026 campaign. After a relatively slow start, Willis has now scored at least 15 fantasy points in three straight outings. He’s a true dual-threat QB, which has helped him overcome a relatively underwhelming supporting cast since De’Von Achane’s season-ending injury.

Next up, Willis will look to keep the momentum rolling in a favorable matchup against Detroit. The Lions allow the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, putting Willis in low-end QB1 range with upside in Week 9.

Sit: Bryce Young vs. Broncos

After a ridiculously hot start to the season, Bryce Young has seriously cooled off. The former No. 1 overall pick has been stymied in back-to-back weeks by the Buccaneers and Packers, combining for less than 20 total points over both contests. After throwing only two interceptions over the first six weeks of the season, he has tossed three in his last two outings.

This week, Young draws the Broncos, who still boast one of the more fearsome defensive units in football. It’s impossible to trust Young given his recent form, so keep Carolina’s signal caller on your bench.

WR Start/Sit Week 9

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.

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.

Find all of our Week 9 fantasy football advice and content here!

RB Start/Sit Week 9

Start: Jonah Coleman at Panthers

As promised, here is Denver’s start of the week, and this selection should come as no surprise. Jonah Coleman has burst back onto the scene following his return from IR, taking over the Broncos’ backfield. The rookie flashed potential in his return to action against Arizona before dominating against the Chiefs, racking up 20.4 PPR points.

Coleman has real dual-threat value as the head of this committee, and with RJ Harvey on IR, he should continue to operate as the top fantasy option in this backfield. While I highlighted Carolina’s secondary earlier, the same positive label cannot be given to the Panthers’ run defense, which surrenders the second-most fantasy points to RBs. Coleman carries RB2 upside in Week 9.

Sit: Raiders Running Backs at 49ers

The Raiders’ backfield is in an interesting spot heading into Week 9. Ashton Jeanty received a de facto benching in favor of rookie Mike Washington Jr. last week, who took 25 carries for 83 yards and has rushed efficiently all year long. Jeanty is expected to return to a significant workload against the 49ers, but Washington should maintain a real role.

Translation: we have a short-term fantasy mess on our hands. As we await clarity on this backfield, it’s best to keep both Jeanty and Washington Jr. on your bench if you can afford to. A trip to San Francisco only further solidifies that thinking, as the Niners could pull away early and take both backs out of the game script.

TE Start/Sit Week 9

Start: Greg Dulcich vs. Lions

Greg Dulcich may have finally found a home in the NFL. The talented tight end has been sneakily productive this year, officially entering streaming conversations after a strong recent stretch. Dulcich has scored at least eight PPR points in four of his last five outings, seeing at least five targets in each of those four games.

In Week 9, he draws the most favorable matchup a tight end could ask for. Detroit doesn’t just surrender the most fantasy points per game to tight ends, they do so by a massive margin. If Malik Willis earns a start of the week nod, so does one of his most reliable targets.

Sit: Dalton Kincaid at Vikings

If you’re a regular in this series, you know I firmly believe in one, persistent theme in fantasy football this season: do not mess with Brian Flores.

Sometimes, you have to start a star player against the Vikings and it can’t be avoided. This is not one of those instances. Dalton Kincaid has been solid over his last two outings, but certainly nowhere near a must-start tight end. With Buffalo taking a trip to Minnesota, every fantasy manager with Kincaid on the roster should be looking elsewhere. Flores’ defense is the most dangerous in the NFL, and it comes as no surprise that they are holding tight ends to the fewest fantasy points per contest. Keep the fourth-year TE on your bench and pivot to a more favorable matchup this week.

Those are my Week 9 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em picks! Stay tuned for positional WR and RB 2026 Week 9 start/sit picks and advice later this week.