2026 Fantasy Football: Week 9 Wide Receiver and Tight End Starts and Sits

Have you recovered from eating all of your kid’s Halloween candy yet? I know those of you with kids hit them with the ‘parent tax’ and took off the candy that you liked. Hopefully you didn’t eat so much that you got sick. This week, like every week, I dived deep into stats, starting with Fantasy Points against and volume leaders, to figure out where the football is likely to go for wide receivers and tight ends. I also took the time to write a little poem.

I’m a Little Lineup

I’m a little lineup, full of doubt,
Who goes in and who comes out?
Golden’s getting targets, Nabers too –
Start those wide receivers. That’ll brew!

I’m a little teapot, full of steam,
Fannin’s getting targets like a dream.
Dulcich gets Detroit, so pour a cup.
Sit the Pats’ tight ends. Drink it up!

Now before you set that lineup, wait:
Mitchell’s on my bench against K.C.
Bowers gets his targets, so let him play.
That’s the tea for Week 9. Sip away!

And now it’s time to move on to wide receivers and tight ends for your Week 9 starts and sits.

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Week 9 Starts and Sits

Wide Receiver Starts

Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers

Golden has drawn 13, 12, and 13 targets over his last three games. That’s 38 chances to make something happen, and I don’t need Christian Watson to miss the game to like that kind of volume. New England is a good matchup; they give up the 11th most fantasy points to opposing teams’ wide receivers.  This high target volume is why Golden is in my lineup. Dude, we are talking 32% target share in the past three games.

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

Nabers drew 15 targets in Week 6 and nine in Week 7 before the bye. In Week 7, that was 32% of the Giants’ targets. You were starting him anyway, but if you’re deciding which top receiver to build around this week, I’d start him. The Eagles give up the most fantasy points to opposing teams’ wide receivers in the league. The volume and matchup are there for Week 9.

Other wide receivers to start: Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 39 targets over his last three games and faces an Arizona defense allowing 28.58 WR fantasy points per game, 10th-most. Puka Nacua is another strong start against Washington, which allows 27.28 WR fantasy points per game, 13th-most. Zay Flowers is the more interesting decision. He saw 11 targets in each of Weeks 6 and 7, and Jacksonville allows 30.15 WR points per game, the sixth-most. Joe Fagnano starting lowers my expectations for what Baltimore can do with those targets, but I’d still play Flowers ahead of the fringe flex options below.

Check out all of our Week 9 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings | MOP Rankings

Wide Receiver Sits

Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets

I like Mitchell as a pickup after his nine-target Week 8. I like him a lot less as a starter against Kansas City. The Chiefs defend wide receivers exceptionally well; they give up the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ wide receivers. I’d rather wait for Buffalo in Week 10, when he gets a defense that currently allows the fourth-most fantasy points to WRs. Stash Mitchell. Sit Omar Cooper Jr., too. Cooper played more snaps than Mitchell last week and didn’t draw a target.

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals play the Seahawks in Week 9. The Seahawks give up the fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ wide receivers. Wilson’s 15 targets in Week 8 make this a tougher call than the matchup suggests. That kind of volume can get a receiver into at least a flex spot even against Seattle. But Wilson is dealing with a rib injury, and if I have a healthy option with reliable targets, I’m taking it.

One more close call: Jameson Williams drew nine targets in Week 7, so there’s a case for using him if you’re an underdog and need a big play. Miami allows the third-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers but did give up some big plays to the Patriots wideouts in Week 8.

Tight Ends to Start

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns

Fannin followed nine targets in Week 7 with 12 targets and 154 yards in Week 8. I don’t need him to get anywhere near 154 yards again. I need Cleveland to keep throwing him the football, and 21 targets in two games make that a reasonable bet. Cleveland also plays the Saints in Week 9, and they give up the sixth most fantasy points to tight ends. F is for Fannin and for Favorite fantasy play at tight end this week.

Greg Dulcich, Miami Dolphins

If you’re looking for a tight end streamer, this is my guy. Dulcich saw six targets in Week 8 and has caught at least four passes in three straight games. That gives him a way to help in PPR even if he doesn’t score. And Detroit, which gives up the most fantasy points to tight ends, does it by a large margin. The Lions, you see, give up 6.05 more fantasy points per game to tight ends than the Commanders, who give up the second most.

Other tight ends to start: George Kittle drew eight and 10 targets in his first two games before the bye and now faces a Raiders defense that allows the fourth-most to the position. Colston Loveland has 28 targets over three games, enough to trust him against Tampa Bay. If you need a deeper option, Colby Parkinson had six targets in each of Weeks 6 and 7 and draws Washington. The Commanders give up the second most fantasy points to tight ends.

Tight Ends to Sit

Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon, New England Patriots

Henry’s foot injury may give us a decision before we even get to the matchup. If he plays, I’d still prefer a healthy streamer with a better draw. If he sits, Raridon gets a clearer path to routes and targets, but it’s hard to count on those opportunities turning into a strong fantasy day against Green Bay. The Packers give up the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ tight ends. They have given up 1 double-digit fantasy score to a tight end this season.

Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers

If you read my work, I admit to liking an easy one once in a while. Gadsden is the easy sit this week. He has a tough matchup this week against the Texans. Houston gives up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ tight ends. Low-volume guy in a bad matchup; this one was so easy.

Two more downgrades: Minnesota allows the fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ TEs, so I would move Dalton Kincaid down despite his six Week 8 targets. Isaiah Likely has shown a higher-volume ceiling, including 11 targets in Week 6, but Philadelphia allows only 7.49 TE points per game. Sit him if you have a comparable option and keep him for Washington next week.

The Reedy Rule: Use the matchup to break a tie. Make the targets earn the tiebreaker. That’s why I’m streaming Dulcich against Detroit and still starting Bowers against San Francisco.

Volume identifies the opportunity. The matchup determines whether to attack it.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!