Each week, I break down every NFL matchup to identify which players are poised to thrive in Fantasy Football. I analyze each player’s Fantasy scoring, opportunities, trends, and strengths, then compare them with the opposing defense’s Fantasy points and yards allowed per game.
This is the series I look forward to most each week. There will always be hits and misses, but you can count on me to have strong reasoning behind my takes either way. We “Play 2 Win” here, and that’s the goal of this series: to help you win your matchup each week.
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Weekly Winners for Fantasy Football – Week 9
Matthew Stafford vs. WAS
Matthew Stafford is coming off a down Fantasy scoring week and has thrown for under 200 yards for two games in a row. Weeks 2-5, Stafford threw for 317-390 passing yards in each of those four straight games. So the upside is still there for the veteran, who also has finished three games with three or more passing touchdowns. Stafford has three weeks with 22+ Fantasy Points, two of which were at 27-ish points.
Stafford will face a Commanders defense in Week 9 that allows the third-most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks, the sixth-most passing yards per game, and is tied for fifth in passing touchdowns allowed. The Commanders have not been Fantasy-friendly to running backs, and the data shows a clear path for Stafford to bounce back in Week 9.
Malik Willis vs. DET
Malik Willis is a risky Fantasy Football starter, but there are positive signs for him to be a solid streamer in Week 9. Willis has finished two of his last three games with over 20 Fantasy Points, has two rushing touchdowns during this span, and has finished back-to-back weeks with a pair of passing touchdowns. While the rushing upside we have known out of Willis may not be super consistent in yardage, he has finished games with 56 and 74 rushing yards this season.
Willis will face a Lions defense in Week 9 that allows the most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks, the most passing yards per game, and is tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed this season. The Dolphins will not be able to rely on the run trying to keep up with the Lions’ powerful offense in this one, so I expect Willis to have to do plenty in this matchup, which can boost his Fantasy ceiling.
Quinshon Judkins vs. NO
Quinshon Judkins is coming off of a down Fantasy week, but exploded for 23.4 Fantasy Points in Week 7 via 96 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In Week 4, Judkins rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown with six catches for 43 yards, which was 21.6 Fantasy Points. Dylan Sampson returning means a cap to Judkins’ receiving ceiling, but the upside in scoring in two of his last four games is encouraging.
Judkins will face a Saints defense in Week 9 that allows the most Fantasy PPG to running backs, the fourth-most rushing yards per game, and is tied for the second-most rushing touchdowns allowed this season. Judkins has earned 17+ touches in five of his last six games, so in a smash matchup like this one, that is encouraging as long as this matchup stays tight. A 39% snap share last week for Judkins was correlated with a blowout loss, but this week should be a tighter matchup.
Javonte Williams vs. IND
Javonte Williams is coming off a down week, after exploding for 155 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 7. Williams has finished his last two games with 24+ touches, which is a great volume sign for this coming week. The major upside attached to Williams this season is the rushing touchdowns, with eight for the season so far and nine touchdowns in total. Williams has finished four weeks with 18+ Fantasy Points, three with 21+ Fantasy Points, and scored 31.3 Fantasy Points in Week 4.
Williams will face a Colts defense in Week 9 that allows the ninth-most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the sixth-most rushing yards per game. Just last week, Indy allowed Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez to combine for 145 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. With the volume Williams has earned over the last two weeks, on top of the productivity he’s shown this season, Week 9 looks like a bounce-back week for Fantasy Football.
Jonah Coleman vs. CAR
Jonah Coleman led the Broncos backfield in touches in Week 7 with JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey active, and then with Harvey out of the mix in Week 8, Coleman more than doubled Dobbins’ touches. Coleman rushed 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown, with four catches for 63 yards, which was 20.4 Fantasy Points. Coleman played a season-high 66% of the snaps last week, and his dual-threat skill set was on full display.
Coleman has a nice opportunity to stay hot in Week 9 against a Panthers defense allowing the second-most Fantasy PPG to running backs, the third-most rushing yards per game, and the most rushing touchdowns this season. The rookie is coming off season-highs in snap percentage, rushing attempts, receiving yards, and Fantasy Points… so an absolute smash matchup should scream to make sure he’s in your lineups.
Chase Brown vs. ATL
Chase Brown rushed for 55 yards and caught eight balls for 46 yards in Week 8 for 16.1 Fantasy Points. His involvement in the passing game boosted Brown, who caught 11 balls for 71 yards back in Week 4, so we know he has that type of ceiling. 2026 has been a lot of ups and downs, with three weeks of 16+ Fantasy Points but also three weeks under 10 Fantasy Points. This has disappointed managers, but better days are ahead.
Brown will face a Falcons defense in Week 9 that allows the fourth-most Fantasy PPG to running backs. While the Falcons do have plenty of playmakers, this team is coming off a 0-point week. The game script can certainly be in Brown’s favor to get some extra work on the ground in Week 9, and we know through the numbers that his pass-catching role can elevate him even further beyond that as well. Brown is lined up to deliver yet again in Week 9.
Malik Nabers vs. PHI
Malik Nabers has been on fire the last four weeks in a row for Fantasy Football and has continued to deliver even with JJ McCarthy as the Giants’ QB1. During this mentioned stretch (Weeks 4-7), Nabers vs. the position has ranked: third in targets, second in receptions, first in receiving yards, and second in total Fantasy Points. Nabers, during those games, has ranged from 111-165 yards and scored 23+ Fantasy Points in three of those games. The elite production tells us he is healthier and healthier.
Nabers will face an Eagles defense in Week 9 that allows the most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the ninth-most passing yards per game. Puka Nacua racked up 125 yards and Parker Washington 124 yards individually against the Eagles this season, which is encouraging for another star on fire in Nabers. Ride the hot hand in Fantasy Football, especially when that hot hand enters a solid matchup on paper.
Ladd McConkey vs. HOU
Ladd McConkey opened up the season catching five balls for 82 yards and a touchdown for 19.2 Fantasy Points, but the next five games played were filled with nothing but disappointment. We did have some positive signs in Week 8, which included a season-high 90% of the snaps played and also 86 receiving yards. We often see teams “figure it out” after a BYE week, which looks like the potential case for Ladd in his first game after the Chargers’ BYE.
McConkey will face a Texans defense allowing the third-most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the fifth-most passing yards per game this season. Six different wide receivers have produced 75+ yards against Houston so far this season individually. While the Chargers offense is tough to trust in general, I am taking the positives we saw out of Ladd last week and applying them to a smash Fantasy matchup in Week 9.
Keenan Allen vs. DAL
Keenan Allen has scored 13+ Fantasy Points in three of his last five games, with two of those being at 16+ points. Allen has finished weeks during this span with 63 (Week 3), 82 (Week 6), and 67 (Week 8) receiving yards, which shows juice left for the veteran. Allen is tied for the team lead in targets (50) this season for the Colts, leads in receptions (36), and is second in receiving yards (325).
Allen will face a Cowboys defense in Week 9 that allows the seventh-most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the 11th-most passing yards per game this season. Dallas allowed both Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs to score a pair of touchdowns against them. We know the Dallas offense can create a positive game script through the air, so with how important Allen has been to Daniel Jones, I am comfortable FLEX’ing him this week.
Malik Washington vs. DET
Malik Washington caught five of his six targets for 40 yards and a touchdown in Week 8 for a season-high 15 Fantasy Points. Washington has finished three weeks with eight or more targets, four weeks with five or more receptions, three weeks with 50+ receiving yards, and four weeks with double-digit Fantasy Points this season. Washington leads Miami in all of targets, receptions, and receiving yards, so we know his role is sticky and important to Malik Willis.
Washington will face a Lions defense in Week 9 that allows the fifth-most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the most passing yards per game this season. Three wide receivers have finished with double-digit receptions and 100+ receiving yards against Detroit, which shows the ceiling potential there for the position. I like Willis in this matchup, so his WR1 feels like a good FLEX dart-throw in Week 9.
Mike Evans vs. LV
After missing Week 7 due to injury and having a BYE in Week 8 to further recover, Mike Evans is expected to return to football in Week 9. Evans totaled 76, 113, and 94 receiving yards in his last three games played, which shows the building chemistry he has with Brock Purdy. Evans has also scored a touchdown in every other appearance he has had so far this season. Evans’ Fantasy production has not been super consistent this season, but he has finished two games with 16.9 (Week 1) and 26.3 (Week 5) Fantasy Points.
Evans will face a Raiders defense in Week 9 that allows the eighth-most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the eighth-most passing yards per game this season. The Raiders are also tied for allowing the most receiving touchdowns this season. A wide receiver with upside in scoring draws a matchup that other wide receivers have had success scoring in. You do the math here.
Kyle Pitts vs. CIN
Kyle Pitts went cold in Week 8 after scoring 15.2, 23, and then 13.2 Fantasy Points in the three games prior. During that Week 5-7 stretch, Pitts scored four total touchdowns and finished each of those games with five receptions. Pitts has finished three weeks with 40+ receiving yards, with a high of 60 in Week 6. While Pitts has been frustrating, he has been very fantasy-useful for a stretch this year.
Pitts will face a Bengals defense in Week 9 that allows the ninth-most Fantasy PPG to tight ends and the seventh-most passing yards per game this season. Three tight ends have produced over 75 yards against the Bengals this season so far. Joe Burrow has been on fire, so he will force Michael Penix to throw plenty, which should boost Pitts further in a good matchup.
Harold Fannin Jr. vs. NO
Harold Fannin Jr. caught 10 of his 12 targets for 154 yards last week for 23.4 Fantasy Points. This comes after a six-catch, 91-yard game, so Fannin is trending up. Fannin scored a pair of touchdowns back in Week 3, which elevated his week to a season-high 24.1 Fantasy Points. While there have been frustrating weeks, including two weeks under two Fantasy Points, Fannin has still shown his upside from last year.
Fannin will face a Saints defense in Week 9 that allows the sixth-most Fantasy PPG to tight ends and the 10th-most passing yards per game this season. Five different tight ends have finished with five or more receptions this season against the Saints. Regardless of who is at quarterback this week, with Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol, we have seen plenty of success out of Fannin with both Watson and Shedeur Sanders the last two seasons. Fire Fannin back up.
*Fantasy PPG data = FantasyPros. Other data from NFL.com. PPG = Points Per Game.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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