Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 9? Parker Washington, Alec Pierce, Aaron Jones, Nick Chubb, Kendrick Bourne, Keon Coleman, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell, Tyler Allgeier, Jalen Coker

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington should be considered a waiver-wire pickup heading into the weekend after the Jaguars announced on Friday that they placed rookie first-rounder Travis Hunter (knee) on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury that he suffered in practice on Thursday.

Hunter will not be eligible to play again until Week 13 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Nov. 30. In the meantime, Washington will see his role in the passing game increase dramatically next to Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) and Dyami Brown. Washington, 23, enters the team's Week 9 meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday with 17 catches on 35 targets for 207 yards and one touchdown in 2025.

He has seen double-digit targets in two games this year and could very well be on his way to a third this weekend in Vegas, where he'll suddenly be on the WR4/flex radar in fantasy leagues.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce continued to flash his big-play ability in a 38-14 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. Pierce caught two of his five targets for 69 yards in the blowout win, finishing second on the Colts in receiving yards behind only Michael Pittman Jr.

The veteran wideout has been an explosive pass-catcher this season, catching 18 passes for 386 scoreless yards in six games, good for an impressive 21.4 yards-per-catch average, which leads the league.

The only thing missing from a fantasy perspective is Pierce's lack of touchdowns, an issue that he will hope to remedy on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9. Pierce will be a high-end WR4 for that matchup.

When the Minnesota Vikings travel to play the Detroit Lions in Week 9, running back Aaron Jones Sr. should be considered a volatile RB3/flex option with the Vikings' offense currently struggling. Minnesota played almost all of its most recent game with three backups on the offensive line, which manifested in an awful showing of 146 yards of total offense.

This week, the Vikings will bring back starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), which could provide a boost, but the matchup remains unfriendly for Jones. The Lions rank fourth in the NFL in rushing defense by holding opponents to just fewer than 88 yards of offense, and Minnesota still intends to give carries to both Jones and Jordan Mason.

Aaron Jones should still get enough to work to be considered for starting lineups, but he comes with risk, given the circumstances.

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb continues to share time in the backfield with Woody Marks, with his primary workload coming on early downs. Chubb had 17 carries last week compared to just 11 for Marks, but since he only had two targets and two catches for 13 yards, Marks was a slightly better fantasy play.

Chubb hasn't found the end zone since Week 5, and he only has two touchdowns on the year. Since his high mark of the season is only 61 rushing yards, he needs to get into the end zone to be worth a look in Week 9. He'll face the Broncos, who have been tough against the run, allowing only seven touchdowns to running backs this season.

The former Browns great hasn't been able to get big gains consistently, so he is only the RB38 in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings. He's a desperation flex play if you need him, but he is very high risk since he's so touchdown dependent.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) has officially been ruled out of Sunday's marquee matchup with the Bills. The team described Pacheco as week-to-week after an MCL sprain knocked him out of Monday night's win over the Commanders, so the designation comes as no surprise.

Kansas City is on a Week 10 bye, so there is a hope that Pacheco could miss only one game, but for as long as he's out, veteran Kareem Hunt is expected to handle the bulk of the team's carries, especially near the goal line.

Rookie Brashard Smith is also likely to see an uptick in usage, primarily in third-down and two-minute situations, making him a viable flex option in deeper leagues and PPR formats.