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Fantasy football starts/sits for MNF, expert advice for all Cardinals vs. Cowboys Week 9 NFL matchups on Monday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Bam Knight, Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, more
Welcome to our Monday Night Football start/sit chart for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Below you will find our start/sit matchups charts for all players in the MNF games between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. With several high-end fantasy assets in this game, many managers may see their fantasy matchup decided on Monday night.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Bam Knight, Michael Carter, Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, Jacoby Brissett, Jake Ferguson, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and Javonte Williams. Which Cardinals and Cowboys players should you start or sit in Week 9?
We are here to help you set those winning lineups for Week 9, whether you're playing in season-long leagues or DFS contests. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 9, RotoBallers!
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Arizona Cardinals Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
| Trey McBride, TE | Start | 119.3 | @ DAL |
| Marvin Harrison Jr., WR | Start | 111.7 | @ DAL |
| Bam Knight, RB | Start | 107.9 | @ DAL |
| Jacoby Brissett, QB | Start | 105.2 | @ DAL |
| Chad Ryland, K | Risky Start | 104.2 | @ DAL |
| Zay Jones, WR | Sit | 101.3 | @ DAL |
| Emari Demercado, RB | Sit | 101.2 | @ DAL |
| Greg Dortch, WR | Sit | 101 | @ DAL |
| Michael Wilson, WR | Sit | 100.5 | @ DAL |
| Elijah Higgins, TE | Sit | 100.5 | @ DAL |
| Kyler Murray, QB | Sit | 99.8 | @ DAL |
| Michael Carter, RB | Sit | 99.4 | @ DAL |
| Xavier Weaver, WR | Sit | 95.2 | @ DAL |
| Arizona Cardinals, DEF | Sit | 76.1 | @ DAL |
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett will officially make his third straight start in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that Cardinals QB1 Kyler Murray (foot) is "making progress" in his recovery from a foot sprain and "could have a role Monday night."
It's unclear exactly what Murray's potential role would be, as a foot injury would seemingly limit his ability to be effective as a rusher. Brissett has arguably outplayed Murray this season. Across his two starts, Brissett has thrown for 599 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. The 32-year-old profiles as a solid fantasy QB2 in a very favorable Week 9 matchup against Dallas.
Bam Knight, RB, Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said on Saturday that running back Bam Knight will be the "first one out there" on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 at RB, but the work will likely go to whichever back is most effective, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Knight will be battling for lead-back duties with Michael Carter, who got work in with the first-team offense at practice this week and will rejoin the active 53-man roster.
Meanwhile, Emari Demercado (ankle) will be active after missing Week 7 with an ankle injury.
Knight has operated as Arizona's primary back over Carter the last two games, receiving 25 combined carries for 91 yards (3.6 yards per tote) and a touchdown while adding four catches for 27 yards receiving. He will be the "starter" on Monday, but he might need to perform to hold off Carter. Knight is shaping up as a shaky low-end RB2/high-end RB3/flex option in a good matchup against Dallas this week.
Dallas Cowboys Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
| CeeDee Lamb, WR | Start | 117.5 | vs. ARI |
| George Pickens, WR | Start | 116.5 | vs. ARI |
| Dak Prescott, QB | Start | 115.1 | vs. ARI |
| Javonte Williams, RB | Start | 114.8 | vs. ARI |
| Jake Ferguson, TE | Start | 113.4 | vs. ARI |
| Brandon Aubrey, K | Start | 109.6 | vs. ARI |
| Ryan Flournoy, WR | Sit | 100.8 | vs. ARI |
| KaVontae Turpin, WR | Sit | 100.2 | vs. ARI |
| Jalen Tolbert, WR | Sit | 99.5 | vs. ARI |
| Luke Schoonmaker, TE | Sit | 99.4 | vs. ARI |
| Jaydon Blue, RB | Sit | 97.7 | vs. ARI |
| Dallas Cowboys, DEF | Sit | 97.5 | vs. ARI |
| Joe Milton III, QB | Sit | 97 | vs. ARI |
| Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE | Sit | 96.2 | vs. ARI |
| Hunter Luepke, RB | Sit | 94.2 | vs. ARI |
| Jonathan Mingo, WR | Sit | 94 | vs. ARI |
Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson had a rough outing in Week 8 against the Denver Broncos, catching zero passes on one target. The performance was uncharacteristic, as Ferguson has seen five or more targets in six of eight games this season. This week, Ferguson and the Cowboys face the Arizona Cardinals, a team that has struggled against tight ends in 2025. With a potentially high-scoring game on the horizon, Ferguson is in position to bounce back as a key piece of Dallas' passing attack.
RotoBaller currently ranks Ferguson as the TE7 for Week 9, making him a solid start in all formats, particularly for managers seeking consistent tight end production.
George Pickens, WR, Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has continued to establish himself as one of fantasy football's top options. Coming off another strong Week 8 performance, Pickens hauled in seven catches on nine targets for 78 yards, maintaining a high level of involvement in the offense. In Week 9, Pickens and the Cowboys face the Arizona Cardinals, a defense that has struggled against the pass this season and ranks inside the top 10 for passing yards allowed.
This favorable matchup sets the stage for Pickens to continue his strong start to the season.RotoBaller currently ranks Pickens as the WR10 for Week 9.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Bam Knight, Michael Carter, Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, Jacoby Brissett, Jake Ferguson, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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