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Should I start Khalil Shakir, Parker Washington, Troy Franklin for Week 9? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
The midway point of the 2025 NFL season is upon us. Four more teams are on bye in Week 9, and more unexpected wide receiver injuries can throw things for a loop in fantasy.
In this article, we will evaluate three fringe starters at wide receiver: Khalil Shakir, Parker Washington, and Troy Franklin. Both Shakir and Franklin are coming off breakout weeks, while Washington stands to benefit from the unfortunate Travis Hunter (knee) injury news.
So, should fantasy managers start Shakir, Washington, and Franklin in Week 9? Let's dive in.
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Should I Start Khalil Shakir for Fantasy Football?
Shakir had his breakout game of the season in Week 8 against the Panthers, catching six of seven targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. His 20.8 PPR points were the second-highest of his career and the most since Week 14 last season. The 25-year-old is starting to get into a groove as we roll into the second half of the season.
Over Shakir's last three games, he's posted a 30% targets per route run and a 2.41 yards per route run. His ability to win underneath and generate yards after the catch is among the best in football. Shakir has forced 14 missed tackles on receptions this season, the most in the league.
Khalil Shakir goes 54 yards for another big Bills TD!
BUFvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/GUZO4L89Ww
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
The Bills got a much-needed victory after their bye week and after dropping two consecutive games, and now host the red-hot Chiefs for the game of the week in Week 9. In two games against Kansas City last season, Shakir caught eight of 12 targets for 70 yards and then hauled in six of seven targets for 46 yards in the playoffs. The floor for receptions is high, making him a solid start in PPR formats. Shakir is ranked as RotoBaller's WR30 for Week 9.
Should I Start Parker Washington for Fantasy Football?
Washington figures to step into a prominent role with the recent Hunter injury. In Week 7, Washington had the second-highest route share (77.2%) behind Hunter, although the injury to Brian Thomas Jr. played a factor in that, with his season low of 61.4%.
In the three weeks before Jacksonville's Week 8 bye, Washington led the team with a 24% TPRR and 283 air yards. However, only 58.8% of those targets were catchable, easily the lowest on the team in that span. If that can correct a bit, which is asking a lot because Trevor Lawrence's accuracy issues are well known at this point, Washington could be in for some productive fantasy days.
Friday afternoon updates to the Week 9 WR/CB matchup charts will be updated @RotoBallerNFL, later this evening after some Halloween festivities.
There doesn’t seem to be too many unexpected changes so far.
WR changes:
-Travis Hunter out, Parker Washington in. Washington might… pic.twitter.com/Oy6o2DQiRl— Corbin (@corbin_young21) October 31, 2025
It's a good Week 9 matchup for the 23-year-old wideout as the Jaguars travel to Las Vegas for the second straight year. The Raiders are tied for the third most PPR points allowed per game to opposing wide receivers this season. With Thomas' inconsistencies this season and Hunter's absence, Washington could emerge as Lawrence's most reliable target moving forward, and is a solid flex in 12-team leagues. Washington is ranked as RotoBaller's WR45 in PPR formats for Week 9.
Should I Start Troy Franklin for Fantasy Football?
Franklin had the breakout game of his young career last week against the Cowboys, catching six of eight targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns, finishing as WR1 on the week with 26.9 PPR points. The gap between Franklin and Courtland Sutton as the team's top wideout has narrowed over the past few weeks, although Sutton deserves the benefit of the doubt at this stage with his strong track record.
But the second-year wideout out of Oregon has emerged as a consistent target earner for his college quarterback, Bo Nix. The 22-year-old had a strong prospect profile and is a fluid mover at 6-foot-3. Head coach Sean Payton likes to get the ball in his hands on quick hitters and screens. Franklin has 13 receptions on screens this season, tied for second with Wan'Dale Robinson and only behind Ja'Marr Chase.
Nix to Franklin again!
The former @oregonfootball duo keep the @Broncos rollin'
DALvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/kElzy31Vcd
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
It's not a great matchup for Franklin and the Denver offense in Week 9 against an elite Houston defense. They've allowed just the fourth-fewest PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers and the sixth-fewest yards on screens. Houston boasts one of the best cornerback duos in football between Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr., which will make it tough to move the ball through the air on Sunday. Franklin and Sutton are the only two Denver pass catchers to have consistent routes week to week, which still gives Franklin solid flex appeal even in a tough matchup. Franklin is ranked as RotoBaller's WR37 in PPR leagues for Week 9.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Khalil Shakir, Parker Washington, Troy Franklin. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9. 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.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Khalil Shakir, Parker Washington, Troy Franklin. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
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 that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. 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 for Khalil Shakir, Parker Washington, Troy Franklin compared to others:
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