Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 9? Khalil Shakir, Nico Collins, Austin Ekeler, Matthew Golden, Ryan Flournoy, Stefon Diggs, Malik Nabers, Kendre Miller, James Cook III

November 7, 2026

Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Khalil Shakir, Nico Collins, Austin Ekeler, Matthew Golden, Ryan Flournoy, Stefon Diggs, Malik Nabers, Kendre Miller, James Cook III.

Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Khalil Shakir, Nico Collins, Austin Ekeler, Matthew Golden, Ryan Flournoy, Stefon Diggs, Malik Nabers, Kendre Miller, and James Cook III. However, don't worry; we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 of the 2026 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.

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Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlooks

Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 9:

Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins remains a priority for offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who said Thursday that Collins will "always be a focal point of the offense" and that the team intends to find more ways to get him the ball, according to Aaron Wilson.

The comments come after a disappointing stretch for Collins, who has totaled just 10 receptions for 136 yards without a touchdown over his last three games. That followed a seven-catch, 118-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, when he scored twice. Collins was particularly quiet against the New York Giants in Week 7, catching just two of five targets for six yards before Houston's bye.

The 27-year-old has recorded 24 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns across five appearances this season. He remains a starting fantasy receiver heading into Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, with Caley's comments offering some encouragement that Houston will make a more concerted effort to involve him.

Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden faces an interesting matchup against a talented New England secondary in Week 9. The Patriots feature standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has not allowed more than 46 receiving yards in a game this season. Gonzalez is expected to spend much of Sunday covering Christian Watson (ribs), which could leave Golden matched up against Marcus Jones (foot), who is questionable.

Golden has been productive against man coverage, drawing targets on 39% of his routes against that scheme. He caught seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown against Carolina last week and continues to play a significant role in the passing game. RotoBaller ranks Golden WR14 for Week 9, making him a strong WR2 option despite the challenges presented by the New England secondary.

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said that wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) got in a full practice on Friday and will be a "full-go" for the team's Week 9 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, per Matt Citak of Giants.com.

Nabers missed practice on Thursday due to a knee issue, a notable development given that the star wideout missed nearly all of the 2025 season after suffering a serious knee injury in Week 4. However, it appears the 23-year-old may have just been getting a rest/maintenance day on Thursday.

Nabers has been highly productive in 2026, recording 48 catches for 605 yards and two touchdowns on 70 targets across seven games. Now that he will officially be active in Week 9, he profiles as a must-start wide receiver for fantasy managers.

Stefon Diggs, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders 32-year-old wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been thrust into a bigger role after teammate Terry McLaurin (knee) was injured and will miss the rest of the season. Diggs has been extremely consistent this season, earning six or more targets in every game he's played and ranking 21st in targets per game among qualified wide receivers. He's also 12th in targets per route run and 22nd in fantasy points per game.

He's also finding a nose for the end zone, with four touchdowns on the season, ranking third in touchdowns per game. While his yardage is nothing to write home about, Diggs remains a safe WR3 PPR play in fantasy formats moving forward, with his upside depending on whether he gets in the end zone. Fantasy managers looking for a strong flex/WR3 play can start Diggs with confidence.

James Cook III, Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III put together yet another productive game in his team's 36-10 Week 8 win over the Baltimore Ravens, recording 101 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 23 touches. Cook III is in the midst of an excellent season in 2026, logging 707 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 138 carries.

The 27-year-old has scored at least one touchdown in six consecutive games, and he's topped 100 yards from scrimmage in five out of those six outings. Between his own production and the dominant Bills offense's ability to consistently move the ball up and down the field, Cook III profiles as an elite running back option for fantasy managers. He remains a must-start RB1 despite facing a tough Vikings defense in Week 9.

Who Should I Start Tool

You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.

Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Khalil Shakir, Nico Collins, Austin Ekeler, Matthew Golden, Ryan Flournoy, Stefon Diggs, Malik Nabers, Kendre Miller, James Cook III. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 (2026)? 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 9 for Khalil Shakir, Nico Collins, Austin Ekeler, Matthew Golden, Ryan Flournoy, Stefon Diggs, Malik Nabers, Kendre Miller, James Cook III.