Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Caleb Douglas, KC Concepcion Jr., Chase Brown, Josh Downs, Emmett Johnson, Rachaad White, Drake London, Kaelon Black, Seth McGowan.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Caleb Douglas, KC Concepcion Jr., Chase Brown, Josh Downs, Emmett Johnson, Rachaad White, Drake London, Kaelon Black, and Seth McGowan. 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
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:
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown handled 12 carries for 55 yards and caught eight passes for 46 yards in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans. After fantasy managers were unsure of the backfield split with Samaje Perine earning more touches, Brown put those doubts to rest. The Bengals RB1 earned 21 opportunities in a game that was a back-and-forth affair.
Perine had fewer chances and was far less efficient on the ground, so Brown should dominate touches again in Madrid against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons defense was tough against the run to begin the season, but has since lightened up. Brown is ranked RB11 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a strong start at the position.
Fantasy managers should view Brown as a must-start option every week because he can make his day on the ground and through the air.
Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson could find himself some more involvement in the offense this Sunday against the New York Jets. Despite only handling one carry for 15 yards in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos, Johnson made a huge impact in the receiving game. Johnson caught five passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in his limited snap role, breaking off a 73-yard catch-and-run that culminated in a trip to the end zone.
The 23-year-old out of Nebraska has been an impactful player nearly every time he's touched the ball this season, breaking tackles left and right, and he will get the chance to continue his impressive play against the Jets. The Jets defense has been a soft matchup for running backs in recent weeks, so Johnson could be set up nicely to build on his momentum.
Kenneth Walker is still the RB1 on the team, but Johnson could earn a few more carries and targets per game if he continues displaying his explosiveness and per-touch efficiency. Johnson is ranked RB47 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a low-end flex option this week. While a path to weekly flex viability could open up soon, it isn't open yet, so fantasy managers should treat Johnson as more of a stash candidate with tons of upside.
Rachaad White, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White's stats looked solid on the surface in Week 8; however, a late score helped, and more concerning, White's snap share dropped from 64.5 percent in Weeks 5 and 6 to just 47 percent in Week 8. Veteran Austin Ekeler's snap share rose to 33 percent during this time, meaning less work for White.
On the season, White has paid off for fantasy managers, scoring 10 or more fantasy points in four of six contests; but the production has been very touchdown-dependent, having scored three touchdowns on the season.
The biggest issue with White is that, even with Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) on the IR, White hasn't seen a full bell-cow role and appears to be in a split backfield with Ekeler. The Week 9 matchup is also difficult: the Commanders take on the Rams, who rank top-10 in fewest fantasy points allowed to running backs.
Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black deserves consideration on the Week 9 waiver wire after showing what he can provide when Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) is sidelined. Black rushed 12 times for 63 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's Week 7 loss to Atlanta, including a 30-yard scoring run.
He played a season-high 47% of the offensive snaps while McCaffrey missed much of the first half, although Black also lost a fumble and caught just one of three targets for negative-four yards. The rookie has totaled 233 rushing yards on 57 carries this season and is listed directly behind McCaffrey on the 49ers' depth chart.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed optimism that McCaffrey would return from his mild hamstring strain following the Week 8 bye, potentially limiting Black's immediate opportunities against Las Vegas. Still, Black's position in the backfield makes him a worthwhile insurance stash in leagues with 10 or more teams, particularly for managers with room to carry a backup running back.
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 - Caleb Douglas, KC Concepcion Jr., Chase Brown, Josh Downs, Emmett Johnson, Rachaad White, Drake London, Kaelon Black, Seth McGowan. 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 Caleb Douglas, KC Concepcion Jr., Chase Brown, Josh Downs, Emmett Johnson, Rachaad White, Drake London, Kaelon Black, Seth McGowan.
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
RADIO



