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Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Mike Gesicki, Greg Dulcich, Juwan Johnson, Eli Raridon, Harold Fannin Jr.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Mike Gesicki, Greg Dulcich, Juwan Johnson, Eli Raridon, and Harold Fannin Jr. 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:
Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo profiles as a borderline TE1/TE2 option this week against the Rams, with Treylon Burks (foot) ruled out and Terry McLaurin (knee) out for the season. Okonkwo has caught multiple passes in every game this season, and since Jayden Daniels returned in Week 5, Okonkwo ranks 2nd among tight ends in yards per target (10,7) and first in explosive catch rate (30.8%), per Fantasy Points Data.
The 27-year-old is still inconsistent for fantasy but should remain involved in Week 9 against the Rams. However, production could be tough to come by, as the Rams' defense ranks in the top eight in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, including holding superstars Brock Bowers and Trey McBride below their season average in yards per game. Okonkwo ranks as RotoBaller's TE18 for Week 9.
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in last week's 43-36 win over the Tennessee Titans. Gesicki has only 17 receptions in seven games, but has been a fantasy-relevant option because he's found the end zone six times. When the Bengals get to the red zone, quarterback Joe Burrow tends to find his big tight end for touchdowns.
Gesicki will look to find pay dirt this week as the team travels to Madrid to take on the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have been middle-of-the-pack against tight ends this season, so it's unlikely they stop Gesicki if Burrow goes his way. Gesicki is ranked TE15 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a TE2 with touchdown upside every week. Fantasy managers struggling at tight end could look Gesicki's way this week because he's scored in all but one game this season.
Eli Raridon, New England Patriots
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon can remain on the bench in fantasy football if teammate Hunter Henry (foot) ends up playing in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers. Henry is listed as questionable to play Sunday, and it's fair to have some concerns about his status after he missed two practices and then logged a limited session on Friday.
Still, the Patriots are leaving the door open for him to suit up, which means Raridon is an unreliable fantasy option for the time being. He had just one catch in Week 8 despite handling four targets and a 92% snap share, and a similarly uncertain volume share could await him in Week 9. However, if Henry does get ruled out, Raridon would presumably take on most of his vacated targets and jump to the mid-range TE2 tier in fantasy football.
This week's matchup is another factor to consider, as the Packers have been remarkable against tight ends. Green Bay has allowed the fourth-fewest catches, third-fewest yards, and third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in Week 9. Raridon is an iffy low-end TE2 if Henry is ruled out, and he's off the Week 9 fantasy radar entirely if Henry ends up playing.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was listed on the injury report with an ankle injury he's been nursing for a couple of weeks, but he practiced in full and has no designation for the contest. The veteran tight end caught five of his seven targets for 67 yards in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos. Kelce's production this season has been solid, with only one true dud through seven games.
His chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes should keep him in the TE1 this week against the New York Jets. The Jets have been one of the softer matchups for opposing tight ends this season, making this a good spot for Kelce.
Kelce is ranked TE11 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a low-end TE1 at home this Sunday. Fantasy managers should continue to expect serviceable performances from one of the all-time great tight ends even if he does not possess the same upside he once had.
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 - Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Mike Gesicki, Greg Dulcich, Juwan Johnson, Eli Raridon, Harold Fannin Jr. 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 Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Mike Gesicki, Greg Dulcich, Juwan Johnson, Eli Raridon, Harold Fannin Jr.
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