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Fantasy football start em, sit em lineups advice for Bengals vs. Falcons in the Madrid International Game in Week 9 (2026). NFL matchups analysis and Madrid starts/sits.
Welcome RotoBallers! After not having an early game last Sunday, the NFL is back with another international contest to kick off the Week 9 slate. On Sunday morning, the Bengals and Falcons will face off in Madrid in what could be a high-scoring affair.
The Bengals enter this game with one of the league's top offenses, led by Joe Burrow, while the Falcons enter off a loss but have shown steady improvement on offense with Michael Penix Jr. under center.
We will bring you International Game analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Good luck in Week 9, RotoBallers!
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Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons
Sunday, November 8, 9:30 AM ET (Bernabéu Stadium)
Notable Fantasy Injuries:
- Brian Robinson Jr. - Out
Matchups We Love:
RB Chase Brown
Chase Brown's usage in the passing game has kept him as a top-20 running back this season. Brown ranks second among all running backs in receptions per game and just totaled eight catches for 46 yards in last week's win. The good news for the Bengals playmaker is that the Falcons have given up the fourth-most receptions and third-most receiving touchdowns to RBs this season. Brown will be a solid RB2 play.
Kyle Pitts has been a much better fantasy option in recent weeks. Although he scored only 2.6 PPR fantasy points in a rain game last week, Pitts has finished as a top-12 fantasy TE in three of his last four games. This week, the Falcons TE will be a low-end TE1 in all formats. The Bengals have given up the second-most receptions and second-most receiving yards to opposing TEs in 2026.
Matchups We Hate:
None
Other Matchups:
Michael Penix Jr. will come in as a middle-of-the-pack QB2 in Superflex formats in Week 9. He has finished outside the top 16 at the QB position in four of his six starts and threw four interceptions against the Buccaneers last week. There is some potential for Penix in this game, though, as the Bengals rank 27th in pass yards allowed per game this season.
Michael Penix Jr.'s first TD of the year goes to Austin Hooper!
@ATLvsGB on Prime Video
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/A9GiSBFFzR— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2026
QB Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow is on a roll right now. He has scored above 22 fantasy points in five straight games and has finished as the overall QB1 in back-to-back weeks. Last week, Burrow threw for 462 yards, five touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown en route to a 42.5 fantasy-point day. You're starting the Bengals signal-caller in all formats.
Bijan Robinson has been a bit quiet in recent weeks. He has scored under eight PPR fantasy points in two of the last three weeks and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4 against the Saints. Still, Robinson is a must-start RB1.
Bengals WRs
Both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins should be in all lineups this week. Chase is always a must-start regardless of matchup. He has scored over 17 PPR fantasy points in five of his last six weeks. Higgins will come in as a must-start WR1 after back-to-back elite performances. He has finished as the WR3 and WR1 in consecutive weeks. Both are WR1s this weekend.
WR Drake London
Drake London didn't do much in the rain last week, catching only one pass for eight yards. However, London should get back on track in this matchup against the Bengals. The Falcons playmaker has over a 32% target share in six games with Penix under center, and Cincinnati let both Wan'Dale Robinson and Chimere Dike finish inside the top-16 at the position last week.
TE Mike Gesicki
Mike Gesicki has been a touchdown machine for the Bengals this season. He has scored a touchdown in five straight games and is coming off a four-catch, 76-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Titans last week. Although his 9.2% target share is a bit worrisome, Gesicki's touchdown upside makes him a potential TE1 start in deeper leagues. Tennessee has given up four TE touchdowns this season.
Cincinnati Bengals Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Joe Burrow | Start | 119.2 | QB | CIN | ATL |
| Tee Higgins | Start | 117.9 | WR | CIN | ATL |
| Ja'Marr Chase | Start | 116.8 | WR | CIN | ATL |
| Chase Brown | Start | 114.6 | RB | CIN | ATL |
| Evan McPherson | Risky Start | 103.7 | K | CIN | ATL |
| Mike Gesicki | Risky Start | 102.7 | TE | CIN | ATL |
| Mitch Tinsley | Sit | 100.7 | WR | CIN | ATL |
| Dohnte Meyers | Sit | 100.3 | WR | CIN | ATL |
| Samaje Perine | Sit | 99.3 | RB | CIN | ATL |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Sit | 98.2 | DEF | CIN | ATL |
| Drew Sample | Sit | 97.2 | TE | CIN | ATL |
| Colbie Young | Sit | 94.9 | WR | CIN | ATL |
| Jack Endries | Sit | 93.9 | TE | CIN | ATL |
| Tahj Brooks | Sit | 91.5 | RB | CIN | ATL |
| Joe Flacco | Sit | 90 | QB | CIN | ATL |
Atlanta Falcons Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Bijan Robinson | Start | 119.7 | RB | ATL | CIN |
| Drake London | Start | 115.3 | WR | ATL | CIN |
| Kyle Pitts Sr. | Risky Start | 103.9 | TE | ATL | CIN |
| Michael Penix Jr. | Sit | 101.7 | QB | ATL | CIN |
| Jahan Dotson | Sit | 101.3 | WR | ATL | CIN |
| Nick Folk | Sit | 98.5 | K | ATL | CIN |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | Sit | 98.1 | WR | ATL | CIN |
| Austin Hooper | Sit | 97.7 | TE | ATL | CIN |
| Zachariah Branch | Sit | 97.6 | WR | ATL | CIN |
| Charlie Woerner | Sit | 97 | TE | ATL | CIN |
| Chris Blair | Sit | 95.1 | WR | ATL | CIN |
| Nick Muse | Sit | 92.9 | TE | ATL | CIN |
| Jack Strand | Sit | 91.8 | QB | ATL | CIN |
| Tua Tagovailoa | Sit | 90.6 | QB | ATL | CIN |
| Andy Dalton | Sit | 89.2 | QB | ATL | CIN |
| Atlanta Falcons | Sit | 89.1 | DEF | ATL | CIN |
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 Tee Higgins, Chase Brown, Drake London, Kyle Pitts Sr., Mike Gesicki. 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 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.
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 (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 Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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