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Andy's potential Week 9 busts, fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for players who may disappoint. You should consider benching these players in Week 9.
Navigating bye weeks and injuries is often the toughest challenge in fantasy football. This task becomes even more challenging when top players have difficult matchups.
In this piece, we will highlight four players, one at each position, who are widely started in most leagues but should be kept on the bench in Week 9 due to their difficult matchups.
Who should fantasy managers bench in Week 9? Let's dive in!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Potential Fantasy Football Lineup Busts
Jordan Love (GB) vs CAR
Jordan Love is coming off one of his most productive outings of the season, in which he threw 260 yards with three passing touchdowns in their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday evening. However, managers should take caution with Love in Week 9. Love and the Packers will face the Carolina Panthers, who have shut down opposing QBs, allowing the 12th-fewest PPR points to the position this season.
Jordan Love goes DEEP to Christian Watson on 3rd down
GBvsPIT on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/WjFjHQ3HEy— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2025
In the games in which Love faces defenses within the top 12 in terms of PPR points allowed to opposing QBs, he has fallen below the 16.0 PPR point mark. In his other matchups, Love has averaged a stellar 24.6 PPR points per game.
Managers should expect Love to be touchdown-dependent and a low-end QB1 in this contest.
David Montgomery (DET) vs. MIN
David Montgomery has had a slow start to the season and could be in store for another disappointing showing in Week 9. Coming out of his Week 8 bye, Montgomery has only eclipsed 15.0 PPR points twice and has not tallied double-digit PPR points in his last two games.
Over his last four games, Montgomery has only taken double-digit carries twice and is clearly losing valuable touches to Jahmyr Gibbs. Facing the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed the 12th-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs, makes Montgomery a low-end RB3 with minimal upside.
Courtland Sutton (DEN) at HOU
Courtland Sutton has not been a WR1 like he was in 2024, but has been a consistent contributor for managers this season. Through eight weeks, Denver's top wideout has averaged a solid 13.6 PPR points per game and has tallied at least 18.0 PPR points in three of these games. However, with Troy Franklin emerging as a reliable No. 2 option, Sutton has not seen as high a target share this season.
In Week 9, Sutton has one of the toughest matchups at the WR position, against a Houston secondary that has allowed the fourth-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs. Sutton is not a must-sit, but he projects to be a low-end WR2 with high bust potential.
Nix goes deep to Sutton!
DALvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/znXsCmUWn2
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Dalton Kincaid (BUF) vs. KC
The final player managers should consider sitting this week is Buffalo TE Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid was unable to play in Week 6 due to an oblique injury but returned in Week 8, following their Week 7 bye. In their victory over the Panthers, Kincaid caught just one of his three targets for 23 yards. This was a stark drop from the 13.3 PPR points per game he averaged during the first five games of the season.
While Kincaid should eventually return to that level of play, facing a Chiefs defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest PPR points to opposing TEs does not bode well for his weekly upside. Kinciad is a high-risk TE1 this week, and it is best to fade him in favor of emerging rookies at the position like Harold Fannin Jr.
Read more player news and updates for Week 9
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 Jordan Love, David Montgomery, Courtland Sutton, Isiah Pacheco, and Dalton Kincaid. 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 - Jordan Love, David Montgomery, Courtland Sutton, Isiah Pacheco, Dalton Kincaid. 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 Jordan Love, David Montgomery, Courtland Sutton, Isiah Pacheco, Dalton Kincaid compared to others:
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