Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 9? Marquise Brown, Evan Engram, Christian Watson, Joe Flacco, Harold Fannin, Malik Washington, Devin Neal, Elic Ayomanor, Brian Robinson, Sterling Shepard

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (illness) was absent from practice on Wednesday. Brown failed to haul in his lone target on Monday night against the Commanders and has struggled to remain fantasy relevant with the return of Rashee Rice.

In the two games since Rice returned, Brown has seen a total of five targets, resulting in two catches for 14 yards and a touchdown. If Brown continues to miss time this week, fantasy owners should be comfortable benching the big-play receiver ahead of a Week 9 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) made his long-awaited return in Week 8, posting four receptions for 85 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming off an ACL tear in Week 18 last season, Watson looked explosive in limited action, playing 50% of the snaps, just below his typical 60% share from 2024.

Watson's big-play ability was on full display, but the Packers' crowded receiver room continues to limit consistent fantasy value. In Week 8, it was the Watson and Tucker Kraft show; next week, it could just as easily be Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden. With targets spread thin across the offense, Watson remains worth a bench stash, but Green Bay's wide receiver rotation makes it risky to trust any Packers' receiver in fantasy lineups right now.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (shoulder) returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's session. The Bengals will need Flacco on the field as they face the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Through three games, the veteran has tossed seven touchdowns without a single interception.

Flacco's ability to manage the game and distribute the ball to the Bengals many weapons solidify him as a strong option moving forward. If Flacco were to miss time, Jake Browning would regain a temporary starting role. A Browning-led offense would greatly limit the ceilings of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, so monitor the injury report closely heading into Sunday's 1 pm kickoff.

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led the team with eight targets, six catches, 62 yards, and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 8 loss against the New England Patriots. The rookie was one of two Browns tight ends to score on National Tight Ends' Day, joining David Njoku.

Unfortunately for the Browns, Fannin and Njoku were responsible for all of the scoring as Cleveland executed just two scoring drives in their 32-13 loss to the Patriots. Fannin has emerged as a viable starting tight end in fantasy football, ranking as the overall TE5 in PPR leagues so far.

It's not often that we see a rookie tight end produce at such a high level, especially when they are operating in tandem with another tight end (Njoku) in a subpar offense. Nevertheless, Fannin has been one of Dillon Gabriel's favorite targets and will continue to rank as a mid-to-low TE1 on the other side of Cleveland's Week 9 bye.

Wide receiver Malik Washington of the Miami Dolphins is a risky option, but one with some upside when his team plays host to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday. The matchup is a good one for Washington, who will see a Ravens defense that ranks 27th against fantasy receivers and has struggled to defend the pass.

The diminutive receiver has seen at least five targets in six of Miami's eight games, but averages a lowly 3.5 yards per target due to a high percentage of work near the line of scrimmage. Receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De'Von Achane are huge parts of the Miami passing game, leaving Washington as the third option, but he did catch his first touchdown of the season last week.

The relatively unknown Dolphins breakout candidate is a WR5 option in Week 9, and has some streaming and deep-league appeal in a game that could be high scoring.