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Who Should I Start for TNF Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, Derrick Henry, Jaylen Waddle, Zay Flowers, De'Von Achane, Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, Malik Washington, Ollie Gordon II.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions for Thursday Night Football (TNF) involve players like Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, Derrick Henry, Jaylen Waddle, Zay Flowers, De'Von Achane, Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, Malik Washington, Ollie Gordon II. 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 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Fantasy Football Matchup 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 for Week 9 TNF:
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
It's looking more likely that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring) will make his return to the field this Thursday night in a Week 9 contest against the Miami Dolphins after the two-time MVP signal-caller was listed as a full participant in Tuesday's practice for the second straight day this week.
The 28-year-old said after Tuesday's session that he is 100% healthy and ready to go for the first time since injuring his hamstring in the Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was close to being able to play on Sunday in the win over the Chicago Bears, but the Ravens held him out an extra week as a precaution with a quick turnaround in Week 9.
Although Jackson might not be inclined to take off and run for extra yards in his first game back this week, fantasy managers should have no hesitations in throwing him back into their starting lineups against a generous Dolphins defense.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa experienced his worst performance of his career last week. However, Tagovailoa turned it around during Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
He completed 20-of-26 passing attempts for 205 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in the victory. This was a fantastic bounce-back performance for both the Dolphins and for Tagovailoa.
It was his first four-score game since Week 12 of last season. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the Baltimore Ravens next week.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle caught five of his six targets for 99 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He led the way as Miami pulled off an improbable upset victory on the road.
Waddle has now tallied at least 95 receiving yards in three of his last four games, and he has a touchdown in two of those four contests. As much as the Dolphins' offense has struggled this year, Waddle has been able to maintain fantasy relevance, especially after Tyreek Hill (knee) went down.
He is now the overall WR13 in PPR leagues this season, and he should remain a fantasy-relevant receiver regardless of whether Miami has the lead or is playing from behind. He could feast again next week against the Baltimore Ravens, who just surrendered seven catches and 114 yards to Rome Odunze. Waddle remains a solid WR2 option heading into Week 9.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely has seen minimal usage so far in 2025, recording five catches for 26 yards on five targets across four games played. However, three out of Likely's four games played this season have come with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring) sidelined.
With Jackson expected to return in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, Likely could see his role in Baltimore's offense expand. Across 16 games with the Ravens in 2024, Likely recorded 42 catches for 477 yards on 58 targets.
Likely still figures to split playing time with Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, which limits the upside of both players. However, in deep fantasy leagues, Likely could be a stash candidate off the waiver wire now that Baltimore's offense has its quarterback back.
Malik Washington,WR, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington had arguably his best game of the season in Week 8, recording four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown on five targets in his team's win over the Atlanta Falcons. The 24-year-old has now hauled in 25 catches for 135 yards and a score on 38 targets across eight games so far in 2025.
Washington emerged as a consistent target-earner in Miami over the last month. In four games since star Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill (knee) went down for the season in Week 4 due to a knee injury, Washington has seen 23 targets.
However, Washington is currently averaging a miserable 5.4 yards per reception, which limits his fantasy upside. Still, in deep PPR-scoring leagues, Washington should be rostered for his relatively safe target floor.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 9 Thursday Night Football Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, Derrick Henry, Jaylen Waddle, Zay Flowers, De'Von Achane, Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, Malik Washington, Ollie Gordon II. 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 Thursday Night Football (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 - TNF Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 9 for Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, Derrick Henry, Jaylen Waddle, Zay Flowers, De'Von Achane, Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, Malik Washington, Ollie Gordon II:
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