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Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Dalton Kincaid, Dallas Goedert, Harold Fannin Jr., Chig Okonkwo, Isaiah Likely, Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson, Kyle Pitts Sr., Colston Loveland.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Dalton Kincaid, Dallas Goedert, Harold Fannin Jr., Chig Okonkwo, Isaiah Likely, Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson, Kyle Pitts Sr., Colston Loveland. 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:
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns
On a day in which the Cleveland Browns only scored six points and quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 324 yards in a Week 8 loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was the only offensive skill player for the Browns to thrive. Fannin led the team in receptions (10), targets (12), and receiving yards (154) for a career-best day while averaging a healthy 15.4 yards per catch. With the strong performance, Fannin is now quietly the overall TE5 in half-PPR scoring with 35 receptions on 51 targets for 411 yards and three touchdowns.
Only Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Isaiah Likely, and George Kittle have been more productive so far in 2026 at the tight end position in fantasy. The only negative aspect of the 22-year-old's game on Sunday in Pittsburgh was his lost fumble, but fantasy managers were not complaining at all. The game script in the Steel City definitely helped Fannin's cause this weekend, but he will remain a strong TE1 option for fantasy managers in Cleveland's Week 9 road outing against the New Orleans Saints, who will be coming off their bye.
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki has not played a particularly high-usage role in his team's offense so far this season, recording just 17 catches for 241 yards on 24 targets across seven games. However, the 31-year-old has emerged as a major weapon in the red zone for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, as he has now recorded a touchdown reception in five consecutive games and six out of the seven he's played in so far. Gesicki is also coming off one of his best all-around games in Week 8, recording four catches for 76 yards and a score on six targets against the Tennessee Titans.
As long as star Bengals wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins remain healthy, Gesicki's production floor is low because he is unlikely to see consistent target volume. Still, given his role as an end zone target in the potent Cincinnati offense, the veteran tight end is a worthy streamer option for fantasy managers.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
After a hot start to the season, New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson has not reached 20 receiving yards in a game since Week 4, totaling just five catches for 23 yards in his last three outings before the team's Week 8 bye.
With first-round rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) reportedly returning to practice after starting the year on injured reserve, Johnson could soon face additional target competition with no obvious end to his slump in sight. New Orleans faces Cleveland in Week 9, and while the Browns have been an average matchup for fantasy tight ends, Johnson is RotoBaller's TE21, with more viable streaming options likely available on the waiver wire.
Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. was unable to keep his touchdown streak alive during the Week 8 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coming into this game, Pitts had found the end zone in three straight games, but the Bucs defense held Pitts in check on Sunday.
Pitts hauled in two of his five targets for six yards during the Week 8 loss. This was a nightmare game for the entire Falcons offense as they were unable to score on Sunday. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed only eight passes and threw four interceptions. Fantasy managers can expect better results from Pitts next weekend, considering it's almost impossible to do worse than six receiving yards. He should rebound against the inconsistent Cincinnati Bengals defense in Week 9.
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 - Dalton Kincaid, Dallas Goedert, Harold Fannin Jr., Chig Okonkwo, Isaiah Likely, Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson, Kyle Pitts Sr., Colston Loveland. 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 Dalton Kincaid, Dallas Goedert, Harold Fannin Jr., Chig Okonkwo, Isaiah Likely, Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson, Kyle Pitts Sr., Colston Loveland.
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