RADIO
Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Dalton Kincaid, Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki, Greg Dulcich.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Dalton Kincaid, Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki, and Greg Dulcich. 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
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:
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely is looking to bounce back after a disappointing Week 7 performance. In quarterback J.J. McCarthy's first start with the Giants, Likely caught just two of four targets for 12 yards in the 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans.
Prior to that outing, Likely had been enjoying a career season, hauling in 39 of 59 targets for 383 yards and five touchdowns through six games. While some worry that Likely had a better connection with backup Jameis Winston than with McCarthy, fantasy managers should expect him to produce in Week 9. However, another poor performance could raise concerns about his fantasy production moving forward.
Greg Dulcich, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich has been quietly putting together decent numbers lately. Over the last three games, Dulcich has secured at least four receptions in all of them. He has also finished with 40 receiving yards or more in two of his last three games.
The 26-year-old is getting the ball thrown to him consistently with 16 targets over the last three weeks. The expectation is that he'll continue to stay involved against the Detroit Lions in Week 9. The Lions have one of the worst pass defenses in the league, which could mean good results for Dulcich. Fantasy managers who are seeking a streaming option for Week 9 should consider picking up Dulcich.
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.
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.
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (chest) opened up the week with a limited practice session on Thursday. Kincaid was also nursing a chest injury last week before suiting up and catching four of his six targets for 86 yards and his second touchdown of the season in the 36-10 rout of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in Week 8.
The 27-year-old should be fine to play again this weekend on the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night as long as he does not have a setback with his chest. The upcoming matchup is not great against one of the best defenses in the league, so fantasy managers should have Kincaid on the TE1/2 borderline as he comes off one of his best games of the season.
In seven games played in 2026, Kincaid is the TE11 in half-PPR scoring with 27 receptions on 35 targets for 401 yards and two touchdowns. If Kincaid carries a questionable tag into the Monday night contest in Minnesota, fantasy managers may want to look for other streaming options that aren't as volatile this week.
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, Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki, Greg Dulcich. 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, Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts Sr., Chig Okonkwo, Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki, Greg Dulcich.
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
