Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Denzel Boston, Mike Washington Jr., Antonio Williams, Emmett Johnson, Nico Collins, Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Shakir, Rhamondre Stevenson.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Denzel Boston, Mike Washington Jr., Antonio Williams, Emmett Johnson, Nico Collins, Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Shakir, Rhamondre Stevenson. 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:
Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. is not guaranteed to remain the team's primary rusher, as head coach Klint Kubiak said Wednesday that the distribution of carries between Washington and Ashton Jeanty will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis, according to Ryan McFadden. Washington handled a career-high 25 carries for 83 yards in Sunday's Week 8 victory over the New York Jets, playing 38 snaps compared to Jeanty's 22. Kubiak previously credited Washington's development and practice performance for his increased opportunities.
Jeanty was limited to two carries for nine yards but caught three passes for 64 yards, while Washington wasn't targeted. The rookie remains a priority waiver addition following his expanded rushing role, particularly in standard-scoring leagues. However, his limited receiving involvement and Kubiak's willingness to adjust the backfield rotation could make his weekly fantasy production unpredictable.
Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston (calf) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram. This injury wasn't previously reported, so it could be something that he picked up during the game on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to force him out of the contest. With that being said, it's also possible that he suffered the injury in practice on Wednesday. Either way, managers will definitely want to check back after the Browns practice again.
His status on Thursday will provide a strong indication of whether he's trending toward playing in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints. If active, Boston would rank as a WR3 with a high ceiling. He generated some Offensive Rookie of the Year buzz at the start of the season, but he has since cooled off significantly with just 10 catches, 79 yards, and zero touchdowns over his last three games. Further complicating his outlook is the Browns' quarterback situation, as Shedeur Sanders is expected to draw the start with Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol.
Antonio Williams, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders wide receiver Antonio Williams is a priority waiver wire target heading into Week 9. Some of this week's waiver wire targets are short-term streamers, but Williams actually has fantasy appeal for the remainder of the season. The Commanders recently placed Terry McLaurin (knee) on season-ending injured reserve, leaving Williams as the team's No. 2 receiver behind Stefon Diggs. In his first game with the expanded role on Sunday, Williams caught five of seven targets for 54 yards while handling a season-high (and, therefore, career-high) 83% snap share.
The rookie out of Clemson has repeatedly proven to be a reliable target for Jayden Daniels throughout the first half of the season, and his fantasy outlook will only improve in the second half of the year as he handles more volume. He should be treated as a weekly WR3 in PPR leagues, and he'll have additional upside once he gets back in the touchdown column. After all, Williams hasn't found the end zone since Week 1 this year.
Elijah Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles running back Elijah Mitchell was elevated from the practice squad for the second straight weekend on Sunday. This time around, Mitchell saw more involvement in the running game. He carried the ball 11 times for 34 yards and hauled in three receptions for an additional three yards in the loss. Lead back Saquon Barkley only had 13 carries, and he could still be dealing with a lingering back issue.
It wouldn't be shocking to see Mitchell continue getting steadily involved in the rushing attack going forward. Barkley isn't going anywhere, but he could have a reduced role. Mitchell is someone worth considering as a deep league stash with Barkley banged up at the moment.
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
Despite D.J. Moore's return from injury, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir continued to produce and could be a low-end WR3 moving forward. In Week 8, Shakir hauled in five of six targets for 64 yards and no touchdowns in the 36-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. While Moore returned and made a significant impact for Buffalo, he later suffered an apparent lower-body injury. Moore said he was fine after the game, but even if he continues to play, Shakir should continue to produce.
In seven games, Shakir has hauled in 27 of 38 targets for 354 yards and a touchdown, ranking second among all Bills pass catchers. Fantasy managers should continue to rely on Shakir as a focal point of this high-powered Buffalo offense led by Josh Allen.
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 - Denzel Boston, Mike Washington Jr., Antonio Williams, Emmett Johnson, Nico Collins, Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Shakir, Rhamondre Stevenson. 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 Denzel Boston, Mike Washington Jr., Antonio Williams, Emmett Johnson, Nico Collins, Elijah Mitchell, Khalil Shakir, Rhamondre Stevenson.
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