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Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Matthew Stafford, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Geno Smith, J.J. McCarthy Mac Jones, Bryce Young, Jacoby Brissett.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Matthew Stafford, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Geno Smith, J.J. McCarthy Mac Jones, Bryce Young, Jacoby Brissett. 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 in Week 9:
Mac Jones, QB, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (knee) has been named the team's Week 9 starter, though regular starter Brock Purdy (toe) has not yet been ruled out and may be available off the bench. Jones has already started six games in Purdy's stead, passing for 1,597 yards and eight touchdowns with a 65.9% completion rate, and throwing five interceptions.
In Week 9, the Niners face the Giants, who have given up three straight top-12 finishes to opposing quarterbacks. Jones might struggle to see the same success, as he will be short on help and protection. Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) is still out, as is starting center Jake Brendel (hamstring). Jones projects as a low-end QB2 and should be avoided given the matchup and the lingering possibility of Purdy being healthy enough to sub in if Jones can't get the offense going.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is set to return to the starting lineup on Sunday against Detroit, but the biggest question for fantasy managers should be whether the team can keep him upright. The Vikings, who have the second-worst sack rate in the league, are coming off a miserable showing last week in which they ran just 47 plays and gained 146 yards.
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) has been in and out of the lineup, right tackle Brian O'Neill (knee) has no designation this week but missed all of last game, and center Ryan Kelly (concussion) is on injured reserve. Still, with skill players like wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, there is at least some hope that McCarthy's return can provide a jolt to an offense that sorely needs it.
Playing at Detroit is a tough start, however, so managers should consider McCarthy only in deeper leagues with a superflex spot.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been an excellent fantasy surprise so far this season, ranking as the overall QB10 with 1,866 yards, 17 touchdowns, and two interceptions so far. He's coming off a bye, and right before that bye, he struck for an international record five passing touchdowns against the Jaguars in London. Stafford returns stateside in Week 9 to play against the New Orleans Saints, who have been struggling immensely.
We could see Los Angeles go run-heavy in an anticipated lopsided game, but there should be many opportunities for Stafford to pass, too. New Orleans has allowed the 11th-most fantasy quarterbacks in 2025, putting Stafford in a great spot to thrive once again. We expect him to showcase more turnover-free football while throwing for at least a couple of touchdowns.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence should serve as a solid QB2 in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders defense hasn’t been the best overall this season but is even weaker against the pass than the run, so the Jaguars game plan should be to throw the ball early and try to mount a quick lead.
That will be slightly more difficult with rookie receiver Travis Hunter (knee) being placed on IR, but the Raiders offense may also be prone to turnovers and help out from a field position perspective. In what seems to be a mismatch on paper, Lawrence should be in for a solid fantasy day in Week 9 in Vegas.
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett will officially make his third straight start in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that Cardinals QB1 Kyler Murray (foot) is "making progress" in his recovery from a foot sprain and "could have a role Monday night."
It's unclear exactly what Murray's potential role would be, as a foot injury would seemingly limit his ability to be effective as a rusher. Brissett has arguably outplayed Murray this season. Across his two starts, Brissett has thrown for 599 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. The 32-year-old profiles as a solid fantasy QB2 in a very favorable Week 9 matchup against Dallas.
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 - Matthew Stafford, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Geno Smith, J.J. McCarthy Mac Jones, Bryce Young, Jacoby Brissett. 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 (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 - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 9 for Matthew Stafford, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Geno Smith, J.J. McCarthy Mac Jones, Bryce Young, Jacoby Brissett:
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