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Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Quentin Johnston, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, David Montgomery, Christian Watson, Xavier Worthy, Kenneth Walker III, Tetairoa McMillan, Tee Higgins.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Quentin Johnston, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, David Montgomery, Christian Watson, Xavier Worthy, Kenneth Walker III, Tetairoa McMillan, Tee Higgins. 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.
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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:
Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston experienced his first zero-target game last Thursday during a run-heavy win over the Minnesota Vikings. While his 96.3% route rate was promising, his low snap share (52.8%) highlights his expendability when the team is protecting a big lead.
The Tennessee Titans struggle against the pass, but their tendency to be beaten on the ground suggests another run-heavy game plan is likely. Johnston still should see a good amount of Titans CB L'Jarius Sneed, who allows a high ADOT of 14.1 yards, indicating big-play potential is always present.
However, with rookie Oronde Gadsden cutting into targets, Johnston's role remains volatile. RotoBaller ranks Johnston as WR32 this week. He's best used as a high-ceiling, boom-or-bust FLEX option if you need a player with upside.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir made a strong statement in Week 8, catching six of seven targets for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers.
Facing a defense that plays zone coverage at the highest rate in the league, Shakir showcased his strength as a zone-beater and delivered in a big way. Fans and media members have been calling for a larger role for Shakir, and he proved them right in the first game out of the bye week.
With Josh Allen under center and a clear path to the WR1 role in this offense, Shakir now projects as a reliable WR3 with upside for the rest of the season.
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen had a quiet game last week, with only four catches for 44 yards on five targets, as his route run rate (25%) decreased when the Chargers shifted to a run-heavy game script in their blowout win. He remains among the league leaders in receptions (48) and targets (70).
This week, Allen faces a Tennessee Titans pass defense that has struggled, and he gets a favorable matchup against Titans CB Jalyn Armour-Davis, who is allowing 11.6 yards per target. Still, Allen's ceiling might be limited by the possibility of another early lead and a sustained ground game.
Despite that, his target consistency provides a solid floor. RotoBaller has Allen ranked as WR24. He should be a dependable mid-to-low-end WR2 this week.
David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery has recorded 451 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on 89 touches through his first seven games of 2025. However, Montgomery was trending downwards before Detroit's Week 8 bye. In four games across Weeks 4 through 7, the 28-year-old logged 122 rushing yards and one touchdown on 44 carries (2.8 yards per carry).
Montgomery is looking more and more like the clear RB2 in Detroit behind Jahmyr Gibbs, which makes him heavily reliant on touchdowns for fantasy production. In Week 9, Montgomery will face a Minnesota Vikings defense that has allowed the 10th-fewest rushing touchdowns (five) in the NFL this season.
In his lone outing against Minnesota in 2024, Montgomery rushed for just 31 yards on nine carries, although he did add three catches for 39 yards. He profiles as a low-end fantasy RB2 in a difficult Week 9 matchup against the Vikings.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy will take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. Worthy caught five passes for 53 yards in the 28-7 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 8. Last week marked Worthy's third game of the season with at least five receptions.
With Rashee Rice stepping back into the WR1 role and Travis Kelce reemerging as a top option, the speedster may continue to be relegated to a tertiary role in the Kansas City offense. That said, Worthy was able to put up a decent stat line regardless of the blowout, and he may be able to build on that this week. Worthy and the Chiefs face the Bills, who have allowed the ninth-fewest points to opposing wide receivers this season.
Even with his diminished workload, Worthy is still an explosive player and can break off a long play at any moment. Worthy is ranked WR28 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, placing him just outside WR2 but firmly in WR3/Flex territory 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 - Quentin Johnston, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, David Montgomery, Christian Watson, Xavier Worthy, Kenneth Walker III, Tetairoa McMillan, Tee Higgins. 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 Quentin Johnston, Khalil Shakir, Keenan Allen, David Montgomery, Christian Watson, Xavier Worthy, Kenneth Walker III, Tetairoa McMillan, Tee Higgins:
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