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Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Trevor Lawrence, Joe Fagnano, Caleb Williams, Gardner Minshew II, Jared Goff, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Daniel Jones.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Trevor Lawrence, Joe Fagnano, Caleb Williams, Gardner Minshew II, Jared Goff, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, and Daniel Jones. 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:
Gardner Minshew II, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have named veteran Gardner Minshew II their starting quarterback following his star performance in their Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Minshew II took over for fellow veteran Jacoby Brissett midway through Arizona's game against Dallas and led the team to a comeback victory by completing 17 of 23 pass attempts for 188 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
The 30-year-old's last extended run as an NFL starter came in 2024, when he threw for 2,013 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 10 games (nine starts) with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Minshew II should not be expected to provide fantasy managers with consistent high-end production, but he's proven capable of occasional stretches of solid play throughout his career. In superflex and two-QB formats, Minshew II is a must-add player on the waiver wire, even heading into a tough Week 9 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
Joe Fagnano, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore quarterback Joe Fagnano is set to lead the team against Jacksonville in the Week 9 Thursday game. He gets the starting nod after the injuries to Lamar Jackson (finger) and Tyler Huntley (turf toe). Fagnano was on the injury report with an ankle injury, but has been cleared to start. The Ravens traded for Jacoby Brissett, but the deal won't be done in time to have him start in Week 9.
Jacksonville is a tough test for Fagnano, who struggled in his first NFL action in Week 8. He was 10-of-21 passing for just 91 yards - Fagnano didn't throw a touchdown, while being picked off once, sacked three times and losing a fumble. He sits at QB30 in our RotoBaller Week 9 projections, so he's one to avoid starting in most leagues.
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (hamstring) has not turned the team's 6-1 start into consistent QB1 production. He has thrown for 1,022 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in six appearances, with no rushing touchdowns to complement his 167 yards on the ground. His first multi-touchdown passing game of the season came against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, but the 19-15 loss also exposed his inconsistency.
Murray completed 17 of 29 passes for 210 yards with an interception, and a 51-yard connection with Jordan Addison accounted for nearly one-quarter of that yardage. He threw for only 150 yards against Indianapolis a week earlier, despite Minnesota winning that contest.
Those uneven returns make Murray more suitable for Superflex leagues than an automatic starter in one-quarterback formats, consistent with RotoBaller's Week 9 QB17 ranking. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has reaffirmed Murray as the starter if healthy, although hamstring soreness from the Detroit game remains under evaluation ahead of Monday's matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 34-17 road win against the Seattle Seahawks. He added a single yard on two carries. Following a Seattle three-and-out to open the game, Williams and the Bears' offense marched down the field on an 18-play, 80-yard TD drive that chewed up more than half the quarter and set the tone early.
The USC product couldn't eclipse 300 passing yards for a third consecutive outing, but was sublime against an elite pass defense. Seattle had allowed just 144.4 yards per game through the air through Week 7 -- a figure Williams hit by halftime. With the offense healthy and humming, the 24-year-old burgeoning superstar will lead Chicago into a Week 9 home matchup against a surprising Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad, before a week of rest.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones continues to struggle in 2026 after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in 2025, and reports indicate he will remain the Colts' starter in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, despite his job security seeming uncertain after Week 8's performance.
While Jones has struggled, as shown by his 10.40 fantasy points per game (33rd) and limited rushing upside, the matchup against the Cowboys, who just allowed Gardner Minshew II 19.52 fantasy points in a quarter and a half of football, looks solid.
This season, Dallas has allowed the 6th-most fantasy points per game and the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, making Jones a solid streaming option in superflex formats for Week 9. In a pinch, fantasy managers should look to Jones on the waiver wire.
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 - Trevor Lawrence, Joe Fagnano, Caleb Williams, Gardner Minshew II, Jared Goff, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Daniel Jones. 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 Trevor Lawrence, Joe Fagnano, Caleb Williams, Gardner Minshew II, Jared Goff, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Daniel Jones.
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