Who Should I Start for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Zach Charbonnet, Kimani Vidal, Troy Franklin, David Montgomery, Marvin Harrison Jr., Kenneth Walker III, Chase Brown, Kyle Monangai, Michael Pittman Jr.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Zach Charbonnet, Kimani Vidal, Troy Franklin, David Montgomery, Marvin Harrison Jr., Kenneth Walker III, Chase Brown, Kyle Monangai, Michael Pittman Jr.. 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:
Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal has taken over the starting role in Omarion Hampton's absence and made the most of it. Over his three starts, Vidal has logged 50 carries for 261 yards (5.2 YPC) and a touchdown, adding 39 yards and another score through the air. During that span, he's averaged 16.7 PPR points per game, ranking as the RB7.
Vidal has handled roughly 70% of the snaps, with Hassan Haskins filling in on about 30%. That kind of workload in the Chargers' explosive offense gives the 2024 sixth-round pick significant upside. The Week 9 matchup is especially appealing, as the Titans have surrendered the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season.
With no clear timetable for Hampton's return, Vidal should continue to command the backfield and deliver strong fantasy production.
Kyle Monangai, RB, Bears
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai has carved out a larger role in recent weeks, recording 28 touches to starter D'Andre Swift's 49 since the team's Week 5 bye. Monangai played 29 snaps in their Week 8 loss at Baltimore, just two fewer than Swift's 31, which also marked Swift's lowest total of the season so far. Now, Swift has missed the first two practices to open the week with a groin injury that he's been battling for a few weeks, putting his status for their Week 9 matchup in Cincinnati.
Monangai would be in line to handle the bulk of the touches if Swift were unable to go. It'd be a dream spot for the rookie out of Rutgers to make his first career start as the Bengals have allowed the most PPR points per game to opposing running backs this season. Monangai remains a must-roster player with plug-and-play potential if Swift were to miss any time.
Troy Franklin, WR, Broncos
Denver Broncos second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin has drawn real attention off the waiver wire in fantasy leagues over the last two weeks after catching nine of his 18 targets for 108 yards and three touchdowns in wins over the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Franklin's chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix from their days in college at Oregon is starting to manifest itself after a lackluster rookie campaign in 2024.
Through eight weeks, the 22-year-old ranks second behind Courtland Sutton in receiving yards for Denver with 358, and he leads the Broncos with his four touchdowns. Franklin is now rostered in just under 50% of fantasy leagues on Yahoo, and with Marvin Mims Jr. now dealing with a concussion and questionable to play in Week 9 against the Houston Texans, he could find the end zone for a third straight week.
Disclaimer: Since Franklin's last 89-yard performance in Week 2, he failed to eclipse 50 receiving yards in four of five games.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. continued his strong start to the season in a 38-14 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. Pittman caught eight of his nine targets for 95 yards and a touchdown in the win, setting season highs in catches and receiving yards along the way. The veteran wideout has been a dominant red-zone target this season, catching six touchdowns in eight games for the Colts.
Overall, Pittman has caught 43 passes for 446 yards while operating as the team's No. 1 receiver. Pittman will remain a rock-solid WR2 heading into a Week 9 road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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 - Zach Charbonnet, Kimani Vidal, Troy Franklin, David Montgomery, Marvin Harrison Jr., Kenneth Walker III, Chase Brown, Kyle Monangai, Michael Pittman Jr.. 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 Zach Charbonnet, Kimani Vidal, Troy Franklin, David Montgomery, Marvin Harrison Jr., Kenneth Walker III, Chase Brown, Kyle Monangai, Michael Pittman Jr.:
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