Week 9 keeps most of the league in play, with only Pittsburgh and Tennessee on bye. That means Jaylen Warren and anyone else from those two teams will be on your bench, while the other 15 games are still ahead. The slate opens with Jacksonville at Baltimore on Thursday night. MyGameSim's NFL Start or Sit tool ranks every position using projected fantasy points from our game simulations.
Here are the top projected players at each spot for Week 9. These numbers come straight from our model, not consensus rankings, so a few of them will look different from what you see elsewhere.
Quarterbacks
Brock Purdy leads the QB board at 25.1 projected fantasy points at home against Las Vegas. Deshaun Watson is right behind him at 24.8 on the road at New Orleans, and Jayden Daniels (24.0 vs. the Rams) makes it a clear top three. Joe Burrow projects for 22.6 at Atlanta in Sunday's early-morning kickoff, so get him locked in before you go to bed Saturday.
Caleb Williams (20.6 vs. Tampa Bay) is the Sunday night option. Sam Darnold (20.4 vs. Arizona), Jared Goff (20.2 at Miami), and Malik Willis (20.1 vs. Detroit) are all bunched just over 20 points. Trevor Lawrence (19.9) is the Thursday night play at Baltimore, and C.J. Stroud (19.8 at the Chargers) rounds out the top ten. Josh Allen is outside this group on Monday night at Minnesota, so check the full QB Start or Sit list before you assume the usual hierarchy holds.
Running Backs
Jahmyr Gibbs posts another massive week at 33.8 projected points at Miami. Bijan Robinson is next at 30.5 hosting Cincinnati. Those two are in a tier of their own again, and if you have either one, you are not sitting them.
Kenneth Walker III (23.0 vs. the Jets) and Jonathan Taylor (22.1 vs. Dallas) make a strong second tier. Bucky Irving (20.4 at Chicago) is the Sunday night back. Derrick Henry (19.2 vs. Jacksonville) is the Thursday night must-start for the Ravens. James Cook III (18.3 at Minnesota), Kyren Williams (18.1 at Washington), Christian McCaffrey (18.0 vs. Las Vegas), and Aaron Jones Sr. (17.2 vs. Buffalo) fill out the top ten. The RB projections go deeper if you need a Steelers or Titans replacement.
Wide Receivers
Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads receivers again at 19.4 projected points, with the Seahawks hosting Arizona. CeeDee Lamb (17.0 at Indianapolis) is the clear WR2. Matthew Golden (15.5 at New England) is the name that stands out most from consensus this week.
Ja'Marr Chase (15.4 at Atlanta) and Puka Nacua (15.1 at Washington) follow, then Amon-Ra St. Brown (14.7 at Miami) as the other half of Detroit's smash spot. Drake London (13.3 vs. Cincinnati), Malik Nabers (12.7 at Philadelphia), Chris Olave (12.1 vs. Cleveland), and Luther Burden III (11.4 vs. Tampa Bay) round out the top ten. Burden is the Sunday night dart if you need a deeper flex. Every receiver is ranked on the WR Start or Sit page.
Tight Ends
Trey McBride is the top tight end at 19.6 projected points at Seattle, just ahead of George Kittle (18.6 vs. Las Vegas). Those two are well clear of the rest of the position. Isaiah Likely (15.1 at Philadelphia) is a comfortable third and keeps showing up near the top of these boards.
Brenton Strange (10.8 at Baltimore) is the Thursday streamer. Harold Fannin Jr. (9.7 at New Orleans), Brock Bowers (9.2 at San Francisco), and T.J. Hockenson (8.7 vs. Buffalo) are the next tier. Dalton Schultz, Mark Andrews, and Dalton Kincaid all land between 8.0 and 8.4. The full TE Start or Sit rankings go deeper if you are streaming.
Kickers and Defense
Andre Szmyt leads kickers at 11.8 projected points at New Orleans, followed by Will Reichard (11.4 vs. Buffalo) and Spencer Shrader (10.7 vs. Dallas). Jake Bates (10.3 at Miami) gives you another piece of the Lions offense. On defense, Cleveland is the top play at 19.0 points at New Orleans, with Minnesota (16.0) next against Buffalo on Monday night. Detroit and Cincinnati both project for 13.0. If you stream defenses, the Browns and Vikings are the best looks.
Need help with a flex spot? The FLEX board puts running backs, receivers, and tight ends on one list so you can compare them directly.
Games to Watch
Thursday's Jaguars and Ravens game has Lawrence, Henry, Strange, and Andrews in the mix, so set those lineups early. Cincinnati and Atlanta open Sunday with an early-morning kickoff, which puts Burrow, Chase, Bijan, and London on the clock Saturday night. Detroit at Miami is the best afternoon fantasy game, with Gibbs, Goff, St. Brown, Willis, and Bates all near the top of their positions. Sunday night's Buccaneers and Bears matchup features Irving, Williams, and Burden. Monday night's Bills and Vikings game is quieter at quarterback in our projections, but Cook, Jones, Hockenson, and the Minnesota defense all project well.
How to use this
Our Start or Sit grades combine projected fantasy points with opposing defensive strength from the same simulations. Players with higher projections and softer matchups rise to the top. That does not mean you should bench a proven star for every surprise name, but when the model and your gut disagree, take a second look.
Free users can see the top of each position list. GameSim+ unlocks the full Week 9 Start or Sit board, plus detailed player projections for every game on the slate. Good luck this week.
