Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Wide Receiver for Fantasy Football Week 9

It's week 9, people! Time to set up those fantasy lineups! Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at a week's best and worst matchups in fantasy football leagues. Each week I examine the wide receivers who may or may not exceed expectations based on their weekly opponent… like Cedric Tillman and DeAndre Hopkins in Week 8!

For your final lineup decisions, check out my fantasy player rankings. I update them daily! Also, be sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Dirt Podcast with Lindsay Rhodes and I where we break down all things fantasy football five days a week!

All positions: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | K & DSTs

Bye: 49ers, Steelers

1. Justin Jefferson vs. Colts
2. CeeDee Lamb at Falcons
3. Ja'Marr Chase vs. Raiders
4. AJ Brown vs. Jaguars
5. Tyreek Hill at Bills
6. Drake London vs. Cowboys
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown with the Packers
8. Puka Nacua at Seahawks
9. Malik Nabers vs. Commanders
10. Cooper Kupp at Seahawks

Complete Week 9 Wide Receiver Rankings (Coming Soon!)

beginning of the week

Chris Olave at the Panthers (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Olave finally woke up last weekend and put up 18.7 fantasy points in a loss to the Chargers. He hadn't scored more than 12 points in four of his last six contests, so this was a welcome sight. I would also keep him in the lineup this week as he faces a Panthers defense that has given up eight touchdowns and the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing perimeter receivers this season.

Start them

Terry McLaurin at Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox): McLaurin's winning streak continued last week when he scored 17.5 points despite a poor matchup against the Bears on paper. This week, the opposite is true as he faces the Giants. New York held him to just 8.2 points in Week 2, but that was before McLaurin really got going. Their perimeter defense was poor, allowing five touchdowns and the seventh-most points per game.

DeVonta Smith vs. Jaguars (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Smith went off the stat sheet a week ago and scored 20.5 fantasy points in a win over the Bengals. This came after he had just 0.80 points the previous week. Smith should remain in all lineups against the Jaguars, who have allowed nine touchdowns and the fourth-most PPR points per game to wide receivers. Smith should post top-20 numbers this weekend.

Courtland Sutton at Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Sutton has alternated good and bad stats over the last four weeks, but this week's match in Baltimore makes it difficult for him to prevail despite those inconsistencies. The Ravens' defense has allowed the most fantasy points per game to perimeter receivers, including seven touchdowns. Overall, their defense allowed 11 wideouts to score more than 13 points, including six who scored more than 20 points.

Xavier Worthy vs. Buccaneers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Worthy doesn't produce big numbers, but as a flexible starter he's definitely worth using. He has scored more than 11 points in three of his last four games, and a matchup against Tampa Bay is very favorable. In fact, their defense has allowed seven touchdowns and the third-most points per game over the last four weeks. Overall, the Bucs allow 158.0 receiving yards per game to wideouts.

WRs with good matchups

Seat of the week

Zay Flowers vs. Broncos (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Flowers has been on fire lately, scoring at least 18.5 points in three of his last four games. Still, this week's matchup against the Broncos is a tough one. CB Patrick Surtain and his defensive teammates allowed just four points to wide receivers and the fourth-fewest points per game. Additionally, in 2024, only one receiver has scored more than 14.2 points in a game against them on the perimeter.

Set them

Amari Cooper vs. Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Cooper did see an increase in his snap count last week, but he still only scored twice in a win over the Seahawks. Additionally, Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir both played more snaps and had more targets in the game. Next up is a tough battle against CB Jalen Ramsey and the Dolphins, who have thrown just two touchdowns and the seventh-fewest points per game at the rim.

Jaylen Waddle at Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Waddle's numbers have been terrible since Week 2, as he didn't score more than 8.6 points in six straight games. That had a lot to do with Tua Tagovailoa's absence, but Tagovailoa returned last week and Waddle still had 8.5 points. Waddle has also been poor against the Bills in his career, falling to single digits in four of six meetings in his career. At best, Waddle is a shaky flex option.

Jordan Addison vs. Colts (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): This is more about Addison having no fantasy points than this week's matchup. The USC product hit four or fewer in all but one game this season, and he reached single-digit goals in four of five contests. The Vikings will also have TJ Hockenson back in the game this week, which only divides the target pie even more. Addison should sit on the bench.

Jerry Jeudy vs. Chargers (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Jeudy had a nice game last week, catching five passes and scoring 12.9 points in a win over the Ravens. However, Cedric Tillman appears to have taken over as Cleveland's new alpha receiver, and a matchup against the Chargers is anything but favorable. In fact, their defense has given up the fewest points per game to wide receivers. I would start with Tillman, who is hot, but Jeudy is a bust this weekend.

WRs with bad matchups