By Start-sit decisions can be vexing for even the best of fantasy football managers. If you need help setting your fantasy football lineups, Scott Pianowski offers some assistance with his Week 9 traffic report.
Green Light ✅
RB Chase Brown vs. Falcons (Spain): The Bengals don’t have a major challenger to Brown in the backfield, and the Atlanta defense has been much better against the pass in 2026. Brown probably has 15-plus touches off the plane this week, and given the messiness in the RB streets, that keeps him afloat as a lower-end RB2.
QB Kirk Cousins at 49ers: The Raiders have struggled to run the ball all year — even the switch to Mike Washington Jr. was an efficiency bust last week. Look for Cousins to throw 40 or more times against the Niners in this spot, given expected game flow and the shape of the San Francisco defense (weaker against the pass). I’m not afraid to go back to WR Tre Tucker, either.
QB Malik Willis vs. Lions: He’s started to improve over the last three weeks (QB14, QB4, QB15), adding some passing production to go with his weekly rushing floor. And the Detroit defense is a lovely draw, the leakiest secondary to attack in the league. Also keep the light on for TE Greg Dulcich, as the Lions are especially vulnerable down the seam.
WR Adonai Mitchell at Chiefs: The Kansas City defense has been a funnel this year, stingy against the run but gettable versus the pass. Mitchell’s music can keep playing here, especially if Garrett Wilson (concussion) isn’t ready to return. The Jets aren’t going anywhere at 2-6, but they’ve had a legitimate offense all year.
WR DeMario Douglas vs. Packers: He’s scored four times in four weeks and has 17 catches on his last 20 targets, building rapport with Drake Maye. The Patriots might be without both A.J. Brown and Hunter Henry in this spot, pushing Douglas into a possible opportunity spike.
Yellow Light 😕
QB Brock Purdy vs. Raiders: All the algorithms are suggesting I should elevate Purdy to my starting lineup, but with Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. likely out another week, I’ve got cold feet. Teammates matter, and the 49ers have had a ridiculous run of WR injuries. Look for San Francisco to aggressively work the phones for a trade over the next few days.
RB Tyler Allgeier at Seahawks: He’s all the Cardinals have in the backfield, with Jeremiyah Love (ankle) out and Bam Knight still in concussion protocol. Perhaps Allgeier can do something similar to what D’Andre Swift managed in Seattle last week, scoring points on volume and goal-line opportunity even if the efficiency doesn’t pop. With solid backs like Tony Pollard and Jaylen Warren on bye this week, many managers need to be open-minded on Allgeier.
RB Alvin Kamara vs Browns: With Travis Etienne Jr. not ready to return, the PPR scam could be open for Kamara again. He caught seven passes the last time we saw the Saints, and he’ll likely collect 5-7 rushing attempts too, even if those seldom turn into much. The bar for RB2/RB3 relevance has never been so low.
WR Ryan Flournoy at Colts: It’s not easy to punch a ticket on a team’s No. 3 wideout, but Flournoy has found double-digit points in three of his past four starts, basically replacing Jake Ferguson as the third pitch in this passing game. If George Pickens is limited or unavailable on game day, Flournoy would have a puncher’s chance at 8-10 targets. Flournoy offers deep-flex value in the moment and could be a key player later in the season if injuries hit elsewhere.
RB Blake Corum at Commanders: He’s had double-digit touches in three straight games and he’s found the end zone in three of four weeks. The Rams’ backfield is almost a 50-50 show at the moment, and Los Angeles should control game flow against the overmatched Commanders. Corum has worked his way into the RB2 conversation.
Red Light 🚨
WR Jaylen Waddle at Panthers: The touchdown was nice last week, but Waddle hasn’t topped 50 yards in his last six starts. The Denver passing game has looked broken all year, and even with Carolina dealing with cluster injuries in the secondary, I can’t invest in any Denver wideout.
WR Michael Wilson at Seahawks: He’ll aim top play through two broken ribs, but the matchup couldn’t be worse, the nasty Seahawks in a get-right spot. Gardner Minshew was a miracle worker late last week, but that’s the type of story that often corrects the following week.
WR Chris Godwin Jr. at Bears: He’s starting to look like a compromised player in his 10th season, and somehow the Buccaneers haven’t thrown for 200 yards in a single game this year. Emeka Egbuka (foot) is trending for a return this week, which is further bad news for Godwin. It might be time to cut the name-brand veteran.
RB Ashton Jeanty at 49ers: It’s not clear if his role change last week was more a soft benching or something sustainable moving forward. But we can’t ignore that Mike Washington Jr. has been a more efficient runner this year, and the Niners might force the Raiders to junk the running game anyway. Jeanty is best left on benches while the Raiders give us a clearer reveal on their backfield plans.
