We’re back with my must-starts at each position for Week 9! These are the guys I expect to have big weeks and help you win your matchups. I’m looking at matchups, recent production, usage, and fantasy opportunities to find players who I believe can outperform expectations this week.
Whether it’s a quarterback in a favorable matchup, a running back seeing an increased workload, or a tight end with touchdown upside, these are four players I’m confident starting this week.
Must-Start QB – Jared Goff
Goff is coming off his worst game of the year in Week 8 against Minnesota, but I’m not letting one bad game scare me away. I love the matchup against Miami this week, and I expect Detroit’s offense to get back to producing at a high level.
Through seven games, Goff has thrown for 1,964 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just one interception. That’s an excellent touchdown-to-interception ratio, and he’s averaging over 280 passing yards per game.
Reasons why I love the matchup:
- Miami has allowed the 26th-most favorable fantasy points to opposing QBs, making this a strong bounce-back opportunity.
- The Dolphins have allowed a league-high 76.9% completion rate.
- Miami has also struggled against play-action, allowing an 80.3% completion rate on those passes. Detroit uses play-action on 36.3% of its passing plays.
- Goff is projected for around 280–288 passing yards and two touchdowns this week.
The Lions have too many weapons offensively, and I expect Goff to take advantage of a Miami defense that has struggled to contain opposing passing attacks. I’m rolling him out confidently this week. We could easily see 300+ passing yards and 3 TDs on Sunday.
Must-Start RB – Jonah Coleman
Coleman is one of my favorite running back plays this week. His role in Denver’s backfield is growing, and the matchup against Carolina is exactly what I want to see.
Coleman has started to take control of this backfield, and the increased workload is translating into fantasy production. With Harvey on IR and with Dobbins being very underwhelming, all eyes are on Coleman breakout.
In his three games with a meaningful offensive role, Coleman has averaged:
- 10 rushing attempts per game.
- 3 receptions per game.
- 77 total yards per game.
- 14.7 fantasy points per game.
- Two rushing touchdowns.
Even better, his snap share jumped to approximately 68% in Week 8, showing that Denver is becoming more comfortable giving him a larger role, which was against a respected Kansas City defense/divisonal matchup.
Now let’s talk about Carolina. The Panthers have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season, giving up 28.3 points per game. Since Week 4, opposing lead backs have averaged 20 fantasy points against them.
I’m buying into the workload here. Coleman has the opportunity, workload, and the matchup is about as good as you can ask for. He’s a RB2 with RB1 upside this week.
Must-Start WR – Luther Burden III
Burden is quickly becoming one of my favorite young receivers to watch, and it’s exciting. His connection with Caleb is developing, and the recent production is becoming too good to ignore.
Through eight weeks, Burden has 56 targets, 42 receptions, 547 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. That’s 14.7 PPR fantasy points per game.
The biggest reason I’m excited about Burden is what we’ve seen with Caleb Williams back under center.
Over the last three games, Burden has scored at least 17.5 PPR points in each game. Last week against a tough Seattle defense, he hauled in seven catches for 56 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and that was pretty much all in the first half.
That’s the kind of usage I want from a receiver I’m putting into my starting lineup.
Tampa Bay is actually a difficult matchup, ranking sixth in fewest fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. However, I’m not letting that scare me away from a receiver who’s now entered my top 15 WR ROS.
The nine targets last week are especially encouraging. He’s earning opportunities and only going to get more, and his connection with Caleb is becoming scary.
I’m treating Burden as a WR2 this week, with the potential to deliver another big fantasy performance and finish as a WR1.
Must-Start TE – Kyle Pitts
Kyle Pitts, I believe, is in store for a good week. Tight end is always a difficult position to navigate in fantasy, but I like his upside in this matchup against Cincinnati.
Pitts has had some inconsistency this season, but there are reasons why I like him this week. Through eight games, he has recorded 22 receptions for 197 yards and four touchdowns, putting him seventh among fantasy tight ends in total points.
Before his disappointing Week 8 performance against Tampa Bay, which was heavily due to weather conditions, Pitts had scored at least 13.2 PPR points in three consecutive games.
The matchup against Cincinnati is too good to ignore:
- The Bengals rank eighth in most fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends.
- Three tight ends have scored at least 12.6 PPR points against Cincinnati this season.
- This game has the potential to be a shootout, with a projected total of 52.5 points.
- Pitts has already shown touchdown upside, with four receiving touchdowns on the season.
I expect Atlanta to get its passing game back on track, and Pitts should be a point of focus in this matchup. I’m starting Pitts and betting on the game environment to go our way.
