Week 9 Quarterback Preview: Dak Enters a High Ceiling Spot

Top Fantasy QBs for Week 9

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Here are Allen's passing totals since Week 2: 148, 213, 209, 253, 180, 163. Not great, but he’s supplemented the yardage with 2+ total scores in all but one of those games. Allen remains useful on the ground, while a matchup with the Chiefs could produce a shootout. Both 2024 matchups with K.C. turned up 51+ total points.

2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes leads all QBs in fantasy scoring over three-week, five-week, and season-long timelines. His rushing production has remained impressive, now up to 35 yards per game. Mahomes figures to remain active on the ground, especially with Isiah Pacheco out. Keep expectations high against a Bills defense that's tied for last in average separation allowed, per Next Gen Stats.

3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Played Thursday night.

4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Prescott just tallied his worst fantasy game since Week 1, throwing for 188 yards and no TDs with 2 INTs against the Broncos on the road. Now, he gets to go back home. In his weeks at home, Prescott has been QB5, QB1, and QB9. The Cardinals have only allowed one top-ten QB week this season, but Prescott is among the best QBs they have seen this season. He is a must-start. 

5. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Murray is coming back with two weeks off, but it has been a disappointing fantasy season so far. He hasn’t scored better than QB16 in a given week. Fortunately, the Cowboys' defense solves everything. They have allowed six QB1 scoring weeks, giving up a league-high 20.4 passing points per game. "Start everyone against the Cowboys" applies this season and makes Murray worth taking a chance on as a starter.  

UPDATE: Murray may not start after a Friday update.

6.Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert enters Week 9 with 36 and 30 fantasy points over his past two. The Titans present an excellent scoring matchup, evidenced by L.A's implied point total of 26.5. Herbert remains a high-ceiling QB1.

7. Daniels Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Jones threw for 272 yards and 3 TDs against the Titans, a defense that hadn’t been lucrative for QBs. Jones currently has four straight games with multiple TDs. He has been a top-12 QB in six of eight games this season and faces a Steelers defense struggling to stop opposing passing games. This is a smash spot for Jones. Plug him in with confidence.

8. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Maye gets a Falcons defense that just coughed up four TDs to Tua Tagovailoa. But Atlanta is still allowing a league-low 149 passing yards per game and sits ninth in our Pass Defense Power Rankings. It's a significant test for Maye, but he's earned the right to stay in fantasy lineups. The second-year QB has finished top 10 at the position in fantasy points in six of eight games this season.

9. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

It's been a rough stretch for Williams, who has 0 TD passes and 2 INTs in his last two games. However, Week 9 presents an ideal rebound spot, as he faces a Cincinnati defense that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to QBs. The Bengals have allowed 17 TD passes, second-most in the league, so look at Williams as a top-12 option in Week 9. 

10. Jayden Danels, Washington Commanders

Daniels is trending toward a return after missing last week with a hamstring injury. That injury could cause Daniels to run less than he usually does, which caps his upside. Seattle allows 230.1 passing yards per game, which is the 10th-most. Consider it a fair matchup for Daniels, but he comes with enough risk to rank him a few spots lower than normal. 

11. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

Dart has posted top-12 weekly fantasy numbers in four of his five starts. He has scored 2-plus TDs in each of those five games and will be in a good position to do so again in Week 9 against a San Francisco defense that has allowed multiple TD passes in three of its last four outings. Dart projects as a top-12 option with a safe floor. 

12. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

After aggravating a toe injury that occurred in Week 1, Purdy has missed the last 4 starts. However, he's been practicing and is trending toward a return in Week 9. If he's active, Purdy gets an excellent matchup versus a Giants' defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to QBs. New York has surrendered multiple TDs to the last three QBs they've faced, including 4 TDs to Jalen Hurts last week. Purdy has thrown for 2 TDs in both of his starts, so view him as a quality QB1 with top-6 upside in this elite matchup. 

13. Matt Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Stafford comes off the bye week with Puka Nacua back for a home game against the Saints, who sit 26th in our Pass Defense Power Rankings. The Rams are implied for a massive 28.75 points in this one, giving Stafford big TD upside. The only risk is game script, with Los Angeles favored by 14. But Stafford probably won't need big volume to come away from this one with nice fantasy production.

14. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

It’s been a season of efficiency for Love, who’s completing nearly 71% of his passes with a 6.1% TD rate. We saw the ceiling last week at Pittsburgh (360-3), but Sunday's matchup with Carolina figures to turn up lower pass volume. Green Bay heads home as 13.5-point favorites. While a QB1 line is possible, don’t expect another ceiling game.

15. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff has been disappointing this year with only one top-10 scoring week this season. He remains efficient for the Lions with a 74.9% completion rate, but a 52.1% team dropback rate ranks 31st in the NFL. The volume simply isn’t there for Goff to be a consistent QB1. The Vikings' defense has struggled against opposing QBs recently, with both Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert posting QB1 weeks in the last two weeks. Goff could have a spike week, but if the Lions get up early, Goff will likely disappoint. 

16. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Darnold is coming off his lowest fantasy output since Week 1, but that was to be expected against Houston's dominant defense. This week, the matchup isn't nearly as daunting. Seattle travels to take on a Commanders' defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs. Darnold picked apart Jacksonville and Tampa before running into the Texans, and Washington has been worse than the Jags in terms of giving up fantasy production to QBs. View Darnold as a solid streaming option, with top-15 upside in this matchup. 

17. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence gets an upside matchup with a Raiders defense that ranks 17th in pass-defense DVOA and has allowed the 14th-most fantasy points to QBs. But Lawrence has tossed more than one TD pass in just two of his seven games for the season and thrown for 6.2 yards per attempt or less in four of his past five outings. That gives him an iffy floor and ceiling -- especially with Travis Hunter sidelined.

18. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals

The matchup for Flacco is good. Chicago allows the 10th-most fantasy points to QBs. But Flacco is dealing with a shoulder injury and is "50/50" to play. The injury is to his throwing shoulder, which is problematic. That makes Flacco a risky proposition, even if he suits up. View him as a risk/reward, mid-range QB2.

19. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Rodgers has three straight top-16 QB weeks in each of the past few weeks. With the Steelers defense giving up 30+ points in each of the last two games, it has fallen to Rodgers to make up the difference. The Colts have given up QB1 weeks in four of the last seven games (and the three that weren’t were two by Cam Ward and one by Geno Smith). Rodgers lack of rushing gives him a low floor, but he can be a desperation QB2 this week with the Steelers likely playing from behind.

20. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix might be tough to bench after two straight games that included 4 total TDs. But those came against a Giants defense that has allowed the fourth-most QB fantasy points and a Cowboys D that has allowed the most (by a decent margin). Now comes a Houston D that’s limiting the position more than any other -- by a decent margin. The Texans are the only team in the league with more INTs than TD passes allowed.

21. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud’s positive Week 8 came against a San Francisco defense that ranks 27th in pass DVOA and has yielded 13 TD passes vs. just 1 INT. The Broncos have allowed the league’s fourth-fewest QB fantasy points. The matchup softens a bit with lead CB Pat Surtain (pec strain) out. But he missed half of last week’s game, and Denver still held Dak Prescott to 188 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 INTs.

22. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Played Thursday night.

23. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy struggled in his two starts this year with 3 INTs and 9 sacks over those two games. With poor blocking in front of him due to injuries and his early struggles, McCarthy has an extremely low floor against a stout Lions’ defense. The weapons of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison offers hope, but don’t count on McCarthy this week. 

24. Michael Penix, Atlanta Falcons

Penix has been limited in practice this week but seems to be on track to return from the bone bruise to his knee. He draws a Patriots defense that's been much tougher against the run than the pass this season, sitting just 21st in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. The game is in New England, though, and Penix has really struggled away from home. He's posted 135-0-0, 172-0-2, and 241-1-0 passing lines in his three road games so far this season. Atlanta is implied for just 19.5 points in this one.

25. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

When last we saw Smith, he was mustering just 67 passing yards in a shutout loss at Kansas City. That marked the third time in four games that he fell short of 180 yards.

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Video: Matthew Stafford, Kareem Hunt, and More Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners

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Kevin English, Senior Analyst

Kevin brings 15+ years of experience as a fantasy analyst and mid-stakes competitor across various formats (redraft, best ball, dynasty, DFS). He finished 1st in FantasyPros Draft Accuracy competition in 2024. Kevin's work has been featured in The Mercury News, NBC Sports/Rotoworld, and FantasyPros.