Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 9

Start — Drake Maye (NE vs. ATL)

A mid-range total keeps the ceiling intact, and New England’s offense has shown better balance over the last two weeks. Maye’s pocket management and intermediate accuracy have ticked up, creating cleaner third-down outcomes. Atlanta’s pass defense has been middle-of-the-pack, and can be stressed – just ask Tua. In a home spot with a manageable pace, Maye profiles as a strong QB1/2 swing.

Start — Kyler Murray (ARI @ DAL)

This game is the week’s track meet, and Murray’s dual-threat usage has trended up after a slow September. Dallas bleeds explosive pass plays and yards per attempt (I call it the “Cowboys effect”), and Arizona stacks volume when pace goes up. Murray’s recent accuracy on intermediate crossers matches well with Harrison Jr.’s route tree. Top-8 ceiling for Kyler this week.

Sit — C.J. Stroud (HOU vs. DEN)

Expect a slower environment with limited possessions, which compresses ceiling outcomes. Did you see what the Broncos just did to Dak and the boys? And that was the league’s top offense, which Houston is not. The Texan’s protection has been volatile, and pressure has correlated with Stroud’s down weeks. The floor is fine; the path to a spike week is narrow, even with Patrick Surtain II out (see Jahdae Barron).

Sit — Jaxson Dart (NYG vs. SF)

Even with home-field comfort, this is a tough draw against a defense that squeezes throwing windows and punishes late balls outside the numbers. Losing Cam hurts – they’ll miss the balance and rhythm they had with him in there. Dart will have to cook without one of his main ingredients, and I’m not sure I trust it. Variance is high without a stable volume base – bench in standard one-QB formats.