With only two teams on bye in Week 9, fantasy football managers have a larger pool of players to consider, but that also complicates start-sit decisions. The proven computer model at SportsLine, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has released its Week 9 rankings for the 2026 season. The model has outperformed human experts over several seasons and correctly identified breakout players such as A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Top Week 9 Fantasy Football Picks
One surprise is the model's low ranking for Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Despite being a top-15 fantasy wideout and started in over 80% of leagues, McMillan does not crack the top 35 at his position this week. He has been held under 60 yards in each of his last two games and has scored only one touchdown all season. His matchup against the Denver Broncos is daunting, as Denver has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers.
Conversely, the model is high on Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis, projecting him as a top-12 fantasy QB despite a 19% start rate last week. Willis has accounted for seven total touchdowns over his past three games, averaging the seventh-most fantasy points among quarterbacks in that span. He now faces a Detroit Lions defense that has surrendered the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, in a game with a 50.5 over/under.
The model also flags a surprising tight end who barely ranks inside the top 15 in positional fantasy points but is projected to finish in the top five for Week 9. Full rankings for PPR and standard leagues are available at SportsLine.
