With only two teams on bye in Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season, fantasy managers have a larger pool of players to choose from, but that also complicates start-sit decisions. Backup running backs such as Kenny Gainwell (140 total yards), Tyler Allgeier (191 yards, 2 TDs), Braelon Allen (153 yards, 1 TD), and Mike Washington Jr. (83 yards) are coming off strong performances, adding to the lineup dilemmas.
The proven computer model at SportsLine, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has released its Week 9 fantasy football rankings. The model has outperformed human experts over several seasons, particularly when its rankings diverge significantly, and has a track record of identifying breakout players like A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jahmyr Gibbs.
One notable surprise in the Week 9 rankings is Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Despite ranking among the top 15 wide receivers in fantasy points and being started in over 80% of leagues, the model does not place him in the top 35 at his position this week. McMillan has been held under 60 yards in each of his last two games and has scored only once this season, with that lone touchdown being his only score over his last 10 games dating back to 2025. He faces a difficult matchup against the Denver Broncos, a defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers.
Conversely, the model is high on Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis, projecting him as a top-12 fantasy QB despite a start rate of just 19% 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 draws a favorable matchup against the Detroit Lions, who have allowed the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, in a game with an over/under of 50.5 points. Willis is ranked above even Josh Allen in the model's Week 9 rankings.
The model also highlights a surprising tight end who barely cracks the top 15 in positional fantasy points this season but is projected to finish in the top 5 for Week 9. Full rankings for both PPR and standard leagues are available on SportsLine.
