Fantasy football managers face tough choices this week with several quarterbacks trending in different directions. Some veterans are showing surprising consistency, while others are struggling to regain early-season form. A few matchups could swing entire fantasy weeks depending on how these signal-callers perform. Let’s take a closer look at who to start and who to sit heading into Week 9.
Start ‘Em: Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
It’s interesting how one ill-timed bad game can really linger. Sam Darnold has been excellent all season. But he posted a dud in Week 7 against the Houston Texans, throwing for 213 yards and a touchdown while turning the ball over twice. Then, the Seattle Seahawks had their bye. That means it’s been three weeks since we saw Darnold actually play well.
But before that disastrous outing against the Texans, Darnold had posted at least 16 fantasy points in five straight contests. He only had one truly elite performance, but he came with a high floor.
Hopefully, the Washington Commanders get Jayden Daniels back after just one game missed due to a minor hamstring strain. That would be great for the overall scoring environment. Even if they don’t, though, Darnold should have plenty of opportunities against a defense allowing the 12th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
The Commanders will have no answer for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. As long as Zach Charbonnet doesn’t steal all the touchdowns, Darnold should be in for an excellent outing this week.
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
Is Joe Flacco even a weekly streamer anymore? At this point, it feels like he’s graduated to an every-week starter.
Whether Flacco is matchup-proof remains to be seen. In Week 9, we don’t have to worry about that because the matchup is great.
Since joining the Cincinnati Bengals, Flacco has posted at least 18.7 fantasy points in every start. He is averaging over 20 fantasy points per game. At over 40 years old, Flacco is performing like an elite QB1. Now, he gets a Chicago Bears defense allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco failed to beat the New York Jets in week 8 and the Baltimore Ravens should be thanking him again. https://t.co/Mk0JpRp4kf pic.twitter.com/a0zkWqtEoq
— The Ravens Wire (@TheRavensWire) October 28, 2025
Coming off an awful loss at home to the previously winless New York Jets, the Bengals need this game. All of their games are shootouts. They’re at home. Everything points to another strong performance from Flacco.
Sit ‘Em: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
It has been a very up-and-down sophomore season for Bo Nix. He’s posted four games over 20 fantasy points, including a super elite matchup-winning 39.9-point performance against the New York Giants in Week 7.
While Nix’s floor has been reasonably high, he does have games of 8.8, 13.4, and 13.4 points. There is a downside as well. This week shapes up to be another underwhelming outing from Nix.
READ MORE: Katz’s Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Week 9: Kimani Vidal, Bam Knight, Terry McLaurin, and Others
The Houston Texans may not be clicking yet offensively, but they certainly are on defense. They’re allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks have scored more than 17 points against this defense.
Denver is coming off a leisurely blowout victory over the Dallas Cowboys. This is a prime spot for a letdown on the road against a difficult opponent. Nix is poised to underwhelm this week.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Doubling up on the same game, we have Nix’s counterpart. C.J. Stroud has been a disappointing fantasy quarterback since the start of his sophomore season. The guy who exceeded all expectations as a rookie seems so far away. Last week, though, he returned.
Stroud had his best game of the season, throwing for 318 yards and two touchdowns. His previous high in yardage was just 244. It marked the third time all season Stroud surpassed 15 fantasy points. And he did it without Nico Collins or Christian Kirk against a good 49ers defense. It was a very impressive outing. Is he really about to do it again?
“We had hard conversations, fixed things and kept it rolling.” 🔥 C.J. Stroud after a 475-yard day — faith, accountability, and leadership from the rookie. Watch the full clip 👇 #Texans #NFL pic.twitter.com/MONwUr0n9P
— Statpro (@statpro_ai) October 28, 2025
The Broncos just stymied an on-fire Dak Prescott, limiting him to a season-low 188 scoreless yards. Prescott was coming off four consecutive games of at least three touchdown passes. He recorded 8.6 fantasy points against this elite defense.
On the season, Denver is allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. This game has all the makings of a low-scoring field goal fest. Do not chase last week’s points and leave Stroud on your bench.