Week 9 Quarterback Preview: Josh Allen Faces His Toughest Test
Top Fantasy QBs for Week 9
Let's break down the key usage notes and matchups that are driving our Week 9 QB Rankings.
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1. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow enters in excellent form, with 24+ fantasy points and an average of 331 yards per game over his past five. He remains an elite fantasy option against Atlanta.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen ranks as the QB1 through the first eight weeks. He’s achieving it with 11.6 rushing points per game, topping all other QBs, while his 8.7 adjusted yards per attempt ranks fifth among QBs. He’s accounted for more QB1 weeks than any other QB with six, and facing a Vikings defense that’s allowing the fewest points to QBs, Allen remains projected as a high-end QB1.
3. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy cooled off heading into his bye week, with QB16, QB11, and QB19 fantasy finishes in his last three games. His pass-catching corps thinned over that stretch and remains an issue heading into Week 9, with WRs Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel still out. Luckily, Purdy draws a pitiful Raiders defense that ranks 25th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. That matchup should keep Purdy in the vast majority of fantasy lineups.
4. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams finished as the QB17 last week against a Seahawks defense that was allowing the second-fewest points to QBs. His 9.1 adjusted yards per attempt rank fifth among QBs since he returned from his hamstring injury in Week 6. Williams projects as a QB1 in another tough matchup against a Buccaneers defense allowing the third-fewest points to QBs.
5. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye finished as QB7 in Week 8, going 16/20 for 199 yards and 2 TDs while adding a rushing score. He’s been one of the league’s most efficient QBs, sitting at QB4 in points per game despite ranking just 26th in pass attempts per game (29.3). His legs help: he ranks seventh among QBs with 27.0 rushing yards per game and has 3 rushing TDs. The Packers have allowed the seventh-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points to QBs, but the Patriots are implied for 25 points at home. Maye’s rushing floor keeps him a locked-in QB1.
6. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
The Colts are a bit lucky their numbers don’t look worse against QBs. They’ve faced the fourth-fewest pass attempts per game and benefited from matchups with Cam Ward, Kyler Murray, and a Commanders O that started Marcus Mariota and then lost him in the first quarter. Trevor Lawrence last week became the third QB this season to toss 3 TD passes against Indy, and he did so on just 14 attempts. Expect plenty more passing volume and helpful fantasy numbers from Dak Prescott this week.
7. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is coming off his most impressive outing of the season, finishing QB4 in a tough spot in Denver. It was just his third top-12 fantasy finish of the season, but he has a good chance for a fourth this weekend at home against the Jets’ 17th-ranked QB defense. The Chiefs’ 28.75-point implied total is tied for second-highest of the week.
8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Don't let Goff's Week 8 dud scare you away. Before facing Minnesota, he delivered at least 19 fantasy points in five straight. He’s hit 20 in all three road games, while Sunday’s forecast looks clear for passing game production. The veteran remains a strong QB1 against a Miami unit slotted 29th in pass defense DVOA.
9. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels is coming off his lowest finish since returning from his elbow injury in Week 5. He’s still the only QB without an INT on the season and the only one to reach both 8.0 adjusted yards per attempt and 8.0 rushing points per game over that span. Daniels projects as a fringe QB1 in Week 9 against a Rams defense reducing points to QBs by 9.5%.
10. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love finished as QB6 in Week 8, going 30/41 for 288 yards and 3 TDs. Volume has been his calling card. He’s tied for the league lead with 39.0 pass attempts per game and ranks second with 280.8 passing yards per game, with the Packers throwing at the league’s highest rate (65.7%). Love offers almost nothing as a runner (1.3 rushing yards per game), so he needs that volume to hold. The Patriots have allowed the 10th-fewest schedule-adjusted points to QBs, but Love remains a solid QB1.
11. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
(Played Thursday night)
12. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud has hit 2+ passing TDs in three of his past four outings. Now he draws a Chargers defense that sits fourth-toughest in adjusted fantasy points allowed. That includes holding Bo Nix, Patrick Mahomes, and Matthew Stafford to only 2 combined TDs over their past three matchups. Stroud’s boosted volume still provides a fringe QB1 outlook, but his floor looks a bit shakier here.
13. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough comes out of the bye after finishing as QB16 in Week 7. He’s tied with Jordan Love for the league lead in pass attempts per game (39.0), but he’s scoring 1.5 fewer fantasy points per game than expected. That gap could close, and his 2 rushing TDs add some floor. The Browns are a tough draw, though, allowing the sixth-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points to QBs. With the Saints favored by 3, Shough is a low-end QB1.
14. Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
Kirk Cousins kept rolling last week, accounting for 4 TDs (1 rushing) and finishing QB2 in fantasy points. That’s three straight top-10 finishes and his sixth in his last seven games. Cousins is living on volume, ranking 6th in pass attempts, and that should continue this weekend with his Raiders 10-point underdogs in San Francisco. The 49ers rank 13th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs.
15. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford produced just 1 TD last week after passing for multiple TDs in each of the previous three weeks. His 1.9 pass TDs per game rank seventh among QBs, while he ranks as the QB16 on the season. Stafford projects as a fringe QB1 in Week 9 against a Commanders defense allowing the fourth-most points to QBs.
16. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Malik Willis draws a Lions pass defense that’s dead last in adjusted fantasy points allowed. But will he capitalize? Willis averages a league-low 26.1 attempts per game, with a season-high total of 220 yards back in the opener. While Willis’ rushing boosts his appeal, the lack of passing production makes him a QB2.
17. Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks
Drew Lock’s only start so far this season produced 235 yards and 3 TDs in a lopsided win over the Cardinals. His return to the lineup just happens to find the same opponent, this time in Seattle. Combine that with a still-developing Seattle running game vs. a Cards D that’s played the run much tougher than the pass, and there should be chances for Lock to generate usable fantasy numbers again this week. He’s an upside QB2 for multi-QB leagues and a viable streamer for deeper 1-QB leagues.
18. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield finished last week without completing a pass after throwing just 3 attempts in a heavily-impacted weather game. He’s still yet to finish as a QB1 this season, with his highest ranking coming in Week 2, finishing as the QB21. Mayfield projects as a middling QB2 facing a Bears defense allowing the eighth-most points to QBs but recently added DT Jeffery Simmons.
19. J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants
J.J. McCarthy played well in his first start at Houston (before last week’s bye), but it’s important to remember that he threw for a mere 252 yards with no TDs. The fourth-quarter comeback vs. New Orleans the week before generated similarly limited stats. It’s possible we’re underrating him this week against an Eagles D that’s playing nowhere near as well as it did last year. But there’s still much more cautionary history with McCarthy’s NFL performance than bankable fantasy upside.
20. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix enters Week 9 looking to rebound from a brutal, rain-soaked outing at Tampa Bay, where he completed just 8 of 24 passes for 125 yards and 4 INTs. That performance followed consecutive three-TD games against Chicago and San Francisco. Cincinnati offers a much friendlier matchup and a potential shootout, giving Penix a path back to QB2 production. The Bengals sit 27th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to the position.
21. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix finished as QB12 in Week 8, going 20/32 for 222 yards and 2 TDs. That was one of his better days this season. He ranks just 29th among QBs with 186.6 passing yards per game, which has him at QB26 in points per game. His 14.3 rushing yards per game and 2 rushing TDs help raise his floor a bit. The Panthers are a neutral matchup, allowing the 16th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to QBs, and the Broncos are implied for 23.5 points. Nix is a mid-range QB2.
22. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert came off a Week 7 bye and remained underwhelming, going without a TD for the second straight game. In fact, he hasn’t finished with more than 1 passing score since Week 16 of last season. Next up is a tough Houston pass rush, one that ranks fifth league-wide in sack rate. Herbert remains best viewed as a superflex option.
23. Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings
Carson Wentz is set up for his second start this season after QB Kyler Murray suffered a hamstring injury, potentially keeping him out multiple weeks. Wentz's first start came in a heavily-impacted weather game that left him ranked as the QB30, just one week after he passed for 3 TDs. Wentz projects as a fringe QB2 facing a Bills defense allowing the 10th-most points to QBs.
24. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young struggled in Week 8, going 23/41 for 209 yards with a TD and an INT to finish as QB18. That’s been the exception this season. He ranks third in pass attempts per game (38.4) and fourth in passing yards per game (274.4), good for QB14 in points per game. The Panthers throw at the third-highest rate in the league (63.7%), which steadies his floor. The Broncos are a middling matchup, allowing the 13th-fewest schedule-adjusted points to QBs. Young is a mid-range QB2 with top-12 upside.
25. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones is coming off 144 yards and 108 yards in consecutive losses. He’ll be happy this week to see Dallas’ inviting pass defense instead of much tougher units from Minnesota and Jacksonville, but we’re still not excited to start a QB who’s averaging 0.6 TD passes per contest on the season.
