One QB, RB, WR, and TE primed for huge Week 9 fantasy football performances

In a week where four of the more fantasy-relevant teams have byes, it becomes even more imperative to make the right start/sit decisions.

The Broncos, Lions, Jaguars, and 49ers all have viable fantasy players who will not be suiting up for anyone’s team this week. High-profile such as Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk/Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence, Evan Engram, Christian Kirk, and Javonte Williams are out of commission until Week 10.

With that in mind, be sure to have these players in your lineup for Week 9, as they’re all slated for huge performances with inviting matchups.

QB: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr and the Saints have been one of the more frustrating/underwhelming offenses from both an NFL perspective and a fantasy football perspective. Before the season, Carr was viewed as an upgrade to the Saints quarterback room from last year’s starter Andy Dalton, but that hasn’t been the case.

The Saints boast one of the more prolific offensive skill position groups in the NFL led by the likes of Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed, and Taysom Hill. Yet, Carr is just the overall QB21 (QB26 on a per-game-basis per FantasyPros) through the first eight weeks of the season. However, a Week 9 matchup against the Bears is just what the doctor ordered.

The Bears allow the second-most passing touchdowns per game (2.1) in the NFL and the third-most passing yards per game (262.3). After a slow start to the season that saw Carr score less than double-digit fantasy points in three of his first four games, he has now scored at least 17 points in three consecutive games. In that span, he’s eclipsed 300 passing yards in each game, suggesting that the shoulder injury he suffered to his throwing arm earlier in the season could be behind him.

This is a prime opportunity for Carr to have his best game of the season at home against arguably the worst secondary in the NFL. Start him with confidence in Week 9.