Fantasy Football Week 9 Quarterback Start Decision: Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud, Sam Darnold and More

It’s time for another quarterback start decision story!

Let’s look at the two Thursday night quarterbacks from week 9 (C.J. Stroud and Aaron Rodgers) and then Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, Kirk Cousins, Joe Flacco and Kyler Murray. 

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Season Stats

Stroud is up to 1,948 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions for the season. He’s completed 66.5% of his passes and rushed for 84 yards. Stroud is coming off two of his worst fantasy performances of the season.

Rodgers has completed 61.6% of his passes for 1,896 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s rushed for 44 yards. Rodgers has scored in double figures for fantasy points in seven straight games, but has only one 20-point outing this season.

Darnold has 1,610 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions and has completed 67.2% of his passes. He also has 106 rushing yards to his name. He’s been an average or better fantasy quarterback in all but one week this season.

Stafford has 1,671 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He’s completed 67.7% of his passes and not added anything as a runner. Stafford is coming off his best fantasy showing of the season.

Herbert has eight touchdowns passes and one interception on the year. He’s completed 64.8% of his passes, thrown for 1,443 yards and added 83 rushing yards. Herbert posted his best fantasy score of the season in week 8, and his best three showings are across the past three weeks.

Prescott now has 1,845 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions for the year. He’s added 24 rushing yards and a score, while completing 63.7% of his passes. He bounced back a bit in week 8, but has just one fantasy outing over 20 points this season.

Mayfield has 2,189 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions so far this season. He’s completed 71.1% of his passes and added 169 yards and two more scores on the ground. Mayfield has scored over 20 fantasy points in five straight games.

Smith has accumulated 2,197 passing yards, but has just eight touchdowns for the season. He’s thrown seven picks, completed 68.8% of his passes, rushed for 177 yards and scored once on the ground. He failed to reach double digits for fantasy points for the first time in week 8.

Nix has completed 63.2% of his passes for 1,530 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He also has 259 yards and four scores on the ground. He’s coming off his best fantasy showing and has scored at least 20 fantasy points in three of the past four games.

Williams has 1,448 passing yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions and a 62.8% completion mark. He’s also got 210 rushing yards. After back-to-back 20-point outings, Williams didn’t reach double digits in last week’s game.

Cousins has posted 2,106 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the season. He’s completed 68.3% of his passes and barely done anything on the ground. Cousins has been inconsistent as a fantasy performer over the past month, but is coming off his second-best outing of the season.

Flacco is back as the Indianapolis starter. He has 716 passing yards, seven touchdowns, one interception and a 65.7% completion mark so far. He’s rushed for 26 yards. In two starts and a nearly full game of relief, Flacco has two average fantasy showings and a top-end finish.

Murray sits with 1,638 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 67.2% completion mark. He’s also got 344 rushing yards and two scores. Murray has topped 20 fantasy points in back-to-back weeks, and they both came against top-end defenses.

Week 9 Matchups

Several of these quarterbacks face off this week, starting with Stroud and Rodgers on Thursday night. It’s a more favorable matchup for Rodgers, as Houston allows 17 fantasy points a week; New York surrenders just 14 a week.

Darnold and Flacco also square off this week. Indy allows 17 points to opposing quarterbacks, while Minnesota gives up 16.

Stafford and Smith meet in another game. Both defenses allow 16 fantasy points per week.

Prescott and Cousins do battle in another matchup. It’s a great matchup for both QBs, with Dallas allowing 20 points a week, and Atlanta surrendering 19.

Williams and Murray also are part of the same game. Arizona allows 18 points per week, while Chicago gives up only 11.

Mayfield’s clash against the Chiefs is average. KC allows 16 points per week. Nix has a fantastic matchup against the Ravens, who allow 21 points a week. Herbert’s test against the Browns is average, with Cleveland allowing 16 points a week.

Projections and Starting Recommendations 

In the week 9 projections, Murray and Prescott lead the way among this group of QBs with 19 fantasy points each.

Smith, Cousins and Flacco are all projected for 17 points. Williams, Mayfield, Darnold and Stafford sit at 16 points each. Nix, Rodgers and Herbert check in at 15 points, while Stroud is the lowest at 14 points.

Taking everything into account, I like Cousins the best of these quarterbacks. The matchup is great, and this looks like a high-scoring shootout, which should leave Cousins with a big fantasy score.

I’d take the other end of that matchup and say Prescott delivers a good fantasy score. I’m more confident in the matchup than I am the player here.

I like Stafford next. With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp back, Stafford is a different player, and it should make him one of the better fantasy quarterbacks for the remainder of the season (granted everyone stays healthy).

I’d roll with Murray after that. He’s got another brutal matchup this week, but after what he’s done against two good defenses the past two weeks, I trust Murray to deliver again. Being able to tack on rushing stats is massive in a tougher matchup like he has.

I’d take a gamble with Nix here. He’s playing well of late, and the matchup is super favorable. I think Nix keeps rolling and delivers another good fantasy score.

I’d then take Mayfield. He looked pretty good without Chris Godwin and Mike Evans last week. Mayfield might post a good fantasy score with some garbage-time stats, but they all count the same in fantasy.

I like Flacco here. He’s performed well in his playing time this season, and I like the matchup enough to try him as a starter in week 9.

I’m going with Darnold here. Usually Darnold checks in at the end of these articles for me, but the matchup is solid and he keeps delivering, so I’m good with him here.

I got Williams after that. The matchup is solid, but his inconsistencies make him drop down a ways. 

I’d roll with Herbert next. He’s been trending up over the past few weeks, and I think the Chargers’ QB continues to deliver for fantasy owners. Herbert is the last QB in this conversation who I’d want to start - the rest I’d prefer to sit.

Rodgers checks in here for me. The matchup is solid, but I really just do not trust the Jets’ offense right now. 

I got Smith here. He’s coming off a poor showing, and while he could deliver a good fantasy score with a bunch of passing yards, his lack of touchdowns this season scares me off him.

It’s pretty wild to have Stroud this low in a QB debate, but the matchup is bad and he doesn’t have his top-two wideouts at his disposal. He’ll be started by a ton of fantasy owners because that’s what you do with a top-end fantasy QB pick, but I just don’t see a big game coming.