Week 9 Monday Night Start Decisions: Chiefs' Xavier Worthy or DeAndre Hopkins? Buccaneers' Rachaad White or Bucky Irving?

Week 9 of the NFL season wraps up with a matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.

Let’s take a look at the best starting fantasy options from each team, and then we’ll rank everybody before we wrap things up.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Quarterbacks

Baker Mayfield leads Tampa Bay into the game, while Patrick Mahomes guides Kansas City.

Mahomes has 1,651 passing yards, eight touchdowns and nine touchdowns this season, along with a 68.4 completion percentage. He’s rushed for 139 yards and one more score.

While Mahomes has scored in double figures for fantasy points each week, he’s yet to reach 20 points. He is coming off his best fantasy performance of the season.

Mayfield has completed 71.1% of his passes for 2,189 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He rushed for 169 yards and two more scores.

Mayfield has topped 20 fantasy points in five straight games, and has been one of the top fantasy QBs all season. Even without his top two receivers last week, Mayfield delivered another good fantasy showing.

The Bucs’ defense is the best possible fantasy matchup for a fantasy QB, with Tampa Bay allowing 23 points a week. The matchup for Mayfield is average, with Kansas City giving up 16 points per game.

Mahomes is projected for 20 fantasy points, while Mayfield sits at 15. I also like Mahomes the most in this matchup, although a lopsided score could help Mayfield deliver another big fantasy score. Both are pretty solid starting options.

Running Backs

Kareem Hunt will power the Chiefs’ backfield again, while Carson Steele and Samaje Perine back him up. 

Bucky Irving has the most touches this season for Tampa Bay’s RBs, but he’s questionable for the game with a toe injury. Rachaad White and Sean Tucker are other options for the Bucs.

Hunt has at least 22 touches in three straight games, and has 308 rushing yards, four touchdowns and 84 rushing attempts overall this season. He’s added just 40 receiving yards on six catches and seven targets.

Steele has six or less touches over the past three weeks, while Perine has three or less touches. Steele had 140 rushing yards on 41 attempts and 10 receiving yards on three receptions and six targets. Perine has rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, while contributing 104 receiving yards on nine catches and 12 targets.

Irving has at least 12 touches in the past three weeks. For the season, he has 395 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 76 attempts. Irving has 164 yards on 20 receptions and 22 targets.

White had 11 targets a week ago and 16 the week before that. He’s up to 256 rushing yards on 67 attempts, but has 236 receiving yards and three scores on 28 catches and 31 targets.

Tucker had 17 touches three weeks ago when White was inactive, but has just nine touches in the two games since. He has 175 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts, while adding 91 receiving yards and a score on six grabs and seven targets.

It’s a good matchup for the Chiefs’ RBs, as Tampa Bay allows 26 fantasy points to opposing backs this season. The Chiefs’ defense gives up a league-best 13 fantasy points to opposing backs.

The week 9 projections like Hunt to score 14 PPR fantasy points. White is projected for 11 points, while Irving is at nine. Tucker checks in at three points.

I also think Hunt is the best fantasy option in this game.

I like White next, even if Irving suits up. White’s pass-catching ability will help him be a better fantasy asset. Irving would then go here, but I’d really not feel great about playing him in a standard leagues.

If Irving misses the game, White becomes a bit better fantasy starter in standard leagues. Tucker would factor in more, but I wouldn’t want to start him in any formats, if possible.

Steele and Perine might score a few fantasy points, but without a big play or score, they are not the best fantasy options. I’d try to avoid them outside the biggest leagues.

Wide Receivers

JuJu Smith-Schuster is out this week for KC, while every other wideout should play. Mike Evans won’t play for Tampa Bay, while Sterling Shepard and Jalen McMillan are both questionable.

With Evans and Chris Godwin out of the picture last week, McMillan was targeted seven times. He only had 35 yards on four catches though. 

Ryan Miller had three catches for 19 yards on five targets. Shepard had 18 yards on three grabs and five targets. Rakim Jarrett went for 58 yards on three grabs and targets. Trey Palmer went for 29 yards on two catches and targets.

McMillan led the way with 59 snaps, while Palmer was at 51. Shepard had 45 snaps, Miller 30 and Jarrett 20.

With DeAndre Hopkins in the picture last week, Xavier Worthy had the best fantasy day among wideouts with 37 yards and a touchdown on four grabs and eight targets.

Justin Watson played 55 snaps and had 33 yards on three catches and targets. Hopkins went for just 29 yards on two catches and three targets across 23 snaps. Mecole Hardman played 21 snaps and had eight yards on his only catch and target. Montrell Washington played five snaps.

This is another tougher matchup for the Tampa Bay players, while being a more favorable test for the KC players. Tampa Bay gives up 36 points per game to opposing fantasy wideouts, while Kansas City allows just 27.

Worthy is projected for 13 PPR fantasy points, while Hopkins is at 10. McMillan is set for nine points and Shepard is the last wideout in the game in the top 65 with seven points.

I’m not a huge fan of any of the wideouts in this game really. A couple might step up, but I’d be most comfortable playing them in deeper leagues.

I’d take Worthy first, then Hopkins. I’d then go with McMillan, Watson, Palmer, Shepard, Hardman, Miller, Jarrett and Washington to round things out. 

If McMillan cannot play, I’d move Palmer ahead of Watson and keep everything else the same. If Shepard cannot go, I’d move Miller above Hardman and leave everything else the same.

Tight Ends

Cade Otton is the Bucs’ top wideout, while Travis Kelce still leads the Chiefs.

Otton has been fantastic over the past two weeks, and erupted for 81 yards and two scores on nine catches and 10 targets without Godwin and Evans around last week. I expect him to be the team’s top pass catcher again tonight, regardless of who else plays.

Kelce had his best fantasy showing last week, and has produced solid fantasy numbers in three of the past four contests. He’s my guess to lead the Kansas City pass catchers tonight.

KC’s Noah Gray is also worth a mention after playing 52 snaps last week. He went for just 23 yards on three catches and targets, but in deep formats and in a pinch, he’s a bit better fantasy play tonight than you might think.

It’s a great matchup for all these tight ends. Kansas City gives up the most fantasy points (17) to fantasy tight ends this season, while Tampa Bay surrenders 14.

The week 9 projections like Kelce to score 13 PPR points. Otton is at 12 points.

I like Otton more than Kelce tonight. Otton should be heavily involved, and the great matchup makes him an easy start for me tonight. Kelce is another player I’d start this week.

Gray is more of a deep-league fantasy option, but I like him better than a lot of the wideouts and running backs tonight (as you’ll see soon).

Kickers

Harrison Butker kicks for Kansas City. He’s 14-of-16 on his field goals and 17-of-18 on his extra points.

Chase McLaughlin is the kicker for Tampa Bay. He has made 13 of his 14 field goals and has made 24 of his 25 extra points.

Butker is projected for nine fantasy points, while McLaughlin is just at five. I also like Butker more tonight, although I think McLaughlin is a fine starting option in a game that could be pretty high scoring.

Defenses/Special Teams

Tampa Bay’s defense allows 389.5yards and 29.4 points per game, while Kansas City gives up 348 yards and 24.7 points.

The Bucs have 10 takeaways and 12 giveaways. The Chiefs are at eight takeaways and 11 giveaways. 

Kansas City’s D/ST is projected for eight fantasy points, while Tampa Bay is at six. I also like the Chiefs’ D/ST more tonight, although both are more average-or-worse fantasy options in my eyes.

Offensive Overall Rankings (OP or Flex Spots)

1. Patrick Mahomes

2. Baker Mayfield

3. Kareem Hunt

4. Cade Otton

5. Travis Kelce

6. Rachaad White

7. Xavier Worthy

8. DeAndre Hopkins

9. Bucky Irving

10. Jalen McMillan

11. Justin Watson

12. Trey Palmer

13. Sterling Shepard

14. Noah Gray

15. Carson Steele

16. Mecole Hardman

17. Ryan Miller

18. Sean Tucker

19. Samaje Perine

20. Rakim Jarrett

21. Montrell Washington

If Irving cannot play, Tucker would slot in between Gray and Steele for me.

If McMillan is out, Palmer would take his place. If Shepard cannot go, I’d move Miller into his place.