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Omar Cooper Jr., Makai Lemon, and 6 More Must-Sit Wide Receivers in Week 9 Fantasy Football

Wide receivers you must sit in Week 9 of fantasy football, including Omar Cooper Jr. and Makai Lemon.
Sep 20, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon (9) looks on during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium.  Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon (9) looks on during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

People might ask, "Who can I trust in Week 9 fantasy football?" I think people should ask another question: " Who can't I trust in Week 9 fantasy football?" Just as likely as anyone is to be great, they are likely to be bad. At wide receiver, the following eight players have data points that signal to me they should sit on the bench.

Omar Cooper Jr.

We can sit here and hypothesize why Cooper Jr. flopped in Week 8. But he did, and no matter the reason, it is a bad signal for us fantasy managers. Cooper Jr. had as many snaps as Adonai Mitchell, but he recorded zero targets that day. Week 9 doesn't help his fragility, as he faces the Chiefs, who rank third-best in Yards per Target Allowed to wide receivers.

Jordan Addison

There are two core reasons why you must fade Addison. For one, he has an abysmal 49% catch rate. His quarterback is also playing so badly that, despite having a six-win, one-loss record, fans want Nolan Teasley to trade for a quarterback, perhaps Kirk Cousins or Jacoby Brissett. Maybe even an elevation of Carson Wentz. Nonetheless, we cannot trust any Vikings wide receiver outside of Justin Jefferson.

DeMario Douglas

The Packers dominate slot wide receivers. I mean it. They allow 4.9 Yards per Target to the position, second-best in the NFL. Only five teams allow less than 6.5 yards per target.

Since Week 1, Douglas has had a target share above 20% in only one game. He averages only 9.0 Yards per Target and is 52nd in PFF Receiving Grade.

Makai Lemon

Lemon is averaging 8.1 Yards per Reception, well below the league average. Especially in non-PPR formats, he wasn't very viable. Tanner McKee isn't helping with 5.6 Yards per attempt, and the Eagles are rated the NFL's worst offense.

Xavier Worthy

Worthy's season is going so poorly that the Chiefs are rumored to explore a trade by next week's deadline. At the player's name value and the team's value, it sounds good. But it is not. He technically does lead the team in targets (42), but he averages 8.5 Yards per Reception, has four red-zone targets, and only one touchdown of the team's 12 through the air. Worthy has two straight games with under 20 yards.

Emeka Egbuka AND Chris Godwin

No Buccaneer pass-catcher is trustworthy until further notice. They have been a bit secretive about it, but Tampa Bay is clearly limiting Baker Mayfield's passing given his thumb injury. They have attempted 14 total passes over the last two games. Start at your own risk.

Christian Kirk

Kirk is unlikely to have a full workload in Week 9. Kirk will likely play about 50% of the snaps, give or take. In Week 8, he only ran 14 routes, with one target and zero receptions. The lack of a sample size, practice, playing time, and snaps with his new team adds significant risk. Kirk could have awesome weeks ahead, but keep him on the bench for now.

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Thomas Carelli
THOMAS CARELLI

Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.