Week 9 Fantasy Football Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: Brian Thomas Jr. Vs. Jaylen Waddle
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Week 9 of the fantasy football season could present a plethora of questions for fantasy owners, especially at the wide receiver position. Notable wideouts Brian Thomas Jr. and Jaylen Waddle will be two of fantasy’s top receivers for Week 9 and will be considered start options for the weekend’s slate.
Thomas and the Jacksonville Jaguars will go on the road to take on the Las Vegas Raiders, coming off a loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams in their last time out. On the other hand, Waddle and the Dolphins will look to build on just their second win of the season in Week 8.
The two wideouts could raise concerns in a hypothetical start-sit scenario between Waddle and Thomas. Here’s who offers the more favorable case to start in Week 9:
The Case For Brian Thomas Jr.
Despite his share of struggles and drop concerns this season, Thomas remains the Jaguars’ top option in the passing game and is just two weeks removed from his best performance of the season thus far. In Week 6, Thomas racked up 23.0 points among PPR leagues, hauling in eight of his 10 targets for 90 yards and a touchdown through the air, his first of the season.
A favorable matchup versus the Raiders gives Thomas an opportunity to bounce back and emerge with another notable performance, coming off a quiet performance versus Los Angeles prior to Jacksonville’s Week 8 bye.
The Case Against Thomas
Thomas’ inconsistency has made him one of fantasy’s biggest busts this season. After entering the season with an ADP of 15.0, Thomas has managed just one top-10 finish among fantasy wide receivers so far this season. The second-year wideout leads the league in drops and has raised legitimate concerns from fantasy owners, given his lackluster play following his stellar rookie campaign.
The Case For Jaylen Waddle
Following a devastating season-ending injury to Tyreek Hill, Waddle has emerged as Miami’s leading receiving option in the passing game. Following a lowly one-catch performance in Week 7, Waddle mustered one of his best performances of the season, hauling in five of his six receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown, racking up 20.9 PPR points in fantasy.
Miami’s Week 9 matchup versus the Ravens presents an ideal chance to build on a stellar Week 8 performance and string together a handful of notable fantasy efforts.
The Case Against Waddle
Inconsistency among the Dolphins’ offense has hampered Waddle’s fantasy performance this season. While dealing with lackluster quarterback play, Waddle’s play has wavered, as seen in his one-catch effort versus the Cleveland Browns in Week 7. Given Tua Tagovailoa’s inconsistency, it’s hard to rely on Waddle’s fantasy production on a week-to-week basis.
The Final Verdict
Coming off their best performance of the season, I’m going to roll with the hot hand and pick Waddle over Thomas this weekend. Thomas has reverted to past production following his breakout effort, while Waddle has shown top-15 production more recently. In an equally favorable matchup, Waddle and the Dolphins’ passing attack should manage solid success versus Baltimore in Week 9.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.