Fantasy Football Week 9 QB Who Should I Start? Bo Nix, Jaxson Dart, Caleb Williams, and More

Caleb Williams has seen a boost in his performance after a disappointing rookie season, jumping from 6.3 to 7.3 yards per pass attempt and on pace to add over 400 passing yards and seven total touchdowns to his 2024 numbers. Williams ranks as QB12 despite already having his bye; only three guys ahead of him have also had their bye.

That marked improvement has Williams on the fantasy radar, and he is showing up all over our FantasySP start/sit tool as fantasy owners try to find his spot on the hierarchy. With a strong matchup this week, Williams could fight for a top fantasy spot.

Let's look at Williams and four quarterbacks who he has been compared to often on the start/sit tool. We'll do a head-to-head quick-hit exercise to determine the best starter in each situation. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals

Williams has shown improvement in many areas, including as a fantasy quarterback. He has added about 25 passing yards per game to last year's average while on pace to create about seven more touchdowns (passing and rushing).

The matchup here has him set up for success, as the Bengals have given up the third-most yards per pass attempt and the eighth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They have also allowed the third-most total passing yards and the second-most touchdown passes, allowing both volume and efficiency to opposing quarterbacks.

Cincinnati hasn't given up much on the ground to QBs, averaging just 10.3 yards with one score. Only two passers have even reach 10 rushing yards: Jordan Love and Justin Fields. Williams does damage with his legs, but it's not a part of his game the way it is for some other guys; he has topped 20 yards three times this season but reached 30 yards just once (when he went for 58 and a TD in Week 1).

I'm more interested in what Williams is going to do with his arm, as that's where the Bengals have been most vulnerable. The matchup sets Williams up well to fight for another top-10 fantasy finish.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks @ Washington Commanders

I've been talking about Darnold's fantasy prospects all week because he has had success in 2025, has a great matchup here, and is available in a lot of fantasy leagues. You don't often find the guy leading the league in yards per pass attempt sitting on the free agent market.

There's a severe lack of rushing production, which will always limit his ceiling compared to some other guys, but Darnold has himself in the MVP conversation halfway through the season, a major shift from preseason expectations. There's reason to think he can sustain success (even as he likely regresses a bit).

The matchup is phenomenal, as the Commanders have given up the most yards per pass attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They don't give up much rushing, but that matches up well with what Darnold does best; he'll have plenty of space to throw the ball.

Advice: This is a tough one. Williams and Darnold have been my two “start” guys at QB this week, so picking between them is difficult. I'll give the slight advantage to the player who has been better overall and say to start Sam Darnold over Caleb Williams, but it's 50/50.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers

Dart has been a revelation for the Giants, and that extends to fantasy football, where he ranked as QB6 between Weeks 4 and 8 (the time he has been starting). Even when he doesn't do well throwing the ball, Dart is a very good runner, something that will always keep him on the fantasy radar.

This is a tougher matchup by the numbers, as the 49ers are just a little better than average in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to quarterbacks. They also don't give up much QB rushing, an average of just 15.4 yards per game with no scores.

Things are a little easier because San Francisco is dealing with an abundance of injuries, including missing superstars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the rest of the season. I'm not nearly as scared of the 49ers as I would have been a few months ago.

Advice: This is another tough one, but Dart has been the far better fantasy player since taking over the starting job, and he just keeps producing. Start Jaxon Dart over Caleb Williams in another close call.

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos @ Houston Texans

Nix is going from maybe the best quarterback matchup (last week against the Cowboys) to maybe the worst QB matchup here against Houston. The Texans have given up the third-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fewest fantasy points per game to QBs. The position has run for just 13 yards per game against Houston with no touchdowns, an area where Nix usually does damage.

The Denver quarterback has been fine, but he's a below-average passer of the football, so he needs volume, touchdowns, and/or running production to reach the highest peaks. He can do that against the Cowboys, but this is a brutal matchup, leaving him with a lower floor and ceiling.

Advice: Start Caleb Williams over Bo Nix.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams vs. New Orleans Saints

My biggest concern for Stafford in this one is volume. The Saints allow the 10th-most yards per pass attempt while sitting right in the middle in fantasy points given up to quarterbacks; they offer a fine matchup.

New Orleans is starting rookie Tyler Shough at quarterback in this one, the first start for the second-round pick. He's playing in front of one of the worst offensive lines in football (according to ESPN's measure) while facing one of the best defensive lines around. Things could get ugly.

I see this as a dominant Rams victory, and that could mean big things for Stafford, but there's also a likely outcome in which LA runs the ball a lot and doesn't need to do much on offense as they cruise to victory. It happened a few weeks ago against the Ravens without Lamar Jackson, and Stafford might again have a quiet day because of the game script.

Advice: Start Caleb Williams over Matthew Stafford.