Fantasy Football Week 9 Running Back Who Should I Start? Kyle Monangai, Rico Dowdle, and More

With D'Andre Swift out this week, the Chicago Bears figure to hand the bulk of the running back touches to rookie Kyle Monangai. A seventh-round pick, not a lot was expected from Monangai, but he has been moderately involved in a backup role and had his best game of the season two weeks ago against the Saints, with 13 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown.

His role as the de facto top running back now gives him plenty of fantasy intrigue, especially as the Bears face a weak defensive team in Week 9. That has Monangai all over our FantasySP start/sit tool as owners try to determine the rookie's place in the fantasy hierarchy.

Let's look at Monangai and three running backs who he has been compared to most 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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Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals

Backup Roschon Johnson is also out for this game, so there isn't going to be a lot of competition for touches in the backfield. Opportunity means as much as anything else in fantasy football, and that's Monangai's strength in this one.

The Bengals have allowed the fifth-most yards per rush attempt and the most fantasy points per game to running backs. That comes from volume (running backs have averaged 132.1 rushing yards per game), touchdowns (eight rushing, four receiving), and receiving production (5.4 receptions, 47.1 yards per game to go with the four scores).

Monangai hasn't been heavily involved in the passing game, as Swift has mostly handled that work. The rookie didn't do much receiving in college, so it's not a surprise to see him with modest numbers, but Ben Johnson offenses get the ball in the hands of the backs, so maybe he'll get a few more touches that way. Everything is in play given the lack of options around him.

Monangai is a strong fantasy option this week. We should temper expectations and view him more in the WR2/flex range, but Monangai is a good player to have in your lineup.

Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers

Since he first filled in for an injured Chuba Hubbard in Week 5, Dowdle has been a revelation for fantasy owners. He ran for 522 yards on 6.7 per attempt in the four games since that time, splitting work in the past two games since Hubbard returned but outshining the Carolina veteran by a wide margin. Panthers coach Dave Canales said he will be leaning Dowdle's way more often if he keeps it up.

The matchup is brutal here, though, as the Packers have allowed the fourth-fewest yards per rush attempt and the third-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. There just hasn't been room to run or catch the ball, as running back groups are averaging fewer than 100 total yards per game against Green Bay.

Advice: Start Kyle Monangai over Rico Dowdle because of the matchup disparity.

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jeanty was supposed to be a weekly starter who never ended up in these decisions, but that just hasn't been the case. The Raiders have been bad, and Jeanty has fallen victim to the poor play around him and the team having to throw to keep up at times (this should be a note to bad teams: don't draft a first-round running back!!!).

There's still big-time upside, but it's hard to count on Jeanty in fantasy every week knowing how low he has sunk at times. We must play matchups to determine when to deploy him, and the matchup here is a tough one.

The Jaguars have given up the seventh-fewest yards per rush attempt and the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. They give up some yardage, but RBs have only scored four touchdowns in 2025 (two rushing, two receiving).

Advice: Start Kyle Monangai over Ashton Jeanty. This is a risky one, and Jeanty will surely get the ball (averaging 18 touches per game), but there's a lot of downside in a tough matchup and a lot of upside for Monangai with a softer opponent.

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts

Heading into the season, the prevailing thought was that the Steelers' backfield would be split between Warren and rookie Kaleb Johnson. Johnson hasn't looked good in any aspect, though (including kick returns), and he hasn't seen the field much, with Kenneth Gainwell instead working in the RB2 role.

Warren has led the way and been very average, gaining 373 yards on 83 carries (4.5 per attempt). He catches the ball, which helps in every format and especially PPR, but that work has been more modest, leaving Warren without major production most weeks; he has only reached 100 total yards twice in six games.

The Colts are right in the middle in yards per rush attempt allowed, but they have given up the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. That better fantasy performance is tied to volume more than anything else, as the Colts have faced third-fewest rush attempts per game. As they've been dominating on offense, teams have to throw to keep up, and that has left RBs putting up fewer stats against Indy.

Advice: Start Kyle Monangai over Jaylen Warren. Warren is fine, but I don't see a ton of upside in this game. The prospects of the fantastic matchup for Monangai are just too much to ignore, even given the risks of a young player in a new situation.