CeeDee Lamb saw 16 targets with George Pickens sidelined and turned it into 10 catches for 195 yards and a score. AP Photo/Jeff RobersonMatt BowenCloseMatt BowenESPN WriterMatt Bowen is a fantasy football and NFL writer for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2015, writes regularly for ESPN+ and spent multiple years on “NFL Matchup.” After graduating from the University of Iowa, Matt played safety in the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay, Washington and Buffalo over seven seasons. and Tristan H. CockcroftCloseTristan H.
CockcroftESPN Senior WriterTristan H. Cockcroft is senior writer for fantasy baseball and football at ESPN. Tristan is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He is also two-time LABR and four-time Tout Wars champion.Multiple AuthorsNov 8, 2026, 09:43 PM ETOpen Extended ReactionsWeek 9 of the 2026 fantasy football season featured another big performance from the Cincinnati Bengals’ trio of Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, as well as massive days by Kenneth Walker III, CeeDee Lamb and Puka Nacua.
Things didn’t go quite as well for Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who fell short of their normal standard Sunday.So, who were the big winners and losers around the league? Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis.Jump to a topic: Ranking winners | Ranking losers Biggest injuries and what’s nextRanking fantasy winners of Week 9 1. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City ChiefsWalker scored a season-high 36.3 points in Sunday’s win over the Jets, his third game of 30 or more points this season.
Walker had 143 total yards and three touchdowns on 24 touches. While Walker had two subpar games this season (SEA, DEN), he remains the most consistent fantasy scorer in the Chiefs’ offense. — Bowen 2. Green Bay Packers passing gameCB Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots’ defense couldn’t contain Green Bay, as QB Jordan Love and WRs Matthew Golden and Christian Watson all exceeded 30 fantasy points in the Packers’ 45-27 victory. Golden and Watson each had at least 160 yards and a touchdown receiving, becoming the first wide receiver teammates since Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Week 2 of 2022 to do that in the same game.
The two wideouts totaled 10 catches for 187 yards and two scores with Gonzalez as the nearest defender, per Next Gen Stats. Love, meanwhile, scored a career-high 36.18 fantasy points, throwing for 235 yards and a score on deep throws (at least 20 yards downfield). The Packers’ passing game is humming, which is what you want to see ahead of their toughest matchup of the year in Week 10 against the Vikings. Love is a low-end QB1 for that matchup, while Golden and Watson are lower-end WR2s. — Cockcroft 3.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston TexansHis improved performance on deep throws has elevated him into fantasy QB1 territory. Stroud completed five touchdown passes on throws of 10-plus yards, improving his seasonal passer rating on those to 114.4. It’s in huge contrast to his 2024 (85.3) and 2025 (87.5) campaigns in which his rating was markedly worse and he was intercepted 15 times on those throws.
Stroud’s remaining schedule is one of the tougher ones — fifth worst among quarterbacks — but he’s throwing with a level of accuracy and upside that makes him an intriguing option for managers weak at the position. — Cockcroft 4. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles RamsNacua is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday on his knee, which he injured on the final offensive snap versus the Commanders, so let’s wait for updates there. Nacua scored 35 points Sunday, catching a season-high 14 passes (on 19 targets) for 150 yards and a touchdown, plus he added 20 yards on two rushing attempts. If the knee checks out, Nacua will continue to see heavy target volume (with Davante Adams on IR), and he’s the only Rams pass catcher we can recommend playing in weekly lineups.
With 21 or more points in five of his past six games, Nacua would remain an elite WR1 if he’s up for the Week 10 game at Arizona. — Bowen 5. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas CowboysWhen Lamb is the top dog in the offense, wow, can he produce. The star wide receiver had 16 targets, 10 receptions and 33.5 fantasy points, and let’s not forget that position-leading 403.2-point season he had in 2023 in a similar spotlight. Lamb’s performance gives him nine games with at least 30 points since the beginning of that huge 2023.
Tuck that all away as we track George Pickens’ availability (hamstring, shoulder) in upcoming weeks. But even if both play in Week 10 against the 49ers, Lamb has midrange WR1 potential. — Cockcroft 6. Cincinnati Bengals passing gameThis part of the Bengals’ offense is humming, though the team’s running game issues are certainly contributing to the passing game’s production. QB Joe Burrow exceeded 28 fantasy points for the third consecutive week, WR Ja’Marr Chase topped 31 for a second straight game, and WR Tee Higgins reached the 20-point plateau for the third straight week.
Chase and Higgins, by the way, are the first wide receiver teammates to score 20-plus points in consecutive games since Keenan Allen and DJ Moore did it for the Bears in Weeks 12-13 of 2024.Burrow and company lit up the scoreboard early in the Bengals’ 34-17 victory in Madrid, completing 82% of their passing attempts for 239 yards and two scores before halftime — and Burrow added a rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak. With running back Chase Brown struggling, the trio should continue to deliver high-level fantasy production throughout the season’s second half. That includes next week on “Sunday Night Football” against the Steelers, as they all exceeded 20 fantasy points in the division rivals’ Week 3 meeting. — Cockcroft 7. Darren Waller, TE, Carolina PanthersBryce Young leaned heavily upon his tight ends in a 26-21 loss to the Broncos, as they accounted for 16 of 37 total Panthers targets, led by Waller’s 10.
He turned them into a season-high 23.0 fantasy points, his most in a game since Week 15 of last season. Waller hasn’t been the most reliable fantasy option — he had exactly two targets in each of his previous three games — but Young’s tendency to look in his tight end’s direction in scoring position makes him a viable matchups dart throw. — Cockcroft 8. Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver BroncosColeman, playing in a lead role for the Broncos, scored 18.8 points in Sunday’s win over the Panthers. Coleman had 21 touches to J.K.
Dobbins’ five, finishing with 57 yards rushing and a touchdown on 17 carries, plus he had 31 yards receiving on four receptions. The Broncos have a bye next week, but Coleman, who has has 18-plus points in back-to-back games, has RB1 value when Denver plays the Raiders in Week 11. — Bowen 9. KC Concepcion, WR, Cleveland BrownsConcepcion, who returned from an in-game leg injury versus the Saints on Sunday, caught four of six targets for 85 yards and a touchdown (his first as a pro), plus he added 3 yards rushing (18.8 points). With 18 or more points in two of his past three games and dynamic ability after the catch, managers can play the rookie as an upside WR3 for the Week 10 home matchup against Houston. — Bowen 10.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ersPurdy scored 25.28 points in the Week 9 win over the Raiders, his first game of 20 or more points since Week 3. Purdy threw for 232 yards and two scores, plus he rushed for 40 yards (on seven carries) and a touchdown. With a really positive Week 10 matchup versus the Dallas defense up next, Purdy should be viewed as a top-three play at the position. — BowenRanking fantasy losers of Week 9 1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle SeahawksWith backup quarterback Drew Lock under center versus the Cardinals, Smith-Njigba posted a season-low 12.1 points.
He caught seven of 10 targets but finished with just 51 yards receiving and didn’t find the end zone. With Sam Darnold (quad) uncertain for the Week 10 matchup versus the Raiders and Lock reportedly now dealing with an oblique injury, No. 3 quarterback Jalen Milroe co
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