“Are there too many IDP starting lineup decisions for you this week? Can’t decide which linebacker or edge rusher to start? Which safety gets the nod this week?”
This will not be the typical ‘obvious starters’ type of article. Always start your studs like Will Anderson, Ernest Jones, and Evan Williams. What needs to be shared is who we start and who we sit out of the not-so-obvious players. You will not see many of the top-10 players listed in these articles because we are all already familiar with starting these players.
The Byes are upon us. We get a break this week with only two teams off. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans are off this week.
***Please note that all rankings are pulled from FantasyPros.com’s current weekly rankings for DL, LB, and DB.
Week 9 – DL/Edge Starters
DT – Quinnen Williams – Dallas Cowboys
Williams started this season a little slow, with two of his first three games producing single-digit IDP scoring for your squad. That has all changed over the past five games, as he has posted 20+ points in four of those games. Those 20-point scores were posted against teams that were ranked anywhere from 5th to 31st in points allowed to opposing defensive tackles. In the last five games combined, Williams has posted 20 tackles (12 solo), 9 tackles for a loss, 6 QB hits, 5 sacks, and 1 pass defended.
This week, the Cowboys travel to Indianapolis to face the 23rd-ranked Colts. The Colts are in a tailspin after starting their fire sale, and more players to leave are on the horizon. Accordingly, last week the Colts gave up 35 points to the opposing Jaguars’ defensive tackles. That included 7 tackles, 3 QB hits, and half a sack. The Colts gave up another 11 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, and a half sack in Week 7.
Williams is the #15-ranked DL for Week 9. It would be a shock if he weren’t in the top 10 this week.
Edge – Carl Granderson – New Orleans Saints
Granderson is another player who has been on an incredible roll over his last three games. He has scored at least 26 points in each of those games. The combined statistics over those games include 14 tackles (4 solo), 3 tackles for a loss, 6 QB hits, and 4.5 sacks. The opponents were the Vikings, Giants, and Steelers, who are ranked 20th through 28th. He plays nearly 70% of the defensive snaps, so the opportunities abound.
The reward for his stellar play will be bringing the worst-ranked team to town with a backup quarterback. Accordingly, the Browns have given up a whopping 33 sacks already in 2026. That happens to lead the NFL.
Granderson is ranked the #27 DL for Week 8, which seems very low and disrespectful for this week. A top-12 performance is in the cards.
Week 9 – DL/Edge Sits
Edge – Maxx Crosby – Las Vegas Raiders
This is more of a do not expect much this week than a sit him. Crosby just had his second-best week of the year against the 22nd-ranked Jets. His best performance of the season fell against the #16-ranked Dolphins in Week 1. There were 6 games in between where Crosby did not hit 18 points. In fact, he produced just four points in two of those games. Crosby only has 22 tackles and 3 sacks on the season to date.
The Raiders travel to San Francisco to face the #1-ranked 49ers this week. Thus, the 49ers have given up just seven sacks in seven games. Crosby has faced two top-4 teams this season. He has a combined 7 tackles (2 solo), 1 tackle for a loss, 6 QB hits, and a half sack.
Crosby is the #5-ranked DL for Week 9, and that might be a little too rich for him against the 49ers.
Week 9 – LB Starts
LB –Azeez Al-Shaair – Houston Texans
Al-Shaair has 58 tackles in six games played. He has posted at least seven tackles in each game, with three of the games being 11 tackles or more. The consistency of those tackles he makes is what puts him on this start list. It doesn’t matter if he is playing the #7-ranked Jaguars in points allowed to opposing linebackers or the #30-ranked Bills. He will always produce tackles for your IDP squad.
The Texans travel down to Los Angeles to face one of the worst-ranked teams this week. The Chargers are still winless and hold a #25 ranking against linebackers. The Chargers have yet to figure out how to play offensive football, and Al-Shaair will do his best to keep it that way. They have allowed nine different linebackers to score double-digit points over the past four games.
Al-Shaair is the #29-ranked LB for Week 9. His opponent will make sure he beats that number.
LB – Barrett Carter – Cincinnati Bengals
Carter has five straight games of double-digit IDP scoring. Six of his seven games have been double-digit. The only one where he didn’t was against the Texans, who are #5 and the toughest opponent he has faced this year. That was also back in Week 2. Carter is actually on pace to beat his rookie season last year in all categories. He has 58 tackles (26 solo), 5 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 3 passes defensed. Carter has started all seven games and played nearly 100% of the defensive snaps. Two of his best games came against the #7-ranked Jaguars and #20 Dolphins.
The Bengals travel to Atlanta to face the #26-ranked Falcons. They will be a nice sight after facing the #5, #7, #9, #11, and #16 teams in five of the past six games. The Falcons have given up double-digit scores to seven different linebackers over the past four games.
Carter is the #18-ranked linebacker for Week 9. Expect a top-12 IDP score from him also.
Week 9 – LB Sits
LB – Christian Elliss – New England Patriots
Elliss is playing almost all of the defensive snaps, but has produced double-digit tackles just twice this season. He had four straight low-scoring games before posting two straight 20+ point games against weak opposition. Those opponents ranked #20 and #28.
Week 9 has the Patriots welcoming the best team in points allowed to linebackers. The Packers have allowed just one linebacker to break 20 points this season. That was Blake Cashman back in Week 1. Last week, the high score from a Panthers linebacker was 11 points with five tackles.
Elliss is ranked as the #24 LB for Week 9, which seems a bit high against that opponent.
Week 9 – DB Starts
S – Josh Metellus – Minnesota Vikings
Metellus plays every defensive snap and has lined up in every defensive position. He has double-digit scoring in every game this season. Metellus is actually on pace to set a new career high in tackles for a season. Thus far, he has 50 tackles (26 solo), 1 QB hit, half a sack, and 4 passes defensed. He just had his season-best IDP game last week against the #29-ranked Lions. Metellus posted 13 tackles (5 solo) and 1 pass defended.
The Vikings welcome Buffalo and their league-worst Bills in points allowed to opposing safeties. Metellus will be a tackling machine against the Bills this weekend. Buffalo likes to run, and Metellus likes to tackle. That is a very good combination.
He is the #19-ranked DB for Week 9. The stars and the trends are aligned for him to have a very nice game.
CB – Amik Robertson – Washington Commanders
Robertson’s lowest-scoring game came in Week 1 against the Eagles. He scored 15 points against the fourth-tougher opponent in points allowed. Four of his games have been 25 or more points. He has only missed a handful of defensive snaps all season. Therefore, with all that time on the field, he is averaging nearly seven tackles a game. He also has a forced fumble and eight passes defensed. His best games have come against the #18, #20, #28, and #30 ranked teams.
Matthew Stafford brings his Rams to town for a must-win game. He will be slinging it, and his #25-ranked team will be handing out IDP points to anyone who has Commander defensive players. 18 different cornerbacks have scored double-digit points against the Rams. Seven different cornerbacks have scored 20 or more points against the Rams. In Week 4, against the Eagles, five different Eagles cornerbacks scored double-digit points! They were Quinyon Mitchell, Michael Carter, Jonathan Jones, Cooper DeJean, and Riq Woolen.
Do not let this #33-ranked defensive back in Week 9 be found on any bench.
Week 9 DB Sits
S – Kamren Curl – Los Angeles Rams
Curl has been very unspectacular this season, just like his team, the Rams. He has managed more than 13 points just twice all season. Since Week 1, Curl has played nearly every defensive snap. His best game of the season was 20 points against the worst-ranked team, the Bills, in the NFL. He faced the #24th- and #26th-ranked teams in points allowed over these past two weeks. He produced a terrible combined 5 solo tackles, 3 assisted tackles, and 1 tackle for a loss.
The Rams travel to Washington to take on the second-best-ranked team, the Commanders. Washington and their Commanders have allowed only one safety to score more than 15 points since Week 2. There were two games where a Commanders opposing safety didn’t break the single-digit scoring mark for the game.
Curl is ranked #21 for defensive backs this week, and honestly, do not rely on a top-21 score this week.
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