Week 9 Fantasy Football Sneaky Starts & Sleepers
All but the luckiest fantasy owners at some point need to find the proverbial diamond in the rough—a waiver wire or bench player capable of putting up some points in a pinch. This weekly feature is dedicated to that part of fantasy football. It's not pretty, but it's part of the game.
As of Week 4, we are now using 2025 data for our Hot Spots reports and aFPA rankings. It will continue to update as the season progresses and we’ll start using a rolling 10-week window in Week 12. Remember, the higher the number, the better the matchup.
Let’s see who’s sneaky this week.
Quarterbacks
Kyler Murray, Cardinals (@ DAL, 32)
Kyler Murray is expected to return from his foot injury this week, and the matchup couldn’t be much better. The Cowboys have allowed an average of 273 passing yards and 2.5 touchdowns per game to opposing quarterbacks, along with 28 rushing yards and 0.38 rushing scores. Murray has scored at least 14.0 fantasy points in all five of his starts this season, giving him a solid floor—and this setup provides a massive ceiling. Assuming he’s healthy enough to move around, he’s a strong QB1 play in Week 9.
Jared Goff, Lions (vs. MIN, 14)
Jared Goff has been excellent at home, averaging 274 yards and 2.42 touchdowns in 12 games at Ford Field since the start of last season. While Detroit could lean on the run, Minnesota’s defense has been vulnerable through the air, allowing 7.7 yards per attempt. The Lions tend to open things up offensively at home and aren’t shy about piling on when they’re rolling. With an implied total of 28.0 points, there should be multiple scoring opportunities to go around, making Goff a strong QB1 play in Week 9.
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