Fantasy football Week 9 WR preview: Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel offer hope, but health clouds their returns

Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel could return in Week 9, giving Fantasy managers much-needed reinforcements but concerns remain

Nov 3, 2026 at 4:03 pm ET • 2 min read

The story heading into Week 9 is who we're getting back. We know that Malik Nabers, Chris Olave, and Nico Collins are all returning from bye. That helps. We hope that Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel will be joining them. We may even get to see Jordyn Tyson for the first time all season as well. While we won't suggest starting Tyson even if he's a full go, it would make us much less enthusiastic about Devaughn Vele as a number three wide receiver. In San Francisco, there is no such concern. We need Evans and Samuel back precisely because no one has stepped up behind them.

Evans is probably the easier choice if he returns. He has had an incredible year when he has been on the field. He's averaging 10.8 yards per target and has a 7.6% TD rate. He also has a 31.7% target-per-route run rate. When he's been on the field, he has been inevitable. The problem has been staying on the field. Week 1 is the only week this season that Evans has played more than 65% of the offensive snaps. He is seemingly always recovering from one injury and acquiring a new one. If you promised me 100% health, I would rank him as a top-12 receiver, but he's right around WR20 this week because of those health concerns.

Samuel is more of a number three receiver. He has scored 12 or more PPR points in three of five games this season, but one of those was because of a fluky hook-and-ladder that gave him 80 receiving yards on zero catches in Week 3. If he's a full go at practice this week, you should expect somewhere between five and seven touches, which makes him either a low-end WR3 or a high-upside flex. 

Here is the rest of the Week 9 WR preview:

Week 9 WR Preview

WR Preview

Numbers to Know

• 0 -- Zay Flowers scored zero Fantasy points in his first game with Joe Fagnano. It is hard to start or sit Flowers this week.
• 27% -- Keenan Allen has a 27% TPRR this season. It is incredible how he continues to demand targets.
• 327 -- Michael Wilson leads all receivers with 327 routes run. If he plays through his rib injury, we are starting him as a WR2.
• 3.18 -- Even after his 0-point performance in Week 8 Omar Cooper Jr. is averaging 3.18 yards per route run. We don't want to drop him after one bad game.
• 29.6 -- In his first game back, Rashee Rice had a 29.6% TPRR. He's a WR2 once again.
• 11 -- Denzel Boston has 11 end zone targets, tied for second amongst all receivers.
• 23.5% -- Tetairoa McMillan's 23.5% slot share ranks last amongst Panthers receivers. That probably means more Patrick Surtain for him.
• 9.0 -- Khalil Shakir leads all receivers with nine yards of YAC per reception.

WR Preview

Waiver Wire Targets

Week 9 Adds (WR Preview)

PHI Philadelphia • #9 Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs NYG NYG -3.5 O/U 40 OPP VS WR 18th WR RNK 31st ROSTERED 59% YTD Stats REC 31 TAR 45 REYDS 251 TD 1 FPTS/G 7.8 Lemon has 17 targets in his last two games and has scored at least 11.7 PPR points in both games. I am not sure why he is still on the waiver wire but he is a very good WR3 in full PPR leagues, at least until Devonta Smith returns. He has at least six targets in each of his last five games. One advantage to the Eagles losing so much is that the pass volume is up, and that's helping Lemon.

WAS Washington • #14 Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs LAR LAR -5.5 O/U 47.5 OPP VS WR 5th WR RNK NR ROSTERED 49% YTD Stats REC 23 TAR 33 REYDS 259 TD 1 FPTS/G 7.8 Williams led all Commanders receivers in snaps, routes, and targets in the team's first game without Terry McLaurin. I would expect that to continue for the rest of the season, which makes Williams an upside WR3 who could easily finish top 20 in any given week. Unfortunately, he is facing the Rams this week, so he is more of a flex. Still, he should be rostered everywhere.

Stashes (WR Preview)

NO New Orleans
Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs CLE NO -3.5 O/U 41.5	OPP VS WR 20th	WR RNK NR	ROSTERED 60%

YTD Stats
REC 0	TAR 0	REYDS 0	TD 0	FPTS/G 0

This could be your last chance. Tyson could be back after the bye. He was a first-round pick for a reason and I expect that at some point this season, he will be seeing most of the targets Devaughn Vele is currently getting.

WR Preview

DFS Plays

Top DFS Play

Projections powered by Sportsline

SEA Seattle • #11
Age: 24 • Experience: 4 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs ARI SEA -10.5 O/U 42	OPP VS WR 20th	PROJ PTS 26.7	WR RNK 1st

YTD Stats
REC 64	TAR 89	REYDS 985	TD 9	FPTS/G 27.5

Smith-Njigba already faced this Cardinals defense once this season. He caught nine passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns. When Sam Darnold drops back, what he wants to do is throw the ball to JSN, and the Cardinals do not have any way to prevent that. Save money somewhere else.

Contrarian DFS Play

Projections powered by Sportsline

CAR Carolina • #18
Age: 25 • Experience: 3 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown
MATCHUP vs DEN DEN -3 O/U 43.5	OPP VS WR 8th	PROJ PTS 9	WR RNK 22nd

YTD Stats
REC 27	TAR 44	REYDS 364	TD 3	FPTS/G 13.2

Coker is coming off of a mediocre game and the Broncos are great against receivers, so I don't expect anyone to play him. But he gets more snaps in the slot than Tetairoa McMillan, which gives him a chance to avoid their best defensive backs. The Panthers should be playing from behind in the second half and Coker could have a big target bounce back.

WR Preview

Heath's Projections

My full set of Week 9 Fantasy football projections for every position is now available here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 9. Projected stats for all starting wide receivers are updated throughout the week, so make sure you check back later in the week for changes.