X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

QB vs Pass Rush Matchups To Watch - Week 9

Gage Bridgford (@GbridgfordNFL) identifies quarterbacks to watch in Week 9 based on the opposing pass rush defense. These QBs could be players to fade and avoid or to start and stream in fantasy football leagues.

Week 9 is here, and we have to figure out which quarterbacks should boom for us compared to the ones that could bust for us. Some quarterbacks could light things up this week and some guys are going to be giving the laundry crew a lot of work to do when the final whistle blows.

In addition to the guys discussed here, there are others with good or bad matchups, but we're trying to focus on ones that maybe you have to think extra about. You may even still start some of the bad matchup guys but as long as you're thinking about it, that's where we come in.

There are four teams on byes this week so you're very possibly missing a starting quarterback. The New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and the Cincinnati Bengals are all off this week. You'll need to pay a bit more attention to your quarterback spot this week.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Look Away Before It Gets Ugly

Deshaun Watson @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been making spectacular plays week after week. He's been doing all that despite getting sacked and hit a fair bit. He's been taken down 24 times on the year, including two different games where he was sacked six times. The addition of left tackle Laremy Tunsil has improved his offensive line but they're still allowing Watson to get hit far too often every week, and those hits add up.

This week he has to go to face the Jacksonville Jaguars who sacked him four times back in Week 2. They also forced two fumbles while they were at it. Luckily for Watson, the defensive backs have lost a few of their teeth with cornerback Jalen Ramsey now in Los Angeles. However, rookie pass rusher Josh Allen is tied for the rookie lead with 7.0 sacks on the year and he'll be looking to add another. Watson gets the volume that provides him value every week, but this is a tough matchup up front.

Dwayne Haskins @ Buffalo Bills

This is going to be an absolute bloodbath. Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins is set to make the first start of his career in Week 9. How will Washington set him up for success? They're making him play in a tough environment on the road against one of the better defenses in football. He has already struggled with turnovers this season, and he'll likely have one or two more at a minimum this week with pressure constantly on him.

The Bills Defense only has 16 sacks on the year, but they have been ramping things up as of late. Nine of those 16 sacks have come in the last three games for the team. Buffalo's secondary should have no trouble slowing down the receiving weapons of Washington which will make Haskins hold the ball longer, and give the pass rushers more time to get home. There is just about no logical reason for you to start Haskins this week, but if you do, it was nice knowing you.

Ryan Tannehill @ Carolina Panthers

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the starting quarterback, and he did alright last week. He did well enough against a turnover-prone opponent to get to a win. He's not going to be afforded the same luxuries this week. His offensive line has been the worst in football, as they've allowed 34 sacks on the year, and he's going to be without his starting center Ben Jones along with tight end Delanie Walker. Those are two major pieces that help to keep him upright, and they are gone.

On the other side, the Carolina Panthers Defense has been one of the better groups in the NFL this year, and they've done it without stars dominating the game. They've been getting contributions from all over, and that allows them to get creative with the looks that they throw at opponents. They've racked up 30 sacks this season, and they will be wanting to add a few more. That shouldn't be an issue against a Titans team that hasn't protected Tannehill or former starter Marcus Mariota.

 

That's More Like It

Tom Brady @ Baltimore Ravens

New England Patriots quarterback has been sacked 13 times this season, and he's shown some rust at times, especially on his escapability and deep balls. In Week 9, things are going to be a little easier for the veteran. The Baltimore Ravens Defense has only rung up 12 sacks so far this year, and they just lost starting edge rusher Pernell McPhee for the remainder of the season. Brady should have all day to stand back there.

Patriots guard Shaq Mason is questionable to play this week. If he plays, it would give a big boost to this offense. He's one of their top linemen still available with the injuries to starters Isaiah Wynn and David Andrews, although Wynn is slated to return soon. Ultimately, the Ravens just don't have the juice to rush the passer that they've had for the last 15 or so years which is how you hurt Brady. As a result, he should have a good day of production.

Derek Carr vs Detroit Lions

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has bounced back this season and a major part of that has been the play of his offensive line. They've allowed just eight sacks on the year, which is the second-best mark in the NFL behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carr gets the ball out of his hands either to his receivers, or he allows rookie running back Josh Jacobs to run over opponents in front of him. He also has receiver Tyrell Williams back from his foot injury.

The Detroit Lions have been floundering over the past few weeks but they've been in some tight games. However, that's been more because of their offense than their defense. The defense has just 13 sacks this season and they're not hunting for those quarterback takedowns like some teams. They prefer to contain the quarterback while their coverage holds up. The problem is that their secondary is depleted due to trades and injuries which gives Carr a big upgrade in Week 9 at home.

Dak Prescott @ New York Giants

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has only been sacked 10 times this year but he'll have to watch out for a New York Giants Defense that has collected 22 sacks on the year. However, there is one thing that Dak does better than a lot of quarterbacks in this league. He takes advantage of good matchups. The strength of the Giants is in the trenches, but that's exactly where the strength of the Cowboys is. For me, I'm taking that Cowboys line to get the better of the Giants.

Tackles Tyron Smith and La'el Collins dealt with some injuries earlier in the year, but they're healthy now. They're one of the best duos in the NFL when they're healthy, and this Giants front only really has one major threat which is rusher Markus Golden. However, he's no match for these guys now that they're firing on all cylinders. Dak frequently lights the Giants up, and that should be no different this week.

More Weekly Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF