Sunday’s matchups have not even started and Fantasy football managers are facing some tough decisions for Week 9. It happened because several players have already been ruled out while others’ fates are still up in the air.
For the managers, the headache goes way beyond the injured player. Every single absence messes with targets, playing time and who they start at quarterback during different games. Among them, Amon-Ra St. Brown is still the biggest question mark heading into kickoff, while the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks are already missing some of their top targets.
Week 9 Injury News Highlighted by Amon-Ra St. Brown Update
Amon-Ra St. Brown Remains Questionable
St. Brown is the late call. A rib injury limited the Detroit Lions receiver in practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and he remains questionable against the Miami Dolphins.
St. Brown caught seven of eight targets for 46 yards in Detroit’s Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings and had one rushing attempt before briefly leaving the game.
Keep a replacement ready. Detroit’s inactive list will settle his status, and if St. Brown cannot play, his normal targets will be available to other Lions, which could raise their fantasy value. With St. Brown as the receiver, LWOSports placed Detroit first in its ranking of the best QB-RB-WR trios in the NFC North.
Terrance Ferguson Is Out
Let’s start with Terrance Ferguson who will miss the Week 9 matchup against the Washington Commanders after suffering a hamstring injury during Friday’s practice. This setback comes right after he opened his practice window to return from an earlier ankle sprain, leaving the Los Angeles Rams scrambling with Colby Parkinson also tagged as questionable due to sore ribs.
Matthew Stafford will have to rely heavily on Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen instead of having his full set of tight end weapons.
Rashid Shaheed Will Miss Seattle’s Game
The Seahawks have officially ruled out wide receiver Rashid Shaheed for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals due to a knee injury. His absence removes a vertical threat from a passing game that will also be missing starting quarterback Sam Darnold because of a quad injury.
Seattle now has to replace Shaheed’s playing time and targets, forcing backup quarterback Drew Lock to look heavily toward Tory Horton and Cooper Kupp to pick up the slack.
Fantasy managers using another Seattle wideout should check the final inactive list 90 minutes before the afternoon kickoff to ensure their lineups remain safe.
Eagles Lose DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks against the New York Giants after both wide receivers were ruled out.
The Eagles already made a change at quarterback, and the new starter brings something to the table against the Giants.
Shedeur Sanders Will Start for Cleveland
Deshaun Watson remains in the concussion protocol and is questionable, so the Cleveland Browns will start Shedeur Sanders at quarterback against the New Orleans Saints.
Three pass attempts this season. His previous starting experience came as a rookie in 2025, when he made seven starts and threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. The announcement updates LWOSports’ earlier report that Sanders may start with Watson sidelined.
That limited 2026 sample makes it harder to project the players catching passes for Cleveland, since managers have little evidence to estimate their target volume or efficiency with Sanders instead of Watson.
The Last Word
These Week 9 injuries cause various problems for fantasy managers, but since Ferguson, Shaheed, Smith, and Wicks are definitely out, replacements can be set well before kickoff.
All eyes are on St. Brown’s status leading up to kickoff, especially since Cleveland starting Sanders at quarterback changes how fantasy managers must view the team’s entire passing game.
Reviewing official scratch lists before the Sunday afternoon matchups lock ensures that no injured players accidentally remain in starting lineups. A delayed decision regarding St. Brown creates a major bottleneck for rosters thin at receiver, since almost no viable pivot options will be left on the bench by late afternoon.
Image credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
