Should I start Deshaun Watson or Justin Herbert in Week 9?
Updated Nov 3, 4:36 AM ET. Week 10 answers post Tuesday.
Week 9 verdict
Start Deshaun Watson over Justin Herbert
- Market projects
- 15.2
- recent weeks avg
- NO D vs QB
- 17.8
- 15th most to QBs (2026)
- Snap share
- 100%
- Through Week 8
- Market projects
- 12.9
- recent weeks avg
- HOU D vs QB
- 18.5
- 11th most to QBs (2026)
- Snap share
- 100%
- Through Week 8
Start Deshaun Watson over Justin Herbert in Week 9: 15.2 to 12.9 PPR points a game over recent weeks.
Should I drop Justin Herbert for Deshaun Watson?
Not on these numbers alone. Justin Herbert projects 125 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (13.9 a game over 9 games) and Deshaun Watson 126 (15.8 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Deshaun Watson over Justin Herbert.
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Your next move
More fantasy football tools and rankings, all built from the same board.
Neither man carries a season projection right now, so this is their usage this season and their last full season's numbers, side by side.
QB15 · CLE · bye 11
2026 vs pass yds line 5-3
- Market-based projection
- 15.4 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 115
QB21 · LAC · bye 7
2026 vs pass yds line 3-4
- Market-based projection
- 16.2 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 145
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The gap
- Board size297 draftable players
Draft data is not current for these two, so the figures that depend on it are left out. The call above comes from each player's usage.
Where the draft room stands
Live drafts hold no current pick on Deshaun Watson, and the board ranks him 115th overall on the rest of his evidence.
Live drafts hold no current pick on Justin Herbert, and the board ranks him 145th overall on the rest of his evidence.
By format he goes standard: ADP 23; 2QB: ADP 12.
The market-based projections
The market-based projection for Deshaun Watson is 1.7 PPR points a game off 1 market across 1 market source. That is 0 percent of what a quarterback's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
The market-based projection for Justin Herbert is 1.1 PPR points a game off 1 market across 1 market source. That is 0 percent of what a quarterback's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
Deshaun Watson's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.
This season through Week 8
Through Week 8, Deshaun Watson has been on the field for 100 percent of CLE snaps, dropped back 306 times and thrown 7.2 air yards an attempt.
He has been sacked or hit on 65 of 306 dropbacks and scrambled 24 times.
In Week 6 against BAL he completed 16 of 26 passes for 164 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 8 times for 29 yards.
In Week 7 against TEN he completed 25 of 36 passes for 308 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 3 times for 19 yards.
In Week 8 against PIT he completed 27 of 39 passes for 324 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 2 times for 3 yards.
Through Week 8, Justin Herbert has been on the field for 100 percent of LAC snaps, dropped back 255 times and thrown 7.4 air yards an attempt.
He has been sacked or hit on 48 of 255 dropbacks and scrambled 22 times.
In Week 5 against DEN he completed 14 of 23 passes for 121 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception and ran 6 times for 54 yards.
In Week 6 against KC he completed 22 of 37 passes for 204 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 5 times for 26 yards.
In Week 8 against LAR he completed 24 of 31 passes for 257 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and ran 4 times for 15 yards.
Their 2025 seasons
The season feed carries no line for Deshaun Watson in the last completed season.
In 2025 Justin Herbert played 16 games and scored 299.9 PPR points, 18.7 a game, finishing QB10.
He threw for 3727 yards on 512 attempts with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and ran for 498 yards and 2 touchdowns.
That came to 32.0 attempts a game at 7.3 yards an attempt.
He was on the field for 97 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
Head to head
Their snap share this season is the same, 100 percent each.
Their target share this season is the same, 0 percent each.
Byes and availability
Deshaun Watson is off in Week 11 and Justin Herbert in Week 7, so either can cover the other's bye.
Drop or keep
Should I drop Justin Herbert for Deshaun Watson?
Not on these numbers alone. Justin Herbert projects 125 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (13.9 a game over 9 games) and Deshaun Watson 126 (15.8 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Deshaun Watson over Justin Herbert.
Should I drop Deshaun Watson for Justin Herbert?
Not on these numbers alone. Deshaun Watson projects 126 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (15.8 a game over 8 games) and Justin Herbert 125 (13.9 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it. For Week 9 the call starts Deshaun Watson over Justin Herbert.
Both players in full
Week 9 on the board
- Is Deshaun Watson playing Week 9?
- Is Justin Herbert playing Week 9?
- Browns depth chart
- Chargers depth chart
- Week 9 QB rankings
- Week 9 fantasy rankings
- Week 9 start or sit
- Week 9 waiver wire
- Week 9 trade value chart
- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 9
- Waiver wire pickups
- Fantasy sleepers
- Rest of season rankings
- Week 9 kicker rankings
- Week 9 defense rankings
