Start Adonai Mitchell or Jalen Royals? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Jalen Royals over Adonai Mitchell in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Jalen Royals at 6.0 points and Adonai Mitchell at 6.0, a gap of 0.0. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Jalen Royals this week yet, so his 6.0 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6 and 7 (6.2 and 5.7); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Adonai Mitchell this week yet, so his 6.0 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 7 and 8 (6.5 and 5.4); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Jalen Royals yet. His market-based projections were 6.2 and 5.7 points in Weeks 6 and 7, an average of 6.0, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

No Week 9 player market is posted for Adonai Mitchell yet. His market-based projections were 6.5 and 5.4 points in Weeks 7 and 8, an average of 6.0, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts Jalen Royals 0.0 points ahead of Adonai Mitchell on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Jalen Royals and KC host NYJ on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

NYJ allowed 28.5 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 9th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 121 yards and 1.1 touchdowns a game against NYJ.

Adonai Mitchell and NYJ visit KC on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

KC allowed 24.9 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 121 yards and 0.3 touchdowns a game against KC.

By points allowed to the position, Jalen Royals has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Jalen Royals is not on the injury report.

Adonai Mitchell is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Jalen Royals played 43 percent of KC snaps, drew 6 percent of the targets, earned 6 percent of the air yards and had 3 percent of the red zone chances.

Jalen Royals, Week 4 against LV: 38 of 60 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Jalen Royals, Week 6 against LAC: 45 of 61 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 24 yards.

Jalen Royals, Week 7 against SEA: 36 of 53 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Jalen Royals, Week 8 against DEN: 22 of 69 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 4 yards.

Through Week 8, Adonai Mitchell played 65 percent of NYJ snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 45 percent of the air yards and had 7 percent of the red zone chances.

Adonai Mitchell, Week 1 against TEN: 46 of 67 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 60 yards.

Adonai Mitchell, Week 2 against GB: 61 of 74 snaps, 12 targets and 6 catches for 63 yards.

Adonai Mitchell, Week 7 against MIA: 26 of 59 snaps, 3 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Adonai Mitchell, Week 8 against LV: 39 of 64 snaps, 9 targets and 7 catches for 142 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Jalen Royals played 7 games for KC and scored 2.4 PPR points, 0.3 a game.

He caught 2 of 3 targets for 4 yards and 0 touchdowns, with 0 red zone targets and 0 air yards.

He was on the field for 9 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Adonai Mitchell played 16 games for NYJ and scored 87.9 PPR points, 5.5 a game, finishing WR73.

He caught 33 of 74 targets for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets and 373 air yards.

He was on the field for 50 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Cooper Kupp over Jalen Royals.
• Start DeMario Douglas over Jalen Royals.
• Start Jalen Royals over Efton Chism III.
• Start Cooper Kupp over Adonai Mitchell.
• Start DeMario Douglas over Adonai Mitchell.
• Start Adonai Mitchell over Efton Chism III.