Start Cade Otton or Darren Waller? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Cade Otton over Darren Waller in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Cade Otton at 8.4 points and Darren Waller at 6.3, a gap of 2.1. No player market is posted for Cade Otton this week yet, so his 8.4 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (7.2, 9.5 and 8.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Darren Waller this week yet, so his 6.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (6.5, 6.4 and 6.0); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Cade Otton yet. His market-based projections were 7.2, 9.5 and 8.6 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 8.4, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

No Week 9 player market is posted for Darren Waller yet. His market-based projections were 6.5, 6.4 and 6.0 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 6.3, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts Cade Otton 2.1 points ahead of Darren Waller on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Cade Otton and TB visit CHI on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

CHI allowed 13.1 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 16th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 57 yards and 0.4 touchdowns a game against CHI.

Darren Waller and CAR host DEN on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

DEN allowed 16.0 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 9th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 65 yards and 0.6 touchdowns a game against DEN.

By points allowed to the position, Darren Waller has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Cade Otton is not on the injury report.

Darren Waller is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 7, Cade Otton played 94 percent of TB snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 13 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Cade Otton, Week 4 against GB: 60 of 64 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 37 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 5 against DAL: 66 of 72 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 25 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 6 against PIT: 74 of 74 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 4 yards.

Cade Otton, Week 7 against CAR: 56 of 63 snaps, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Through Week 8, Darren Waller played 48 percent of CAR snaps, drew 10 percent of the targets, earned 11 percent of the air yards and had 6 percent of the red zone chances.

Darren Waller, Week 4 against DET: 40 of 75 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 36 yards.

Darren Waller, Week 6 against PHI: 36 of 79 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Darren Waller, Week 7 against TB: 25 of 56 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 50 yards, 1 touchdown.

Darren Waller, Week 8 against GB: 45 of 73 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 11 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Cade Otton played 16 games for TB and scored 122.2 PPR points, 7.6 a game, finishing TE22.

He caught 59 of 81 targets for 572 yards and 1 touchdown, with 5 red zone targets and 261 air yards.

He was on the field for 93 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Darren Waller played 9 games for MIA and scored 88.7 PPR points, 9.9 a game, finishing TE33.

He caught 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets and 210 air yards.

He was on the field for 45 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Cade Otton over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Cade Otton.
• Start Cade Otton over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start AJ Barner over Darren Waller.
• Start Darren Waller over Charlie Kolar.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over Darren Waller.