Start Colston Loveland or Chig Okonkwo? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Colston Loveland over Chig Okonkwo in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Colston Loveland at 10.3 points and Chig Okonkwo at 7.5, a gap of 2.8. No player market is posted for Colston Loveland this week yet, so his 10.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (9.6, 10.5 and 10.9); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Chig Okonkwo this week yet, so his 7.5 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6 and 8 (6.6 and 8.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Colston Loveland at ADP 71 and Chig Okonkwo at 230.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Colston Loveland yet. His market-based projections were 9.6, 10.5 and 10.9 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 10.3, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

No Week 9 player market is posted for Chig Okonkwo yet. His market-based projections were 6.6 and 8.3 points in Weeks 6 and 8, an average of 7.5, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts Colston Loveland 2.8 points ahead of Chig Okonkwo on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Colston Loveland and CHI host TB on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

TB allowed 16.2 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 8th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 62 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against TB.

Chig Okonkwo and WAS host LAR on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

LAR allowed 10.2 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 5th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 42 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against LAR.

By points allowed to the position, Colston Loveland has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Colston Loveland is not on the injury report.

Chig Okonkwo is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 7, Colston Loveland played 86 percent of CHI snaps, drew 19 percent of the targets, earned 17 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

Colston Loveland, Week 4 against NYJ: 86 of 93 snaps, 9 targets and 6 catches for 57 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 5 against GB: 55 of 69 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 6 against ATL: 68 of 77 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 65 yards, 1 touchdown.

Colston Loveland, Week 7 against NE: 58 of 69 snaps, 12 targets and 7 catches for 69 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 8, Chig Okonkwo played 65 percent of WAS snaps, drew 16 percent of the targets, earned 13 percent of the air yards and had 3 percent of the red zone chances.

Chig Okonkwo, Week 4 against IND: 37 of 64 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 5 yards.

Chig Okonkwo, Week 5 against NYG: 44 of 62 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 60 yards.

Chig Okonkwo, Week 6 against SF: 51 of 67 snaps, 7 targets and 7 catches for 69 yards.

Chig Okonkwo, Week 8 against PHI: 4 targets and 2 catches for 32 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Colston Loveland played 16 games for CHI and scored 165.1 PPR points, 10.3 a game, finishing TE12.

He caught 58 of 82 targets for 713 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 463 air yards.

He was on the field for 63 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Chig Okonkwo played 17 games for TEN and scored 124.0 PPR points, 7.3 a game, finishing TE21.

He caught 56 of 79 targets for 560 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 5 red zone targets and 218 air yards.

He was on the field for 62 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Colston Loveland over Brenton Strange.
• Start Colston Loveland over Cade Otton.
• Start Colston Loveland over Dallas Goedert.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start Cade Otton over Chig Okonkwo.