Start Dalton Schultz or Chig Okonkwo? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Dalton Schultz over Chig Okonkwo in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Dalton Schultz at 9.3 points and Chig Okonkwo at 7.5, a gap of 1.8. 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 Dalton Schultz at ADP 228 and Chig Okonkwo at 230.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 9.3 fantasy points for Dalton Schultz, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Dalton Schultz is 0.3 touchdowns (4 market sources).

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 Dalton Schultz 1.8 points ahead of Chig Okonkwo on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Dalton Schultz and HOU visit LAC on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAC allowed 10.2 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 7 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 52 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against LAC.

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

LAR allowed 10.6 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 8 games, the 7th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 46 yards and 0.1 touchdowns a game against LAR.

By points allowed to the position, Chig Okonkwo has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Dalton Schultz is not on the injury report.

Chig Okonkwo is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 7, Dalton Schultz played 58 percent of HOU snaps, drew 19 percent of the targets, earned 11 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Dalton Schultz, Week 4 against DAL: 35 of 55 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 9 yards.

Dalton Schultz, Week 5 against TEN: 34 of 66 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 30 yards.

Dalton Schultz, Week 6 against JAX: 25 of 63 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 33 yards.

Dalton Schultz, Week 7 against NYG: 35 of 61 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 45 yards.

Through Week 8, Chig Okonkwo played 67 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: 46 of 60 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 32 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Dalton Schultz played 17 games for HOU and scored 177.7 PPR points, 10.5 a game, finishing TE10.

He caught 82 of 106 targets for 777 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets and 419 air yards.

He was on the field for 72 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 Dalton Schultz over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Dalton Schultz.
• Start Dalton Schultz over Cade Otton.
• Start Chig Okonkwo over AJ Barner.
• Start Brenton Strange over Chig Okonkwo.
• Start Cade Otton over Chig Okonkwo.