Start Chris Godwin Jr. or Devaughn Vele? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Devaughn Vele in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Chris Godwin Jr. at 9.6 points and Devaughn Vele at 10.4, a gap of 0.8. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Chris Godwin Jr. still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 82 against 213, and that outweighs a gap this size. No player market is posted for Chris Godwin Jr. this week yet, so his 9.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (7.2, 10.9 and 10.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Devaughn Vele this week yet, so his 10.4 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6 and 7 (10.4 and 10.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Devaughn Vele yet. His market-based projections were 10.4 and 10.3 points in Weeks 6 and 7, an average of 10.4, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

The market-based projection for Devaughn Vele is 0.3 touchdowns (5 market sources).

No Week 9 player market is posted for Chris Godwin Jr. yet. His market-based projections were 7.2, 10.9 and 10.6 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 9.6, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts Devaughn Vele 0.8 points ahead of Chris Godwin Jr. on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Devaughn Vele and NO host CLE on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CLE allowed 31.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 14th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 150 yards and a touchdown a game against CLE.

Chris Godwin Jr. and TB visit CHI on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

CHI allowed 29.2 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 10th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 149 yards and 0.9 touchdowns a game against CHI.

By points allowed to the position, Devaughn Vele has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Devaughn Vele is not on the injury report.

Chris Godwin Jr. is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 7, Devaughn Vele played 91 percent of NO snaps, drew 18 percent of the targets, earned 24 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

Devaughn Vele, Week 4 against ATL: 66 of 74 snaps, 9 targets and 6 catches for 54 yards, 1 touchdown.

Devaughn Vele, Week 5 against MIN: 43 of 45 snaps, 6 targets and 4 catches for 26 yards.

Devaughn Vele, Week 6 against NYG: 66 of 72 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 42 yards.

Devaughn Vele, Week 7 against PIT: 51 of 57 snaps, 5 targets and 5 catches for 54 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 8, Chris Godwin Jr. played 73 percent of TB snaps, drew 43 percent of the targets, earned 12 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

Chris Godwin Jr., Week 7 against CAR: 46 of 63 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 27 yards.

Chris Godwin Jr., Week 8 against ATL: 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Devaughn Vele played 13 games for NO and scored 66.3 PPR points, 5.1 a game, finishing WR95.

He caught 25 of 39 targets for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 4 red zone targets and 259 air yards.

He was on the field for 51 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Chris Godwin Jr. played 9 games for TB and scored 83.0 PPR points, 9.2 a game, finishing WR78.

He caught 33 of 51 targets for 360 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets and 154 air yards.

He was on the field for 71 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Chris Godwin Jr., Week 18 of 2025 against CAR: 47 of 67 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 8 yards, 1.8 PPR points.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Denzel Boston over Devaughn Vele.
• Start DJ Moore over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Jameson Williams over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Courtland Sutton over Chris Godwin Jr..
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Darius Cooper.
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Denzel Boston.