Start Emeka Egbuka or Devaughn Vele? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Emeka Egbuka over Devaughn Vele in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Emeka Egbuka at 11.1 points and Devaughn Vele at 10.4, a gap of 0.7. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. 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. Drafters take Emeka Egbuka at ADP 36 and Devaughn Vele at 213.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 11.1 fantasy points for Emeka Egbuka, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Emeka Egbuka is 52 receiving yards, 3-4 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (11, 8 and 9 market sources).

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 0.2 touchdowns (7 market sources).

That puts Emeka Egbuka 0.7 points ahead of Devaughn Vele on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Emeka Egbuka and TB visit CHI on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

CHI allowed 30.5 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 16th most in the league.

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

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

CLE allowed 29.3 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 12th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 137 yards and 0.9 touchdowns a game against CLE.

By points allowed to the position, Emeka Egbuka has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Emeka Egbuka is listed as questionable with a foot injury.

Devaughn Vele is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 6, Emeka Egbuka played 86 percent of TB snaps, drew 26 percent of the targets, earned 33 percent of the air yards and had 14 percent of the red zone chances.

Emeka Egbuka, Week 3 against MIN: 51 of 69 snaps, 9 targets and 5 catches for 62 yards.

Emeka Egbuka, Week 4 against GB: 59 of 64 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 13 yards.

Emeka Egbuka, Week 5 against DAL: 64 of 72 snaps, 1 carry for 14 yards, 9 targets and 6 catches for 38 yards, 1 touchdown.

Emeka Egbuka, Week 6 against PIT: 64 of 74 snaps, 16 targets and 7 catches for 48 yards, 1 touchdown.

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.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Emeka Egbuka played 17 games for TB and scored 195.7 PPR points, 11.5 a game, finishing WR23.

He caught 63 of 127 targets for 938 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 11 red zone targets and 603 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

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.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start A.J. Brown over Emeka Egbuka.
• Start Emeka Egbuka over Denzel Boston.
• Start Emeka Egbuka over DJ Moore.
• Start Chris Godwin Jr. over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Courtland Sutton over Devaughn Vele.
• Start Denzel Boston over Devaughn Vele.