Should I start Harold Fannin Jr. or Ladd McConkey this week? Week 9 PPR (2026)

THE FF CALL

Slight lean: Harold Fannin Jr.

+0.5 projected edge · PPR

Start Harold Fannin Jr. over Ladd McConkey for Week 9 PPR: 12.4 projected points versus 11.9.

Harold Fannin Jr.: 12.8 FP recent scoring average.
Harold Fannin Jr.: 3.75% matchup lift against NO.

Forecast updated Nov 5, 2026, 12:59 PM ET · PPR

FF PICK

Harold Fannin Jr.

TE · CLEStats & schedule

12.4FF projected

↑ +0.9 vs ESPN

at NO

Sun 1:00 PM ET

THE ALTERNATIVE

Ladd McConkey

WR · LACStats & schedule

11.9FF projected

↑ +1.1 vs ESPN

vs HOU

Sun 4:05 PM ET

Why this pick?

Harold Fannin Jr.

Fortified12.4

ESPN11.5

Sleeper11.4

FantasyPros11.8

Harold Fannin Jr. faces NO in Week 9. Recent scoring average: 12.8 fantasy points. The position-specific defensive matchup adjusts the forecast up 3.75%.

Ladd McConkey

Fortified11.9

ESPN10.8

Sleeper12.9

FantasyPros11.2

Ladd McConkey faces HOU in Week 9. Recent scoring average: 7.7 fantasy points. The position-specific defensive matchup adjusts the forecast up 5%.

Harold Fannin Jr. projects for 12.4 points in PPR scoring, 0.5 more than Ladd McConkey. The gap is small; late injury news or your league’s scoring can change the choice.

Updated Nov 5, 2026, 12:59 PM ET. Projections can change before kickoff.

THE MATCHUP, IN CONTEXT

What separates Harold Fannin Jr. and Ladd McConkey?

Harold Fannin Jr. holds a 0.5 FP projected edge over Ladd McConkey. Read that as an expected-points preference, not a promise that he will finish higher.

The available estimates disagree: ESPN, FantasyPros lean toward Harold Fannin Jr., while Sleeper leans toward Ladd McConkey. That disagreement is a reason to examine the matchup and availability rather than count providers as votes.

Harold Fannin Jr.

Harold Fannin Jr. has a 12.4 FP forecast in PPR at NO. His recorded recent scoring average is 12.8 FP, putting this forecast 0.4 points below that average. The position-specific defensive adjustment raises the FF estimate by 3.75%; it is already included in the projection.

Ladd McConkey

Ladd McConkey has a 11.9 FP forecast in PPR against HOU. His recorded recent scoring average is 7.7 FP, putting this forecast 4.3 points above that average. The position-specific defensive adjustment raises the FF estimate by 5%; it is already included in the projection.

Compare the saved forecasts side by side

Source	Harold Fannin Jr.	Ladd McConkey	Projected edge
ESPN	11.5 FP	10.8 FP	Harold Fannin Jr. +0.7
Sleeper	11.4 FP	12.9 FP	Ladd McConkey +1.5
FantasyPros	11.8 FP	11.2 FP	Harold Fannin Jr. +0.6

Model save times and conditional-input notes are listed in Why this pick. These forecasts use the selected scoring preset; they do not replace custom league rules.

Before the first kickoff. Harold Fannin Jr.: Sun 1:00 PM ET. Ladd McConkey: Sun 4:05 PM ET. If a questionable player has the later kickoff, keep an eligible later-game replacement available. Where your league allows it, putting a later-game starter in FLEX can preserve swap options.

This is a lineup choice, not an instruction to drop the other player. For bye coverage, roster moves and your league’s actual playoff weeks, build your GamePlan ↗.

Your next decision

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Scoring & lineup notes

PPR awards one point per reception; half-PPR awards 0.5; standard awards none. Custom league rules can change the result. Confirm active status, kickoff and lineup locks. Projections are estimates; completed-week scores are actuals.

FORTIFIED RANKINGS · Rankings position

FLEX. The bigger picture.

Ranked by FF expected points. Displayed ties favor the higher FF-minus-ESPN margin. Medians and ranges add context.

FF expected pointsMedian · when availableWindow: experimental middle 80%● ESPN● Sleeper● FantasyPros

3 shown · common FP scale

22.127.7

FF MEAN

1
Jahmyr GibbsRB · DET vs MIASun 1:00 PM ETRange unavailable
Mean 27.7Range unavailable
Median unavailable
ESPN 26.5Sleeper 25.8FantasyPros 26.1
27.7Expected FP
2
Puka NacuaWR · LAR vs WASSun 1:00 PM ETRange unavailable
Mean 24.9Range unavailable
Median unavailable
ESPN 24.1Sleeper 23.1FantasyPros 24.1
24.9Expected FP
3
Jaxon Smith-NjigbaWR · SEA vs ARISun 4:25 PM ETRange unavailable
Mean 24.1Range unavailable
Median unavailable
ESPN 22.1Sleeper 24.0FantasyPros 23.1
24.1Expected FP

How the forecast and ranges work

FF uses position-specific provider weights, rescored CBS and FFToday stats, and the existing bounded form, defense and metric adjustments. Saved Boosted Trees and Workload have bounded model influence when available. Monte Carlo supplies the distribution; it does not get a duplicate mean vote.

Every player is ranked by the FF expected score (mean), whether or not a simulation distribution is available. Equal displayed scores use the higher FF-minus-ESPN margin when both ESPN forecasts are known, then unrounded FF, a comparable FantasyPros/Sleeper estimate, and stable identity order if still level. This tiebreaker is not a measured probability of beating ESPN. The median marker is additional information and never changes the order. Missing or availability-conditional ranges do not switch the ranking statistic. The window shows the experimental middle 80% (P10–P90), rather than the difference between two model means. Its observed coverage under this new version is still collecting. Availability-conditional distributions are labeled and are not shifted to a different center.

Missing sources and incompatible scoring are excluded. Bye and confirmed unavailable players remain excluded. ESPN, Sleeper and FantasyPros are the benchmark markers. The common scale covers the displayed outcome windows and available benchmarks.

YOUR LINEUP · A CLOSER LOOK

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WR · Week 9