The Injury Gods are wreaking havoc in Week 9 Fantasy Football, especially at the Running Back position. Just when I thought I was done covering all the crucial news in my Week 9 RB Sit Starts, D’Andre Swift got ruled out with a groin injury.
Enter: Kyle Monangai.
As the clear starter in the juiciest of matchups, the rookie runner out of Rutgers is now thrust firmly onto the Week 9 Fantasy Football streaming radar. But is he a must start this week?
Let’s dive into Kyle Monangai’s Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook.
Who is Kyle Monangai? Prospect Profile
The Bears took Kyle Monangai with the 233rd Pick in Round Seven of the 2025 NFL Draft. On a roster with only D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson, many analysts (myself included) were shocked that this was Chicago’s only addition to their backfield.
A 5’8″, 211 pound rookie out of Rutgers, Monangai doesn’t bring a ton of juice to the table. Despite his smaller size, Monangai managed just a 4.62 forty, and ultimately posted a 4.39 Relative Athletic Score (44th percentile):
Yet, what Monangai lacked in sizzle, he made up for in steak, with a highly impressive production profile.
Playing in the Big 10, Monangai faced elite competition. He played in an awful offense with an awful line, yet he still produced highly impressive numbers in back-to-back seasons:
- 270 touches 1364 yds, 14 TDs
- 250 touches, 1340 yds, 8 TDs
Monangai was the ENTIRE OFFENSE at Rutgers — the truly built the plane out of him. Also, Monangai’s 139 forced missed tackles over the past two seasons were the eighth most among FBS running backs, and he didn’t fumble once across four seasons of action with the Scarlet Knights over 670 carries
While Monangai isn’t a special athlete, he runs hard and is decisive, has zero career fumbles, and can eat volume when needed. He slides and weaves through the defense with strong shiftiness, despite his lack of a breakaway gear. Monangai is also a stout pass-protector, too.
He had a very strong camp, ultimately leaping Roschon Johnson on the depth chart. In fact, according to beat writer Ben Devine, Monangai was so impressive that his play convinced the team to stay out of the JK Dobbins / Nick Chubb sweepstakes later in the summer:
In short, despite lackluster athleticism and draft capital, Monangai is a proven producer with a high success rate. We’ve only gotten glimpses thus far, but they’ve all been quite solid.
Kyle Monangai NFL Performance Thus Far
Monangai hasn’t had a chance to flash his skills much so far, which should change drastically this weekend.
Still, his small sample of work has been impressive. His 4.4 YPC ranks in the Top-24 RBs this season, and his 5.1 Yards per Touch is 17th. Ian Hartitz put together a list of RBs with 50+ opportunities and what percent of those went for TDs, explosive plays, or avoided tackles, and Monangai ranked EIGHTH with 39.2%!
Monangai only has one game with double-digit touches thus far, but his performance suggests more work is warranted. In Week 7 with the Bears up big, Monangai saw 15 touches (13 carries, 2 touches), which he turned into 94 YFS and 1 TD. This equaled 17.4 FPs — good for an RB12 finish that week!
Ultimately, with both Swift and Johnson OUT this week, Monangai should be fed all the work he can handle. That’s especially juicy given:
Kyle Monangai Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook: MUST-Start vs. Bengals
Indeed, Monangai is a capable volume-eater who produces when given the work. With both Swift and Johnson out, he should be in line for at least 18-20 touches.
If that wasn’t enough, Monangai will be receiving this work in THE BEST possible matchup. The Bengals surrender the most points to RBs, allowing nearly 5 more points to backs than the next-closest Titans.
Just last week, Breece Hall pasted them for 31.86 Half PPR FPs… and Isaiah Davis was still able to rack up 15.4 FPs too. The week prior, Josh Jacobs erupted for 29.5 FPs. Before that, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 33.4 Half PPR FPs. JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey linked up for 28.8 FPs, while Jordan Mason also roasted them for 23.6 FPs.
The Bengals are a GOLD MINE for RBs, and Monangai is the last man standing to collect all the wealth on Sunday. Shoot, their only good defender Trey Hendrickson is listed as doubtful.
Remember, Ben Johnson LOVES to pound in TDs. He’s had a “thunder back” score 17, 13, and 12 TDs across the past three seasons. In this soft matchup, Monangai has legit 2+ TD upside.
Between his dependable running style, workhorse history, and the juicy matchup, Kyle Monangai is a MUST START in Week 9 Fantasy Football. I currently have him at RB14 in my Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings, which is +14 ECR at the moment. The floor feels incredibly high with no other competition for backfield work, while the matchup also makes the ceiling astronomical.
I cannot imagine benching Monangai in Week 9, but feel free to ask me this weekend! I’ll be doing a Reddit AMA on Saturday morning (10am – 11am ET), as well as my usual Week 9 Sit / Start Show on Sunday Morning @ 8am!
