You need to take into account both offset and wheel width to determine clearance with the suspension. The lower the offset the further the distance between the center of the wheel and the mounting surface, so if the width is the same the lower offset wheel will be further from the suspension.
Generally speaking lower offset wheels are a bit wider. For example, the SCS F5's in 17x8.5 are -10 offset and the 17x9 are -38 offset. Still even with the wider wheel the rim and tire will stick out farther and give more suspension clearance.
Sites like this are great for getting an idea of how the sizing with compare:
Rim & Tire Size Calculator. Custom Offsets - Wheel-Size.com
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