Week 9 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Play or Bench Tips for Fantasy Football Owners
Well, any fantasy football owners who feel they can't score a win in Week 9 need only look at the Chicago Cubs.
Thanks to the tools at their disposal, any week is a winnable situation. So long as owners hit on trades and the waiver wire well—like Chicago Cubs team president Theo Epstein would—any lineup will have a fighting chance.
Of course, a lineup doesn't mean much without a Joe Maddon at the controls. Let's help in that endeavor below by looking at matchup value comparisons and some of the best stars to start and avoid in Week 9.
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Quarterback
| Derek Carr (vs. DEN) vs. Aaron Rodgers (vs. IND) | Aaron Rodgers |
| Blake Bortles (at KC) vs. Dak Prescott (at CLE) | Dak Prescott |
| Matt Ryan (at TB) vs. Drew Brees (at SF) | Matt Ryan |
| Andrew Luck (at GB) vs. Matthew Stafford (at MIN) | Andrew Luck |
| Philip Rivers (vs. TEN) vs. Cam Newton (at LA) | Cam Newton |
Star to Know: Philip Rivers, SD (vs. TEN)
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers hasn't posted a strong week since Week 5 when he exploded for 26 points.
Really, though, owners can only be mad about Week 7 in what looked like a shootout against the Atlanta Falcons, as his two other mediocre games came against the Denver Broncos.
Rivers gets the all clear this week against the Tennessee Titans. Maybe the game won't be a shootout, but it shouldn't matter—the Titans have allowed eight passing touchdowns over their past three games, with inferior names such as Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler doing the damage.
So, yes, Rivers will have a massive day.
Star to Sit: Matthew Stafford, DET (at MIN)
Matthew Stafford enters Week 9 as fantasy's fifth-highest scorer at quarterback.
That's great, but even Stafford has his bad days thanks to the matchup. He scored all of 13 points in Week 8 against the Houston Texans, and Stafford hasn't been the surest thing in great matchups either—he scored only seven against the lowly Chicago Bears in Week 4.
This should scare owners as the Detroit Lions head into a game against the Minnesota Vikings on the road. The Vikings allow the second-fewest points to quarterbacks on average and have allowed more than one passing touchdown in a game just once all year.
Stafford could blow up, but it is not a risk worth taking with so many streaming options available.
Running Back
| Jonathan Stewart (at LA) vs. Matt Forte (at MIA) | Matt Forte |
| Devonta Freeman (at TB) vs. Melvin Gordon (vs. TEN) | Melvin Gordon |
| Ezekiel Elliott (at CLE) vs. Frank Gore (at GB) | Ezekiel Elliott |
| Isaiah Crowell (vs. DAL) vs. Latavius Murray (vs. DEN) | Isaiah Crowell |
| Theo Riddick (at MIN) vs. Mike Gillislee (at SEA) | Mike Gillislee |
Star to Know: Jay Ajayi, MIA (vs. NYJ)
Keep riding the players with momentum until the wheels fall off.
In other words, owners can't shy away from Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi no matter what.
Week 6 was the breakout game for Ajayi, as he ran for 204 yards and two scores, good for 32 points. He followed this with 214 yards and a score in Week 7, hitting on 27 points.
After a bye to rest up, Ajayi now gets the New York Jets, who are ranked in the middle of the pack against backs this year. Call it perfect timing, as the Jets have looked shaky in recent weeks, allowing two of the past three opposing backfields to score a minimum of 21 points.
It sounds like a typical day at the office for Ajayi.
Star to Sit: Isaiah Crowell, CLE (vs. DAL)
Isaiah Crowell of the Cleveland Browns has looked good in recent weeks with a touchdown in each of his past two outings, but he doesn't qualify for the rule above about riding momentum because most typical rules don't apply to the Browns.
That sounds funny, but it's the truth. Owners can't bank on Crowell because one can never know who the team might have under center. Before he scored touchdowns in consecutive weeks, he had managed six total points over two games.
Now Crowell goes into Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, who no longer sport a laughable run defense like they had in recent years. Quite the contrary, as the unit allows the fifth-fewest points to backs on average this season and has allowed only three rushing scores.
Wide Receiver
| Amari Cooper (vs. DEN) vs. Dez Bryant (at CLE) | Dez Bryant |
| Jordy Nelson (vs. IND) vs. Terrelle Pryor Sr. (vs. DAL) | Jordy Nelson |
| Jordan Matthews (at NYG) vs. Brandin Cooks (at SF) | Jordan Matthews |
| Donte Moncrief (at GB) vs. Demaryius Thomas (at OAK) | Demaryius Thomas |
| Kelvin Benjamin (at LA) vs. Mike Evans (vs. ATL) | Mike Evans |
Star to Know: Jarvis Landry, MIA (at NYJ)
Owners might find it difficult to trust Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who is owned in 97.7 percent of leagues.
Though he's a target hog, Landry hasn't turned the opportunities into great production this year. He hasn't hit double-digit production since Week 3 and has done so only twice.
The good news? Landry's best game of the season came against the Browns in an exploitable matchup. Call it a good sign for Week 9 when his Dolphins take on the Jets.
The Jets can't stop wideouts even when the game depends on it. They allow the most points to opposing wideouts on average, having coughed up 10 scores to the position this year.
Landry's strong role in the offense should give him plenty of scoring chances against New York's weak unit.
Star to Sit: Jeremy Maclin, KC (vs. JAC)
There was a time last year when Kansas City Chiefs wideout Jeremy Maclin looked like one of the better threats at the position, which is why his ownership percentage sits north of 90.
Not anymore. Maclin scored last week, but it's nothing to write home about because it was only his second touchdown of the year, as well as his second trip to double digits. In five other outings, he failed to score more than seven points.
Talk about ruining a good matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The scenario is as great as it sounds, and Maclin leads the team in targets. But he's not first in yards, scores or even average, and he's gone over 70 yards in a game just once.
Oh, and according to BJ Kissel of the team's official website, Alex Smith won't play against Jacksonville. Down his starting quarterback during a miserable season, Maclin is one to avoid.
Tight End
| Travis Kelce (vs. JAC) vs. Antonio Gates (vs. TEN) | Travis Kelce |
| Mychal Rivera (vs. DEN) vs. Julius Thomas (at KC) | Mychal Rivera |
| Cameron Brate (vs. ATL) vs. Delanie Walker (at SD) | Cameron Brate |
| Jason Witten (at CLE) vs. Eric Ebron (at MIN) | Jason Witten |
| Gary Barnidge (vs. DAL) vs. Jimmy Graham (vs. BUF) | Jimmy Graham |
Star to Know: Kyle Rudolph, MIN (vs. DET)
Owners of Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph can't afford to give up on him yet.
He is one of the league's most athletic tight ends and is prone to big days if the offense actually pays attention to him. With Norv Turner resigning as offensive coordinator, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, owners have to hope interim coordinator Pat Shurmur will go to his tight end more.
Now would be the perfect time for Rudolph to pick up his third double-digit outing of the season against the Lions, who allow the most points to the position on average.
This was a good matchup before the change in the coaching staff. Owners have to hope the change increases the chances of a big day for Rudolph.
Star to Sit: Julius Thomas, JAC (at KC)
Many tight ends this year only matter when they find themselves in the end zone.
Jacksonville's Julius Thomas falls into this category, as he's scored eight or more points in games with touchdowns (three) while scoring 10 total in games without touchdowns (four).
This week has a terrible slate of matchups at tight end, so owners might find comfort in looking at Thomas because he has emerged with a bigger role with the Jaguars, scoring in each of his past two outings.
Chances are the Jaguars will need to pass often to keep pace with the Chiefs, so Thomas' newfound production in recent weeks could extend to cover at least one more contest—but don't bet on it.
All scoring info and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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