Week 9 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Rounding Up Latest Fantasy Expert Advice on the Web
Thursday night's Week 9 opener between the New York Jets and Houston Texans might have served as a turning point for both teams. Injuries at receiver finally appear to be catching up to Houston, while the Jets finally found the desired connection between Aaron Rodgers and his pass-catchers.
The game provided fantasy managers with plenty of information too. Texans wideout Tank Dell showed that he can shine as the passing game's focal point, even against a terrific defense. Rookie running back Braelon Allen was once again underutilized in the Jets' running game.
With 14 games remaining on this week's schedule—the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers are on bye—managers face several more difficult decisions about who to start and bench.
Here, we'll examine some of the more difficult remaining matchups and dive into some of the latest expert fantasy advice from around the web.
Start: Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
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To be clear, managers with a loaded RB lineup may want to push Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs to the sideline this week. The status of quarterback Jordan Love (groin) remains uncertain, and Jacobs faces a very tough Detroit Lions run defense.
The Lions have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.
RotoBaller's Quincy Milton III suggests tempering expectations for Jacobs because of the matchup:
"The Lions' excellent defensive front is going to have no problem traveling to Green Bay. Therefore, Jacobs may be a lower-end RB2 or even a flex play in Week 9," Milton wrote.
However, Jacobs shouldn't be benched in favor of a middling depth player or questionable waiver-wire add. He's been a high-volume back in Green Bay and is coming off of a 25-carry outing.
Last week, Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard tallied 117 scrimmage yards on 23 touches. Jacobs is a better pure runner than Pollard, and volume should get him to a reasonable stat line.
"Expect running back Josh Jacobs to be hard to tackle," ESPN's Rob Demovsky wrote. "He has the second-most rushing yards after contract in the NFL this season, behind only the Ravens' Derrick Henry."
This might not be a great week for Jacobs, but he's still a viable flex option.
Sit: Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
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After topping 100 scrimmage yards in two of his previous three games, Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams had a very disappointing outing in Week 9. He did catch four passes against a bad Carolina Panthers defense, but he produced just 52 scrimmage yards on 21 touches.
Williams' up-and-down play has been an issue for fantasy managers because he doesn't have the highest point-per-reception (PPR) floor. He's averaged three receptions per game, which isn't nothing. However, he's not the sort of volume receiver who can overcome bad matchups.
The Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs, will provide a bad matchup. Williams faced another one against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 and finished with three catches, 36 scrimmage yards and a fumble.
At this point in the season, Williams looks like a matchup-based streaming option who simply can't be trusted on a weekly basis.
"One thing we have seen for sure, though, is that you can get away from him when he draws tough defenses," NFL.com's Michael Florio wrote.
Expect the Broncos to attack Baltimore's vulnerable secondary, something the Cleveland Browns did successfully in Week 8. With Jaleel McLaughlin and Bo Nix both threats to steal carries, Williams is likely to disappoint again.
Start: Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills
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Like Thursday's game, Sunday's matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins could be critical for both teams. Buffalo can nearly put a lock on the AFC West with a victory, while the 2-5 Dolphins could be essentially done with a loss.
Given the importance of the matchup, Bills receiver Khalil Shakir should be a safe play even against a good defense. Miami has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers, but Buffalo's offense has surged since the arrival of Amari Cooper.
Cooper hasn't had a huge game for the Bills yet, but he's drawn attention away from other Bills pass-catchers. Quarterback Josh Allen has a knack for beating Miami's defense, and Shakir can capitalize on the lack of defensive attention.
"Shakir has been the best vs. zone, and the Dolphins use zone at the seventh-highest rate," Florio wrote.
In the first meeting between these two teams, Shakir caught five passes for 54 yards. That's a respectable stat line in PPR formats, but he should be even more productive this week. Buffalo jumped out to an early lead in that game, and Allen ended up only attempting 19 passes.
With Tua Tagovailoa back behind center for the Dolphins, Buffalo should deliver a higher passing volume in the rematch.
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Sit: Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
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Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman has had a couple of strong fantasy outings this season, including a 121-yard performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. However, he's also had five games with fewer than four receptions and 55 receiving yards.
Jack McKessy of USA Today believes that Baltimore's trade for Diontae Johnson is most likely to negatively impact Bateman:
"Now that Johnson is headed to Baltimore, Bateman may be relegated to a No. 3 wide receiver in the Ravens' offense going forward. And given his bad, fourth-quarter drop in a frustrating loss in Week 8, it's unclear how much quarterback Lamar Jackson will trust him moving forward."
Johnson probably won't play a significant role, if any, this week given his recent arrival. However, this is still a very concerning matchup for Bateman. The Broncos have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers in 2024, and they often do their best defensive work on the perimeter.
If the Ravens are going to find success in the passing game, it'll likely come with tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews, along with a heavy dose of Zay Flowers in the slot. Baltimore should also look to get Derrick Henry going on the ground, something it failed to do (11 carries) against Cleveland.
It's likely to be a quiet day for Bateman.
*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.
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