The Best Fantasy Football Starts at Every Position for NFL Week 9

Week 9 of the NFL and fantasy footballs season is filled with lopsided matchups that should make it a rather high-scoring week for some of the top fantasy players.

For example, Aaron Rodgers faces the Arizona Cardinals, LeSean McCoy takes on the New Orleans Saints and Calvin Johnson goes up against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While these are certainly great matchups, they aren't the best starts for their respective positions.

The players that follow, however, are the best matchups for Week 9 and are guaranteed to score you major points this week.

Quarterback: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

After Matt Ryan lit up the Philadelphia Eagles for 262 yards and three touchdowns last week, Drew Brees should have no difficulty racking up points against this secondary. The Eagles are quickly becoming unstable on the defensive side of the ball, and Brees should get plenty of opportunities to succeed.

A slow start to the season is all but a distant memory now, as Brees is quickly moving up the rankings of top-scoring quarterbacks in fantasy football. He has 13 touchdowns in his last four games, with only three interceptions in the same span.

Look for the Saints to put plenty of points of the board this week and for Brees to be the catalyst of those points.

Bonus Sleeper Pick: Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert is coming off a 300-yard game against the Green Bay Packers last week, and he gets an even worse defense this week in the Detroit Lions. While it may be difficult to trust a player like Gabbert in your starting lineup, this matchup is about as good as it can get for the second-year quarterback.

Running Back: Arian Foster, Houston Texans

Arian Foster is always up for the honor of being the best start in fantasy football, but his matchup in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills should makes owners' mouths salivate.

Not only is Buffalo giving up 176.9 rushing yards per game—the most in the NFL—but it's also given up 13 rushing touchdowns, four more than any other team. This is the type of matchup for Foster where he has the ability to carry a team to victory on his own.

He should be used often on the ground, as well as through the air, and should have no difficulty putting massive points on the board this week.

Bonus Sleeper Pick: Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns

The Baltimore Ravens are giving up over 140 rushing yards a game—a rather surprising number for a unit long considered one of the better units in the league.

While Richardson hasn't been as consistent as many expected this year, he is coming off a 122-yard performance with a touchdown. If the Browns want any chance in winning this week, they'll feature a heavy dose of Richardson, which is good for fantasy owners.

Wide Receiver: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Few receivers have been as dynamic as A.J. Green has been for the Cincinnati Bengals this season. If he isn't already considered one of the top three receivers in the league, it won't be too much longer until he is.

While a one-on-one matchup with Champ Bailey isn't ideal this week, I still expect Green to have an incredible game for fantasy football owners. He's averaging nearly 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in each of his games this season.

Bailey certainly has the ability to shutdown Green, but I believe that Green's combination of size, speed and athleticism ultimately gives him an advantage this week. Look for Andy Dalton to look Green's way quite often and for Green to reward his owners with the top-scoring week for wide receivers.

Bonus Sleeper Pick: Titus Young, Detroit Lions

With Nate Burleson getting injured in Week 7, it didn't take long for Titus Young to replace his production. In Week 8, Young had nine receptions, 100 yards and two touchdowns in a victory against the quality secondary of the Seattle Seahawks.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars on the schedule this week, Young could surpass his totals from last week—especially if Jacksonville focuses on slowing down Calvin Johnson.

Tight End: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

How can you not rank Jason Witten as the top tight end this week after his 18-reception performance from last week?

The Atlanta Falcons have one of the better defenses against the pass in the NFL, but Tony Romo consistently looks towards Witten, which is pure gold for tight ends in fantasy football. The Dallas Cowboys will also be looking to revenge a heartbreaking loss last week to the New York Giants.

While Witten isn't likely to record another 18 receptions this week, he should once again be Romo's favorite target and have a solid week.

Bonus Sleeper Pick: Dallas Clark, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Few offenses have been as potent in recent week as Tampa Bay, and this week should be no different with a matchup against the Oakland Raiders this week.

While Dallas Clark hasn't consistently impacted the offensive side of the ball this year, he does have eight receptions, 91 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks. With some of the top tight ends off this week, Clark has the potential to put up some quality numbers off the bench.

Kicker: Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

After a slow start to the season, the Green Bay Packers have been one of the most potent offenses in recent weeks. Aaron Rodgers is getting back to his 2011 MVP form, and even Alex Green is starting to move the ball on the ground.

With the Arizona Cardinals traveling to Green Bay on Sunday, the Packers should have no difficulty putting points on the board. That means that Mason Crosby will put up points in the bunches this week.

Bonus Sleeper Pick: Rian Lindell, Buffalo Bills

A game with the Houston Texans isn't the best matchup for a kicker, but Buffalo put 34 points on the board in Week 7. The Bills had a bye last week, so they've had extra time to prepare for whatever Houston throws their way.

Look for Buffalo to be competitive this week and for Rian Lindell to have an opportunity to score in a number of ways.

Defense: Chicago Bears

Until another defense proves to be capable of preventing points from being scored like the Chicago Bears do, they'll be the best defensive start for the remainder of the season.

With Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs playing like Defensive Players of the Year candidates, any offense is going to have a difficult time scoring on the Bears. This is especially true for an offense like the Tennessee Titans, with Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback and Chris Johnson struggling to run the football.

Bonus Sleeper Pick: Indianapolis Colts

If the Indianapolis Colts can jump out to an early lead against the Miami Dolphins and force Miami to throw the ball, they could have a rather quality week for fantasy football. Ryan Tannehill hasn't been forced to throw the ball a ton this year, so he could struggle attempting to keep up with Andrew Luck.