Week 9 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Projections for Top 10 Players at Each Position

A bevy of mismatches should result in some high-scoring fantasy contests in Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season.

The Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets face tough opponents this week. Naturally, the stars of those teams playing the NFL's worst are must-starts. But what about the lesser stars and their matchups? Will they post fantasy-worthy numbers this week?

Every matchup on the calendar has players primed to break out and post strong numbers for their teams and fantasy owners. All you have to do is start them.

Below you'll find projections for the top 10 players at each position.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Andrew Luck	IND	@ NYG	23
2	Russell Wilson	SEA	vs OAK	22
3	Tom Brady	NE	vs DEN	22
4	Peyton Manning	DEN	@ NE	21
5	Philip Rivers	SD	@ MIA	20
6	Colin Kaepernick	SF	vs STL	19
7	Andy Dalton	CIN	vs JAC	19
8	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	vs BAL	17
9	Nick Foles	PHI	@ HOU	16
10	Tony Romo	DAL	vs ARZ	16

Start: Andy Dalton vs. Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Jaguars allow the sixth-most passing yards per game, making this an ideal matchup for Andy Dalton to get back to form. He hasn't thrown a touchdown in the past two games, but the Jaguars' soft secondary should allow him to find the end zone.

Of course, getting A.J. Green back will help. NFL Network's Stacey Dales tweeted that he'll play on Sunday if he gets his way:

With his top target back to complement the surprising play of Mohamed Sanu, look for Dalton to torch the Jaguars.

Sit: Robert Griffin III at Minnesota

Colt McCoy led the Washington Redskins to a shocking win over the Dallas Cowboys in overtime on Monday night, but that doesn't mean he'll start under center this week. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport tweeted that Robert Griffin III will start against the Minnesota Vikings:

Griffin hasn't played since Week 2. He's rusty and an injury risk. While the offensive weapons around him are nice, the inconsistencies that have plagued Griffin since the end of his rookie campaign have left fantasy owners with little faith in his abilities.

That's not to say that his once promising future is no longer attainable. But for right now, there are multiple better options to start. Give RGIII a game or two to get back into the swing of things. If he stays healthy, then consider putting him in your starting lineup.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Arian Foster	HOU	vs PHI	21
2	DeMarco Murray	DAL	vs ARZ	19
3	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	vs BAL	19
4	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	vs OAK	17
5	Jamaal Charles	KC	vs NYJ	17
6	Andre Ellington	ARZ	@ DAL	15
7	Lamar Miller	MIA	vs SD	15
8	Denard Robinson	JAC	@ CIN	14
9	Ben Tate	CLE	vs TB	13
10	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND	@ NYG	13

Start: Denard Robinson at Cincinnati

Over the past four weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals have allowed 25 fantasy points per game to running backs. Denard Robinson is in a great position to post his third straight game of 100 rushing yards.

He has 235 yards and a touchdown in the past two weeks, and he has come from nowhere to overtake Jordan Todman and Toby Gerhart on the depth chart. Of course, neither back has put up even some semblance of a fight since Robinson took over.

The Jaguars will likely get blown out, but look for them to give Robinson his fair share of touches early.

Sit: LeSean McCoy at Houston

Matt York/Associated Press

LeSean McCoy has improved his ability to gain yards in the past couple of weeks, but the All-Pro running back is still struggling to find the end zone. His lone touchdown on the year came in Week 2, and the Houston Texans have allowed a grand total of four rushing touchdowns this year.

It's tough to envision yourself sitting a guy you spent your first-round pick on, but this wouldn't be a bad week to do it. A bevy of other rushers should post better fantasy numbers than McCoy this week. Roll with one of them and get McCoy back into the lineup next week.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Antonio Brown	PIT	vs BAL	17
2	Dez Bryant	DAL	vs ARZ	16
3	T.Y. Hilton	IND	@ NYG	16
4	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	@ NE	15
5	A.J. Green	CLE	vs JAC	13
6	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	@ NE	13
7	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	@ HOU	13
8	Mohamed Sanu	CIN	vs JAC	12
9	Doug Baldwin	SEA	vs OAK	11
10	Brandon LaFell	NE	vs DEN	11

Start: T.Y. Hilton at New York Giants

T.Y. Hilton has at least 105 yards in four of his last five games. The only game in which he didn't reach the century mark was a 90-yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens.

Hilton has been one of the most reliable receivers in fantasy in recent weeks, and the New York Giants are a team that could help keep his healthy stretch of production alive.

They rank 25th in the league against the pass, allowing 262 yards per game. Andrew Luck will tear this defense apart, and Hilton will be the beneficiary.

Sit: Steve Smith at Pittsburgh

Adversely, it's not a good idea to start Steve Smith. The Baltimore Ravens wideout started the season hot, but he has since cooled down.

He has just 102 yards over this last two games. The Pittsburgh Steelers allow 250.1 yards per game through the air, a mark roughly in the middle of the pack in the NFL. It's unlikely that Smith will break the trend and bust out for big yardage.

Torrey Smith has stepped up in Smith's stead. Prior to leaving Week 8 against Cincy, the wideout had grabbed three touchdowns in the previous two weeks. If he's Joe Flacco's new favorite target, then Steve Smith won't find a ton of success.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Rob Gronkowski	NE	vs DEN	14
2	Antonio Gates	SD	@ MIA	13
3	Zach Ertz	PHI	@ HOU	12
4	Julius Thomas	DEN	@ NE	12
5	Travis Kelce	KC	vs NYJ	11
6	Dwayne Allen	IND	@ NYG	10
7	Larry Donnell	NYG	vs IND	8
8	Luke Willson	SEA	vs OAK	8
9	Jordan Reed	WAS	@ MIN	6
10	Clay Harbor	JAC	@ CIN	6

Start: Travis Kelce vs. New York Jets

Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

You have to start Travis Kelce this week. The matchup should make Kelce's owners salivate.

The New York Jets defense does not play well against tight ends. The unit has allowed nine touchdowns to tight ends this season, including Scott Chandler's first touchdown of the year last week. Kelce has three scores on the year. Expect him to up that number in Week 9.

Generally not one to rack up a ton of yardage, Kelce will have an all-around big game against New York.

Sit: Jason Witten vs. Arizona

Jason Witten had five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Redskins in Week 8, but that came after a two-game stretch where he caught just four passes in total.

Witten hasn't been a fantasy stalwart like he has in years past. He's really not a weekly starter at this point, but another strong week against Arizona would make him a go-to guy for owners again.

Because we've seen no consistency from him in 2014, don't expect him to post strong numbers against Arizona.

D/STs

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	CIN	vs JAC	9
2	SEA	vs OAK	9
3	KC	vs NYJ	9
4	SF	vs STL	7
5	WAS	@ MIN	7
6	CLE	vs TB	6
7	IND	@ NYG	6
8	PHI	@ HOU	5
9	MIN	vs WAS	5
10	MIA	vs SD	5

Start: Kansas City vs. New York Jets

The stars have aligned for the Kansas City Chiefs and their fantasy owners this week.

Michael Vick will be under duress from the opening whistle. He fumbled four times (losing two) in Week 8, and the Chiefs will put immense amounts of pressure on the veteran quarterback.

Of course, the pressure won't help him improve on his horrific numbers. His 48.6 completion percentage and 3.6 yards per pass attempt rank him last of all 34 qualified quarterbacks.

The Chiefs should be the top-scoring defense this week.

Sit: Arizona at Dallas

The Cardinals defense is strong against the run, but nobody has been able to stop DeMarco Murray in 2014. Even if he doesn't post big numbers, the threat of the run will force Arizona to load the box, opening throwing lanes for Tony Romo.

Dallas abandoned the run a bit in the fourth quarter and overtime against Washington, but Murray is undoubtedly their top weapon. He'll be crucial in Week 9, even if he doesn't top the century mark again.

Arizona is bound for another week where they score less than three fantasy points.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Cairo Santos	KC	vs NYJ	12
2	Adam Vinatieri	IND	@ NYG	11
3	Phil Dawson	SF	vs STL	9
4	Mike Nugent	CIN	vs JAC	9
5	Cody Parkey	PHI	@ HOU	9
6	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	vs DEN	7
7	Steven Hauschka	SEA	vs OAK	7
8	Dan Bailey	DAL	vs ARZ	6
9	Billy Cundiff	CLE	vs TB	6
10	Blair Walsh	MIN	vs WSH	6

Start: Adam Vinatieri at New York Giants

Adam Vinatieri hasn't missed a field goal all season, and he has scored double-digit points in five of the eight weeks of the year. Consistency has been his game.

Because the Giants pass defense is so weak, Luck and Co. are going to march down the field with ease. This will definitely give Vinatieri his fair share of extra-point attempts, but drives that stall will obviously give him a chance at field goals.

This is the week for owners to plug Vinatieri in if he's available.

Sit: Nick Folk at Kansas City

With Vick under center, the Jets will struggle to move the ball.

Nick Folk has been strong this year, converting on all but one of his field-goal attempts. That doesn't mean he'll be able to overcome the ineptitude of the Jets offense.

Folk is one of those kickers best left for waivers. There doesn't appear to be anything this offense can do right now to get back to legitimacy, and Folk is someone who will feel the consequences of that.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn