Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 9: Lineup Advice, Stars to Exploit and Sleeper Options
Thanks to six teams on a bye and days removed from one of the worst injury-plagued weekends in recent memory, fantasy football owners have tough decisions when it comes to Week 9 start 'em, sit 'em decisions.
Week 8 provided the usual lessons. Stars such as Drew Brees and Eli Manning put on shows with 46 and 38 points, respectively, thanks to great matchups. Those who elected to roll with a sleeper such as Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr received 29 points as a reward.
With injuries and byes coming into play more than ever before, owners must dig deeper for the stars to exploit and sleepers. Here's a value comparison of some of the top options, plus a deeper dive on names to consider.
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
QB
| Tom Brady (vs. WAS) vs. Philip Rivers (vs. CHI) | Tom Brady |
| Andy Dalton (vs. CLE) vs. Aaron Rodgers (at CAR) | Andy Dalton |
| Blake Bortles (at NYJ) vs. Cam Newton (vs. IND) | Cam Newton |
| Eli Manning (at TB) vs. Matt Ryan (at SF) | Matt Ryan |
| Ryan Tannehill (at BUF) vs. Drew Brees (vs. TEN) | Drew Brees |
Star to Exploit: Eli Manning, New York Giants (at TB)
It's never wise to sleep on Manning of the New York Giants.
The 38 points is great, but it shouldn't overshadow the fact he's scored 18 or more in five games this year. Art Stapleton of the Record summed up the situation best:
This isn't a knee-jerk reaction, either—Manning simply sits in the best Week 9 matchup thanks to an encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That defense entered Week 8 allowing the fourth-most points to quarterbacks and surrendered 19 more to Matt Ryan.
For Manning, that's the floor.
Sleeper: Kirk Cousins, Washington (at NE)
It's even easier to discredit Washington starter Kirk Cousins, but he's scored 21 or more points twice this year.
While he's hit or miss, owners can strike gold with Cousins in the right matchup. He has it in Week 9 coming out of a bye thanks to a trip to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots.
There, Cousins faces a defense that has let up 18 or more points over four of its first six games, a good sign for Cousins owners as he figures to throw it quite often in an effort to keep up.
RB
| Devonta Freeman (at SF) vs. Mark Ingram (vs. TEN) | Devonta Freeman |
| Chris Ivory (vs. JAC) vs. Doug Martin (vs. NYG) | Chris Ivory |
| Danny Woodhead (vs. CHI) vs. Adrian Peterson (vs. STL) | Adrian Peterson |
| Lamar Miller (at BUF) vs. Latavius Murray (at PIT) | Lamar Miller |
| DeMarco Murray (at DAL) vs. Giovani Bernard (vs. CLE) | Giovani Bernard |
Star to Exploit: Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. CLE)
Giovani Bernard has seen most of the usage in the Cincinnati Bengals backfield this season both because of game flow and due to his pass-catching abilities.
It's a big part of the reason Bernard has four double-digit outings to his name this year and looks like a great play against the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns allowed the second-most points to backs entering Week 8, a weakness the Bengals will surely exploit on a short turnaround for a Thursday Night Football contest.
Look for Bernard to be a big part of the plan and score well.
Sleeper: Antonio Andrews, Tennessee Titans (at NO)
Antonio Andrews of the Tennessee Titans hasn't posted a major game yet, but he does tout a pair of double-digit outbursts this season and continues to see increased usage as he earns playing time.
This past weekend, Andrews posted 82 total yards in a game the Titans couldn't even muster a touchdown. The lead back, or majority committee holder at worst when David Cobb returns, Andrews now enters a favorable matchup in Week 9 against the Saints.
Those Saints let up 24 or more points to opposing backfields in three of their first seven games, a good sign for Andrews, who sees snaps in passing situations and should produce as the Titans attempt to keep up.
WR
| Julio Jones (at SF) vs. Allen Robinson (at NYJ) | Julio Jones |
| Demaryius Thomas (at IND) vs. Antonio Brown (vs. OAK) | Antonio Brown |
| Allen Hurns (at. NYJ) vs. T.Y. Hilton (vs. DEN) | T.Y. Hilton |
| Julian Edelman (vs. WAS) vs. Odell Beckham (at TB) | Odell Beckham |
| Jarvis Landry (at BUF) vs. A.J. Green (vs. CLE) | A.J. Green |
Star to Exploit: Julian Edelman, New England Patriots (vs. WAS)
Otherwise known as Mr. Reliable, New England Patriots wideout Julian Edelman sits in a great situation this week thanks to an encounter with Washington.
Edelman has outbursts of 18 or more points three times this year. Perhaps more impressive, he has at least five catches in every game except one, making him one of the best plays around regardless of matchup.
A great matchup doesn't hurt, though. Washington has allowed two or more scores to wideouts in four games already this year and ranks among the worst against the position. It only helps further the notion that Edelman is one of the week's best plays.
Sleeper: Rishard Matthews, Miami Dolphins (at BUF)
Rishard Matthews isn't a household name by any means, but he might be after a second encounter with the Buffalo Bills this season.
In the first, the upstart Miami Dolphins wideout grabbed six passes for 113 yards and two scores, good for 23 points. He has three trips to double digits in seven games and six or more catches in four.
The Bills allow most anyone to post big numbers, hence the unit having allowed six of seven opposing wideout corps to total at least 21 points. Owners shouldn't expect Matthews to go for more than 20 himself again, but a better sleeper play is hard to find.
TE
| Rob Gronkowski (vs. WAS) vs. Gary Barnidge (at CIN) | Rob Gronkowski |
| Tyler Eifert (vs. CLE) vs. Greg Olsen (vs. GB) | Tyler Eifert |
| Jordan Reed (at NE) vs. Charles Clay (vs. MIA) | Charles Clay |
| Jason Witten (vs. PHI) vs. Benjamin Watson (vs. TEN) | Benjamin Watson |
| Martellus Bennett (at SD) vs. Delanie Walker (at NO) | Delanie Walker |
Star to Exploit: Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints (vs. TEN)
Just like that, New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson is a fantasy star.
The Saints decided to involve the veteran in the offense more beginning in Week 5. Since then, he's posted nine or more points in three of four and scored three times.
Watson shouldn't have a problem finding paydirt again with the Tennessee Titans in town. The defense has allowed two sets of opposing tight ends to score a pair of touchdowns this year, and based on Watson's usage, he'll have plenty of chances to score against the struggling unit.
Sleeper: Larry Donnell, New York Giants (at TB)
Larry Donnell hasn't been the most reliable fantasy option this year, but he's scored twice and caught four or more passes four times.
Such a decent usage rate lends itself to the notion Donnell is in for a major game with the right matchup, which he has in Week 9 on the road in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have collapsed against the position in recent weeks, allowing 20 points to Washington tight ends in Week 7, then 16 to Atlanta's Jacob Tamme this past weekend.
So long as what's hurting Donnell is nothing more than spasms, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, he's the top sleeper at the position.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of November 2. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Detroit, Kansas City, Arizona, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston on bye.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")