Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 9: Final Lineup Advice for Fantasy Football Owners

As if a slew of critical injuries to many notable NFL stars didn't shake up the fantasy football world enough entering Week 9, we're also approaching the largest number of teams on byes of any week in the 2015 season.

A whopping six teams are sitting at home with their feet up over the weekend, leaving fantasy owners short on options to fill their lineups. But with that said, there remain a number of players worth starting who could be available on the waiver wire.

Just as well, there are more than a few players typically in starting lineups who should be shied away from. With that in mind, let's break down a last-minute edition of start 'em, sit 'em for Week 9.

Start 'Em

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills

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The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

Injury kept him out of action in Week 6 and Week 7, but he got the Week 8 bye last weekend that gave him nearly a month to recover. It's proven valuable for Taylor, whose practiced fully all week and is probable for Sunday. 

The Bills' Week 9 opponent, the Miami Dolphins, have improved on defense lately—but Taylor still gashed them in their Week 3 meeting, going for 277 yards and three touchdowns on the road. Expect more of the same to make Taylor a strong plug-and-play option.

Jeremy Langford, RB, Chicago Bears

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When picking up a popular waiver-wire name, it's typically wise to employ a wait-and-see approach before relying on him in the lineup. That's not the case for Jeremy Langford.

The rookie from Michigan State is in line to be the Chicago Bears' starter in Week 9, after stud running back Matt Forte suffered a knee injury last week that makes him day-to-day, per the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam Jahns. Langford immediately turns into the Bears' workhorse in Forte's place, and he's likely to have a breakout game against the San Diego Chargers' 27th-ranked run defense.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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An early-season injury has marred the preseason fantasy expectations of tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but he appears ready to return to the gridiron for Week 9. ESPN's Andrew Astleford reported he's been a full go in practice:

Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston will be short on receiving weapons with Vincent Jackson out once again, so expect Seferian-Jenkins to gash a New York Giants defense giving up the second-most points per week to tight ends in ESPN leagues. 

Sit 'Em

Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

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While the Jacksonville Jaguars passing offense has been much-improved, a lot of quarterback Blake Bortles' numbers have come in garbage time of high-scoring games. That's not likely to be the case Sunday, as the over-under in their contest against the New York Jets is at 42 points, per Odds Shark.

The Jets have forced the sixth-most turnovers in the league with 15 takeaways this season, leading us to believe Bortles will have trouble keeping it away from Darrelle Revis and Co.

Antonio Andrews, RB, Tennessee Titans

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The Tennessee Titans offense has been embarrassingly bad in recent weeks, and it's hard to see quarterback Marcus Mariota returning to effectiveness behind a putrid offensive line. That leaves the surging Antonio Andrews to be the workhorse on offense, per 247Sports' Terry McCormick:

So, why sit Andrews? Well, the Titans don't have anything going on aerially and that will lead the New Orleans Saints to stack the box and prevent Andrews from finding running room. Tennessee has made it obvious Andrews will be a focal point, which will only allow the Saints to hone in on him even more.

James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers

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The early-season explosion of James Jones in fantasy was one of the more pleasant surprises of the opening few games, but he's quickly fallen back down to the production—or lack thereof—that many expected when he was thrust into a big role in the Green Bay offense.

Jones caught one pass for two yards last week against the Denver Broncos. Last time I checked, that's less than one fantasy point in non-PPR leagues. The matchup doesn't get much easier in Week 9, facing the Carolina Panthers' secondary with a wealth of cover corners.