Start 'Em or Sit 'Em for Fantasy Football Week 9

We're in the heart of fantasy football season now. 

While the home stretch isn't quite here yet, the pressure level is already high for many fantasy teams. Maybe they're 5-3 and doing OK. Or they've won four and lost four and are straddling the border between contender and pretender. Or they're 3-5 and have hit the point at which the next loss could be the one that finishes off any chance they had at making the postseason.

It's frustrating. It's maddening. And it's why we all play fantasy football, to begin with.

At this point in the season, with injuries mounting and bye weeks in full swing, lineup decisions become more difficult than ever. They also become more important. It only takes a few points to swing from a loss to a win, and one result can be the difference between making the playoffs and an early end to the season.

It's enough to make you lose your cool. But don't worry, intrepid fantasy enthusiast. This article is the fantasy football equivalent of a paper bag into which you can take deep, relaxing breaths.

Every week this season, I've taken a look at start/sit questions on the Bleacher Report app and selected some that will help offer insight into players who could be set to post fat stat lines. So let's get to feeling fine about Week 9.

And don't forget: This column comes complete with poetry and stuff. Especially stuff.

Still can't figure out your fantasy football lineup for the week? Check out Your Fantasy Fire Drill with Matt Camp, and he'll solve your problems live. Submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, only on the B/R app.

An Embarrassment of Riches

From the Bleacher Report App

If it's true that this team is looking to land a running back for one of those receivers, it should have little issue finding trade suitors. This group is stacked.

That's a problem for another day, though.

As good as Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers is when healthy, the simple fact is that he isn't. Even if he plays Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, it would be for the first time in several weeks on a bad foot.

Tyrell Williams of the Oakland Raiders has scored a touchdown in every game in which he's played this year. But he's also caught just three passes in each of his last three appearances prior to this week's clash with the Detroit Lions.

Robby Anderson of the New York Jets is a talented player entering a favorable matchup with the Miami Dolphins. But there's no way he's starting ahead of the other names on this list. Not with Sam Darnold at quarterback.

Over DeAndre Hopkins' last two games, the Houston Texans' star receiver has caught 20 passes for 215 yards and a score. Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs has posted a 9/150/1 line the past two weeks even with Matt Moore at quarterback, and Amari Cooper of the Dallas Cowboys draws a New York Giants team on Monday night that leads the NFC in fantasy points per game allowed to wide receivers in 2019.

Sometimes you just have to resist the urge to overthink and trust your stars.

The Call: Cooper, Hopkins, Hill

Well, It Is Halloween

From the Bleacher Report App

This call comes down to two players.

With all due respect to Philip Dorsett of the New England Patriots and Kenny Stills of the Houston Texans, both are hit/miss fantasy options at best. Dorsett could see a drop in target share as Mohamed Sanu acclimates to his new home. Stills hasn't been targeted more than five times in a game since Week 3.

That leaves Michael Gallup of the Dallas Cowboys and Terry McLaurin of the Washington Redskins.

Normally, this would be an easy call. McLaurin has been one of the more pleasant fantasy surprises of 2019 as a rookie, ranking inside the top 20 players at his position in point-per-reception (PPR) fantasy points.

But that was mostly with Case Keenum under center in Washington. With Keenum in the NFL's concussion protocol, it's looking likely that rookie Dwayne Haskins will be the Redskins quarterback.

There's also the matter of the difference in matchups. I've already mentioned how friendly the Giants have been to opposing wide receivers this season. It's been another story altogether with the Buffalo Bills. Only four teams in the league have surrendered fewer fantasy points per game to the position.

Better matchup. Better quarterback. Better fantasy prospects.

The Call: Gallup

Initals for (Almost) Everyone

From the Bleacher Report App

Writing out entire names is overrated, anyway.

The only player on this list who doesn't like rocking it initials-style is the most obvious start of the bunch. The Chicago Bears weren't able to get the win last week, but the offense played better than it had in some time. A big part of the reason for that was a commitment to David Montgomery and the ground game.

In Week 8, Montgomery got a season-high 31 total touches, parlaying that robust workload into 147 total yards and a touchdown. Coming off that workload and production, he needs to be in fantasy lineups, even with a bad matchup coming against a stout Philadelphia Eagles run defense.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown, on the other hand, is an easy out. His 10/98/1 stat line would look a lot better were it not for his last three games combined.

DJ Moore of the Carolina Panthers and rookie DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks are fairly comparable fantasy options: a pair of athletic, big bodies who are capable of fantasy explosions and disappearing acts in equal measure. When facing that sort of dilemma, I run both players through the MatchupTron 3800 (or I just check and see which opponent allows more fantasy points to wide receivers).

In this case, it's the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who check in fourth in the NFL in that regard.

Monty and Muscles get the nod.

The Call: Montgomery and Metcalf

Beware the Bye Week Blues

From the Bleacher Report App

This question is listed as a warning to fantasy owners far and wide.

Pay attention to the bye weeks. It sounds like it would go without saying, and I'm not ragging on the person who asked it. I've made this mistake more times than I'd care to admit.

But in Week 9, Robert Woods of the Los Angeles Rams would be about as much help to you in fantasy football leagues as Tiger Woods. After playing in London last week, the Rams are on a bye.

That caveat aside, we're left with Emmanuel Sanders of the San Francisco 49ers, Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos and DJ Moore of the Carolina Panthers.

Were Joe Flacco playing quarterback for the Broncos, Sutton would be the play. But he's not, and trusting an unknown commodity at quarterback in Brandon Allen is a risky play.

Unfortunately, so is trusting Moore. The second-year pro hasn't had a 100-yard game this year, hasn't scored since Week 3 and is averaging just 12.2 yards per catch heading into a sketchy fantasy matchup with a sneaky-good Tennessee Titans secondary.

That leaves Sanders, who will be playing his second game with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night in Arizona. Sanders had just four catches for 25 yards last week, but one was for a touchdown. San Francisco isn't a pass-happy team, but it's not hard to imagine it making a concerted effort to get him involved in the offense.

There's some risk here. But if you're going to roll the dice, Sanders is the best bet.

The Call: Sanders

Reverse Stackology

From the Bleacher Report App

For starters, I have never subscribed to the notion that you shouldn't start an offensive player and the defense said player is facing in the same week. There are a number of factors to consider, but at day's end, you start the players you think will score the most points. Period.

If that's the Patriots defense against Lamar Jackson, so be it.

And this week, it be.

There is just no way you can sit the New England defense right now, regardless of opponent. It's not just a matter of the Patriots being the No. 1 fantasy defense. Or the fact that the team is the No. 1 fantasy defense by a massive margin.

In some fantasy scoring systems, the Patriots are a top-five fantasy option overall. It's an unprecedented run over the first half of the 2019 season.

They are a no-doubt must-start.

At quarterback, there's some logic to considering a Plan B behind Jackson. Only the San Francisco 49ers are surrendering fewer fantasy points per game to the quarterback position than New England this year.

But when that Plan B is Wentz, forget it.

Wentz is barely a top-15 fantasy option under center for the season. And while the Chicago Bears are a better matchup for quarterbacks, they aren't an especially good one: 26th in fantasy points given up to the position.

Stick with Jackson and the Patriots, and hope the quarterback has a huge day that includes a pick-six and a punt-return score from the opposing defense.

Fantasy football can be weird sometimes.

The Call: Jackson and the Patriots

Missing MIchael

From the Bleacher Report App

Extra credit for offering detail in the question, as there's zero question here as to which players are being referred to. So let's break these players down.

The last two guys are both out.

Houston Texans tight end Darren Fells has had some big weeks, but his target share has been all over the place. Mark Walton is an unquestioned lead running back headed into a favorable matchup against the New York Jets, but there's one major snag: the whole "playing for the Miami Dolphins" thing.

That leaves four wide receivers. Terry McLaurin of the Washington Redskins and Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos have both been valuable fantasy assets in 2019. But that was with Case Keenum and Joe Flacco at quarterback, respectively, not Dwayne Haskins and Brandon Allen.

If there's a tiebreaker here (and I'm digging rather deep to find one), at least McLaurin and Haskins have familiarity from their time together in Columbus. So of the pair, he has the edge

Then there's John Brown of the Buffalo Bills and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. Fitzgerald admittedly has a brutal matchup. Only the Broncos have given up fewer fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2019 than the 49ers. But he also doesn't face the issues under center McLaurin and Sutton do.

Brown and the Bills face the Redskins, who haven't been a great fantasy matchup for wideouts. But they have been a better one than the 49ers, ranking just inside the top 15 in points allowed.

None of the three inspire cartwheels, but McLaurin, Fitzgerald and Brown are the best of the lot.

The Call: McLaurin, Fitzgerald, Brown

The DaFantasy Code

From the Bleacher Report App

Whereas the last question had all the info we could want, this one is lacking in one very important tidbit. How many players are needed at each position?

However, seeing as I am proficient in fantasy football hieroglyphics, I will endeavor to crack the code by simply ranking these players.

At wide receiver, Stefon Diggs of the Minnesota Vikings has been on fire, so much so that not even a bad matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs can keep him from the top spot.

Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots is an easy No. 2 heading into a big Sunday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. Terry McLaurin (is anyone not asking about Scary Terry in Week 9?) is third, with DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles bringing up the rear after a long layoff.

At tight end, there's no decision to make—quite possibly literally. Gerald Everett of the Los Angeles Rams is on a bye, and Chris Herndon of the New York Jets hasn't played yet this year thanks to a suspension and a hamstring injury.

Waiver wire, anyone?

At running back, Tevin Coleman is coming off a career day, playing for one of the best run games in the NFL and heading into a solid matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. He's light years ahead of Devin Singletary of the Buffalo Bills.

At quarterback, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys has a much better fantasy matchup in Week 9 than Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, who faces the Patriots. Coming off the bye with his offensive line and skill-position players healthy, Prescott is the better option—this week against the New York Giants, at least.

The Call: Diggs, Edelman, none of the above, Coleman, Prescott

Pick 1...OK 2...OK 3

From the Bleacher Report App

The easiest way to break this down is position by position.

At tight end, Hunter Henry of the Los Angeles Chargers and Evan Engram of the New York Giants are both high-end weekly starters at the position. Henry had a huge Week 6 but has seen his production drop in each game since. A nicked-up Engram has been quiet of late, but he found the end zone last week.

Of the two, Engram has the superior matchup, if only slightly. The Dallas Cowboys are fifth in PPR fantasy points given up to the position, while the Green Bay Packers are sixth.

Frankly, avoiding the Chargers offense where possible is a good idea right now. The team just looks awful on that side of the ball.

At wide receiver, I've already discussed Terry McLaurin's issues at quarterback this week—issues that apparently are weighing on more than a few fantasy owners.

But McLaurin's problems aren't as bad as Christian Kirk's matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, and the fact Dwayne Haskins and McLaurin played together at Ohio State is just enough to bump him past Emmanuel Sanders given the latter's still-developing role in San Francisco.

Jackson is a non-factor to me, even if he plays. The layoff recovering from an abdominal tear has just been too long.

In the flex spot, Henry is probably the safer play given that Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary's carry share has fluctuated quite a bit in 2019. But the Redskins are fifth in PPR fantasy points given up to running backs this season.

That matchup is just too good to pass up.

The Call: Engram, McLaurin and Singletary

Beware of the Overthink

From the Bleacher Report App

We'll cap off this portion of the article with the always-fun flex question.

The thing is, this one feels like a classic overthink. The answer is pretty obvious.

Philip Dorsett may play for the New England Patriots, but he's at best the third option in the passing game behind Julian Edelman and the recently acquired Mohamed Sanu. No thanks.

A.J. Brown has shown some flashes during his first season with the Tennessee Titans, but the rookie wideout has just 125 receiving yards and one score over his last four games combined. Again, no thanks.

Courtesy of a trade to the Arizona Cardinals, running back Kenyan Drake has been sprung from the 13th circle of NFL purgatory that is the Miami Dolphins. But Drake has been in town less than a week and faces arguably the best defense in football Thursday night in the San Francisco 49ers. Once again, no thanks.

That leaves Philadelphia Eagles running back Jordan Howard, who is coming off 111 total yards and a touchdown last week against the Buffalo Bills. And as great as the Chicago Bears were defensively last year, that defense isn't the same unit in 2019.

In fact, Chicago, which faces Howard in Week 9, has allowed the 10th-most PPR fantasy points to running backs this season.

This call isn't close at all.

The Call: Howard

Rapid-Fire

Roger Steinman/Associated Press

Now, almost as quickly as the Cleveland Browns make mistakes, I'll try to bang out some more player recommendations in rapid-fire style.

I'll try not to fumble.

Dmahone is growing tired of Zach Ertz's disappointing numbers: "I've faithfully started Ertz since the first week of the season. Is it time to bench him and maybe start an extra WR or RB?"

Ertz hasn't been great. He's seventh in PPR fantasy points among tight ends so far this season. For what it's worth, his 10.7 points per game would rank outside the top 50 at wide receiver and 35th at running back.

anthony_west has a question at running back: "Mark Ingram vs. NE or Jamaal Williams vs. LAC?"

Ingram has out-touched Williams so far this year by a pretty good margin: 111 to 69. But Ingram also draws a Patriots defense that ranks dead last in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Stick with the touches and Ingram, but it's a relatively close call.

It's running backs too for kluk25: "Non-PPR, pick one. Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Williams."

As I mentioned, Williams' touches are a concern. The same is true for McCoy, who vanished last week against the Green Bay Packers after losing a fumble. The Buffalo Bills are a good defensive football team, but Jordan Howard just topped 100 total yards against them in Week 8. Go with Peterson in Buffalo.

jamesyanez2 needs a wide receiver and a flex: "[Kenny] Golladay, TY [Hilton] or [Austin] Ekeler non-PPR. One WR, one flex."

With the Detroit run game in tatters, Golladay should see a ton of targets against a bad Oakland Raiders secondary. Even without the benefit of PPR, I'd give the second slot to Hilton against the Pittsburgh Steelers. My confidence level in the Chargers offense is nonexistent.

More flex help for drauchen: "Half PPR choose one: Ronald Jones, Mark Walton, Cole Beasley, Terry McLaurin."

We've been over McLaurin repeatedly. Ronald Jones II is stuck in a timeshare with Peyton Barber. Beasley is a hit-or-miss fantasy option. Walton plays for the worst team in football, but he'll get 15-plus touches against a New York Jets team surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points per game to running backs. Walton is the hesitant choice.

In a 14-team league with Julio Jones on bye, itsworkrelated (love the handle) needs a wide receiver fill-in: "Start Mecole Hardman, [Chris] Conley or Demaryius Thomas?"

Over the past two games, Conley has been targeted 15 times, hauling in seven passes for 186 yards and a score. As Week 9 fill-ins go, you aren't going to do any better.

Hardman has a high ceiling, but his floor is equally low, and we don't know who will be the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Minnesota Vikings. Thomas is the No. 3 wide receiver on one of the worst offenses in football. No thanks.

talldarkfellow needs three running backs for a standard scoring league: "Josh Jacobs, Tevin Coleman, James Conner and Miles Sanders."

Jacobs and Coleman are no-brainers. The third spot may come down to who is healthy. Conner is nursing a shoulder injury, as is Sanders. Sanders looks to be a little closer to playing, but it's wise to have a Plan B at the ready. If Pittsburgh's Jaylen Samuels is available, scoop him up.

Finally, joshmiller0 has a new one—a kicker question: "Stuck in a pinch on bye weeks. Larry Fitz or Robby Anderson? Matt Gay or Justin Tucker with the Ravens playing the Pats?

Fitzgerald's Thursday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers is brutal, but Anderson has just five catches for 53 yards over the past two games. I just can't trust the Jets offense. As to the kicker query, here's a good rule of thumb at the position: The only week Justin Tucker should sit is when he's on bye.

Have other fantasy football start/sit questions? Post them here, on the Bleacher Report app or on Twitter @IDPSharks, and I'll do my best to help.

Gary Davenport was the Fantasy Sports Writers Association 2017 Football Writer of the Year.