Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 9: Rounding Up Latest Expert Advice on the Web

Fantasy football is full of surprises. On Thursday night, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tossed four touchdowns passes—which exactly no one saw coming—while standout running back Tevin Coleman amassed just two receptions and 36 total yards.

Of course, you're not going to find many fantasy analysts who pegged Coleman as a must-sit against the Cardinals' 25th-ranked run defense (126.9 yards per game allowed).

While the experts aren't going to get it right every time, scouring the web can provide valuable insight into which players are worth the start in a given week. Looking past the must-starts of Week 9, let's see what some of the industry experts have to say about this week's borderline plays.

Start 'Em: Gardner Minshew II, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II hasn't exactly been a fantasy superstar this season, but he's been reliable more often than not. He has 13 touchdown passes—yes, he has a legitimate shot at breaking Baker Mayfield's record—and just two interceptions on the year.

Last week, Minshew threw for 279 yards and three scores with no picks.

Expect another solid outing from Minshew against the Houston Texans. As Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Sports pointed out, the Texans provide a great matchup for opposing quarterbacks.

"Four quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 24 fantasy points against Houston, and the Texans allow 293.4 passing yards for the season, with 19 total touchdowns and just three interceptions to opposing passers," Eisenberg wrote.

While the point totals in your league may differ, Houston's inability to defend the pass does not. With J.J. Watt now on injured reserve, that pass defense could be even worse.

Sit 'Em: Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants

Fellow rookie quarterback Daniel Jones is likely to have a much rougher time than Minshew this week. The New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys, who have been inconsistent but also have fared well against opposing passers.

"Aside from the surprise performance from Sam Darnold in Week 6, this Dallas defense has been dominant against most passing attacks, holding Aaron Rodgers and Carson Wentz to fewer than 10 fantasy points in each outing," Eisenberg wrote.

Dallas has allowed an average of just 228 passing yards per game, ninth-fewest in the NFL. The Cowboys are also coming off their bye week, which means the defense should be rested and ready to get after Jones.

The Cowboys pass rush could be problematic for Jones, who has turned the ball over seven times in his last three games. If your league penalizes points for turnovers, consider Jones a major risk in Week 9.

Start 'Em: Jaylen Samuels, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Don Wright/Associated Press

Running back Jaylen Samuels is close to a must-start this week because of the Pittsburgh Steelers backfield. Benny Snell has already been ruled out, while starter James Conner is listed as doubtful with an AC joint sprain.

As Evan Macy of PhillyVoice.com pointed out, it's worth checking to see if Samuels is available on the waiver wire.

"If James Conner is indeed unable to suit up in Week 9, (or even if he does), a healthy Samuels is a fantasy contributor to spend some free agent cash on if you have it," Macy wrote.

Samuels and the Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts, who have allowed an average of 111.3 rushing yards per game this season. Expect Samuels to be a big part of the offensive game plan, especially with Mason Rudolph still finding his way as a starting quarterback.

Sit 'Em: Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots

New England Patriots running back Sony Michel has not been a reliable fantasy option this season. Though he has found the end zone six times, he's also averaged just 3.3 yards per carry.

Michel has been even less reliable in games where he shares the load with Rex Burkhead, who returned from injury last week.

"He's now averaged just 6.9 points in games where Rex Burkhead is active (he's averaged 19 points without Burkhead)," Michael Fabiano of NFL.com wrote.

The Patriots may not lean on the running game much against the Baltimore Ravens anyway. Baltimore has allowed just 84.3 rushing yards per game (ranked third in the NFL) while allowing 265.4 passing yards per game (26th). This is a much better matchup for receiving backs like Burkhead and James White.

Start 'Em: John Brown, WR, Buffalo Bills

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

It isn't easy to trust wide receivers in the Buffalo Bills' run-oriented offense, but John Brown is the exception. He has caught at least four passes in every game this season and has five receptions in each of his past four games.

The fact that Brown has just one 100-yard game in 2019 is largely why he flies under the fantasy radar.

"If anything, I think Brown has been a bit unlucky. He's a borderline top-12 receiver in yards per game and he's been remarkably consistent," CBS Sports' Heath Cummings wrote.

This could again be a solid-but-unspectacular week for Brown. The Bills will likely try grinding out the game against the Washington Redskins and their 28th-ranked run defense (137.8 yards per game allowed). Still, he should see enough targets to again be a reliable starter in Week 9.

Sit 'Em: Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens

The good news for Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown is that he is expected to return from his ankle injury in Week 9. The bad news is that he'll be going up against the Patriots secondary.

"Brown is slated to return from an ankle injury this week, but he's not in a good spot to put up impressive totals for fantasy owners," Fabiano wrote. "That's due to a bad matchup against the Patriots, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to enemy wide receivers this season."

New England has allowed just 148.8 passing yards per game this season, second-fewest in the NFL.

Another issue for Brown is that he may not be at 100 percent coming off the ankle injury. Such an injury can be problematic for a receiver who wins almost exclusively with speed and agility.

Brown is a big-play receiver who simply may not be healthy enough to produce big plays this week.

Start 'Em: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Detroit Lions rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson has been anything but consistent this season. He had a monster game in Week 1—six catches, 131 yards and a touchdown—but hasn't topped 32 yards in a game since. 

So why is Hockenson worth a start in Week 9? How about an Oakland Raiders defense that has allowed 285.3 passing yards per game (30th) and 8.6 yards per pass play?

It helps that, despite only having two touchdowns, Hockenson is a popular red-zone target for quarterback Matthew Stafford, as Matt Lutovsky of Sporting News pointed out.

"Hockenson is tied for fifth in TE red-zone targets (9) despite missing half of Week 4 (concussion) and having a bye already this year," Litovsky wrote. "The Lions love to look his way around the goal line, and against the Raiders, who allow the third-most FPPG to TEs, he could even rack up some yards."

If you're looking for a bye-week fill-in, Hockenson could be the perfect option.

Sit 'Em: Noah Fant, TE, Denver Broncos

While Hockenson could be in store for a strong outing, fellow rookie and Iowa product Noah Fant could be a major disappointment.

For starters, the Denver Broncos are set to roll with Brandon Allen at quarterback, a player who has never taken a regular-season snap. Fant will also face a Cleveland Browns defense that has been solid against all but the most elite tight ends this season.

"The Browns aren't a horrible matchup for tight ends, as they've allowed three tight ends to finish as top-eight options, though it's important to note those tight ends were Delanie Walker, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews, all tight ends well above Fant's level," Mike Tagliere of FantasyPros wrote. "In the other four games, no tight end has topped 26 yards against them."

Fant hasn't produced more than 37 yards in a game this season. Sure, he might fare better with Allen than he did with Joe Flacco, but that's a big "if," and there are far better options this week.