Fantasy Football NFL Week 9 Sit 'em, Start 'em: Tom Brady Tips Plus More Advice
NFL Week 9 predictions and picks have been the hot topic this week, and with fans getting ready to set their line-ups headed into this week's action, many are looking for all the helpful fantasy football advice they can get.
That's where I come in.
I'll give you some of my sit 'em and start 'em tips to help you win your fantasy match-up this week.
There's a lot to go over, so let's get right to it.
Michael Turner: Start 'em
1 of 10
The match-up between the Falcons and Buccaneers will decide who has sole control over the no. 1 spot in the NFC South. With that, Michael Turner's performance could decide who wins the game. And things don't look so good for the Bucs.
With Tampa Bay's pass defense being its biggest strength, look for the Falcons to lull them to sleep with the run. The Bucs give up a whopping 149.4 yards per game to opposing running backs, and Michael Turner is averaging 83.9 yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry.
Fantasy owners have been waiting for a breakout game from Turner, and this looks like the week.
Prediction: 140 yards, 2 touchdowns
Matt Schaub: Sit 'em
2 of 10
Matt Schaub has been held under 201 yards in four of this year's seven contests. Things don't look much brighter for him in Week Nine, with a big match-up against the San Diego Chargers, who have only let one quarterback exceed 220 yards this season.
Even with weapons across the board, Matt Schaub will have a hard time finding rhythm against the no. 2 sacking defense in the league, which only gives up an average of 176.9 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks.
Prediction: 170 yards, touchdown, interception
Tom Brady: Start 'em
3 of 10
He's had some tough outings against the Chargers and Vikings talented defenses, but playing against the lowly Browns defense should spell a big day for Brady. Sure, the Browns were able to slow down the speedy Saints offense, but they have been abused on the ground and through the air all season.
The Browns currently rank 26th against the pass and have allowed 13 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks. Although BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead are both having productive seasons, this game could be won on the arm of Brady.
If Brady's going to have another All Pro type of game this season, this will be it.
Prediction: 250 yards, two touchdowns, interception
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Mike Williams: Sit 'em
4 of 10
Williams faces a difficult Giants defense this week that ranks second in the league against the pass. They give up most of their yards to no. 1 wide-outs, but that's not a basket I would be putting all of my chips into.
After two solid performances against the Bears and the Cardinals in which he combined for 21 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown, he put up just one catch for 27 yards in a blowout loss to the Raiders. Of course, lining up across from someone not named Nnamdi Asomugha could be seen as a bright thing, but then there's that whole issue of those guys Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Jason Pierre-Paul flying at the quarterback.
Prediction: four receptions, 47 yards
Calvin Johnson: Start 'em
5 of 10
The Jets have been targeted an average of 10.8 times per game on throws to the no. 1 receiver, and have given up 83 yards per game to those players. Both numbers rank far above the league averages.
Calvin Johnson had a monster performance last week against the Redskins, with nine receptions for 101 yards and three touchdowns, and made mince meat of the growingly-popular DeAngelo Hall. I don't suspect he'll put up three touchdowns against the Jets defenst which has only given up 10 through seven games, but another 90- to 100-yard performance wouldn't be too surprising.
Prediction: 7 catches, 96 yards, touchdown
Matt Cassel: Sit 'em
6 of 10
Many games are decided by which team has the better quarterback. This will probably not be one of those games, except in the instance that it's decided by which is better at not making big mistakes.
The ball will probably be out of Cassel's hands for most of this game. Not only do the Raiders feature the fourth-ranked pass defense (by way of their fifth-lowest league total in pass attempts against), but they also feature the 26th-ranked rush defense (which is no mirage, as they also allow 4.7 yards per carry).
There are a couple of good Chiefs to start in this game. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones immediately come to mind. I, however, would avoid Cassel this week.
Prediction: 160 yards
Jamaal Charles: Start 'em
7 of 10
Jamaal Charles may not be the "primary" back in Kansas City's backfield, but neither is Thomas Jones. This is as much a definition of shared workload as we can find in the NFL today. Charles has his talents, and Jones has his own.
Both are viable options, but Charles has a big opportunity to break a long gain. He is the league leader with 6.5 yards per carry, and goes up against a porous Raiders defense that allows an average of 4.7 yards per carry, ranking 28th in the league in that category. Charles has home run potential, and look for him to swing for the fences on Sunday.
Prediction: 140 yards, two touchdowns, two receptions, 20 yards
Jon Kitna: Sit 'em
8 of 10
One might figure this to be a favorable match-up for journeyman Jon Kitna. The Cowboys will likely be playing from behind, and Kitna could be asked to drop back and wing it much like he did last week against the Jaguars.
But facing a grizzly Packers defense that has raked in 12 interceptions and sacked opposing quarterbacks 24 times, I imagine Kitna could end up getting roughed up by the end of the day, and his aggressive approach will likely play right into the hands of the Packers defense.
Prediction: 220 yards, touchdown, two interceptions
Ahmad Bradshaw: Start 'em
9 of 10
Just a glance at the numbers may suggest that this match-up is unfavorable for Bradshaw, but a closer look at the numbers reveals that the Seahawks' ninth-ranked rush defense has enjoyed a few blow-out victories to help cushion that ranking, with teams throwing way more frequently than they're passing.
Such will likely not be the case for the Giants as they head to Qwest Field to take on the Seahawks. The Giants will look to run the ball early and often, keeping control of the clock and making life miserable for the Seahawks defense which was exposed by Darren McFadden last week.
Prediction: 120 yards, touchdown, two receptions, 52 yards
Ryan Mathews: Sit 'em
10 of 10
Mathews owners haven't had much to smile about this season, and things don't look to get much brighter in the near future. Not only do the Chargers seem content with throwing the ball at every opportunity, but Mathews just hasn't done enough to warrant serious consideration in his rookie season.
He hasn't broken 100 yards in a single game, has only two touchdowns, and goes up against a run defense that ranks in the top half of the league. The red flags have to start waving fairly soon, as running back is historically one of the easiest positions to transition from college to pro.
Prediction: 68 yards
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