Who to Start, Who to Sit–Week 9

Quarterbacks

Start: Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Seattle Seahawks. In five of his seven games McNabb has thrown one or zero touchdowns and he has actually been pretty inconsistent. But now Donovan is finally getting his full offense back as Brian Westbrook looks to be back, as well as Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown.

Not to mention the Seahawks STINK! I know they just had a good game against the 49ers, but that isn’t really saying anything given the turnover machine they had at QB. McNabb should be able to throw for at least 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Start: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. Oakland Raiders. Ryan has five touchdowns in the past three weeks and has shown maturity far beyond his experience in the NFL.  He has been good against bad pass defenses. Ryan certainly has shown a chemistry with his number one receiver, Roddy White and has been able to find him on a number of big plays. Bring in the Oakland Raiders. They aren’t the worst against the pass, but their defense is nothing to write home about and Ryan should have plenty of opportunities to have another ground breaking game for the rookie.

Sit: Brett Favre, New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills. The Jets’ offensive line has been horrible this season, leaving the Hall of Famer running for his life for most of the season. And we all know what happens when Favre has to improvise and get on the move. Sometimes, it means a Sports Center moment. However, most of the time it means someone wearing the other color jersey is going to be catching the ball. He has been doing that a lot lately and not against great competition. Now, the tough Bills defense will be playing the Jets and I think that they will keep Brett under wraps. Look for a two or three interception game and probably only one touchdown pass….maybe two. But he won’t be a good player this week.

Sit: Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. After six touchdowns in the first four games, Campbell has thrown only two in the last four games. He still hasn’t thrown an interception yet this season, but he just hasn’t put up good fantasy numbers either. Campbell is a much better real football player than he is a fantasy QB. The Steelers are the best defense against the pass and have averaged allowing less than one passing TD a game. Don’t expect Campbell to throw more than one TD, or to break 200 yards passing. Hopefully, you have a better option on your team.

Running Backs

Start: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions. One of my new favorite fantasy players in 2008, Forte has been a workhorse for the Bears. He has carried the ball 20 times or more in the majority of games and has scored in three straight. Forte has also proven to be a good receiver out of the backfield, as he has averaged four catches a game. What has been the best thing for any fantasy owner?  Playing the Detroit Lions!!! They are second worst against the run and should be a great day for Forte.

Start: Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos. Brown has slowed down in the past three weeks after having a few incredible games. However, the Dolphins have been playing a few tough defenses in Buffalo and Baltimore. Denver is third worst in the NFL against the run and look for Miami to employ the “wildcat” formations again.  They will get Ronnie back in the end zone and most likely back over 100 yards rushing.

Sit: Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans. His past three games have started to improve and he finally broke the 100 yard plateau and scored for the first time in Week 8. The Titans are coming off a short week after just playing on Monday night, but they are still in the top 10 in run defense and should be able to keep Grant in check. Look for him to gain no more than 65 yards and I don’t expect a touchdown.

Sit: Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens. The Cleveland offense has been incredibly inconsistent and most times they have been bad. Lewis has been pretty decent lately getting over 80 yards and a touchdown in three of the last four weeks. But this week it is the Ravens coming to town, and they just don’t mess around. They are still the best team against the run, allowing less than 65 yards a game and have only allowed one runner to cross the goal line.

Wide Receivers

Start: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears. This appears to be a mistake. Start Calvin Johnson with a bum QB against the Bears? But Johnson has scored in three straight weeks despite the inconsistency at QB and the Bears are actually bad at pass defense. They haven’t allowed as many touchdowns as other teams that allow similar number of yards, but the Bears are statistically fourth worst against the pass. Orlovsky has been better than we thought and the Bears worse. Get Calvin on the field for you.

Start: Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals. One of my new favorite fantasy players, Donnie Avery looks like the second coming of Torry Holt. The 1999 Torry Holt of course. Avery is a speedster who knows how to spread the field and get open deep. He has scored in consecutive weeks and put up a huge 163 yard effort in Week 8. The Cardinals are among the weaker teams against the pass and if Marc Bulger’s resurgence continues, look for another 100+ yard game from Avery.

Sit: Randy Moss, New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts. Three of his last four games have been better statistically, but the Pats were playing the Little Sisters of the Blind on pass defense. This week they play the Colts who aren’t exactly the Steel Curtain, but they are second in the league in pass defense and have only allowed two passing TDs all season long. Cassel is starting to look better, but this week I think he might struggle. And if the QB struggles, Moss should as well.

Sit: Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants. This is going to be very, very tough for you Owens owners to do, but if you think about it, it probably makes sense. One, Brad Johnson is back behind center this week, and he has proven unable to run the offense efficiently so far.  If he struggles again you will most likely see Brooks Bollinger. Doesn’t that get you excited? Two, they are playing the NY Giants who not only have a great defense, but usually play close and usually low scoring games against their bitter rivals. If you have anything that resembles a similar option, I would sit T.O. down this week.

Tight End

Start: Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins. Scheffler should be returning this week from a groin injury, so check your waiver wire to see if he was dropped in your league.  He is clearly one of Jay Cutler’s favorite targets, and as far as tight ends are concerned, he is a top five option.  Be sure that he is going to be active for the game before you put him in your lineup, but it will be good to get a guy back into your lineup that can help you.  The Dolphins defense can be tough, but look for 75 yards and a score if Scheffler is able to return this week.

Sit: Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gonzalez had one of his better games of the season in Week 8 against the Jets, with 79 yards and a touchdown. Tony G is having a solid season, although his time among the top few tight ends is clearly over. In Week 9 he faces a really tough Bucs defense that is allowing under 200 yards a game through the air. I know Tyler Thigpen looked pretty decent against the Jets, but I need to see more than that before I gain any trust in him.