Week 9 Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Ben Roethlisberger and Must-Sit QBs

Week 9 of the NFL season is right around the corner, and that means so are fantasy football playoffs.

Every roster move is more and more critical as we inch closer to winter, so owners beware. Quarterback play gets more and more unpredictable as surprising results shock fans week after week.

Who expected Drew Brees to struggle against the Rams. Tom Brady torched the Steelers' defense last November, what happened in week 8?

Surprises are in store for us this weekend no doubt, and here are three signal callers fantasy owners must sit if they want to be shocked by success rather than failure:

Ben Roethlisberger

Big Ben has been a bad man the past four weeks in Pittsburgh, throwing for 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions since week 5, including two back-to-back 360-plus yard passing performances against Arizona and New England.

Sunday night though he will be pitted against the vaunted Baltimore Ravens' defense. The same defense that forced him into three interceptions and two fumbles in week 1.

Big Ben has been a fantasy monster the past month, but don't look for those same eye-popping numbers to continue in Week 9.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

The Buffalo Bills will host the New York Jets in Week 9, which could spell disaster for Fitzpatrick's fantasy numbers.

Passing does not come easy against Darelle Revis and the Jets' secondary, and Fitzpatrick has thrown four of his seven season interceptions in the past three games.

New York is the toughest pass defense for fantasy quarterbacks statistically, and Sunday's matchup with Buffalo should prove more difficult for Fitzpatrick than the Jets.

Matt Hasselbeck

Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will face off against the surprisingly solid Cincinnati Bengals secondary in Week 9, which ranks third in ESPN fantasy leagues in pass defense.

The Bengals have not allowed more than 12 fantasy points (ESPN fantasy leagues) from an opposing quarterback since the season's first two weeks; Hasselbeck doesn't seem the guy to break that trend either.

Avoid the Titans' veteran at all costs in Week 9.  

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter @_Pat_Clarke