Week 9 Fantasy Football Start Em Sit Em: Roethlisberger and QBs in Bad Spots

Even with the NFL being as pass-happy a league as it's been in 2011, it's been tough sledding for fantasy football owners seeking a steady signal caller from week to week.

Sorry to break it to you, folks, but that trend will continue in Week 9, with these three being on the wrong side of the ledger in the virtual world.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben has played well of late, but has had the distinct benefit of playing against the Cardinals and the Patriots, two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, over the last two weeks.

He won't have that luxury going against the Ravens, who sport the second-stingiest defense with regard to opposing fantasy QBs and know Roethlisberger all too well.

Well enough, at least, to pick him off three times in the season opener, continuing Big Ben's career-long trend of throwing more picks than touchdowns against Baltimore. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

The only team that's given fantasy QBs a tougher time in 2011 than the Ravens is the Jets, who just so happen to have the privilege this week of shutting down Ryan Fitzpatrick, the NFL's brainiest underdog of the season.

It'll be interesting to see if the "Fitz-Magic" is still there or if Ryan will succumb to the Chris Johnson Effect now that Fitzy has a fat new deal with the Bills.

Mostly, though, Fitzpatrick's performance in this game will suffer as a result of him having to throw against Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie...and Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey realizing that he has Fred Jackson on his team to carry the ball against Rex Ryan's shoddy run defense.

Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee Titans

If you haven't noticed yet, it's looking like Matt Hasselbeck could very well flame out as the season progresses.

Or, in other words, like Hasselbeck will be the quarterback we all—Denny Green included—thought he was coming into the season.

Hasselbeck has failed to crack 300 yards in each of his last four games and has managed but one touchdown in each of the last three.

He'll be hard-pressed to improve on any of those numbers this weekend against the top-ranked Bengals defense, whose real-life effectiveness against quarterbacks also translates quite accurately to the world of fantasy football.