Week 9 Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Larry Fitzgerald and 5 Receivers You Must Start

Week 9 for many fantasy football owners will prove to be a difficult one, as two of the top three wide receivers are on their bye (Calvin Johnson and Steve Smith).

In their absence, however, many other wide receivers will get their chance this week at producing the most fantasy points for their owners.  Be it an abundance of talent, a favorable matchup or a combination of the two, there are a fistful of receivers out their poised for big games.

So sit back, relax and take notes as I guide you through the top five receivers most likely to carry your team one step closer to a fantasy playoff berth.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

While owners have to be pleased with the receiving yards Larry Fitzgerald has already put up this season (603), they are most likely disappointed with the meager two touchdowns in seven games.

Expect that number to go up this week against the St. Louis Rams.

There isn't much reason to talk about Fitzgerald's talent, as he is commonly known as one of the NFL's top receivers.  What makes this matchup really juicy is the poor defensive performance of the Rams.

A very run-of-the-mill pass defense that is even worse against the run, St. Louis poses no more threat to Fitzgerald than does tissue paper.  Let alone the fact that the team gives up a very pedestrian 226.6 yards per game, but they also allowed 14 touchdowns through the air, good for second worst in the league.

The only thing that may cause worry for owners is the likely chance that quarterback Kevin Kolb will miss the game due to turf toe, leaving the task of lobbing passes to Fitzgerald up to backup John Skelton.

Even with the downgrade at the quarterback position, it is likely that Arizona gets the ball into the hands of their biggest playmaker early and often, allowing Fitzgerald to post numbers that will make any owner happy.

Projection: eight catches, 120 yards, one touchdown

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons

You see that fingertip grab Roddy White is performing in the picture to the left?  Yea, he is going to be making a lot of those catches this week.  

And there is a good chance that one of those spectacular catches is made in the back of the end zone.

That is because our good buddy Roddy gets to face an Indianapolis Colts defense that has given up 15 touchdowns through the air in only eight games.  That is an average of 1.88 touchdowns per game, and it is a league-worst statistic.

What really makes this an enticing matchup, however, is the Colts inability to get to the quarterback.  Over the course of the season, they have only sacked the quarterback 12 times, which is the second lowest in the NFL.

This lack of pressure equates to quarterback Matt Ryan having all day to throw to his favorite target, and THAT equates to some lofty numbers for Mr. White.

Projection: six catches, 90 yards, two touchdowns

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

After posting a meager three catches for 28 yards in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8, Dez Braynt and his Dallas Cowboys cannot be feeling too good about themselves.

Lucky for them, the season doesn't end after eight weeks, which gives them a chance to bounce back. And bounce back they will against a lowly Seattle Seahawks defense.   

After losing to the Eagles due partly to their inability to get the ball to their biggest play-maker, the Cowboys will be sure to target Bryant early and often in Week 9.  Even more appealing is the fact that No. 88 will be receiving those targets against a mediocre Seahawks pass defense.

Everyone in the league knows the type of talent that Bryant is.  The questions that now remain are whether he can be a consistent threat throughout the entirety of a game and whether the Cowboys can force feed him the ball.

Against the Seahawks, the answer to both those questions should be yes.

Projection: seven catches, 100 yards, one touchdown 

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles

Not enough can be said about the type of season Jeremy Maclin is having after battling a mysterious illness during the offseason.  The man has become the true No. 1 wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles and is on pace for 1,241 yards and nine touchdowns.

Pretty good for someone who wasn't even sure when/if he would play this season.

Expect the good times to roll this week as Maclin and his birds face off against a middling Chicago Bears defense in a Monday night showdown.  

What makes this matchup so appetizing for No. 18 is not that the Bears give up a lot of yards or touchdowns but rather the Tampa 2 scheme that they use.  

Under this scheme, Chicago doesn't allow for big plays down the field, essentially neutralizing Maclin's teammate DeSean Jackson.  This, however, allows for gains to be made in the middle of the field, which has become Maclin's area of expertise.  

With the Bears' defense focused on containing Michael Vick and Jackson, Maclin will have a prime opportunity to post some solid numbers.

Projection: eight catches, 120 yards

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

In recent history, the general rule of thumb was that it took wide receivers two or three years to develop into reliable fantasy receivers.  

Rookie receiver A.J. Green must not have gotten that memo.

With 33 receptions for 516 yards and five touchdowns, Green currently ranks as fantasy's number six wide receiver.  That is unprecedented.

Green looks to continue his impressive rookie season in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans.  Having faced tougher pass defenses in the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, Green should have no problem padding his stat total against a very average Titans defense that has allowed 234.6 yards per game and 11 touchdowns.

Start this young man with confidence.

Projection: five catches, 80 yards, one touchdown