Week 9 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Chris Johnson and RBs You Must Bench

Although it's never easy to bench one of your starting running backs, sometimes you're best off making a preemptive strike.

While certain fantasy backs like Adrian Peterson and Arian Foster shouldn't be benched under any circumstances, there are plenty of others against whom you can make a case.

There are a few regular starters who are facing brutal match-ups this week, so instead of sitting them and taking a low-scoring output, you need to use your bench or the waiver wire.

Here are three backs whom you should leave on your bench in Week 9.

Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants

While New York Giants bruiser Brandon Jacobs hasn't been a regular fantasy starter in a couple years, the news that Ahmad Bradshaw is likely to miss Sunday's game with a foot injury has made Jacobs quite the commodity.

Even so, expectations should be tempered greatly for the veteran rusher.

Jacobs has been dealing with a knee injury in his own right and has largely been ineffective when given a chance this year. He has averaged just three yards per carry this season, although he has found pay dirt on three occasions.

I highly doubt he will find much running room on Sunday against the New England Patriots' solid front seven.

Although the New England front seven has done a nice job this season, the Pats' secondary is a mess. Because of that, the Giants will likely rely on quarterback Eli Manning to account for most of the team's offense. The only way I see Jacobs being worthy of a start is if he finds the end zone, which is a possibility, but I don't see much in terms of yardage.

Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers

Aside from a 146-yard outburst against the Jacksonville Jaguars a couple weeks ago, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall has been extremely disappointing this season. Mendenhall was one of the best backs in the league last season, but is averaging less than four yards per carry in 2011.

There are a couple reasons for Mendenhall's decline. For one, he has had some injury issues this year, and that has certainly slowed him down. Also, the Steelers have evolved from a smash-mouth running team to a team that likes to spread the field and throw it.

The Steelers have no problem letting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throw the ball 40 times in a given week because it has been working.

Mendenhall likely won't see the ball any more than usual this week, as the Steelers will face the Baltimore Ravens and their elite run defense. While Mendenhall has scored some touchdowns against Baltimore in the past, he has never really run the ball effectively.

Roethlisberger has had some success, though, so I would expect a pass-heavy attack.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Just two years ago, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson ran for over 2,000 yards. Now, it would be a minor miracle if he broke 1,000 yards after his absolutely miserable start to the 2011 season.

Johnson is averaging a meager 2.8 yards per carry and has scored just once all season long. It is clear that the Titans are growing weary waiting for him to turn it around, as they have mostly relied on quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

To make matters worse, Johnson will have to contend with the Cincinnati Bengals this week, who have only allowed more than 100 rushing yards in a game once this season.

Regardless of who he is playing, Johnson is quickly approaching must-sit territory on a weekly basis. I would personally bench him from here on out until he shows some signs of life. I do think that he will bust out eventually, but you don't need to have an albatross like him in the lineup in the meantime.