By Andrew Doherty
Believe it or not, we’re officially at the halfway point of the NFL regular season. We’re more than halfway through the regular season for your fantasy team and wins are becoming more crucial with each passing week. Don’t worry, I’m here to help.
I always condone starting your studs, so as usual there won’t be an any obvious starts included here. With six teams on a BYE this week, a lot of you will be looking to the end of your bench and possibly even the waiver wire for starters. So with that in mind, this weeks articles will have a higher volume of players to start and sit while keeping the analysis a little more brief.
Best Start/Sit Options for Week 9
Quarterbacks to start
Justin Fields
Chicago is finally tailoring it’s offense to Fields strengths and he’s on the cusp of being startable on a weekly basis. His rushing prowess offers a solid floor and his matchup against a Dolphins defense that ranks 7th easiest for quarterbacks in fantasy this year gives Fields potential for a monster game.
Geno Smith
Smith is leading the league in completion percentage and gets a juicy matchup against a Cardinals defense that ranks dead last in opponent dropback success rate. He’s a top-10 option this week.
Aaron Rodgers
Detroit’s defense ranks dead last in pass DVOA and has been a defense to target all year when streaming quarterbacks. Despite a down year for Rodgers, he’s thrown for multiple touchdowns in 6 games this season and should continue that trend against a soft Lions secondary.
Wide Receivers to start
Juju Smith-Schuster
Juju and Mahomes have been clicking as of late and the Titans are tied for the 4th most touchdowns allowed to wide receivers this season.
Parris Campbell
Campbell is finally healthy and seeing consistent targets. He projects to be mostly lined up against undersized slot corner Myles Bryant, who has struggled heavily in man coverage this season.
Jakobi Meyers
Meyers averages over 10 targets per game this year when Mac Jones plays the entire game. He gets a plus matchup against slot corner Kenny Moore this week.
Running backs to start
Raheem Mostert
With Chase Edmonds traded and Jeff Wilson not fully up to speed, Mostert projects for a heavy workload against a vulnerable Bears run defense that is allowing the 4th most fantasy points to running backs.
Deon Jackson
Jackson slots into RB1 volume with Jonathan Taylor out. He gets a Patriots defense that ranks 31st in opponent rush success rate and he could be leaned on heavily with a rookie quarterback making his second career start.
D’Onta Foreman
With Chuba Hubbard inactive, Foreman is in line for another heavy workload. I have Foreman as an RB1 this week.
Tight ends to start
Evan Engram
The usage has been there for Engram in recent weeks and the Raiders are tied for the 3rd most touchdowns allowed to tight ends this season.
Hayden Hurst
Hurst will see an uptick in volume for as long as Ja’Marr Chase is out. He gets a plus matchup this week against a Panthers defense that has struggled to defend tight ends this season and will be without standout safety Jeremy Chinn.
Quarterbacks to sit
Matt Stafford
Stafford has only passed for multiple touchdowns once this season and especially struggled when on the road. With a porous offensive line and top target Cooper Kupp banged up, Stafford is going to struggle against the Buccaneers tenacious pass rush.
Running backs to sit
David Montgomery
Dolphins 8th in rush yards allowed over last 4 weeks, may be losing job to Khalil Herbert
Nyheim Hines
The trade to Buffalo is exciting but this week you’re essentially relying on Hines to break a big play for a touchdown as he adjusts to learning the Bills offense. Facing a solid Jets defense, it’s best to leave Hines on your bench until next week.
Devin Singletary
Singletary’s receiving upside is capped with the arrival of Nyheim Hines and he faces a Jets defense that has been stout against the run to this point in the season. He’s a desperation flex option at best this week.
Wide receivers to sit
Michael Pittman Jr
Pittman is rarely seeing downfield or endzone targets to begin with and Bill Belichick is notorious for game planning to take rookie quarterbacks favorite targets away. On top of that, the Patriots defense is tied for the 3rd fewest touchdowns allowed to wideouts.
Chase Claypool
There’s plenty of reason for optimism for Claypool’s role in the coming weeks but he’s likely to see a limited role as he learns the playbook on his new team. Despite a good matchup on paper, the Bears offense simply doesn’t pass that often enough for Claypool to make an impact this week in a limited role.
Tight ends to sit
Dawson Knox
He’s been touchdown dependent in 2022 and gets a stingy Jets defense this week that is yet to allow a touchdown to a tight end this year.
