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Week 9 Start/Sit

3 November 2020 Fantasy Football Opinion


Welcome to Week 9 of the Fantasy Football season everybody! I hope you’re reading this starts of the week article in the driver’s seat for a first round bye and an easy ride into the playoffs. For those of you that are not, there are some extremely great matchups that you can utilize this week. Quarterbacks that you can stream, running backs that have favorable matchups, defenses against bad offenses so without further interruption, here is your Week 9 Start/Sits.

 

Quarterback:

START – Drew Lock – Denver Broncos @ Atlanta Falcons

Has Drew Lock been a fantastic quarterback this year? Absolutely not but, he’s been a serviceable starter for the Broncos. Currently sitting with a 3-4 record on the season, Lock has only averaged 9.6 FPPG to this point in the season. So why on earth would I throw a quarterback not averaging double digits in as my start of the week? The Atlanta Falcons’ defense is allowing the second most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and is allowing 310 passing yards per game. In addition to that, Drew Lock is coming off a game against the Los Angeles Chargers that he passed for 248 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception that gave him a week 8 score just shy of 20 points. In what could be a slugfest of two bad defenses, look for Lock to be a QB1 in week 9.

 

SIT – Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts

Lamar Jackson has not returned to MVP form in the 2020 season. Though this hasn’t been the most normal season in NFL history, Lamar has seemingly regressed to the means at this point. Currently sitting as the QB15 on the season, not even a QB1 in the majority of formats, Lamar will be facing the number one fantasy defense in the league this season. Currently sitting as the second least points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, the Colts’ defense is coming off a week that they had two forced turnovers, five sacks and kick return touchdown against the Detroit Lions. Not known as the perfect passer, Lamar will be facing a defense that is currently only allowing 237 passing yards per game on the road and is top 2 in the league against the run as well. With athletic linebackers that can likely “spy” Lamar, look for him to be outside of the QB1 conversation this week.

 

Others to START: Matthew Stafford, Nick Foles, Deshaun Watson

Others to SIT: Josh Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill

 

Running Back:

START – James Conner – Pittsburgh Steelers @ Dallas Cowboys

James Conner, good. Dallas defense, bad. Need anything further explanation? Too bad, you’re going to get it anyways. In somewhat of a resurgence season for Conner, he is getting the bulk of the carries once again for the undefeated Steelers. He’s currently sitting at 110 attempts on the season, a full 66 carries higher than the next closest running back, totaling 498 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season, he’s currently averaging 4.5 yards per carry and just shy of a touchdown per game. Conner’s fumble problems seem to be a thing of the past and I don’t think that problem resurfaces against a Dallas rush defense that has just 7 total turnovers on the season; aided by the 4 turnover game from Carson Wentz a week ago. Dallas is currently sitting as the worst rush defense in the league and is allowing a staggering 192.5 rushing yards per game at home. In what will surely be a positive game script for the Steelers, look for Conner to have a massive workload again this weekend.

 

SIT – Melvin Gordon III – Denver Broncos @ Atlanta Falcons

On the flip side of the passing defense of the Atlanta Falcons, they’ve actually had a pretty stout rush defense. Allowing only 99.2 rushing yards per game and just 81 rush yards per game over their last three, Melvin Gordon seems to be the odd man out in the Broncos’ offense this weekend. In addition to the potential return of Phillip Lindsay, Gordon isn’t the big ticket free agent that Denver was expecting to get. Although still averaging 4.2 yards per carry, Phillip Lindsay is just 88 yards shy of taking the title of the teams’ leading rusher and has done it on LITERALLY half as many attempts as Gordon (45 PL/90 MG3). Stack all of this together with the opponent being the sixth best rush defense in the league and it spells disaster for MG3.

 

Others to START: Antonio Gibson, James Robinson, Ronald Jones

Others to SIT: Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jonathon Taylor

 

Wide Receiver:

START – Allen Robinson II – Chicago Bears @ Tennessee Titans

As well as the Titans have played, they are fairly beatable through the air. Nick Foles has been a shadow of his former self as of late but even a half act of Nick Foles should be enough to allow for success against a secondary that just acquired Desmond King to try to offset the leagues sixth worst passing defense. Currently scored as the WR10, Robinson is coming off a game where he found a way to stay relevant in a Bears passing attack that was limited by the New Orleans defense. Posting a 6-87-1 stat line in route to a 17.7 point performance, Robinson will look to continue his consistent play against Malcolm Butler and a Titans secondary allowing the third most points to opposing wide receivers.

 

SIT – Robby Anderson – Carolina Panthers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Has there been a bigger immediate impact on a team than Robby Anderson to this point in the season? Anderson is on pace to blow away his previous career high in receiving yards (941) and has been a consistent threat for Teddy Bridgewater in all facets of the passing game. Through 8 games this season, Anderson is averaging a career low in yards per reception (13.5) but is pacing the Panthers with 688 receiving yards and is on pace to SHATTER his previous season best in receptions, with a projected line of 102 receptions and 1,376 yards it seems as though Anderson has found his place in Carolina. However, this is the week that those projections may take a drastic hit. Going against a Kansas City team that is allowing an average of 201.2 passing yards per game, this passing defense gets even better on the road. The Chiefs allow just 180.5 passing yards per game while in opponents’ home stadiums. Couple this with the return of Christian McCaffrey to the Panthers’ lineup and a defense surrendering the 4th least fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, it seems as though it will be a rough week for Anderson.

 

Others to START: Terry McLaurin, D.K. Metcalf, Justin Jefferson

Others to SIT: Marquise Brown, Amari Cooper, Mike Evans

 

Tight End:

START – T.J. Hockenson – Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

Normally cold weather would scare me for a tight end traveling to a northern tier opponents but the Vikings have a dome so that won’t be an issue. Coming off a week where he set a career high in receptions, Hockenson was able to justify his spot among the TE1’s in the fantasy realm. Posting a second consecutive double digit game, Hockenson gets to go against a banged up Vikings secondary that will surely allow him to replicate his 10 target game. Although Hockenson didn’t find the end zone last week, aided by two long Marvin Jones touchdowns, I expect him to have plenty of opportunity against an opponent that has the leagues’ third worst red zone DVOA.  Even if he can’t match his 10 target game, expect Hockenson to find the end zone this week.

 

SIT – Robert Tonyan – Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers

But Soko, why would I bench the TE5 against a San Francisco defense that’s banged up and shedding salaries at the trade deadline? BECAUSE I SAID SO! No, I’m just kidding, but Tonyan will have a tall task to stand up against this weekend against a 49ers defense that has allowed the sixth fewest points to the tight end position. Aaron Rodgers has his favorite target back as well. Davante Adams is sucking the life out of Robert Tonyan’s fantasy value one short touchdown at a time. Over the last two weeks, Adams and Rodgers have connected for touchdowns on five separate occasions and has been targeted a staggering 28 times to Tonyan’s 9. Outside of a week 3, three touchdown explosion against a porous Falcons’ defense, Tonyan’s status among the leagues’ TE1’s is questionable at best. Sit Tonyan this week in San Fran.

 

Others to START: Eric Ebron, Rob Gronkowski, Hayden Hurst

Others to SIT: Jonnu Smith, Mark Andrews, Mike Gesicki