With the Thursday night game in Week 9 now behind us, it’s time to focus our attention on the vital start/sit decisions to make in fantasy football for the weekend.
Four teams will be on a bye this week including the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers.
Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.
Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.
Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11) or check out our start/bench list for Week 9:
Quarterback
Start ‘Em
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears: With at least 300 passing yards in each of the last three games, we’re rolling with Carr against a Bears defense allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position over the last five weeks, which includes 10 passing touchdowns allowed.
Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers: Though Carolina has been solid against quarterbacks, Minshew has been a viable streaming option since taking over as the starter. He has at least 200 passing yards and two touchdowns in each of the last two games, and Carolina has allowed eight touchdown passes over their last four.
Sit ‘Em
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens: After a rough start to the season, Smith has settled in as a viable streaming option, finishing between QB15-QB17 over the last three weeks. Baltimore has been a killer matchup for fantasy, though, allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to the position over the last five weeks
Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings: Getting the start over the struggling Desmond Ridder, Heinicke should provide some extra juice for the pass-catchers. However, this game is shaping up to be a low-scoring affair without Kirk Cousins on the other side, and the Vikings have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the last five weeks.
Running Back
Start ‘Em
Kareem Hunt and Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals: Hunt is the better start here considering Ford is still working his way back from an ankle sprain, but both can be flex options due to the matchup. Arizona has allowed the second-most PPR points per game to the position over the last five weeks, including eight total touchdowns. I’d prefer Hunt over Ford, but they both are solid options.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers vs. Indianapolis Colts: One of our sleepers this week, Hubbard appears to be the leader in the backfield moving forward. He gets to take on a Colts defense allowing the most PPR points per game to the position over the last five weeks, which makes him a volume-based RB2 option at home.
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans: Though we’d like to see White make more of his opportunities between the tackles, his work as a receiver makes him a strong option every week. The Texans have been solid against running backs in recent weeks, but White is clearly a consistent target in the passing game, which makes him a strong start in what should be a close game.
Sit ‘Em
Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons: Though Mattison has been keeping Cam Akers at bay, it’s difficult to see the upside here. It’s a split backfield on an offense that’s now being led by a rookie (until Joshua Dobbs is ready), and the Falcons have allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points per game to the position over the last five weeks.
Chicago Bears RBs at New Orleans Saints: The split between Roschon Johnson and D’Onta Foreman completely negates the upside for either one, and the Saints have allowed the seventh-fewest PPR points per game over the last five weeks. It’s best to avoid almost all Bears options this week.
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers vs. Los Angeles Rams: It’s always tough sitting Jones, because he can rip off a big play at any time. However, he’s still limited by the hamstring injury, and the matchup against the Rams is tough. They’ve allowed the fourth-fewest PPR points per game to running backs over the last five weeks. Those who must start Jones should temper expectations.
Wide Receiver
Start ‘Em
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets vs. Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers have been better against wideouts over their last four games compared to how they began the season. Though it’s difficult to put faith in Zach Wilson, we should have confidence in the receiver this week as he’s coming off his two best games of the season, posting target shares of 36% and 38%, respectively, resulting in aerial lines of 8-90-0 and 7-100-1.
Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens at Seattle Seahawks: The rookie is coming off his worst game of the season. While the Seahawks have been solid against wideouts over the last month, it’s clear Flowers is still the go-to option in the receiver room. He has double-digit PPR points in all but two games this season while sporting a stout 27% target share.
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins (Germany): Rice is about the only receiving option outside of Travis Kelce to consider on the Chiefs side. Despite clearly being the most productive receiver in the room, the Chiefs are still limiting his work. Rice could be in for another productive outing as the Dolphins have allowed the sixth-most PPR points per game to the position over the last five weeks.
Sit’ Em
Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers at New York Jets: As the No. 2 in the wide receiver room, Palmer has a solidified role. But this week presents a tough matchup for the entire Chargers offense, especially the wideouts. The Jets have allowed the fewest PPR points per game to the position over the last five weeks, and Palmer hasn’t been playing consistently enough to make him a must-start.
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers vs. Los Angeles Rams: It seems we can always count on Doubs to salvage his day with the touchdown, but this might be a matchup we want to avoid for all Packers wideouts. Doubs is seeing a healthy target share, but the Rams have allowed the ninth-fewest PPR points per game to the position over the last five weeks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens: The rookie receiver has looked better in recent weeks, and we should expect better production during the second half of the season. But the Ravens have been tough on wideouts, allowing the second-fewest PPR points per game over the last five weeks to the position.
Tight End
Start ‘Em
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals: The rookie flashed his potential in Week 8 when he had the tight end room to himself. Now, he takes on a Bengals defense allowing the fifth-most PPR points per game over the last five weeks.
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals: The matchup is actually tough considering the Cardinals have allowed the fewest PPR points per game to tight ends over the last five weeks, but few tight ends can string together games with 25% target shares, something Njoku has done over the last two games.
Sit ‘Em
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns: It’s understandable to start McBride simply on the fact that he saw 14 targets last week. But trusting rookie Clayton Tune to provide a solid outing for his skill players is a big ask. If anything, temper expectations for the second-year tight end.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets vs. Los Angeles Chargers: On paper, the matchup looks pretty favorable, but Conklin has reached double-digit fantasy points just once over his last five games. There simply isn’t much upside here.
