This article, like all the ones preceding it, is structured into two parts:
An opening, followed by starts and sits. It’s similar to Matthew Berry’s “Love/Hate,” if not a shoddy rip-off.
I actually wonder though how many people read the opening. I assume most people skip to the reason why they clicked on the page in the first place. You know, the one that talks about actual fantasy football.
(Sorry to break the fourth wall here.)
I want to try something, though. If you are reading this, and if you’re so inclined, I want you to tell me your best fantasy football memory. The one you will remember forever. The one you fall back on after a crippling loss. The one that made you a fantasy football junkie like me. I will then post that in next week’s article. If this turns out to be thousands of replies, then I guess it’s going to be a really long article.
Here, I will give you mine:
Patrick Mahomes II in 2018.
I got him as a 9th-round pick. Total dart throw. I liked what Alex Smith had done the previous year with the Chiefs, and I thought to myself “well, he has to be better than Alex Smith, right?”
What I claimed exceeded my wildest dreams.
5097 passing yards.
50 frickin’ touchdowns.
5-0.
Every Sunday I’d already have 20 points from him by halftime. I was whistling my way to victories.
And just watching him on television was awesome in every sense of the word. Every play could’ve been a 60-yard bomb for a touchdown. It could happen at any minute, and in 2018 it did.
Not only was this guy putting up absurd numbers, you knew you were watching the next great quarterback in league history. He was (and could still very well be) the next Montana, the next Brady. I felt like I had a part of history on my team. I was never a Chiefs fan, but I made sure to watch every Kansas City game that year.
I don’t know. I think a pick like that, with such an unknown and low expectation, is more endearing than a first-round pick that puts up similar stats.
But that’s just me.
Let me know your thoughts.
Fantasy football Week 9 start ’em
Quarterbacks to start in Week 9
Geno Smith (SEA) vs. Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray (ARI) vs. Seattle Seahawks
The last matchup a few weeks ago didn’t yield many points—both on the field and for fantasy—but I expect things to open up for the second game between Arizona and Seattle this time around. The Cardinals are No. 27 against fantasy QBs this year, the Seahawks are in the bottom third, and there should be plenty of points for both squads this Sunday.
Both Kyler Murray and Geno Smith are great starts with a full range of weapons that should light up the scoreboard in the desert.
Running backs to start in Week 9
Miles Sanders (PHI) vs. Houston Texans
Miles Sanders is currently the RB17 on the year, but it may not feel like that. He probably feels more like an RB3, if anything.
He had his blow-up game against Jacksonville in Week 4, and against the No. 32 fantasy defense in Houston, he has a chance for another boom game. The Texans are getting killed on the ground.
A.J. Brown just had a big game, it’s a short week, and I am sure Philly just wants to get out of Texas with a win. If Jalen Hurts does not siphon all the running touchdowns this could be a big game for Sanders.
Tyler Allgeier (ATL) vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Don’t look too closely at the box scores unless you want to be disappointed. The main thing is that Tyler Allegeier is being utilized. He has gotten 13, 15, 16, then 14 carries the past four weeks, and last week they got him involved in the passing game.
Given the dearth of backs out there, and all the teams on bye, you could do much worse than Allgeier who is going against the no. 31 fantasy defense against the run. Keep an eye on the news, though, as Damien Williams and Cordarrelle Patterson will be back soon.
Aaron Jones (GB) vs. Detroit Lions
The Packers have lost four straight. A good salve for that? The Detroit Lions, of course! Aaron Jones is the best player on the team (and I am including Aaron Rodgers in this argument), and Jones has absolutely owned the Lions in his career.
This isn’t a get-right game for the Packers—this season may invariably be lost—but it’s a great match-up for Jones. Start him with utmost confidence.
Wide receivers to start in Week 9
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marques Valdes-Scantling (KC) vs. Tennessee Titans
Some quick notes:
#1: Andy Reid off a bye.
#2: Tennessee is horrible against the pass. They’re No. 25 against fantasy receivers through 8 weeks.
#3: This guy named Patrick Mahomes likes to pass the ball.
Logic serves that Chiefs receivers are going to have a good day. JuJu Smith-Schuster has been coming on strong lately—back-to-back 100-yard games—and given the Titans’ inability to stop big plays down the field there’s a good chance that MVS has a couple of deep bombs.
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out which Chiefs receiver to start, but any receiver with a hyphenated last name is a great flyers this week.
Keenan Allen (LAC) vs. Atlanta Falcons
This is a call only if Keenan Allen is healthy. Look, he’s all Justin Herbert has in the receiver room, and the Falcons bleed fantasy points to the wide receiver position. They’re No. 31 in the league. Between him and Austin Ekeler, this is the only way the Bolts can wish to move the ball down the field. Allen may have himself a day with double-digit receptions.
Fantasy football Week 9 sit ’em
Quarterbacks to sit in Week 9
Matthew Stafford (LAR) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady (TB) vs. Los Angeles Rams
This is a mirror-opposite of the Seahawks-Cardinals game. I can see this being an ugly, low-scoring game that does not yield many, if any, fantasy points for anyone, including Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady. Both teams are broken with rudderless offenses that rely on their defenses. Hold your nose and don’t watch this game if you can.
Running backs to sit in Week 9
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC) vs. Tennessee Titans
The Titans are too good against the run (No. 27 against fantasy running backs) and too bad against the pass to start the former first-round pick here. On top of that, Kansas City is coming out of a bye and perhaps looking to try something new.
Remember that they started rookie Isiah Pacheco over Clyde Edwards-Helaire against the Niners in their last game, so I would not be surprised if CEH is further down the pecking order. Keep him on your bench and see how this one unfolds.
Brian Robinson (WAS) vs. Minnesota Vikings
It’s a great story on how Brian Robinson came back to the football field, but after four weeks he really hasn’t produced. He got 8 carries last week—down from 20 carries the week before—and now he’s going up against the Vikings and their rush defense that has allowed 15.9 points/game total to the position.
Now dole that out between Robinson, Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic, and with those numbers, you want no part of this backfield this week.
Wide receivers to sit in Week 9
DeVante Parker (NE) vs. Indianapolis Colts
DeVante Parker is banged up and now he’ll be squaring off against Stephon Gilmore and the No. 2 ranked team against fantasy wide receivers. This is after a goose egg against the Jets. No thank you.
Allen Robinson (LAR) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Even if Cooper Kupp misses this game and Allen Robinson becomes the de facto No. 1 receiver on this team, this game is still a stay away.
The Rams look absolutely incompetent on offense, and the Bucs have a stingy defense. The connection between him and Stafford still isn’t there but for a couple back-shoulder fades. At this point in his career, Robinson has unfortunately shown he cannot be trusted in our fantasy lineups.
Kadarius Toney (KC) vs. Tennessee Titans
Yes, I know you’re excited. We all are. I too am watching highlights of Kadarius Toney in college and can envision the wide-open space Andy Reid will find for him on a football field. Just give this time. They are doing fine without him and he has been—oh how can I say this—a freaking headcase throughout his short career.
Remember that he’ll be at least the sixth option on this team, and they love Justin Watson and Jerick McKinnon. Let’s see a sample of him performing on this team before starting him, even as a desperation dart throw.
