Fantasy Football Week 9 Starts, Sits: Advice On Toughest Lineup Decisions

Who’s ready for Week 9?

We’re pushing on in the NFL’s 2020 campaign, past the midway point of the 17-week season, and getting set for an key stretch. It’s also an important stretch for fantasy football owners, who are doing their best to either better their playoff seeding or simply earn a postseason berth.

With that said, it’s all the more crucial lineups are set, and done so knowledgeably. Let’s dive into a few players who you should start in your fantasy lineup, and a few others who may best serve you on the bench.

Here are our Week 9 starts and sits:

STARTS
Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Edmonds should be in line for the lion’s share of carries as Kenyan Drake recovers from an ankle injury that, while not as severe as initially thought, likely will keep him out Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins, whose defense overall has allowed the fewest points this season. But it still gives up almost five yards-per-carry and ranks outside the top-20 in rushing yards allowed per game.

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
We could be in for a shootout Sunday as the Chargers face the Las Vegas Raiders. That’d be good news for Herbert owners, who just hope the Chargers will let their franchise signal-caller sling as they can’t keep a lead for the life of them. Las Vegas is 25th in passing yards allowed and have only tallied three interceptions this season.

Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
The rookie receiver has struggled finding consistency this season, but when productive, he can put up eye-popping numbers. Jefferson has a good matchup with the Lions this week as Detroit’s defense, which has allowed Bears’ Allen Robinson (5 rec., 74 yards Week 1), Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins (10-137 Week 3), Saints’ Emmanuel Sanders (6-93 in Week 4), Jaguars’ Keelan Cole (6-143 Week 6), Falcons’ Julio Jones (8-97 Week 7) and Colts’ Marvin Hall (4-113 Week 8) to light them up.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions
The Lions will be without Kenny Golladay on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, which should mean more targets for Hockenson. The second-year tight end has been impressive this season (four touchdowns in seven games), but his second-best performance of the season came Week 1 (five rec., 56 yards, TD) when the Lions were again without Golladay.

SITS
Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills
Singletary and teammate Zack Moss split the workload pretty evenly Week 8 against the New England Patriots, each earning 14 carries, but the former has yet to rush for 100 yards in a game and hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 4. Moss scored twice last week, and thus could get the majority of goal-line carries moving forward. It doesn’t help going against the Seahawks defense, which is actually stingy against the run (fifth-best in yards-per-carry).

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Carolina Panthers
The reality is that Bridgewater struggled mightily against the Atlanta Falcons on “Thursday Night Football” during Week 8, missing countless throws, and that was against one of the league’s worst passing defenses. The challenge will be tougher against the Kansas City Chiefs, whose defense is third in points allowed, third in passing yards allowed and second in passing touchdowns allowed.

Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ $20 million receiver was held to just one catch for five yards against the Philadelphia Eagles on “Sunday Night Football,” although in large part due to Ben DiNucci playing behind center. It won’t be much better for the Cowboys this weekend with Cooper Rush or Garrett Gilbert (Who?!) set to start against oh, you know, just the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jimmy Graham, TE, Chicago Bears
The veteran Graham is coming off a rough Week 8 in which he caught just two of the seven passes thrown to him for 13 yards against the Saints. He shouldn’t provide much optimism entering Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans, either, having not tallied more than 35 yards since Week 3 and without a touchdown since Week 5.