Fantasy Football: Four starts, four sits for Week 9

It was a sad day for the NFL Thursday. The league lost lost its Rookie of the Year front runner in Deshaun Watson to a torn ACL, and the Jets won again.

The Giants are back from their bye, and with Janoris Jenkins now being suspended for violating team rules, it would appear McAdoo has lost the locker room, and his job could be next. Luckily we still have fantasy football! With yet another brutal bye week slate in mind , let’s jump into week nine starts and sits.

Starts

Kenyan Drake, RB, MIA

Two words: matchup, and spite. Yes, the Dolphins run blocking is terrible. But so is the Raider’s rush defense. Something’s got to give. Adam Gase shipped off Ajayi to the Eagles, and will no doubt feed Drake the ball to prove the naysayers wrong. With 15+ touches on the docket, fire up Drake as a high-end flex option this week.

Marvin Jones Jr., WR, DET

With Golden Tate nursing a bum shoulder, Jones took over as Matt Stafford’s number one target last week, and didn’t disappoint. The Lions lack of running game should continue to funnel targets to Jones, and the Packers secondary is not a shy away matchup.

Vernon Davis, TE, WAS

Davis has been on the streaming map even with Jordan Reed healthy, due to two factors. One, he’s on the field for almost every snap for Washington. And two, he is still one of the fastest TE’s in the NFL. Seattle may seem like a scary matchup, but with Reed out with a hammy, VD is a must start option at the Clink.

Brett Hundley, QB, GB

This is a shot in the dark, but the Packers had the bye week to get Hundley fully ensconced with the starting offense, and hopefully the chemistry with Nelson and company has been built. The Packers have loved Hundley for years for his dual threat qualities, which could turn into plentiful fantasy production in a bad week for QB’s.

Sits

Carlos Hyde, RB, SF

You probably can’t afford to sit him, but you really should consider it. C.J. Breathard has bombed as a rookie signal-caller, prompting the Niners to trade for Jimmy Garropolo earlier in the week. Jimmy G. won’t be starting Sunday, leaving the Niners offense in limbo. Add in Matt Breida sharing the backfield touches, and Hyde is quite the risky proposition this week.

Marcus Mariota, QB, TEN

I think Mariota will eventually earn QB1 treatment later in the year once healthy and proven, but you can’t have confidence in him until a few prove-it games. The Ravens defense presents a tough matchup, and Mariota hasn’t brought any semblance of consistency this year, meaning he’s staying on my bench until further notice.

Joe Mixon, RB, CIN

Every week the Mixon take over is underway, and every week it fails. Mixon may be the most talented RB in Cincy, but while stuck in a three man timeshare, how can he be ranked as a borderline RB1/2 without having ONE of those performances YTD? Track record isn’t everything, but it matters if there is no precedent for success.

Seattle Seahawks DST

Hopefully no one reading this drafted the Seahawks defense early, or any defense for that matter. I believe in streaming defenses, as matchups against bad offenses are what you chase all year on the waiver wire. The Seahawks defense isn’t what it used to be, and the Redskins have a good chance of putting up some real points at the Clink.