There are plenty of evolving backfield situations around the NFL as we gear up for Week 9. Some teams have players due to return from injuries. Other depth charts and player values could get jumbled if moves are made before next week’s trade deadline. We are even seeing one team in particular seemingly undergoing a full-fledged shift in offensive play-calling philosophy. Needless to say, there is plenty to keep tabs on when filling out lineups and honing in on the optimal fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em decisions this week.
As a reminder, players like Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson and Derek Henry will still be started in lineups weekly. It’s the RB2 and FLEX spots where things can get a bit trickier. To help you make some of these tough decisions, check out our weekly fantasy football rankings and continue reading for our Week 9 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em analysis at RB.
Wide Receivers — Week 9 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Tight Ends — Week 9 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
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Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em: Week 9 RBs
Start: Rhamondre Stevenson Fantasy Outlook vs. Titans
Of course, there’s also the fact that Stevenson had some poorer games and put a couple of balls on the ground. This was seemingly the cause of him being thrust into a backfield committee which should really have never been the case. Last week, he played a season-high 81% of the Pats’ offensive snaps, had 20 carries for the first time since Week 2 and was the clear focal point down in the red zone. It was a modest yardage day, but he found the end zone twice. That kind of workload bodes well for Stevenson’s prospects in Week 9 against a Tennessee Titans defense that is trending in the wrong direction.
Start: Chase Brown Fantasy Outlook vs. Raiders
Why is that, you ask? Easy. The Bengals are hosting the Las Vegas Raiders this week. In case you hadn’t heard, the Raiders stink. Against opposing RBs specifically, Las Vegas comes in allowing the tenth-most PPR points per game. One can’t help but wonder if the virtually 50-50 split in snaps between Brown and Moss last week can be partially attributed to the Bengals getting housed on the scoreboard in that game. As far as this week’s more favorable matchup, look for Brown to be safely back into the RB2 threshold as Cincy tries to get off the schnide on its home field.
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Sit: J.K. Dobbins Fantasy Outlook vs. Browns
It’s not like Dobbins’ role in the backfield is in jeopardy. Gus Edwards hasn’t been heard from since he went on IR several weeks ago and rookie Kimani Vidal has also sputtered in limited opportunities. In response to their inefficient rushing attack, the Los Angeles Chargers have started throwing the football more. Justin Herbert has attempted 32+ passes in three straight games after failing to hit 30 attempts in all four games before the team’s bye. In a road tilt against an energized Cleveland Browns defense, Dobbins could have his work cut out to achieve RB2 fantasy status.
Sit: Chubba Hubbard Fantasy Outlook vs. Saints
For a team as bad as the Carolina Panthers, it’s wild how involved their backfield in fantasy football at the moment. All of it adds up to a situation that should give managers pause when deciding whether to start Chubba Hubbard in Week 9. Hubbard might very well be shipped out of town in the coming days as the Panthers look to acquire draft capital and rebuild. This could be an easier decision for the front office to make given that rookie Jonathan Brooks logged a full practice on Wednesday, a sign that he is drawing closer to making his NFL debut.
Now, we can also go the other route and assume a calmer fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em outlook. That would mean Brooks never actually plays this season and Hubbard stays in Carolina as the lead back. This is a role he has thrived in this season, scoring over 11 PPR points in all but two games. However, last week was one of those games, as he ceded seven targets in the passing game to Miles Sanders. Could this be a sign of a workload dynamic that continues this week?
Oh, and the other game where Hubbard flopped was in a Week 1 curb stomping at the hands of the same New Orleans Saints defense he will contend with this Sunday. He will have his work cut out to live up to his ECR ranking of RB22.
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