5 Start, 5 Sit for Week 9 of the 2023 NFL Season
It’s getting easier to know who is worth playing now. Trends are a little more visible and guys we thought might be lightning in a bottle have turned out to be a fart in a jar. What I have for you this week is a list of players that I think are worthy of your starting rosters, followed by guys that might need to start applying for day jobs.
Start:
Will Levis vs PIT – Start
I don’t think anyone saw this coming before last week. Levis’ first game starting was the best of any rookie this year. Even with pretty low expectations, he threw for nearly 250 yards and four touchdowns against the Falcons, who have a fairly decent defense. This week against Pittsburgh, my gut tells me that this also should be a mediocre game for him, but I can’t ignore his performance last week. With the rampant quarterback injuries and impactful bye weeks this week, Levis just might win you a game.
Rachaad White vs HOU – Start
Rachaad White’s performance just on the ground is extremely lackluster. However, his insane production in the passing game has kept him fantasy relevant the past two weeks. He has only been in the end zone one time, but Houston presents a tasty matchup for him. If his passing volume keeps up, he should be a great RB2 for you this week.
Rashee Rice vs MIA – Start
It hasn’t been the best Journey for the Chiefs, but it seems that they finally have a “#1” receiver after losing Tyreek Hill. His numbers haven’t been out of this world, but he gets the second most targets on the team behind Travis Kelce. In a game that is likely to be largely offensive, Rice could see season high numbers across the board. If you need to fill in a bye week spot, give Rice a shot.
Dalton Kincaid vs CIN – Starts
Since Dawson Knox has hit injured reserve, Kincaid has taken over big time. Two straight weeks of top ten tight end, with volume like a receiver, is very enticing. This week’s game against the Bengals is going to have both offenses firing on all cylinders and Kincaid is going to be a huge weapon for the Bills. This might be a no-brainer for a lot of people, but if you play daily fantasy, Kincaid could end up as a weekly high scorer.
Darrell Henderson vs GB – Start
From sitting on the couch, to leading the Rams in rushing, Henderson is back in action! His numbers the past two weeks haven’t been out of this world, but Green Bay gives him a chance to drastically improve. Henderson has been involved in the Rams’ offense in some capacity every year of his career and always seems to become THE guy in the backfield. He’s one of the better RB2/3 options this week, so I’d give him a go.
Sit:
Geno Smith vs BAL – Sit
Geno Smith’s year has been very disappointing for fantasy owners. He’s only had one week scoring more than 20 points and hasn’t thrown more than two touchdowns in any game. The Ravens have one of the tougher defenses in the league, so I don’t like Geno’s chances of turning his season around. Until he starts to improve, I’d keep him on the bench.
Miles Sanders vs IND – Sit
Speaking of disappointment, Miles Sanders may have hit rock bottom. He’s only had one fantasy relevant game this year and recently has been burdened with injury. Last week, he was active, but only took two handoffs for 0 yards and played just 18% of snaps. Its possible that his low participation was due to his recent injury, but honestly, even when he’s healthy he hasn’t been impressive. He’s probably on your bench already, but I’d leave him there.
Davante Adams vs NYG – Sit
There has been a lot of movement for the Raiders this week, but unfortunately for him, Davante wasn’t one of them. For now, he’s stuck on a team with an interim head coach and rookie QB. It’s possible for him to return to form just by demanding a ridiculous target share, but that would heavily rely on how well Aiden O’Connell can get him the ball. For this week, it might be worth exploring another option until you see what he can do, or maybe even work a trade to get away from the drama.
Donald Parham vs NYJ – Sit
Parham is coming off of the best game of his career, but don’t let that influence you too much. He has been a backup since entering the league and has never seen any level of consistent volume. I don’t see last week as the beginning of his dominance but rather a small blip on the radar. Leave him on your bench, or more likely on the wire.
Marquise Brown vs CLE – Sit
The Cardinals are another team that made some moves this week. Moving on from Josh Dobbs and letting Clayton Tune run the show in week nine is certainly an interesting choice. With that being said, I wouldn’t put any trust in any Cardinal until we know that Tune can actually make something happen. “Hollywood” is a dangerous weapon when utilized correctly, but until we see some good football I’m staying away.
If you want more offensive start/sit advice, follow me on X @TFFGRobbie. If you need IDP start/sit advice, give @ThePPRShow a follow as well.