Week 9 Fantasy Football Start Sit Advice is brought to you by Scott Pineau. Every week Scott breaks down this Week's games and picks the winning team and who he likes fantasy wise, as a solid Starter.
Teams on bye: New England, New York (Jets), San Francisco, St. Louis
Kansas City at San Diego – Thur. 8:20 pm ET
What happened to Jamaal Charles last week? If the Chiefs do not give the rock to JC then they can kiss any chance of winning this game goodbye. The Chargers have been playing horrible on offense, but their defense plays well when A) Rivers and Mathews don’t turn the ball over, forcing the unit to defend a short field, or B) they are playing against elite offenses (like the Broncos or Saints). Assuming they hang onto the ball the Chargers are facing a bounce back win. Start: Charles, Bowe, Rivers, Mathews
Arizona at Green Bay – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
Arizona has a chance if Jordy Nelson does not suit up. I don’t think they will win, but they could have an outside chance. The Packers have had moments of brilliance, but injuries and inconsistent O-line and WR play have led to some disappointing outcomes for a team many thought would be the cream of the crop again this year. Expect the Cardinals defense to frustrate Rodgers on a series here and there, but he will find a way to get the ball in the endzone. Start: Fitzgerald, Rodgers, Nelson (check availability)
Detroit at Jacksonville – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
The Lions have had issues all season long, but many on the offensive side of the ball can traced to an inconsistent running game. This is causing them to be one-dimensional to the point where opposing defenses roll double or even triple coverage on Calvin Johnson and force Stafford to make the plays elsewhere. I will give the Lions the benefit of the doubt for the last two weeks as they played two elite defenses in a row (Chicago and Seattle). This week they should destroy the Jaguars, but then again we thought the Packers would do that last week. Lions by two touchdowns. Start: Stafford, Megatron, Young, Pettigrew
Chicago at Tennessee – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
The Panthers got very close to upsetting the Bears last week, and without a doubt there was enough sloppy play by both teams to go around. Nevertheless the elite team prevailed because those types of teams can overcome mistakes. I look for the Bears to get back to the dominant defensive play we are accustomed to seeing. Hasselbeck has been playing well but Chris Johnson will be hard pressed to make the big plays he will need to for the Titans to win. On the flipside a lot of Forte and a little Cutler to Marshall will go a long way to capping off a road victory. Start: Forte, Marshall, CJ
Denver at Cincinnati – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
The Broncos look like a team that is primed to stack a few more wins, especially with their schedule. Manning is on fire and I look for that to continue. Their defense is actually looking really good as of late. The Bengals coming off the bye are in desperate need of a win. Even at home I don’t think they are getting one this week, though it could be a shoot out. Start: Manning, McGahee, Thomas, Decker, Dalton, AJ Green
Carolina at Washington – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
I fully expect the Redskins to win this game. RGIII rebounds and comes up big, as does Alfred Morris. Cam has disappointed a bit this season but he could do some damage against this struggling Redskin defense. Expect a lot of rushing yards, and in the second half a lot of passing yards. Start: Cam, RGIII, Morris
Baltimore at Cleveland – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
At the start of the season the Ravens looked like one of the most complete teams in the league. They were flinging the rock a ton on offense and the defense was playing just below their normal brand of nastiness (well, they didn’t have Suggs back yet). Since accumulating major injuries, especially on the defensive side of the ball it will be very interesting to see where they end up. I think they will get back to a heavy dose of Ray Rice and beat the Browns, but Cleveland might make a game of it as they have been competitive in many contests this season. Start: Flacco, Rice, Weeden, Richardson
Miami at Indianapolis – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
The Dolphins are ahead of the curve in my book, but I don’t expect them to win on Sunday, whether Tannehill suits up or not. The Colts offense is playing at a much higher level than anticipated, but the defense, although aggressive, is susceptible to giving some big plays. Start: Bush, Luck, Wayne
Buffalo at Houston – Sun. 1:00 pm ET
The Bills have the worst run defense in the NFL, and they aren’t very good against the pass either. And the Texans are one of the best teams running the ball. I look for the Texans to put this one away early. You might even see two Texan running backs go over the century mark. The Bills will undoubtedly try to establish the run, and will work hard to not abandon it, but ultimately they will have to throw to keep up. Start: Fitzpatrick, Spiller, Jackson, Foster, Tate, Daniels
Minnesota at Seattle – Sun. 4:05 pm ET
Is there any player more electric in the NFL than Percy Harvin? This guy is an elite athlete on many levels. With him and Adrian Peterson on the field at the same time even the vaunted Seahawk defense might run into trouble meeting all of its assignments. And eventually Seattle should contain this offense but mainly because of the poor quarterback play of Christian Ponder. Seattle, but it could be close. Start: AP, Harvin, Lynch
Tampa Bay at Oakland – Sun. 4:05 pm E T
I am very eager to see how Doug Martin performs without his star O-linemen Nicks (a.k.a. the human mountain) to run behind. That is the big question for the whole Bucs offense. How much time will Freeman, who has been playing well, have to throw the ball? Travelling to Oakland they will face a very inconsistent Raiders team that somehow manages to be in many games right up to the end. I think that Oakland will still find a way to lose as Palmer will be forced to throw more than he should. Start: Freeman, Martin, Jackson, Palmer, McFadden, Moore
Pittsburgh at New York (Giants) – Sun. 4:25 pm ET
The Steelers are getting older and it is showing. They are still a very sound team with a top notch defense, but there are ways to beat them and Eli Manning will find the holes he need to get the job done. On the other side the Steelers are still trying to figure out their own offense. There are plenty of playmakers but it’s still a work in progress. Isn’t that always the way with Haley? Start: Big Ben, Dwyer, Wallace, Brown, Manning, Cruz, Nicks, Bennett
Dallas at Atlanta – Sun. 8:20 pm ET
If Jerry Jones writes a book this year it should be called “101 Ways to Lose Football Games”. This week they should reveal something else we haven’t seen. Nevertheless this should be the fantasy goldmine of the week. Look for both teams to come out with guns a blazin’. The Falcons well lubed offense will prove to be too much for Romo and Co. Start: Romo, Austin, Bryant, Witten, Ryan, Turner, White, Jones, Gonzalez
Philadelphia at New Orleans – Mon. 8:30 pm ET
To V or not to V? That was the question. So Vick is expected to start now, but will he finish? That is the new question. I like the Saints in this game. They will be back at home and Brees will be very eager to erase last week’s performance in Denver from their fans’ memories. Also, Graham is getting healthier, so look for some big plays across the middle of the field. I’m not sure what to expect from Reid and the Eagles offense. They desperately need to force feed the ball to McCoy early and often. Saints is a high scoring affair. Start: Vick (one last time?). McCoy, Maclin, Jackson, Brees, Sproles, Colston, Graham
