We are officially through the first two months of the 2023 NFL season, which means we are quickly approaching trade deadlines and the midway point of your fantasy football league. With bye weeks returning in some capacity this week, there is no room for error with every game being crucial to your fantasy playoff hopes.
Let’s take a closer look at some of my surprise start and sit candidates for Week 9 of NFL action.
Start ‘Em Picks for Week 9
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Sometimes a bye week can do wonders for a struggling offensive unit.
Dak Prescott exploded for 304 yards and four scores through the air against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8. Does this mean Prescott is firmly back in the QB1 conversation?
Not quite. But his matchup against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that just gave up 397 yards and four scores through the air to Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell feels like a decent spot to stream the Cowboys’ QB in your fantasy lineup.
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It feels tough to recommend starting a running back who has failed to rush for 40 yards in three straight games and hasn’t topped 80 yards on the ground all season. However, Rachaad White continues to see a healthy amount of work in the passing game, which has given him a very high PPR floor.
White has caught all 13 of his targets for 135 yards over the last two games and did manage his most efficient game on the ground against the Buffalo Bills with 4.3 yards per carry.
MORE: Early Week 9 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
If the Bucs continue to fall into negative game scripts, White’s pass-catching floor comes into play. If Tampa Bay’s defense can give rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud some problems, then we could see a busy day on the ground for White.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor feels like he is on the cusp of a full-blown conquering of this backfield on any given week. For a second consecutive game, Taylor was more efficient than Zack Moss on a per-carry basis but frustratingly saw just one more carry than Moss.
To add insult to injury for Taylor shareholders, Moss scored another rushing touchdown while the two worked in tandem.
The Colts draw the matchup of a Carolina Panthers team that finally got their first victory of the season by scoring just 15 points against the Houston Texans. If this turns into a low-scoring contest against one of the weakest offensive units in the league, then we could get a heavy dose of Taylor in Week 9.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans
There weren’t many fantasy managers excited about the idea of rookie QB Will Levis helping DeAndre Hopkins’ fantasy outlook heading into Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons. Well, not only did Levis perform very well in his starting debut, he also helped give Hopkins his first top-five WR fantasy finish in a Titans uniform.
Tennessee will have a short week to prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into Thursday Night Football, which means we should see plenty of targets from Levis to his Pro Bowl-caliber WR in a very fantasy-friendly matchup for receivers. The Steelers give up an average of 33 fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts this season.
Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
For those fantasy managers who were quick to label Adam Thielen’s fantasy value being closely tied to the Panthers constantly playing in negative game scripts were proven wrong again on the 33-year-old veteran receiver.
Thielen has scored a minimum of 15 fantasy points in PPR formats in every game since the season opener, making him one of the most consistent and reliable fantasy options at the WR position.
MORE: PFN Consensus Rankings
Another fact worth noting is that Thielen has seen 11+ targets in three straight games, which puts him in elite company in a crucial statistical category for projecting fantasy success. The Colts are giving up an average of 29.1 fantasy ppg to opposing WRs this season. Thielen is flirting with must-start status regardless of format.
Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
I’m fully aware this is a form of cheating, but Taysom Hill’s recent production shouldn’t be ignored. His receiving production continues to be very minimal, but for a second time this season, Hill led the Saints in rushing.
This is particularly noteworthy because his Week 8 performance came with Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and Kendre Miller all available and seeing carries in this contest.
Should we expect two rushing touchdowns this week? Probably not… but Hill’s involvement in the Saints’ offense has ramped up over the last two weeks and could be an intriguing play for those affected by injuries or bye weeks at the TE position in Week 9.
Sit ‘Em Options
Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers
After an encouraging start to the 2023 season, Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers offense has cooled off — dare I say struggled — considerably over the last four games.
Love’s fantasy lines haven’t been terrible in all of these games, but the offense is consistently struggling to put up points in the early portion of games. Some of his fantasy production has come in garbage time with the team trailing by multiple scores in the second half because of the Packers’ inability to score points in the first half.
Love has failed to truly capitalize on the favorable fantasy matchups against the Raiders, Broncos, and Vikings over the last three weeks, which gives me no confidence he will enjoy a bounce-back game against the Rams in Week 9.
Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
Speaking of struggling fantasy options coming from Green Bay’s offense, it’s officially time to push the panic button on Aaron Jones. After an RB1 overall finish in the season opener, Jones has produced 117 total yards on just 28 total touches over the last seven weeks.
MORE: Buy Low, Sell High Week 9
Sure, I understand Jones was injured and missed three games altogether, but even when he’s been in the lineup, he hasn’t seen 10 carries in a game this season. A struggling offense + concerning usage = Jones getting nowhere near my starting fantasy lineup in Week 9.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
On the plus side, Chuba Hubbard has definitely taken the leading role out of this Panthers’ backfield for the time being. On the negative side, he produced just 28 yards on 15 carries in that feature role against the Texans.
Admittedly, Hubbard’s fantasy value has taken a big jump over the last month of the season. However, just because Hubbard is the leading back on one of the worst offenses in the league doesn’t mean he should automatically be in your starting lineup.
On paper, the Colts are a quality enough matchup when you consider they’ve allowed eight rushing touchdowns over the last three games. Unfortunately, I don’t have confidence that Hubbard and Carolina’s offense will enjoy the same amount of success running the ball against the Colts, given the Panthers’ continued struggles to establish a reliable running game.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
In case you haven’t noticed, there are a handful of Green Bay offensive players making the sit ’em list this week. Of all the players fantasy managers had high hopes for in this offense in 2023, perhaps no player has been a bigger disappointment than Christian Watson.
Watson has not caught more than three passes in a game and has failed to find the end zone in three straight. He’s topped 33 yards receiving just once all season, which mostly came on one big play because of a busted coverage.
Is this all Watson’s fault? Absolutely not, but the production simply hasn’t been there yet.
Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
This suggestion has absolutely nothing to do with Jordan Addison as a player. He has been very good during the majority of his rookie campaign. Unfortunately, he likely just lost his quarterback for the remainder of the season and is likely to be catching passes from a rookie in Week 9 against Atlanta.
If Addison’s 14 receptions for 205 yards and three scores over the last two games makes you incapable of putting him on your bench this week, that is completely reasonable. However, his range of outcomes with a rookie quarterback making his starting debut on the road doesn’t exactly guarantee me a very high fantasy floor this week.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
If it seems like I’m picking on the Packers’ offense a bit too much, then I would love for them to prove me wrong. Luke Musgrave has been one of my favorite streaming tight end options on a handful of occasions this season, with me continuing to expect a breakout week coming at any moment.
Well, that moment hasn’t come through the first two months of the season. Green Bay’s recent performances no longer give me the same level of optimism for Musgrave. He’s a very talented player, but until Love begins to show some level of consistency under center, then Musgrave feels like nothing more than a deep-league streaming option.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!