Nobody needs to be told starting
Tom Brady, Ezekiel Elliott, or Antonio Brown is a good idea. Duh,
right? You can’t have studs at every position, though, unless
you’re in the shallowest of leagues. This is where the Shot
Caller comes in. Need help deciding which bargain basement QB
to use and which to ignore on Brady’s bye week? Let’s
talk. Looking for solutions at running back because Zeke is a
game-time decision? Look no further. Need to know which of your
unproven targets to start and which to sit since you ignored Brown
and went RB-QB-Gronk in your first three rounds? You get the idea.
Past results may not guarantee future success, but ignoring them
entirely can ruin your Sundays in a hurry (maybe even your Mondays
and Thursdays). Read on for a little history and, hopefully, a
little sage advice.
Note: Fantasy points
based on FF Today’s standard scoring system.
Bye Weeks: Chicago, Cleveland,
LA Chargers, Minnesota, New England, Pittsburgh
With the current group of team on bye, the non-obvious quarterback
plays are a bit riskier. DO NOT SIT DESHAUN WATSON FOR ANYONE.
Ok, great! Now that we're clear on that, let's look at some more
available QBs to start in Week 9.
Jacoby Brissett is a bit risky but the
Texans have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Grab a Helmet
Dak
Prescott vs. Kansas City: Dak is undoubtedly the highest-owned
player I’ll mention, but he has a misleadingly positive matchup
against the Chiefs. He currently ranks sixth in standard scoring
points per game and plays against the defense allowing the seventh
most points per game to opposing QBs. No QB has failed to exceed
10 fantasy points against the Chiefs and three have surpassed 30
points. Look for Dak to be among the top three scoring quarterbacks
on the week.
Jameis
Winston @ New Orleans: Oh Mr. Winston. How I wish you
were more accurate, but for the purposes of fantasy scoring, you’ll
do just fine. Winston currently stands as the 14th best scoring
QB on a points per game basis, averaging 19.6 per game and ranking
just ahead of Matt Ryan. And despite their new interest in playing
effective team defense, the Saints still rank as a below average
defense for opposing fantasy QBs. Allowing 20.9 points per game,
the Saints become a positive enough matchup to push Winston to
a low-end QB1 play for the week.
Jacoby
Brissett @ Houston: So here’s where it gets a little
bit risky. The Texans defense allows the second most fantasy points
to opposing QBs. End of analysis. Ok, I’ll add a little more to
give you some additional confidence. Brissett is averaging just
over four rush attempts per game and fifth most yards per QB rush
attempt. Four of the seven starting QBs to face the Texans have
exceeded 20 fantasy points including Tom Brady, Marcus Mariota,
Alex Smith and Russell Wilson. Brissett is still a risky play,
but his positive matchup places him around QB15 for the week with
a higher ceiling than many of the other QB2s.
Grab a Clipboard
Andy
Dalton @ Jacksonville: Dalton has seemingly bounced
back from his rough start, scoring more than 20 fantasy points
in three out his last starts. Unfortunately, he’s matched up against
the 32nd-ranked defense in QB fantasy points allowed per game.
Jacksonville leads the league in sacks and is tied for third in
interceptions. With questions still remaining about the pass protection
in Cincinnati, Jacksonville’s pass rush and propensity to create
turnovers makes this a matchup to completely avoid. Dalton is
a low-end QB2 on the week and should be a complete stay-away in
non-Superflex leagues.
Marcus
Mariota vs. Baltimore: Mariota ranks 20th in points
per game among QBs which makes him a questionable play from the
start, but in this particular game, he’s a must bench. The Ravens
allow the third fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
No QB has exceeded 15 points against the Ravens this season on
American soil (Only Blake Bortles scored more than 15, amassing
just over 30 in London). The Ravens are tied for the lead in turnovers
caused and lead the league in interceptions. Unless Mariota can
score significant points with his legs, he’s a dangerous play
for the week.
Josh
McCown vs. Buffalo (Thu): This one might seem a little
obvious based on name value alone, but McCown ranks 13th in points
per game and has scored over 20 points in each of his last three
starts. But the Bills held McCown to his second lowest scoring
performance of the year with 15.4 points in a game that was largely
bailed out by McCown’s only TD run of the season. The Bills
forced two interceptions in their Week 1 game and now rank second
in the league in interceptions. Despite currently being a high
end QB2, McCown is on my bench for the week.
