RADIO
Welcome to Week 9 RotoBallers! The season has been flying by, and it is now crucial to make the optimal lineup decisions on a weekly basis. As injuries and bye weeks pile up, it is essential to start racking up some wins to stay in the thick of the playoff race, as teams with three to four wins through eight weeks need to start getting back into the hunt.
Heading into the ninth week of action, we are well past the season's early stages, as fantasy managers who have gotten off to a slow start need to string some wins together from here on out. It isn't too early anymore to panic about certain players, as at this point, we can get a great idea of how good or bad some fantasy rosters are.
Here are some players I think will be in for a tough game in Week 9 and could disappoint their fantasy managers. However, there could be some managers out there who aren't in any position to bench these players given that we must deal with bye weeks and injuries to notable players. Here are some players that fantasy managers need to temper their expectations for.
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Should I Bench Jared Goff In Week 9?
Goff will be faced with a tall task as he takes on a very good Packers defense in Week 9. The Packers' secondary has allowed the third-fewest passing yards this season, trailing only Philadelphia and Denver.
Not to mention, they have allowed an average of one passing touchdown per game, so there isn't really anything here that suggests Goff is a good start this week, despite a 321-yard passing performance in Week 8.
In seven games this season, Goff has been held under two passing touchdowns in four of these games, while having two games with zero touchdowns. The thing that sticks out the most is that Goff has only found fantasy success in three games this season. What is noteworthy is that these games were against the Seahawks, Commanders, and Dolphins, which are three plus-matchups for a quarterback.
Goff has been held in check by the Patriots and Cowboys, which suggests the Packers' talented defensive personnel should have no issue shutting down the Lions' passing attack.
Jared Goff leads the NFL in turnover-worthy plays on passes of 20+ yards with 8.
— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) November 3, 2022
Considering Green Bay is no longer the high-flying offense we have seen in the past, the Lions will likely be able to run the ball in a neutral game script, as the Packers have allowed the third-most rushing yards this season.
Should I Bench Brian Robinson In Week 9?
Robinson will face the Vikings in Week 9, who have allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards this season and are tied for the seventh-fewest yards per carry. The rookie has been very inefficient this season, as he has recorded 3.2 yards per carry and just one score in four games this season.
Not to mention, Antonio Gibson has looked far more impressive than Robinson so far through the last four games, and the potential game script could mean we see more of Gibson in this one.
Antonio Gibson had a 22.6% target share today.
He's now racked up 4+ targets in four consecutive games.
Gibson out-touched Brian Robinson 14 to 8 in this game.
His arrow is pointing up ⬆️
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) October 31, 2022
Gibson has transitioned into more of the “J.D. McKissic role” this season, so he looks like the more valuable running back option in PPR formats against the 6-1 Vikings. Robinson isn't a must-bench because he can be locked in for his fair share of opportunities, but fantasy managers should be cautious with their expectations.
He likely needs a touchdown to make up for his inefficient play, but that could be hard to count, as Gibson has scored a receiving touchdown in back-to-back games.
Should I bench James Robinson and Michael Carter In Week 9?
This is a nightmare matchup for the Jets backfield, but if I were to pick one, the likely game script probably means Carter is the more valuable option once again this week. Aaron Jones just totaled 157 yards against the Bills' defense, but make no mistake, neither Robinson nor Carter should be trusted in this one.
The Bills have allowed the third-fewest rushing yards and fourth-fewest yards per carry while surrendering just four rushing touchdowns all season. Based on what we have seen from Zach Wilson, the Jets could most definitely rely on their run game to alleviate some pressure from their struggling quarterback, but that still shouldn't make fantasy managers confident in starting either of the two.
The Bills figure to be leading this game, so the Jets can only run the ball for so long before they will be forced to air it out. At best, Robinson and Carter are RB3 options this week with what looks to be a capped ceiling.
Should I Bench D.K. Metcalf In Week 9?
It could come as a surprise to label Metcalf as a potential bust against the team that has allowed the fifth-most passing yards this season, but when we dig a little deeper it is not as good of a matchup as one may think.
Metcalf will once again draw Byron Murphy, as he was held to 34 receiving yards in their first meeting of the season. Considering the big deep threat has been a boom-or-bust option this season, it is hard to trust him in a matchup that has not been friendly to opposing wide receivers through the first eight weeks of the season.
In four of the five games that Metcalf has not scored a touchdown, he has been held under 40 receiving yards, which basically has meant he has turned in a dud in half of his games this season.
Metcalf’s usage in the red zone makes him a solid bet to find the end zone, so there is always the possibility that he is able to salvage a low-yardage total with a score.
Having said this, he still looks like a risky option, but by no means am I suggesting sitting your stud wide receiver. However, fantasy managers should temper their expectations in this matchup.
Should I Bench Michael Pittman Jr. In Week 9?
Pittman was targeted nine times in Sam Ehlingers’ first NFL start but was only able to turn that into 53 yards against the Commanders. Adding to this, he has been held under 60 receiving yards in four out of seven games this season.
Seeing how the season has played out for Pittman so far, a matchup with the Patriots defense who have been notorious for limiting the opposing team’s No. 1 wide receiver is a cause for concern in this one.
Some opposing wide receivers the Patriots have been able to limit include Darnell Mooney, who was held to just three catches, Amari Cooper was held to 44 yards, while Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay combined for four catches in a game where the Ravens scored 37 points.
When we consider the Colts' offense has struggled mightily this year, and the fact that Pittman has just one touchdown on the season, this isn't a very appealing matchup to target.
He is by no means a must-bench given he is the clear alpha in this offense, but with an inexperienced quarterback going against a Belichick defense, this could be a recipe for disaster for any fantasy managers with Pittman in their lineup this week.
Should I Bench Tyler Conklin in Week 9
Conklin could be a hot commodity and heavily relied on at such a thin position after a monstrous performance in Week 8, but this seems like a trap against arguably the best defense in the NFL.
Wilson has been abysmal, and it is hard to count on Conklin being able to produce six catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns once again. Let’s not forget he saw just nine targets in his previous three games before last week's eruption, meaning he shouldn't be trusted in this one.
The Bills have allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards and just seven passing touchdowns, so it could most definitely be one of Conklin’s dud games that we have seen more often than not since Wilson took over for Joe Flacco.
Playing Conklin against the team that has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to his position seems crazy to think about, but with how thin the position is, he isn't a must bench. However, in shallower leagues, there are likely better options, but in 12+ team formats, he can be considered a low-end TE1 in this matchup.
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