Players to start this week:

QB Blaine Gabbert (San Francisco 49ers)

Yes, Blaine Gabbert. The former Mizzou star has been the backup for the 49ers for a couple of years, but he will have a chance to shine in week nine as the starter. I expect Gabbert to have a good game this week, as the 49ers play against the Atlanta Falcons, whose defense has not played well the past few weeks.

RB DeAngelo Williams (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Fantasy owners should immediately go to the waiver wire to pick up running back DeAngelo Williams. Williams will replace Le’Veon Bell, who he tore his MCL and is presumably out for the rest of the season. Williams will get many carries this week, as Bell is out and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is coming off of an injury. Although the Steelers play against the Raiders, who have had a strong defense this year, I expect Williams to score many fantasy points this week with the amount of carries he will get.   

RB Darren McFadden (Dallas Cowboys) While the Cowboys’ offense has struggled in the past few weeks, I expect running back Darren McFadden to have a big game in week nine. Last week, McFadden accounted for 113 total yards in the loss against Seattle, which has one of the best defenses in the NFL. Given that McFadden put up big numbers against one of the best defenses, I expect him to have a great game against the Eagles, who have an average defense.

WR Steve Johnson (San Diego Chargers)

Wide receiver Steve Johnson has not been a star since was on the Buffalo Bills; however, I expect him to have a big game in week nine. The Chargers play against the Chicago Bears, who have arguably the weakest pass defense in the NFL. With the combination of the Bears’ weak pass defense and Philip Rivers being an accurate quarterback, I expect Johnson to have a great fantasy game.

Bengals’ Defense

The Bengals have been surprisingly dominant this season, as they are undefeated and have had great defensive production. They will have an especially good week in week nine, as they are facing a Browns team with offensive woes. The Browns are starting former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, who has struggled in every NFL game he has ever started.

Players to sit this week:

QB Johnny Manziel (Cleveland Browns)

Former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel is getting his second start of the year this week against the Cincinnati Bengals, not the best team to play against as a quarterback. The Bengals have had a stout defense this year, which has helped lead them to an undefeated record. Manziel won’t have a good game this week, as he is inexperienced and plays against a good defense.

RB Alfred Morris (Washington Redskins)

Running back Alfred Morris has struggled to start the 2015 season, and I don’t expect that to change this week. The Redskins play against the Patriots, who surprisingly have one of the best run defenses in the NFL. With the combination of his early season struggles and the Patriots good defense, I expect Morris to have another poor fantasy week.

RB Eddie Lacy (Green Bay Packers)

Running back Eddie Lacy has had a disappointing start to this season, as he has had average numbers and was the second-ranked running back on ESPN pre-draft cheat sheets. I expect Lacy to pick up the pace at some point this season, but that will not be this week. The Packers play against the Panthers, who have one of the best defenses led by star linebacker Luke Kuechly.  

WR T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts)

Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has established himself to be one of the best receivers in the NFL over the past couple of years, but I don’t expect him to have a good week in week nine. The Colts play against the Denver Broncos, who in my opinion have the best defense in the NFL. Also, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has struggled lately, leading them to a 3-5 record. The combination of the Broncos’ defense and Luck’s struggles will be too much for Hilton to overcome.

Titans’ Defense

While the Titans’ defense is not near the worst in the league, it is not very good. This will be an especially bad week for the defensive unit, as they play against the Saints, who scored 52 points in the win against the Giants last week. In addition to the Saints’ high-powered passing game, the Titans just fired their head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, which should lead to confusion for the entire team.