Start or sit: Week Nine
Start or sit: Week Nine
UPDATED: 11/06/2009

START

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck (vs. DET): When healthy, Hasselbeck is the quintessential plug-and-play QB. He's able to post terrific numbers in the right matchup. Well, this week he has one of those matchups, as he squares off against a Lions pass defense that's allowing 251.9 yards per game and has surrendered a ridiculous 18 TDs through the air. Coming off a 249-yard, two-TD effort at Dallas, Hasselbeck should provide owners with a spark this week.

Saints RB Pierre Thomas (vs. CAR): While a healthy Mike Bell has made the backfield situation in New Orleans murky, this much is clear: Thomas is the team's most dangerous back. He proved that again last week, gaining 100 yards from scrimmage and scoring twice on just 16 touches vs. Atlanta. He definitely belongs in lineups this Sunday when he takes on the Panthers, who are getting gashed for 127.6 rushing yards per contest and 4.5 yards per carry.

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles (at JAX): Having sat behind Larry Johnson for the past season and a half, Charles will get an opportunity to start this week thanks to Johnson's suspension. It only helps that his first game as a featured back will come against the Jaguars, who just allowed 24-228-2 to Titans RB Chris Johnson last week. Averaging five yards per attempt this season with a similar build to Johnson, Charles has a chance to make a sizable impact Sunday as both a runner and receiver.

Niners WR Michael Crabtree (vs. TEN): Even though he's only been with the club for about a month, Crabtree has already become an intriguing fantasy option. After catching five passes for 56 yards in his debut, he followed it up last week with a solid 6-81-0 outing at Indy. The rookie has a chance to have his best game yet this Sunday against the Titans, who rank last in the league in pass "D" and have yielded 19 TD passes. Crabtree is a solid start in all formats.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason (at CIN): Mason has been a force for the Ravens' offense of late, catching a TD in four of the past five games. The only contest in which he didn't score? A Week Five meeting with the Bengals, who held him without a reception. Wanting to make up for that dud, expect Mason to put forth a strong effort this week at Cincy, which is giving up 253.3 passing yards on average and has been vulnerable to big pass plays this season.

SIT

Broncos QB Kyle Orton (vs. PIT): Through the first six weeks, Orton was a much better fantasy option than most expected, consistently posting impressive yardage and TD numbers. However, his production took a dive when he faced a stellar defense in Baltimore last week, and he's likely to experience similar results on Monday night. That's because he's going up against a Steelers defense that's allowing just 5.4 yards per pass play and 18.4 points per game.

Texans RB Steve Slaton (at IND): By now everyone knows the story of Slaton being benched last week after fumbling his first carry, then watching Ryan Moats run wild over the Bills. Since then, head coach Gary Kubiak has said that he will rotate carries among Slaton, Moats and Chris Brown moving forward. Even though he has a favorable matchup this Sunday vs. the Colts, there's too much uncertainty in the Houston backfield right now to trust Slaton in your lineup.

Patriots RB Laurence Maroney (vs. MIA): Injuries to RBs Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris have opened up the door for Maroney in New England, and he's performed admirably thus far, rushing for 29-166-2 in his last two outings. This week, though, he faces a much tougher challenge in the Dolphins, whose stout run "D" is yielding just 92.4 yards per contest. Add in the fact that Maroney will be splitting time with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Kevin Faulk, and it all adds up to him struggling Sunday.

Giants WR Mario Manningham (vs. SD): After exploding for 10-150-1 in Week Two, Manningham has cooled off quite a bit since then, not catching more than four balls or surpassing 55 yards in any game. He then missed last week's contest with a shoulder injury, and while he's expected back Sunday, he's not a recommended fantasy play against a Chargers pass defense that's much improved this season, allowing only 178.4 yards per game. It doesn't help Manningham's case that WR Hakeem Nicks continues to perform well.

Saints WR Lance Moore (vs. CAR): After teasing owners with a 6-78-1 performance in Week Six, Moore has been back to his old tricks lately, catching just two passes in each of his last two outings. That type of inconsistency makes him a poor fantasy option in most weeks, but it's especially true when he's facing the league's No. 1 pass defense, which he'll be doing when Carolina comes to town this week. Keep Moore reserved until he begins to regain his 2008 form.



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