Fantasy football advice, Week 9: Who to start/sit for Rams vs. 49ers

Every litter has a runt. This year, in the NFC West, that runt appears to be the St. Louis Rams, who are 2-5 and the only team in the division with a losing record, and just lost their top receiver for the season. The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, have a winning record, but a negative point differential, so they aren't that far ahead of the Rams. We'll see just how far apart the two teams are Sunday, when the two teams play.

From a fantasy perspective, it's hard to imagine a healthier pair of teams. The 49ers don't have anyone fantasy owners are worried about listed on the injury report, while the only Ram listed is wide receiver Kenny Britt, who is dealing with a hip injury, and (a) is expected to be fine, and (b) isn't much of a fantasy factor to begin with.

Start 'em?: There haven't been any big games for Jared Cook this season, but he will at least get guaranteed targets -- targets that could rise with Brian Quick's absence. He's in the mid-teens among tight ends.

Sit 'em: There was a brief strong period for Austin Davis earlier this season, but he's been pretty terrible the last few weeks. ... The team keeps yo-yoing between Zac Stacy and Tre Mason, with Benny Cunningham robbing touches as well; the end result is none of the three belongs anywhere near a fantasy lineup. ... Quick was the only helpful Rams receiver. Neither Tavon Austin nor Kenny Britt appears likely to pick up the slack. ... Greg Zuerlein hasn't been able to kick for much of anything this season. ... The Rams' defense doesn't have a single really good game on its resume this season.

Start 'em: We've only seen one great game from Colin Kaepernick, but plenty of above-average ones, and with so many other quarterbacks on a bye, he's a must-start. ... It's been an underwhelming season for Michael Crabtree, but he's still the top target on a team that should put up points. ... The 49ers' defense looks like a must-start against an awful defense, even coming off of a negative game.

Start 'em?: There's been no middle ground for Frank Gore this season; either he's been great or he's been terrible. And he's on back-to-back terrible ones. ... Vernon Davis is one of those "eh, maybe" tight ends who could be started, but by no means has to be. ... Phil Dawson had as good a two-game stretch as any kicker in Weeks 4 and 5, but he's totaled 13 points in his last two games.

Sit 'em: He looked good early in the season, but Carlos Hyde hasn't done anything in more than a month. ... If there was only one of Anquan Boldin and Steve Johnson in San Francisco, he might be a flex play. But there isn't enough to feed two, so both fall down in the rankings.