Fantasy football advice, Week 9: Who to start/sit for Carolina Panthers vs. Los Angeles Rams

Bye week hell continues in Week 9 with six more teams on byes. And you thought it couldn’t have been worse than Week 8? Now fantasy owners get to scramble as skill position players on the Patriots, Bengals, Washington, Cardinals, Bears, and Texans all get to sit out of lineups.

But with the Panthers and Rams squaring off on Sunday, options, though few of them, still remain for fantasy owners.

Cam Newton didn’t have the fantasy week that his owners are accustomed to in Week 8, but a matchup against a punishing Cardinals defense will do that. It does nothing to dash his status as an elite fantasy QB1, and Newton should have much better luck against a middling Rams defense on Sunday. Greg Olsen can be considered the top tight end in Week 9 with Rob Gronkowski and Jordan Reed on bye, despite coming off his worst statistical output of 2016.

The Rams have been a tough defense to crack in the run game despite being injured up front for much of the year, and they’ve allowed 3.9 yards per carry on the season. Jonathan Stewart remains start-worthy against them because of his goal-line opportunities and monopolization of the backfield. Though upside can’t be considered great, Stewart remains a high-floored RB2.

Kelvin Benjamin has been quite the boom-or-bust wide receiver in 2016, as his owners need no reminder of. Fortunately for him, there should be improvement in Week 9 from his two-catch performance in Week 8 after having to deal with Patrick Peterson. But for as volatile as the third-year receiver has been all season, fantasy owners have to consider Benjamin nothing more than a risky flex option.

The committee of Ted Ginn, Devin Funchess, and Philly Brown can remain on waiver wires across the board.

The Panthers defense has had its share of woes in 2016, but what it has been good at is stopping the run. That’s not good news for Todd Gurley, and fantasy owners can’t expect an efficient game from the sophomore against a defense that is allowing a league-best 3.3 yards per carry average. Gurley can make up for poor efficiency with volume, but only if the game script doesn’t have the Panthers jumping out to an outrageous lead. Gurley remains a volume-dependent RB2 for Week 9, but fantasy owners have to temper expectations.

Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt have a Panthers defense that has been gashed through the air, but in Week 8, the Panthers looked closer to the Super Bowl–caliber defense they fielded in 2015 than they have at any point in the season. If Case Keenum is harassed behind his patchwork offensive line as much as Carson Palmer was, the Rams’ already terrible passing game doesn’t stand a chance. Gurley is the only player in the offense who deserves starting consideration for Week 9.