Fantasy football advice, Week 9: Who to start/sit for Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders

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 Raiders and Broncos squaring off on Sunday, options, though few of them, still remain for fantasy owners.

Yes, the Denver Broncos defense is an imposing one, and it’s perhaps the biggest poison to fantasy production for its opposing offenses. But that doesn’t mean fantasy owners, especially in a week with six teams on byes, can afford the luxury of ignoring the upsides that Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Michael Crabtree provide. All three should be in lineups of all formats, despite facing the NFL’s No. 1–ranked pass defense.

For all the talk the Broncos get about their defense, stopping the run has been an issue for them all season, as they’ve given up the eight-most rushing yards per game in 2016. The Raiders, however, have had issues of their own running the ball, and it would be bold to assume Latavius Murray will have a big game. Murray remains the lead back and should garner the volume to be a solid RB2, especially with Jamize Olawale limited in practice all week with an ankle injury. If Olawale misses time, Murray could get plenty of goal-line action in his absence.

DeAndre Washington, Seth Roberts, Clive Walford and the rest of the Raiders’ role players can remain out of fantasy lineups for Week 9 and beyond.

The Raiders surprisingly held Mike Evans in check during Week 8’s overtime thriller, but have another tall task to accomplish with the tandem of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. While each receiver has just one 100-yard game in 2016, their volume in targets will give them high enough floors to be viable. Against a Raiders defense that has allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game, that floor could be even higher than usual for this talented duo.

The Raiders’ woes haven’t just been through the air, as they have also allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game. Devontae Booker left much to be desired despite totaling 83 yards and a touchdown in his first start. But after playing through a shoulder injury, Booker gave fantasy owners hope after battling through it and still being productive. He should have an easier matchup at hand, and is firmly in RB2 territory amid a plus matchup.

Trevor Siemian and the remaining role players on the Broncos offense do not deserve starting consideration, despite the plus matchup. Siemian has been a low-floor quarterback all season, and even with six teams on bye, fantasy owners can likely do better for streaming purposes.