Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 9: Wide receivers

Week 9 of the fantasy football season is here, and we’re back with another crop of start/sit options. We have a nice set of data about each team through six weeks, and can make informed decisions on good plays and traps. With that in mind, we’ll pick quarterbacks who should exceed expectations in Week 9, along with three you should probably sit.

Funchess is suddenly the man in the passing game with the trade of Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills. Funchess remains a bit of an enigma, as the targets have been there every week since Greg Olsen’s injury, but the catches vary. He had 14 receptions in two games against the Patriots and Lions, and just nine in three games since. But now as the clear No. 1 — facing a defense that has had issues defending No. 1’s — he has a chance to go next level in his career.

Ginn is a home-run threat every week, and even when he doesn’t have a particularly good game, like last week against the Bears, he still manages at least one big play, like his 53-yard catch. The Buccaneers have a terrible pass defense and Michael Thomas is certain to draw a good deal of attention, leaving Ginn on the other side to swing several times for the fences. Two weeks ago, Ginn had seven catches for 141 yards, and I could see a similar line this week, as well.

We usually reserve our interest in Hilton for home games, as his home/road splits are among the most pronounced of any receiver in the league. But head coach Chuck Pagano signaled this week that he wants to force the ball to Hilton this week, and we’ve seen how the Texans secondary has been roasted since J.J. Watt went down.

You probably have to play DeAndre Hopkins if he’s on your roster, but you don’t need to reach down to Fuller, who has been insanely touchdown-dependent this season. Take away the touchdowns — which you have to do now with Tom Savage at quarterback — and Fuller is barely fantasy-relevant.

Jeffery caught just his third touchdown pass of the season last week and topped 11 fantasy points for just the second time. A big part of the reason for Jeffery’s low totals is the matchups he’s faced. He’s seen the likes of Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins and Patrick Peterson and struggled as expected. This week, he gets Aqib Talib. Another subpar performance is almost assured.

Washington is almost certainly going to be without Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder, leaving the Legion of Boom to focus their attention on Doctson. Even in ideal matchups, Doctson has underwhelmed this season. It wouldn’t be surprising if he went the entire game without a catch.