Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 9: Tight ends

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.

Davis has been rock-solid for Washington in the various absences of Jordan Reed, and that’s going to be the case again in Seattle. Now with Jamison Crowder also likely out, Davis becomes the de facto No. 1 target in the passing game. The Seahawks have always sacrificed tight end production at the expense of shutting down wideouts, so Davis could be in line for double-digit targets and any potential red zone looks. It seems crazy to say this, but with Gronk and Hunter Henry on byes, Davis is one of the best tight end plays of the weekend.

With Sterling Shepard returning to the Giants’ lineup this weekend, the outlook for Engram might actually improve. Shepard’s targets won’t be coming at Engram’s expense. They were going to the no-name fill-ins at receiver. Not only should Engram continue to be highly targeted, some of the defensive pressure should be lifted with Shepard on the field. Eli Manning loves his rookie tight end, and so do we.

With the game script having dramatically flipped in this game, Doyle looks better by the minute. Doyle had a career game last week with 12 catches on 14 targets, 121 yards and a touchdown. The yardage was an outlier, but he’s had 39 targets over the past four games and that kind of opportunity should continue this week with the Colts likely getting extra possessions at the expense of Tom Savage.

Walker got in his first practice of the week on Friday, but was limited, so he’s looking like a game-time decision against the Ravens. It’s a great matchup by the numbers, as the Ravens allow the seventh-most points to tight ends, but if Walker is hobbled, his ability to stay on the field could be an issue, especially with the fully-capable Jonnu Smith waiting in the wings.

The Panthers are among the best teams in the league at limiting receptions and yards to tight ends and Hooper has had as many one and two-point fantasy weeks (three) as he’s had double-digit performances. Gambling on his wild variance against a team that leans heavily toward forcing one of Hooper’s bad weeks isn’t a recommended course this week.

Bennett did not practice Thursday or Friday, putting his availability on Monday night in serious doubt. If he gets some work in on Saturday his chances improve, but Bennett has been pretty close to a non-factor when he has played, so there’s not much reason to risk a Monday DNP on him.