Fantasy football start, sit advice for Week 9

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The NFL's Week 9 is upon us, with the Sunday early games starting in a couple of hours. This week sees six teams on their bye week, which means there will be plenty of questions about which players to start in your fantasy league. We give you a look at some of the players we would start or sit this weekend:

Start

Quarterback - Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers - Everyone was quick to jump on the Roethlisberger bandwagon last week, but that was ignoring the fact that whenever Big Ben has missed playing time, his first game back is rarely worth the start in fantasy. Now that he has been back for a week and is facing an Oakland Raiders defense that will allow quarterbacks to throw touchdown passes, this is the week to get Roethlisberger back in your lineup.

Running back - Eddie Lacy, Packers - This should be a great matchup for Lacy to get back on his feet and running like the Lacy we all expect to see. The Panthers rank 20th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, giving up 113.7 yards per contest, and over 142.2 yards the last four games. Lacy should find plenty of space this weekend.

Tight end - Antonio Gates, Chargers - Gates should be ready to go this week, and the Bears defense is not exactly stopping high-powered offenses this year. The Chargers are going to be without Keenan Allen, so look for Gates to pick up the extra targets this week.

Wide receiver - Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos - Last week was an odd week for Sanders, who had a season low in receptions (2), targets (5), and yards (22). He has been dealing with a shoulder injury the last couple of weeks, but should be ready to go in this game, and, with the likelihood that Peyton Manning is going to come out looking to beat up on his former team, Sanders should see his numbers jump back up to his normal 9-12 targets with 8-9 receptions for 85-100 yards.

Sit

Quarterback- Andrew Luck, Colts - At this point in the season, Luck should have found a permanent spot on your bench, but this is also a week with six teams on a bye, so you may be considering starting Luck. That may be a bad idea. Luck is going to be dealing with a new voice in his ear for the first time in his career as the Colts change offensive coordinators from Pep Hamilton to Rob Chudzinski. The Colts are also facing the Broncos this week, who have the league's top defense and just held Aaron Rodgers to 77 yards passing. There are other quarterbacks on the waiver wire who can help you if you are stuck with Luck as your only option.

Running back - Darren McFadden, Cowboys - McFadden's numbers the last two weeks have been good, with him getting at least 20 carries. He ran for 152 yards two weeks ago and the Cowboys appear to final have figured out how to get McFadden going. Except, this week, the Cowboys are facing the Eagles, who do not allow rushing touchdowns and held McFadden to 31 yards rushing earlier this year. The matchup is horrible for McFadden, and you should not be playing him because of it.

Tight end - Julius Thomas, Jaguars - This could go either way for Thomas, potentially having a big game, but most likely you do not want Thomas in your lineup this week. The Jets should be able to rotate coverage onto Thomas, likely using Calvin Pace as the primary coverage option,  that can slow him down, if not take him our of the game plan.

Wide receiver - Coby Fleener, Colts - The struggles expected for Luck this week will be reflected in his receivers. I would stay away from Donte Moncrief, Dwayne Allen, and Fleener. The Broncos just do not give up touchdowns, meaning the Colts will struggle to put up fantasy points this week.