Week 9 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Candidates: Quarterbacks
Wondering whom to start and sit at quarterback this week? Below are two top-notch start and two sit options at the quarterback position for Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season.
Week 8 Review – half-PPR scoring
Starts
- QB Andy Dalton (New Orleans Saints) vs. Las Vegas Raiders – 17.16 fantasy points (QB18)
- QB Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) vs. Miami Dolphins – 17.38 fantasy points (QB16)
Sits
- QB Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) @ Buffalo Bills – 16.22 fantasy points (QB18)
Quarterback – Starts
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) @ Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been extremely efficient against Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions.
| Aaron Rodgers vs. Dan Campbell | Passing | Rushing |
|---|---|---|
| Week 2, 2021 | 22/27-255-4-0 | 4-6-0 |
| Week 18, 2021 | 14/18-138-2-0 | 1-7-0 |
Rodgers’ 77.8% completion rate in Week 18 of 2021 was his third highest of the year and his 81.5% completion rate in Week 2 of 2021 was his seasonal best. Rodgers has a shot at keeping the season-best theme alive this weekend. Things are going so badly for Detroit’s defense that they have already fired defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant.
Detroit’s defense has been one of the worst defenses in the NFL, both in fantasy and real life.
| Detroit Lions Defense | FPPG Allowed to QBs | Pass Yards per Game Allowed | Explosive Pass Play % Allowed | Total TDs per Game Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Statistics Allowed | 21.8 (third most) | 266.7 (fifth most) | 11.0% (second most) | 4.0 (the most) |
Though wide receiver Allen Lazard (shoulder) may be out for a while, Rodgers is now on the same page as running back Aaron Jones and rookie wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
DeAndre Hopkins made the catch of the day…
Romeo Doubs made the catch of the night. #Packers pic.twitter.com/h6wNcP3n7P— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) October 31, 2022
Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars) vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the most quarterback-friendly defenses in the NFL.
| Las Vegas Raiders Defense | FPPG Allowed to QBs | Pass Yards per Game Allowed | Expslosive Pass Play % Allowed | Total TDs per Game Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Statistics Allowed | 24.1 (the most) | 259.9 (seventh most) | 8.7% (14th most) | 3.1 (second most) |
Thanks to Las Vegas’ 28th-ranked mushy pass rush (15.2% quarterback pressure rate, per 4for4's NFL Team Stats Explorer), even moderately mobile quarterbacks have found rushing success in scoring position. Quarterbacks Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans), and Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos) have all produced rushing touchdowns within Las Vegas’ five-yard line. Lawrence’s 7.9 rushing yards per scramble are seventh best among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks.
Justin Fields (Chicago Bears) vs. Miami Dolphins
Three weeks ago, the Chicago Bears coaching staff realized that they should have been using quarterback Justin Fields as a featured rusher, not just a scrambler. During that span, Fields has averaged 23.7 pass attempts, 173.3 passing yards, 1.3 passing touchdowns, 0.7 interceptions, 11.3 rush attempts, 76.7 rushing yards, and 0.7 rushing touchdowns per game. His 23.27 fantasy points per game during that span trail only Joe Burrow (28.74) and Patrick Mahomes (24.77).
Fields’ 9.4 average depth of target is the fourth deepest among NFL quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts, per 4for4's NFL Player Stats Explorer.
The Minnesota Vikings are allowing 24.1 quarterback rushing yards per game, sixth most in the NFL, their 17.2 fantasy points per game allowed to opposing quarterbacks are 13th most, and their 11.2% explosive pass plays allowed rate is the league’s top rate. All three statistics match well with Fields’ skill set.
*Check out all QB Rankings here.
Quarterback – Sits
Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is fantasy football’s QB24. With an aging arm and a shallow group of pass catchers, Stafford has managed just 5.95 adjusted yards per pass attempt, seventh fewest in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts. His 8.4% sack rate is the ninth worst.
Los Angeles No. 1 wide receiver Cooper Kupp suffered a knee injury late in Week 8 and his status for Week 9 remains uncertain. Even if active, Kupp would be prone to an in-game reaggravation.
Kupp’s 33.2% team target share is the league’s single highest rate. Should Kupp miss time, even half of a game, his absence would be devastating.
Los Angeles’ offensive line was already a bottom-10 unit in pass protection (22.0% quarterback pressure rate) but the year-long loss of left tackle Joseph Noteboom in Week 6 creates an ever more dire situation.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have suffered significant defensive injuries this year but the team still has blitz-capable linebacker Devin White, game-wrecking defensive lineman Vita Vea, and 2021 first-round edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka at their disposal.
