Week 9 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em Flex picks ft. Marvin Harrison Jr, Tony Pollard and more

It’s time to get things right. We’re pushing towards the fantasy playoffs, and with so many injuries and BYE weeks, having the best starting lineup is imperative. You’re on the right track in Week 9 because you’re reading this and the other fine articles at Sportskeeda.

Don’t forget to use our free tools, like our “Which player to start” tool.

I’ve been digging into the stats all week to dissect these matchups for you. Let’s dive into the plays I love and those I’m shying away from. Remember, sometimes your roster can’t afford to sit a player I’m not into this week. That’s OK. Use this as a way to update your expectations for your lineup. If need be, hit the waiver wire. I’ll highlight some players who might be available and can be inserted into your gameday lineup.

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NFL: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals - Source: Imagn

Super Starts:

Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR) ARI - Fresh off the BYE, Harrison has an amazing matchup against a terrible Dallas Cowboys secondary. He’ll face off with a rookie 7th-round cornerback, Trikweze Bridges, who allows an NFL-worst 0.58 fantasy points per route run. There’s word that Kyler Murray could be returning this week, and that is great news for Harrison’s target share, which is 21% under Murray is 21%. In games Murray doesn’t start, Harrison’s target share is just 13%.

Chimere Dike (WR) TEN - Over the last two weeks, Dike, a rookie from Florida, has run 79% of the Titans' routes. That’s resulted in Dike finishing as the WR 11 in that stretch. When someone is drawing targets and coming through like Dike is for a team that has to throw to the extent that Tennessee does, we take notice. Dike is becoming the trusted target for quarterback Cam Ward. Per Fantasy Life data, Dike in Weeks 7 & 8 leads the team with 35% of the team's targets on 3rd and 4th down. He’s available to add and start in more than half of the fantasy leagues on all platforms.

Tre Tucker (WR) LV - It’s been a quiet month for Tucker, who started the year on fire. This week, the Raiders face a Jacksonville team that is great at forcing turnovers, but new cornerback Greg Newsome can give up fantasy points. Per Fantasy Points Data, Newsome allows 0.38 fantasy points per route run. It’s a fantastic matchup for Tucker to break out as the defensive focus will be back on the returning Brock Bowers. I like Tucker getting loose for a long touchdown in this game.

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NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans - Source: Imagn

Not Feeling It:

Tony Pollard (RB) TEN - I’m just out on Pollard going forward. He’s splitting time on a bad offense. Why would we be looking to play someone in that role? In their last two games, Pollard has split snaps 53% to 47% with Tyjae Spears. Last week, Spears scored 17.2 PPR points to Pollard’s 6.3. Spears just has more burst. It’s obvious when you watch the tape. If you’re stuck, I get it. But, overall, I don’t want Pollard in my lineup. He’s a player who is an anchor to your playoff hopes. It’s a solid matchup against the Chargers, who are middle of the road against running backs but not in a timeshare.

Rashid Shaheed (WR) NO - Besides a difficult matchup against the Rams' terrific corner duo of Darious Williams and Cobie Durant, we’re in Tyler Shough territory for the Saints. The rookie quarterback is taking over for New Orleans after being selected in the second round last April. I don’t want to sound an alarm, but Shough is awful. He was one of the worst quarterbacks against pressure in college football, and this preseason, he was abysmal. I know the Saints will play at an uptempo pace thanks to their elite playcaller, Kellen Moore, but Shough is going to drag this offense down even lower than it already is.

Woody Marks (RB) HOU - Popping up on the injury report mid-week is never good. Marks was listed with a calf issue. Monitor that. His Week 9 opponent, Denver, allows less than 20 points per game to opposing RB groups. That’s top-10 in the league. Houston also splits their carries between Marks and Nick Chubb. In Week 8, while Marks scored 15 PPR points, it was Chubb who handled more carries and saw a higher snap percentage. I know people will think Marks is a savvy play while the Texans are likely trailing, but Denver hasn’t allowed a receiving touchdown to a running back this season.

Edited by Brian Drake