Week 9 Bank/Tank

By: Christian Hardy

Now we're here. The officially halfway point of the 2011 NFL season. Week nine is packed full of some great games, so let's get right to it.

I'd like to run over what this article is all about. "Bank" is players I love this week and "Tank" are the players that are going to, well, tank this week. The numbers next to the players are, first, my ranking, followed by ESPN's consensus ranking. Let's get started, shall we?

Quarterbacks
Bank
Matt Ryan @ Indianapolis (7th, 8th) - What a turn around Indy has had without Peyton Manning has had his neck surgery. They are now 0-8 and their team as a whole looks worse than ever. Look, Matt Ryan hasn't been great this year (16th ranked fantasy quarterback), but he hasn't been terrible either. If it wasn't for his eight point performance against Chicago and six point game against the undefeated Packers, then he is tied with Ben Roethlisberger as the ninth best fantasy quarterback (15.6 points per game). Against the weak Indy pass defense that is 29th in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, you bet I am starting him this week.

Matt Cassel vs Miami (8th, 13th) - Interesting stat for you here: Matt Cassel's best month in terms of passer rating is November. Throughout his career, Cassel has a 83.0 passer rating; in November, Cassel has thrown for a passer rating of 93.1 (his second best month is October with 82.2). That, along with the 31st ranked fantasy pass defense of the Dolphins is starting to look like a real juicy matchup for Matt Cassel.

Tony Romo vs Seattle (4th, 6th) - Romo has a 110.8 passer rating in two games against Seattle, despite the botched snap on a 19 yard chip shot, that, in return, lost the game for the Cowboys in the 2007 playoffs (2006 season). But this year, Romo is at home against the Seahawks for the first time since 2008. In that particular game, Romo threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Pretty impressive, right? Definitely start Romo this week, considering the very vulnerable pass defense of the Seahawks.

Extra: Mark Sanchez @ Buffalo (10th, 15th)

Tank

The story of Tebow as a starter

Tim Tebow @ Oakland (15th, 12th) - Well, I have completely lost the love for this guy. After two (and a half) weeks his stat line is...horrific.A 46.1 completion percentage 412 yards, and a 75.1 passer rating. Just like I said: Horrific.Oakland might have a bad pass defense, but so did Miami. Stay away from Tebow if you can this week. (Warning: This could easily blow up in your face and my face.)

Joe Flacco vs Pittsburgh (24th, 18th) - Flacco has turned the ball over eight times in seven games against the Steelers. Along with that, he has only scored nine touchdowns and 215 yards per game. And, wait, there's more. The Steelers allow just 11.5 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year, which is seventh in the league. There is no way I am putting Flacco in my lineup this week, despite a great game from him in week one of this season against the Steelers.

Running Backs
Bank
Shonn Greene @ Buffalo (10th, 13th) - Greene has twenty carries or more in three straight games and in every game this season he has 10 carries or more. Lead back? I think so. With those type of carries, Greene is an every week start, and it only makes it better when he has a great matchup. Greene plays the Bills who allow 16.7 points per game to opposing running backs this season (including the whopping three points that they allowed to the Redskins last week). To go along with all of this, in the past five games against the Jets, the Bills have given up over 200 rushing yards. Plus, the Bills will be without Kyle Williams which is a great run stopper for this defense. I expect a 15-20 point game for Greene here, and maybe even the game where he finally breaks out.

Steven Jackson blew up for three touchdowns last week

Steven Jackson vs Arizona (6th, 9th) - What are the Rams going on Bradford's first game back from that ankle sprain? I'm pretty sure that they are going to give the ball to their top playmaker who goes by the name of Steven Jackson. Jackson led the Rams to their first win of the season over the red-hot Saints, and so why can't he do it against this defense? The Cardinals allow just over 17 points per game to opposing running backs, and no one by Steven Jackson is going to be touching the rock out of the backfield for this team. Get Steven Jackson in your lineup this week, just like I suggested last week.

Extra: Jackie Battle vs Miami (12th, 20th) - Miami has a decent fantasy rush defense (10th), but with the type of carries he is getting, it is hard not to like him.

Tank
Ryan Torain vs San Francisco (41st, 30th) - I loved this guy for two weeks, with two great matchups. Now he takes on the 49ers, who have the best fantasy defense against opposing running backs. Torain has just three points combined in his last three games against Philadelphia, Carolina, and Buffalo; three of the worst fantasy run defenses. At this point, you can drop Torain, but I am definitely keeping him on my bench.


Chris Johnson vs Cincinnati (32nd, 21st) - What a terrible season for CJ (The "2K" part of it has been revoked, by me). Javon Ringer is now stealing his carries, and Johnson can't even bust through an open hole. He is one of the biggest draft busts that I have seen without injury outside of Randy Moss last year. To go along with that, the Bengals, Johnson's week nine opponent, has only allowed 14 points per game to opposing running backs, which is the tenth best in the league. Keep Johnson on your bench until he can put some points up.


Extra: BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs New York Giants (28th, 17th, also is questionable with a toe injury), Rashard Mendenhall vs Baltimore (24th, 12th)

Wide Receivers
Bank
Miles Austin vs Seattle (3, 13) - The Cowboys looked terrible against the Eagles last week, so you might think that I am crazy for thinking he will have a big game, but hear me out. Last game against the Seahawks, Austin had 12 fantasy points in a standard league, not bad. Austin only has 16 fantasy points in his last three games combined, but the Seahawks allow 22.1 points per game to opposing wide receivers, tenth worst in the league. I expect a huge bounce back from Romo in this one, and I'm feeling so Austin coming along as well.

You know, it puzzles me why he would wear a mouthpiece that big.

Jeremy Maclin vs Chicago (7th, 14th) - I don't think Maclin gets the credit for what he has been doing. For the first time in his career, he has put up consistent numbers on a week to week basis, including great fantasy numbers. After week one, Maclin has not dropped under five points and he now has three straight games of ten points or more, while Desean Jackson has just seven points in his last two games. I think you can call this one more of a hunch that any thing; that, and the rankers at ESPN are a little too low on him. Matthew Berry noted in his week nine Love/Hate that the Bears have been dropping back into deep coverage more often than not, so they will be defending the big play from Desean Jackson while Maclin keeps getting underneath. (I just read the complete excerpt from Berry, and this has a lot of the same content in it, but I did not mean to copy at all, just a heads up.)


Extra: Santonio Holmes @ Buffalo (14th, 24th) - You can call this one a hunch. It only helps that Burress has a back injury.

Tank
Steve Johnson vs New York Jets (35th, 21st) - Destination: Revis Island. Darrelle Revis has had a tremendous bounce back from 2010, and our friends over at ProFootballFocus.com did an entire story on it. I suggest you check it out. It really is remarkable what Revis has done this year, and if he shadows Johnson all day, then I would go with the under on three catches.

John Skelton es no bueno.

Larry Fitzgerald vs St.Louis (14th, 5th)  - I'm not jumping on the Fitzgerald train just because he is playing the Rams, who are the fourth worst fantasy defense against opposing wide receivers. John Skelton will likely be the starter for the Cardinals with Kolb listed as questionable this week, and Skelton never really hooked up with Fitzgerald. Last year, in the three games that Skelton started and finished, Fitzgerald never caught a touchdown pass, and he only averaged 77.3 yards per game. Even against this St.Louis team who has struggled against the pass, I still don't like Fitzgerald as anymore than a number two.

Extra: Vincent Jackson vs Green Bay (23rd, 11th), Brandon Marshall @ Kansas City (26th, 15th)


Tight Ends
Bank

My second Eagles' pass catcher I love this week.

Brent Celek vs Chicago (7th, 16th) - Now remember, Celek is listed as questionable, but I fully expect him to play. If he does play, I am completely buying in on this guy. He now has a touchdown in each of his last two games, including eleven receptions in those two games. The Bears are the worst team against opposing tight ends, allowing 11.4 points per game in that category. Celek is a great start right now, especially if a guy like Jermichael Finley is letting you down.

Extra: Jake Ballard @ New England (10th, 15th)


Tank
Jermichael Finley @ San Diego (11th, 7th) - This guy has fallen off tremendously since week three with only about four points per game since that 26 point performance (with three touchdowns). The Chargers have an average defense against opposing tight ends (7.1 points per game), but nothing to get exciting about. If you drafted this guy in the first four rounds, well, I'm sorry, because that means you probably don't have a replacement for him.


Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Saturday with my game analysis from every game in the NFL on my blog (theffaddict.com). Until then, as always, you can check out my fantasy rankings that have completely updated according to injury, and you can also check out the injury report which sums up all of the injury news from every day. For any fantasy questions, feel free to hit up my twitter or my email. See you all on Saturday!