Dalton Kincaid Fantasy Riser | Week 9 Must Starts And Sits

by Aditya Fuldeore · Matchups Start/Sit
Dalton Kincaid Fantasy

Halfway There

Every week of the NFL season, fantasy gamers juggle players to insert into lineups at each position. Are you questioning which players face easy matchups and which players face tougher paths to production? You are in the right place! Week 9 is starting, which means most fantasy leagues are halfway through their seasons. The Broncos, Lions, Jaguars, and 49ers are on bye this week, leaving a handful of stars on benches. For seasonal leagues, DFS, and more, this week’s Must Start and Sit picks give you guidance on setting your lineups. Good luck!

Quarterback

Start: Dak Prescott

The Cowboys offense, led by Dak Prescott, scored 43 points against the Rams last week. Prescott went for 304 passing yards and four touchdowns. On the season, he has a 6.8 (No. 5) Accuracy Rating, along with a 64.7-percent (No. 1) Deep Ball Catchable Pass Rate. Prescott has been able to connect with his receivers deep, posting over 24 fantasy points in back-to-back weeks now.  This week, Prescott faces the Eagles, who allow around 267 passing yards and two touchdowns per game. Sam Howell just threw for four touchdowns on over 50 passing attempts against Philly. In a division rivalry game, Prescott and the Cowboys receivers are poised to put up points again. Expect Ceedee Lamb and company to get loose on some deep balls and have more red zone opportunities than usual. Give Dak a start for Week 9 against a defense yielding high-volume passing.

Sit: Geno Smith

This season, Geno Smith has been a back-end QB2, averaging 14.5 (No. 21) Fantasy Points Per Game. With one top-12 finish, Smith has been serviceable, but not a weekly starter. In Week 9, he faces a tough Ravens defense that is allowing less than 210 passing yards per game. They have allowed six passing touchdowns while grabbing eight interceptions.

The Seahawks have a good receiving corps, but the Baltimore defense has yielded over 250 passing yards just once this season – in a game where Jared Goff attempted over 50 passes. NFL interceptions leader Geno Stone has filled in nicely for the injured Marcus Williams in a Ravens secondary that has suffocated quarterbacks. While Smith may be a tempting streamer with teams on bye and QB injuries around the league, he faces a tough test in Baltimore this week.

Running Back

Start: Kareem Hunt

Last week, the Browns backfield got murky. Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong, and Kareem Hunt all saw at least 10 touches as Ford nursed an ankle injury. Hunt was the lead back, totaling 67 yards and a touchdown. He has four touchdowns in the Browns’ last three games, finishing with at least 13 fantasy points in all three. This week, Hunt gets a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are top-five in fantasy points allowed to RBs both on the ground and through the air. Hunt has made a sizeable dent in the Browns’ backfield Snap Share and has lead back duties until Ford is 100-percent healthy. Fire Hunt up in a good matchup in Week 9.

Sit: Alexander Mattison

The Vikings offense looks drastically different with Justin Jefferson still out and Kirk Cousins now out for the season. Joshua Dobbs was serviceable for the Cardinals and by trading for him, the Vikings establish a mediocre passing offense over a bad running game. Between Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers, the Vikings rushing attack has been all kinds of inefficient. Mattison is averaging 3.9 (No. 43) Yards Per Touch, with -25.2 (No. 135) Expected Points Added.

This week, Mattison faces the Falcons, who have allowed the 26th-most fantasy points to RBs on the ground this season. Opposing RBs average just over 80 rushing yards per game against them. Akers has cut into Mattison’s workload, with Mattison seeing a Snap Share below 62-percent in back-to-back weeks. With inefficient production this season, Mattison is a sit in a tough matchup this week.

Wide Receiver

Start: Demario Douglas

Patriots rookie Demario Douglas has flashed potential, totaling 13 targets over his last two games. He led the team in receptions last week and, now with Kendrick Bourne out, Douglas has the opportunity to earn more touches.

The Patriots face a subpar Commanders defense in Week 9. Washington just dealt Montez Sweat and Chase Young away, leaving the team’s pass rush weaker. Without much pressure getting to Mac Jones, Douglas will have longer to get open against a secondary that can be scored on. The Commanders are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing WRs and Douglas gets his turn to break out. With injuries and bye weeks leaving fantasy managers looking for streaming options, Douglas is a good start in Week 9.

Sit: Josh Palmer

With Mike Williams out, Josh Palmer has seen an uptick in usage. He saw at least seven targets in each contest over a four-game stretch from Week 3 to Week 7. However, he lost some of his workload as he nursed a knee injury in Week 8. Palmer has one top-12 finish on the season and four outside the top-24 since Week 3, when Williams exited with a torn ACL.

Palmer is a weekly WR3 and now faces a tough matchup in the Jets. Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed returned for the Jets last week. It’s a secondary that helped hold the Giants, featuring backup Tommy DeVito, to -1 passing yards. The opponent was weaker than usual, but the Jets defense has been a strong part of the team overall. Sit Palmer in a tough matchup this week.

Tight End

Start: Dalton Kincaid

With Dawson Knox out, Dalton Kincaid has blossomed. Over the last two games, Kincaid has 15 targets and back-to-back top-eight fantasy finishes. His streak will continue with Knox out for a while and the Bills facing the Bengals this week.

Cincinnati has allowed nearly six TE receptions per game this season. George Kittle just went for 149 receiving yards last week against them. Kincaid is entering the tier of top tight ends, where volume and talent meet. He is averaging 2.56 yards (No. 4) of Target Separation, catching 30 of 34 targets. With Sam LaPorta, George Kittle, and Evan Engram on bye, tight end options are limited. Kincaid is an emerging rookie facing a good matchup, making him a good start for Week 9.

Sit: Logan Thomas

The Washington Commanders have started shuffling pieces to look toward the future, dealing Montez Sweat and Chase Young. The team is not in a position to win now, making its defense vulnerable. Logan Thomas has been a solid player for fantasy, averaging 10.5 (No. 8) Fantasy Points Per Game. He has five top-12 finishes and only two outside the top-20.

However, out of his top-12 finishes, just one is top-eight. That caps Thomas’ ceiling against teams that aren’t the Bears. This week, he faces the Patriots, who have allowed just one TE touchdown this season. They also limit opposing TEs to under 45 receiving yards per game. Playing for a team that is not contending this season, Thomas is a sit, especially in a tough matchup against the Patriots in Week 9.

Trade Alert

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone with Derrick Henry, Jerry Jeudy, Davante Adams, and others creating buzz, but eventually not being dealt. Joshua Dobbs and Donovan Peoples-Jones getting traded will slightly impact fantasy rosters, but fantasy managers are sighing in relief and groaning in frustration at some anticipated deals that did not get done. There were a few defensive players traded, including the Commanders’ edge rushing duo. Those can impact player matchups. It is important to recognize defensive implications for fantasy as well. Good luck, and enjoy Week 9!

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