Welcome in Nerds! The Dynasty Nerds have helped you throughout the NFL offseason, preparing for the 2023 fantasy football season. Now that your teams are set, it is time to get to work and win some dynasty championships. Every week, our writers will help you with the tough decisions and give you insight that you can’t get anywhere else. I will share my quarterback start/sits every week to help you set your starting lineups.
Below is a list of all of our weekly positional articles. Please follow us, tweet us, and DM us. We can’t wait to talk football with all of you Nerds!
- Changing the Call (QB): Mike Hicks
- The Cutback (RB): Jake Oliver
- Slant Pattern (WR): Tristan Cook
- 12 Formation (TE): Steven Pintado
- Flex on ‘Em (FLEX): Evan Brown
- IDP Start/Sit (IDP): Jon Glosser
NOTE: Rankings are based on a 12-team PPR league. So, saying WR2 means top 24, or TE1 means top 12, etc., and are pulled from Fantasy Pros consensus expert rankings.
The Starter Is Back
After being on the sidelines for a week, I am back to give my quarterback starts/sits for the week. I will do my best to get back on track this week and live up to Dennis Bennett’s fill-in performance in Week 8. So, without further ado, let’s get this party started.
WEEK 9 STARTERS
Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers, QB17
Mayfield has shown glimpses of what many expected to see when he came into the league with the Cleveland Browns. He is currently QB17 and has already had his bye week. Mayfield has had a top-12 performance in three of his last four games, finishing as high as QB7 in Week 4. Mayfield has had good ball security, throwing for ten TDs to only four INTs so far.
The Houston Texans’ defense has made serious strides since last season. With an average of 16.2 PPG, the Texans are 16th in points allowed to QBs. After a hot start on defense, they have slowed down a bit. In the last three games, the Texans have given up an average of 250.6 YPG through the air. In those games, the defense has given up an average of 4.25 more FPPG to QBs than they did in their first four games of the season.
Mayfield will look to build upon his recent success this week against the Texans. Mayfield has been able to keep both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin involved in the offense and will look to continue that trend. The matchup just seems too good for Mayfield’s ECR to only be QB17. Mayfield will outperform his ECR and will be a good streaming option this week in 1QB leagues.
Mac Jones, Patriots, QB20
So far in 2023, Jones has had more lows than he has highs. Even though Jones has two top-ten weeks, his other six weeks were all lower than QB20. Jones is currently the QB24 through eight weeks. In both weeks that Jones was a top performer, he took advantage of favorable matchups and will need to do so again in the matchup against the Washington Commanders.
The Commanders defense has been abysmal at times as of late. And they also just traded away two of their stars, Chase Young and Montez Sweat. The Commanders are currently 31st in the NFL, giving up 21.9 PPG allowed to QBs. One of the only things going for the defense right now is that they are currently sixth in sacks. Losing two of the best players on the defense will only make this matchup that much more difficult.
Jones is by far not a weekly starter, but with this matchup, this might be a perfect opportunity for him. Our own Brad Custer has this matchup as +24% in his weekly positional matchup column (POSAFPA). I still would not start him in 1QB leagues, but he is a must-start in Superflex leagues.
WEEK 9 SITS
Jordan Love, Packers, QB13
Love started the season off hot but has cooled off in the past three games. In his first four games, Love averaged 22.05 PPG. He has struggled in his last three games, only averaging 13.3 PPG. In those games, Love has three TDs and thrown five INTs. On the season, Love is 11th in the NFL with 11 passing TDs. He will look to build upon that in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams’ defense has been average this season across the board. Giving up 17.8 PPG, the Rams are 23rd in PPG allowed to QBs. The Rams are giving up 218 YPG in the passing game. Love has struggled in the turnover game, but so have the Rams. The Rams only have four interceptions so far this season. They have only given up eight passing TDs, which is fourth in the NFL. The Rams’ defense will need to step up since starting QB Matthew Stafford will miss the week.
Love has struggled in the last few weeks, but will he be able to bounce back is the question? His ECR is QB13, and I am afraid he won’t be able to live up to that ranking. Yes, Love is a start in Superflex leagues, but if you can sit him in 1QB leagues.
Geno Smith, Seahawks, QB14
In 2023, Smith has been good but not great. In seven games, Smith has had four QB2 performances, but so far only has one QB1 performance. Smith has a ways to go if he wants to have a season like last year, where he had four top-five performances. He needs to improve on his 1.5 TD: INT ratio if he wants to have a good second half of the season. Can he play an error-free game and keep the Seattle Seahawks moving in the right direction?
The Baltimore Ravens pose a tough test for Smith and the Seahawks in Week 9. The Ravens are the best in the NFL, with an average of 12 PPG allowed to QBs, and are third best in the last five games. They are an average defense at pressure to the QB; however, sacking the QB is a major strength. The Ravens’ defense leads the league with 31 sacks and will look to continue that trend this week.
Smith’s trend of being a QB2 this season, along with an ECR of QB14, does not give me too much optimism against the Ravens. Yes, he is still a start in Superflex leagues, but I would sit Smith in 1QB leagues if my roster allows me to do so.
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