Start/Sit: Week 9

Quarterback:

Start- Matt Hasselbeck- Hasselbeck and the Seahawks play Cleveland this week and that translates to only one thing: Fantasy Gold. He's coming off a bye week and battling a strained oblique muscle, but he does get promising WR D.J Hackett back this week. He'll have to air it out all day to keep up with the Browns' explosive offense. Forecast: 280 yards, 3 touchdowns.

Sit- Kurt Warner- Brenda, I mean KURT, Warner draws a tough Jacksonville unit who are only allowing an average of 235 yards a game to opposing passers. They know that they'll have to win with defense due to their offensive situation and will be primed for the task. Warner is about as mobile as the Statue of Liberty and the Jaguars' fearsome pass rush should encounter few problems reaching him. Forecast: 185 yards, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown.


Running Back:

Start- Marshawn Lynch- Lynch takes on the woeful Bungles Defense this week and is probably tickled pink about it. He ran for 84 yards and a touchdown in Week 7 against Baltimore, who is roughly three times as good as Cincy's D is. With quarterback J.P Losman back and raring to go, Marshawn will have more room to run and should take advantage. Forecast: 125 yards, 1 touchdown.

Sit- Frank Gore- It's been a really trying season for Gore. He lost his mother, he has been dealing with an ankle injury and his offensive line cannot open a hole for him if their lives depended on it. Though, on paper, a matchup against Atlanta seems tasty, I think Gore is more hurt than he's letting on and will struggle even against the Falcons. Don't give up entirely on him yet, but you probably have a better option on your bench. Forecast- 50 yards, 2 receptions, 15 yards.


Wide Receiver:

Start- Brandon Stokley- Stokley makes for a sneaky start against Detroit this week. He has proven to be one of QB Jay Cutler's favorite targets in recent weeks (He caught a combined ten balls for 141 yards and a touchdown the last two weeks.) With Javon Walker out for several more weeks, look for this trend to continue. Forecast: 5 receptions, 70 yards, 1 touchdown.

Sit- Steve Smith- To say that Smith has had a rough season thus far would be a ridiculous understatement. Things don't get much better this week against a resurgent Tennessee defense. David Carr, never one of football's most accurate quarterbacks, will likely having flashbacks to his Texans' days and will be running for his life. Sadly, Smith will probably be open as he is still one of the WR's out there, but he will produce another lousy performance for his owners. Forecast- 3 receptions, 30 yards


Tight End:

Start- Vernon Davis- Davis is a superstar whose career is still waiting to take off. He's been hampered by injuries and truly bad quarterback play. However, with San Francisco's main weapon, Frank Gore, hobbling around on one good ankle and WR Darrell Jackson doing his usual "You paid me a lot of money, but I'll be constantly injured" routine, someone has to step up and that man is V.D (ouch...unfortunate initials.) Forecast- 6 receptions, 50 yards, 1 touchdown.

Sit- Eric Johnson- It seems like everyone else on New Orleans has gotten in on Drew Brees' Rise from the dead except Johnson. He came up short last week with just two catches for 12 measly yards on a day when Drew threw for 4 touchdowns. Johnson is, at the best of times, an safety outlet for a struggling quarterback and is often an afterthought in the game plan. There ought to be at least two TE's who have a better situation this week. Forecast- 3 receptions, 20 yards


Defense:

Start- Washington- The Redskins are mad as hell and won't be taking it anymore. They got destroyed by the Patriots last week and are looking for a team to take their frustrations out on. Along comes the Jets with their anemic offense, patchwork offensive line and newbie quarterback. The Redskins really couldn't ask for a better matchup than this one. Forecast- 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery.

Sit- Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings have been...well, "Vikings"...when it comes to defending the rush this year. However, they haven't yet had to play a guy named LaDainian yet, who is kryptonite to opposing defenses. San Diego's Phillip Rivers is also managing the game better, making key throws when he needs to compliment the hurricane force of Tomlinson's running. Oh yeah, they also have some guy named Gates who's supposed to be pretty good at catching footballs. Forecast- 1 sack