Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 9 Predictions

Start: WR Julian Edelman vs. Packers

Sit: WR Doug Baldwin vs. Chargers

The Patriots do not have a great matchup against the Packers secondary, but New England's offense is riding a hot streak. Edelman should still be effective given his role in the slot as the volume is still likely to be there. Prior to the Patriots Monday night matchup, Edelman had 16 receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns over his first three games this season.

The Patriots also scored at least 38 points in the four previous weeks heading into their matchup with the Bills. Tom Brady spoke about what has allowed Edelman to succeed as a receiver.

“He gets open so quick," Brady explained to the USA Today. "I think that’s the thing about Jules — his explosiveness in his routes, coming out of breaks. It’s very comforting to see a receiver get open really early in a route. Julian — we ask a lot of him and he plays a lot of different roles. I think he’s capable of moving in and out of a lot of different locations and specialty plays. So there’s a lot that he does well.”

Look for Edelman to lead the Patriots in receiving against the Packers, as New England tries to get their short passing game going against a strong secondary. Edelman is a safer bet than Chris Hogan and Josh Gordon thanks to his targets and red zone work. As for Edelman, he is thrilled to be back on the field after missing the beginning of the season with a suspension.

“That’s something that gets me fired up,” Edelman told Boston.com. “You get to share it with the people that come out and support you, [and] get them riled up. I remember when I tore my ACL, I was sitting back, and, during the rehab, you’re just sitting there and can’t wait to run out of that tunnel.”

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Doug Baldwin Is Hard to Trust This Season

Baldwin is typically one of the most trustworthy fantasy receivers, but he has failed to get things going this season. Since returning from injury, Baldwin has only had two fantasy relevant outings, and he failed to score a touchdown in both of these games. Baldwin still has not scored a TD this season.

Meanwhile, David Moore has emerged as a red zone monster for the Seahawks. Moore has scored in three straight games, notching four touchdowns over the last three weeks. Outside of Moore's touchdowns, the Seahawks offense has been hard to predict this season.

If you have other options, I advise keeping Baldwin on your bench until he proves he is going to get regular work going forward. Despite his lack of receptions, the Seahawks are winning, and Baldwin appears to be fine with how things are playing out.

"I talked about it three years ago,’’ Baldwin explained to The Seattle Times. “Run the ball, play stout defense and don’t turn the ball over. That’s successful football. I don’t think it can be any simpler than that.’’

The Chargers rank in the middle of the league for passing yards allowed. Baldwin should be considered a WR3 or flex at best for this week. If you have other viable options, I would avoid putting Baldwin in your lineup this week.

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