These upcoming weeks of fantasy football will determine if your team will qualify for a playoff berth and what seed you will get. I am going to give you three players you should start and bench that will almost guarantee you put out the best lineup possible for week nine.

Must-Starts

Nico Collins – WR Houston Texans

Nico Collins has a favorable match-up against the No. 28 passing defense Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Collins is coming off a very underwhelming seven point game against the Carolina Panthers, but that shouldn’t scare you. The Panthers are the No. 9 ranked passing defense, and with such a huge drop-off in defenses you can expect Nico Collins to pick up where he left off before the bye week, which was as the WR11 in points per game (PPG).

Chuba Hubbard – RB Carolina Panthers

Chuba Hubbard saw the most snaps of any running back for the Panthers this week, and that was with Miles Sanders being healthy. Hubbard didn’t produce much, but any running back seeing more than 45 percent of the workload deserves a look as a possible flex option. Chuba had 15 rushing attempts and two targets last week but with this week’s matchup being against the No. 21 ranked rushing defense Indianapolis Colts, you can expect a huge bounce back.

Will Levis – QB Tennessee Titans

This one may come as a surprise to you, but depending on your situation this week, Will Levis is a must-start candidate. If your quarterback is on a bye week or is performing under his projected PPG consistently, I think it makes sense to take a flier on Levis. In his first career start against an elite Falcons secondary, he threw for four passing touchdowns and scored 26.62 fantasy points. This week he goes up against the Pittsburgh Steelers– who have the No. 25 ranked passing defense– and could explode for another 20+ point performance.

Must-Bench

Zay Flowers – WR Baltimore Ravens
I understand that Zay Flowers is a fan favorite, but this upcoming week you should bench him. Flowers has a rough matchup against the young, physical, elite corners in Seattle. Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon have been statistically the best cornerback duo in the NFL this season and are looking to force Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to play smashmouth Football.

DJ Moore – WR Chicago Bears

It’s already confirmed that Justin Fields is going to miss yet another week. In Moore’s last two games without Fields, he scored just 13.40 and 9.50 points. He has to match up against top-five cornerback Marshawn Lattimore this week, and with Tyson Bagent throwing him the ball, I just don’t see any upside potential.

Rhamondre Stevenson – RB New England Patriots

As a fellow Rhamondre Stevenson owner, it pains me to say that he is a must-bench candidate this week. According to Jason Burgos (writer for sportsnaut.com), the Patriots are the No. 27 ranked offense. Any player on an offense ranked that bad should be benched, but with the injuries to receivers Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker, you can expect the Commanders to stack the box and challenge Mac Jones to consistently throw the ball down the field.

To succeed in fantasy football you have to use facts, not feelings. After reading this article, I am positive that you will make the right decision when setting your lineups, and hopefully, that leads you to a future win.

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