Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Outdoor game spells trouble for Jared Goff

We’re entering the stretch run of the fantasy football regular season, and one lineup decision could determine whether your team reaches the playoffs. 

With that in mind, here’s what to do about several flex options, streaming candidates and other players you could be on the fence about plugging into your starting lineup in Week 9.

Quarterbacks

Start: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams 

Rams at Seahawks / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday

Thanks to the return of WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, Stafford turned in his best performance of the season during last week’s 30-20 home win against the Minnesota Vikings. The 36-year-old threw for 279 yards, four touchdowns and one interception en route to scoring 24.76 fantasy points. With Kupp and Nacua now fully healthy, Stafford should be able to build on his impressive Week 8 showing and finish as a top 10 quarterback option against Seattle. 

Other starts: Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons; Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs 

Sit: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions 

Lions at Packers / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday

The Lions embarrassed the Tennessee Titans last week, securing a 52-14 home win due in large part to a dominant performance by their special teams unit. As a result, Goff only threw for 85 yards, but he was still extremely efficient, finishing 12-of-15 passing with three touchdowns. Goff has been playing the best football of his career as of late, but it’s possible Green Bay’s defense, which ranks second in the NFL in interceptions (10), keeps him in check.

Additionally, it’s impossible to ignore that Goff is set to play in his first outdoor game of the season. While this may not seem significant, Goff’s 2023 season showed that he is a different quarterback when he’s not playing in a dome. As pointed out by Yahoo Fantasy Sports, Goff averaged 19.61 fantasy points per game indoors last season compared to 13.52 PPG outdoors.

Other sits: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins 

Running backs

Start: Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders 

Commanders at Giants / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

The Alabama product disappointed in Washington’s thrilling 18-15 Week 8 home win over the Chicago Bears, amassing 76 total yards on 17 touches for 8.6 PPR points. Even though Robinson only ranks as the RB21 on a points-per-game basis over his last three contests, he’s well-positioned to get his season back on track this week.

Despite the fact that New York has fared well against opposing running backs this season, it has struggled to contain Robinson throughout his career. In addition to rushing for a season-high 133 yards during Washington’s Week 2 win over the Giants, Robinson averages 82.8 rushing yards per game across five meetings with the team. That’s his second-highest mark versus a single opponent and the most against a team he’s faced more than once. 

Other starts: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals; Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers 

Sit: Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars 

Jaguars at Eagles / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday

Etienne appears to be on track to return to action after missing Jacksonville’s last two games with a hamstring injury. Nevertheless, Etienne, who is averaging just 9.7 PPR points this season, has been a frustrating player to roster, and it’s unlikely his fortunes will change against Philadelphia. Not only have the Eagles allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs (117.5), but Etienne may also see a limited workload as he eases back into the lineup. 

Other sits: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns; Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys 

Wide Receivers

Start: Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs 

Buccaneers at Chiefs / 8:15 p.m. ET Monday

Worthy, the PPR WR39 on the season, hasn’t enjoyed as much success as some of the other rookie wide receivers. However, he’s been a relatively consistent flex option, posting double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four games. 

Although he’s now competing for targets with DeAndre Hopkins and a seemingly resurgent Travis Kelce, the big-play threat Worthy can be trusted against a vulnerable Buccaneers secondary. Only the Baltimore Ravens have given up more receiving yards and touchdowns to opposing wideouts than Tampa Bay (777 yards and seven TDs allowed) over the last four games. 

Other starts: Amari Cooper, Buffalo Bills; Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints 

Sit: Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens 

Broncos at Ravens / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

The 2023 first-round pick has officially broken out, racking up at least 100 yards in three of his last four outings. For this reason, fantasy managers may be inclined to keep Flowers in their lineup. Even so, such a move is risky, especially against the formidable Broncos defense, a unit that surrenders 15.2 fantasy points per game to wide receivers, the fewest among teams.

The Ravens offense added a significant piece to the receiving corps earlier this week, acquiring Diontae Johnson in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Johnson isn’t a threat to take over as Baltimore’s No. 1 receiver, though, considering Baltimore averages the ninth-fewest pass attempts per game (29.6), any additional competition for targets is bad news for Flowers. He might not cost you your matchup, but Flowers doesn’t offer the week-winning upside he had in recent weeks. 

Other sits: Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts; Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Tight Ends

Start: Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers 

Chargers at Browns / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

If you need a dart throw at the tight end position, don’t overlook the 28-year-old Dissly. While he faces a difficult matchup against a Browns defense that allows the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends (5.1), Dissly’s increased involvement in the passing game is encouraging.

Over his last two games, Dissly has been targeted 18 times, tied for the fourth-most by a player at his position during that span, and hauled in 13 passes for 122 yards. That type of volume gives him a solid floor, particularly in PPR scoring formats, and with Pro Bowler Justin Herbert as his quarterback, Dissly always has a chance to score a touchdown.

Other starts: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings; Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions 

Sit: Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears 

Bears at Cardinals / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday 

Through eight weeks of the season, Kmet is the TE8 overall, but his ranking is a bit misleading, as he topped 24 PPR points in a pair of games. Across the other five contests he has played in, Kmet has averaged a mere 5.52 PPR points, suggesting he needs to find the end zone to be fantasy-relevant. Seeing as though Arizona has only allowed one touchdown to a tight end this season (scored by San Francisco’s George Kittle in Week 5), it’s probably best to leave Kmet on your bench. 

Other sits: Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders; Hunter Henry, New England Patriots