Fantasy football: Week 9 start/sit advice for Team Outsports Equality

With fantasy football so popular, we decided to start our own Outsports team comprised of players who are LGBT supportive.

With no openly gay players in the league, the idea is to form a fantasy team from players who have shown their support for LGBT issues in interviews with us and other media.

Keep in mind that all of the players on our roster have expressed support of LGBT equality. Players benched are not against LGBT equality, but simply the players we do not feel you should start on your fantasy team this week.

Last week was a season-best effort from Team Outsports Equality. The 30+ point performances from Russell Wilson and DeAndre Hopkins helped in a 158.58 showing. This total was tops in the Outsports fantasy league by a mile. Let’s keep it up team!

Week 9 start/sits

Quarterback

Start: Russell Wilson vs. Redskins

Russell Wilson has been on fire as of late. There is no argument against starting him. This week, he gets another positive matchup against the struggling Redskins, and he’s at home once again. Last week’s offensive explosion in Seattle was not a fluke, this team can be built to last.

Sit: Cam Newton vs. Falcons

Nothing against Cam, but we got Russ. I don’t think Cam is a terrible start this week, but there are better options out there. If you are playing in a DFS format this Sunday, he is probably a cheaper option that I would pay for so I could spend at other positions. He lost top receiver Kelvin Benjamin in a trade, but don’t use that as a factor in terms of benching him. His best season (2015) was a year in which Benjamin was out with a torn ACL for the season. And Greg Olsen is coming back soon. Cam is not fantasy irrelevant. He’s just roadblocked on our team right now.

Running back

Start: Doug Martin vs. Saints, DeMarco Murray vs. Ravens

With Jordan Howard out on a bye, our top running back is out. He achieved 100 yards rushing against the Saints last week, so we are going to need someone to fill in. Doug Martin is our best option, and he plays those very same Saints this week. I like the matchup for Martin here.

Murray is coming off his bye week and he is one of the few Titans I would consider using here. The Ravens bring on a decent matchup and RB2 sounds like a good spot for him. Here’s to hoping he finds the end zone at home this week.

Sit: Frank Gore vs. Texans, Mike Tolbert vs. Jets, Giovani Bernard vs. Jaguars

Gore will likely be trailing against the high-octane Texans offense this week, which will lead to more throwing from Jacoby Brissett. Also, Marlon Mack has been getting more carries lately, which makes Gore less reliable as a fantasy option.

Tolbert is on a short week and has not seen much of the field as of late. He should only be used as a flex in very deep formats.

Bernard is someone struggling to get carries in an extremely crowded backfield. This week, the Jaguars are the opponent. It’s a scary front seven to face, especially with the new acquisition of defensive tackle Marcel Dareus from Buffalo.

Wide receiver

Start: DeAndre Hopkins vs. Colts, T.Y. Hilton vs. Texans

Our one-two punch is going head-to-head this week. Hopkins had 224 yards and a touchdown last week and is on the top scoring offense in the league. Hard to say no to starting him there.

Hilton has struggled mightily in the last couple of weeks, but he faces a porous Texans secondary this week, and if there is a week where he jumps back into fantasy relevance, this is the week.

Sit: Marquise Goodwin vs. Cardinals, Eric Decker vs. Ravens, Robert Woods vs. Giants

Goodwin is not someone I would start this week, as he will likely be covered by Patrick Peterson for a good chunk of Sunday’s game, but a certain Jimmy Garoppolo was traded to the Bay earlier this week, and that should boost his fantasy stock by a lot.

Decker has not been the same this season as in season’s past. With so many weapons in the Titan offense, he has faded to the background. He is not someone I would start until I see some consistency from him.

Robert Woods is coming off of a bye this week and he faces a Giants team that consists of a struggling secondary. He’s a sneaky flex play, and he’s a low-risk, high-reward player for the team this week, but he’s not someone I would start over Hilton/Hopkins.

Tight end/flex

Start: Travis Kelce vs. Cowboys (TE), Kenny Stills vs. Raiders (Flex)

No Gronkowski this week, but luckily we have good tight end depth. Travis Kelce is a Top-3 tight end in the league, and we are happy he is on the squad.

Kenny Stills is emerging as one of the top Dolphin playmakers. He has been the top receiver in Miami the last two weeks and is an under-the-radar flex play on Sunday Night Football vs. the Raiders.

Sit: Coby Fleener vs. Bears, Delanie Walker vs. Ravens, Martellus Bennett vs. Lions

All of the above are not players that have showcased consisty in fantasy this season. Walker is probably the best option of the three, but the Titans offense already scares me as it is, and if possible, it is not wise to start two players from the same team on our team because it limits the fantasy team’s potential.

Defense

Start: Los Angeles Rams vs. Giants

Connor Barwin’s Rams face a struggling Giants offense this week. In a league where streaming defenses is the norm, the Rams look to be one of the top streaming defenses this week, and they will likely be available in your league after their bye from last week. LA is a worthy buy after their bye.

Kicker

Start: Matt Prater vs. Packers

Prater knocked in five field goals on Sunday in a loss to the Steelers. I like his chances to have another great effort on Monday night football against Green Bay.

Sit: Brandon McManus vs. Eagles

The Broncos offense has been stagnant as of late, and it has even lead to a desperate measure by naming Brock Osweiler their starting quarterback. There is not a lot of confidence there with Denver scoring many points against the league’s best team on Sunday.

LGBT focus

Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Fanatics

Connor Barwin’s Rams have been one of the biggest surprises from the first half of the season. Their 5-2 record is the best in the NFC West and is one of my favorite plays of the week.

Read more on these players’ LGBT views:

• 14 NFL Pro Bowlers say they would welcome a gay teammate (from 2017)
• NFL players react to Michael Sam coming out (from 2014)
• 62 active NFL players who have made statements in support of gays (from 2013)
• Carson Palmer, 12 Indianapolis Colts Would Embrace Openly Gay Teammate (from 2013)

Jeremy Brener is a student at the University of Central Florida who writes for Outsports. He can be reached via email (jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com) and followed on Twitter.