Start vs. Sit: Who to Play, Who to Bench Week 9

Week 9 is upon us and this is usually the time of year I gear up to watch my Georgia Bulldogs in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, but a trip down to Jacksonville wasn't in the cards this time around so I'll settle for watching it from our Madison office. It might not be such a bad thing anyway since I don't give the Dawgs much of a chance Saturday. Fortunately, this weekend is loaded with interesting matchups that'll have major implications for several Power 5 Conferences, such as Wisconsin vs. Nebraska, Utah vs. Washington and the much-anticipated Florida State vs. Clemson showdown. And there's plenty to like beyond those marquee matchups, so let's dive into a conference-by-conference look at who you should start and who you should sit this weekend.

PLAYERS TO START

American Athletic

Gunner Kiel, QB, Cincinnati (at Temple): Kiel's roller-coaster career at Cincinnati appears to be on an upswing thanks to his thrashing of East Carolina's defense on Saturday (348 yards, four touchdowns, 8.7 YPA). Coach Tommy Tuberville has already given Kiel the nod for this weekend's game against Temple, and though it's a tough matchup, Kiel has shown he's capable of posting serious numbers against quality defenses. Yes, Temple ranks in the top 30 in passer rating allowed and 10th in passing yards allowed per game, but the Owls haven't necessarily faced a cavalcade of great quarterbacks, either. This will still be a tough matchup for Kiel, but the veteran quarterback is still worth a spot in your lineup -- especially in two-quarterback formats.

ACC

Mark Walton, RB, Miami (at Notre Dame): Even if the Irish are coming off a bye and have had plenty of time to prep for Saturday's game, they still have a defense that has too many fundamental weaknesses to ignore. Notre Dame has allowed a whopping 14 touchdowns on the ground this season -- tied with Kansas, and that's never company you'd want to be included in when it comes to football. Enter Walton, who was flustered by a tough Virginia Tech run defense last week to post his worst stats of the season (11 rushes, 38 yards). He'll have had two extra days to rest and prepare heading into Saturday, and that bodes well for the explosive Miami back that's averaging well over 5.0 yards per carry on the year. Look for Walton to take advantage of Saturday's favorable matchup and have a bounce-back game against the Irish.

Big 12

Skyler Howard, QB, West Virginia (at Oklahoma State): Howard doesn't quite get the publicity of some of the other signal callers in the Big 12, but he is more than deserving of some praise and he draws a favorable matchup this week against Oklahoma State. He ranks 11th in the nation in YPA at 9.0 and he has a strong 3:1 TD:INT ratio (12 TD, 4 INT). Howard's momentum coming into Saturday is impossible to ignore as he's coming off a performance in which he completed just under 70 percent of this passes with four touchdowns and no picks while averaging 10.0 YPA against a respectable TCU defense. This week he'll be on the road, but it'll be against a vulnerable Oklahoma State secondary that has a 139.76 QB Rating Against, which ranks 92nd in the nation. Howard should have no trouble finding open windows against this secondary, and given the potential shootout nature of Saturday's game Howard should have a higher volume of pass attempts than he did a week ago when he went to the air just 23 times.

Big Ten

David Blough, QB, Purdue (vs. Penn State): This has the feel of a classic trap game for Penn State with the Nittany Lions notching one of the biggest wins of the season last week in a classic against Ohio State. It'll be difficult for the Nittany Lions to sustain that level of energy on the road this week in a game they might have already penciled in as an easy win. Regardless of whether Penn State is able to jump out to a comfortable lead on the Boilermakers, one thing has become evident in recent weeks, and that is that David Blough will chuck it all over the place. The redshirt sophomore quarterback is fifth in the nation in attempts per game (44.0) and 20th in the nation in yards per game (295.0). That said, some disclaimers before you lock Blough into your lineup: 1) He's not overly efficient (56.2 completion percentage) and 2) he's been known to throw an interception or two (he has 11 this year). Still, the sheer volume of Blough's passing attempts helps cover up some of his blemishes as a passer as far as fantasy numbers are concerned. Look for Blough to go to the air 35 or more times Saturday and convert that into a strong overall fantasy output.

Conference USA

Jeffrey Wilson, RB, North Texas (at UT San Antonio): Wilson has come on ridiculously strong lately with three games of more than 150 yards in his last four outings. He's coming off his most efficient game of the season, shredding Army for 160 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries (10.67 YPC). The three touchdowns aren't necessarily an aberration, either; Saturday marked his second three-touchdown game of the year and his fourth overall outing with multiple touchdowns. He draws a matchup against UTSA, a run defense that's allowing 4.41 YPC to opposing runners and has given up 12 touchdowns on the ground this season. If Wilson is still hanging out on your waiver wire, you can snag him as an immediate plug-and-play this week against the Roadrunners.

MAC

Sergio Bailey II, WR, Eastern Michigan (vs. Miami of Ohio): Bailey has turned in four straight games of at least four catches for 70 yards, establishing himself as Eastern Michigan's most consistent receiver. He's now up to 40 receptions for 565 yards (14.13) this year. His primary drawback has been his lack of touchdown production (3), but a matchup against Miami (OH) could help him get on track in that regard as the RedHawks have surrendered 12 touchdowns through the air this season. Eastern Michigan's other top receiver, Antoine Porter, could also be worth consideration for a starting spot in your lineup.

Mountain West

Brian Hill, RB, Wyoming (vs. Boise State): Hill is generally matchup proof against Mountain West competition, but a meeting with Boise State may give some owners some reason for pause. Boise State is strong against the run, allowing 3.88 yards per carry, but it's shown some vulnerability to some quality backs in recent weeks, and Hill might be the best of the bunch that the Broncos have faced. Hill is second in the nation in both rushing yards (1,010) and yards per game (144.29) and is tied for fifth in the nation in touchdowns (11). Those numbers alone should give you peace of mind in locking Hill into your lineups this weekend, and then it's always helpful to catch Boise State away from their distinct home turf advantage.

Pac-12

Demetris Robertson, WR, California (at USC): This pick hinges on Chad Hansen's health as the star receiver is dealing with an ankle injury that has him listed as questionable heading into Thursday. If he's unable to go, Robertson figures to immediately step into a No.1 role for the Golden Bears against USC. Robertson has really started to earn the trust of quarterback Davis Webb over the last month with 19 grabs for 268 yards and five touchdowns in his last five games. His efficiency took a bit of a dip without Hansen opposite him last week as he only averaged 6.50 yards per reception against the Ducks, but being a top option in that offense promises to pay off sooner rather than later. Again, you'll need to check back with Hansen's status, but Robertson should definitely be on your radar Thursday night.

SEC

Stanley Williams, RB, Kentucky (at Missouri): The Tigers' defense was already struggling to stop the run, and things got worse Tuesday with the news of leading tackler Michael Scherer and former five star defensive end Terry Beckner both being lost for the season with torn ACLs. Now, a defense that had allowed over 7.0 yards per carry in each of its last three games will have to deal with one of the SEC's best running backs minus two of its best players. If Williams can push into the mid-teens in terms of carries, the junior back should be in line for one of his best games of the season. Williams is averaging 7.10 yards per carry, but his value has been a bit hamstrung thanks to a mere two touchdowns. Again, if Williams sees a good chunk of the carries Saturday, that touchdown count will rise.

Sun Belt

Warren Wand, RB, Arkansas State (vs. Louisiana-Monroe): A matchup at home against Louisiana-Monroe is far too good to pass up if you have Wand on your roster. Wand has shown the ability to rip off chunk yardage against quality opponents like Georgia Southern and Toledo, and now he has a chance to go off against a Monroe defense that is last in rushing yards allowed per game (297.86!!!) and near the bottom in rushing touchdowns allowed with 20. This sets up for arguably Wand's most favorable matchup of the season and he makes for a nice plug-and-play option if he's floating around on your waiver wire.

PLAYERS TO SIT

American Athletic

Dontravious Wilson, RB, UCF (at Houston): Houston may have hit a bump in the road lately, but that's still a ferocious defense that'll be looking to atone for last week's humbling loss to that "private school up in Dallas that's really looking to try to get to seven wins" (SMU). The Cougars still allow an average of just 2.95 yards per carry despite SMU being able to move the ball on the ground against them. Houston's defense has played decidedly better at home this season, holding the opposition to 1.90 yards per carry. Wilson has been solid throughout the season, averaging 4.26 YPC with seven touchdowns, but freshman Jawon Hamilton has started to cut into Wilson's overall workload. There is some concern that Wilson might struggle to gain momentum on the ground, and if Houston is able to jump out to an early lead, UCF may be forced to abandon the run.

ACC

Travon McMillian, RB, Virginia Tech; James Conner, RB, Pitt: Thursday's game is shaping up to be a defensive struggle with both the Hokies and Panthers sporting top-notch defenses. Pitt's defense, namely its run defense, has been one of the most stout units in the country this season, holding the opposition to 3.09 yards per carry. On the other side of the coin, Virginia Tech has been even tougher against the run, allowing just 2.94 yards per carry and giving up just six touchdowns through seven games. With that, both Conner and McMillian likely will struggle to gain much traction Thursday, making this a matchup to avoid on both sides, if possible.

Big 12

Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State (vs. West Virginia): Hill is coming off a monster game, but his 22 carries for 162 yards and a touchdown need to be taken with a grain of salt given that he was able to pull that off against Kansas in a game where Oklahoma State threw it a season-low 27 times. This week's matchup against West Virginia is significantly tougher and that could lead to the script being flipped as far as play calling is concerned. Oklahoma State won't be able to get out to a comfortable lead like it did against Kansas, so there will likely be less of an onus on running the ball and milking the clock. Hill will still get the bulk of the carries out of the Oklahoma State backfield, but his workload could get geared back into the teens, and West Virginia will almost certainly be able to hold him to a more modest YPC than Kansas a week ago.

Big Ten

Austin Carr, WR, Northwestern (at Ohio State): It's tough to leave a player like Carr on the bench regardless of matchup given what the senior wideout has been able to do to this point in the season (50 rec., nine touchdowns., 102.9 YPG). However, a meeting with Ohio State in Columbus when the Buckeyes are coming off a loss is a big ask. The Buckeyes' secondary is one of the best in the nation by nearly every metric, having allowed just six touchdowns while picking off 11 passes and holding opposing quarterbacks to a mere 5.5 YPA. They just held Trace McSorley, a decent quarterback in his own right, to just 8-of-23 passing. In fairness, Clayton Thorson is a step up from McSorley, but he's not enough of an upgrade to where you trust that he'll consistently move the ball on the Buckeyes. Carr should still be in line for plenty of targets Saturday, but his catch rate could take a significant dip and he'll likely be limited after the catch.

Conference USA

Chase Litton, QB, Marshall (at Southern Mississippi): The Golden Eagles' secondary has played reasonably well this season, allowing just 173.4 yards per game through the air this season, though they've also given up 13 touchdowns. Regardless, Litton has been average since throwing 10 touchdowns in his first two games of the season. He's only had one 300-yard game in his last four outings (despite some favorable matchups) and he's thrown six touchdowns against four picks in that stretch. That sort of downward trajectory against the likes of Florida Atlantic or Charlotte is a discouraging sign for his outlook heading into Saturday. What's more, Marshall will be hitting the road this weekend and that's exactly where most of Litton's struggles have arisen. As opposed to his 65.8 completion percentage with an 8.3 YPA to go with a 13:5 TD:INT at home, he's sitting at just a 54.1 completion percentage with a 6.7 YPA and 3:2 TD:INT rate on the road. While his sample size is smaller on the road, those are concerning numbers nonetheless. Litton is best left on the bench this week and he could be headed toward drop territory if his struggles continue.

MAC

Manny Morgan, RB, Akron (at Buffalo): Morgan is the leading rusher on the Zips, but that statistic can be a bit deceiving as he's just 23 yards ahead of Van Edwards for the team lead despite Edwards playing in one less game. Morgan also looks to be trending downward in terms of his workload, getting nine, eight and seven carries in his last three games, respectively. Meanwhile, Edwards is coming off a 16-carry, 112 yard performance Saturday against Ball State, which gives him the edge over Morgan if head coach Terry Bowden opts to go with the hot hand at running back.

Mountain West

Kent Myers, QB, Utah State (vs. San Diego State): While it helps that Myers and the Aggies won't have to hit the road for their matchup with San Diego State, that matchup alone is enough to make you consider outside options. For one, Myers' production has been rather average as he's accounted for just 10 total touchdowns on the season and he has just one game with multiple passing touchdowns. The Aztecs, on the other hand, have been excellent against the pass by allowing opposing signal callers to a 52.0 completion percentage and picking off as many passes (11) as they've allowed touchdowns (11). And there's the matter of San Diego State's stout run defense, which will limit Myers' ability to get outside and make plays with his legs. It's still worthwhile to have Myers in deeper season long formats, but this weekend will be a time to leave him on the bench.

Pac-12

Joe Williams, RB, Utah (vs. Washington): This is going to be a defensive battle that figures to be one of the best games of the weekend and there were several directions I wanted to go in with my pick to sit here. Ultimately, Williams was my choice over the likes of Myles Gaskin, John Ross or Troy Williams. However, if I have several shares of Washington and Utah players, this is a week that I'd have been dreading because I'm not sold that any of the studs from either of these rosters will be able to put up their usual production. In Williams' case, it's hard to fully argue against him after he put up over 500 rushing yards in the last two weeks, but those came against two of the bottom feeders in the Pac-12 this year in Oregon State in UCLA. It's simply that the Huskies are a completely different animal on defense; they're fast, they swarm to the ball and they generate pressure in the backfield without even blitzing. Williams should still be able to have a solid game Saturday, but it won't be anything in the same stratosphere of what he's done the last two weeks.

SEC

Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss (vs. Auburn): Kelly has hit a rough patch in recent weeks and now he draws a matchup against an Auburn team that is starting to look like a force to be reckoned with in the SEC West. Kelly's had three straight games with an interception and consecutive games with less than 260 yards. Auburn's defense has begun to look like a juggernaut with multiple sacks in four consecutive games and six or more tackles for loss in four straight as well. This bodes poorly for Kelly, who is in the midst of a tough stretch after having played LSU on the road and has a date with Texas A&M looming two weeks after his matchup with Auburn. Auburn could be in the Ole Miss backfield early and often Saturday, which could result in a very long afternoon for the senior signal caller.

Sun Belt

Robert Davis, WR, Georgia State (at South Alabama): Georgia State is mired in a rough season after a promising 2015 campaign, and one of the major differences has been the passing game's struggles without Nick Arbuckle. Things got worse last week when quarterback Conner Manning, who had started to turn things around, got injured in practice and missed the game against Tennessee-Martin. It's unclear if Manning will be able to play this week, but if he can't, it'll mean that Georgia State will turn to freshman Aaron Winchester, who only completed 8-of-16 passes for 119 yards in a start against an FCS team last week. That would mean Davis' upside is completely capped having to play alongside a run-first freshman quarterback starting on the road. Take a pass on Davis until Manning is back in the fold or until Winchester he can move the ball through the air.