Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 9: Chase Brown, Mike Gesicki

The Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) in Week 9.

This is a contest that Cincinnati must win in order to compete for a playoff berth in the second half of the schedule. The Raiders are looking to end their four-game losing streak.

The Bengals have to win in a match. They need players outside of Ja'Marr Chase to come through on the offensive side of the ball, which is why I like a pair of their talented players on Sunday for fantasy football purposes.

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Chase Brown

It appears that the Bengals backfield is starting to shift into the ownership of the second-year defender. Brown has 58 touches compared to Zack Moss' 37 touches in the last four games. It was a tough game for Brown last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. He only managed 34 total yards on 14 touches, but he managed to find the end zone.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Raiders are allowing the 10th-most PPG to running backs this season. They have given up 27 carries of 10 yards, which is the seventh-most runs allowed in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

Las Vegas has allowed two running backs with at least 75 rushing yards in the last four games, namely Najee Harris and Kyren Williams. They have also given up four touchdowns in those contests.

It should be noted that they gave up three more rushing touchdowns to Justin Fields and Bo Nix.

With the news that Zack Moss (neck) likely won't play, Brown becomes a strong RB2 starter in a favorable matchup.

Verdict: Start 'Em

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Mike Gesicki

Gesicki had a tough matchup against the Eagles last week on paper, but in the end he was the top receiver for Cincinnati. He finished the game with seven receptions for a team-high 73 yards on eight scores.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Raiders rank 11th in most PPG allowed to tight ends this season. Gesicki isn't on the same level as Travis Kelce, but last week he finished with 10 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown against their defense.

The potential increase in Gesicki's value in Week 9 is that Tee Higgins will tend to miss his second straight game. He has not yet returned to practice. According to Field Yates, Gesicki has 17 receptions for 182 yards in three games without Higgins in the lineup. He was the leading receiver in two of those games.

Assuming Higgins is indeed ruled out (he is listed as doubtful), Gesicki is a nifty streaming option. This is especially true for George Kittle's managers, who are looking for an option while he is on a bye.

Verdict: Start 'Em