Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 9: 49ers vs. Rams

The San Francisco 49ers are back in action in Week 9, so we are back with another look at start/sit advice for fantasy football fans. And if you're looking for some Week 9 fun, we've got a Niners Nation only FanDuel league. You can join for $5, with a chance to win as much as $100. And you can beat Fooch, which really isn't all that difficult!

Must Starts

Colin Kaepernick: He did drop 343 yards and 3 touchdowns on the Rams a few weeks ago. With so many good QBs on bye it would take a truly remarkable downturn for No. 7 to finish outside the top 10 this week. I heard a legend that there is an old rich dude that gives out full size candy bars to trick-or-treaters. That's Kap this week, the candy bar, not the old rich dude.

Quality Starts

Frank Gore: Averaging just 2.3 yards a carry over the last two games, Gore need a bounce back in the worst way to stay on fantasy rosters and stave off the inevitable switch to Carlos Hyde. St. Louis stacked the box in their last meeting, but Gore did get 16 carries. The Rams were hit hard by the injury bug since that contest so there is a chance gore breaks for 75 yards and/or gets a TD. He's the box of Milk Duds in your Halloween bag, not great, but he'll get you through the week.

Michael Crabtree: If Gore is a Milk Dud, then Crabtree isn't much better, maybe a box of Whoppers? Crabs is not having the year many fantasy players envisioned. The ball is being spread around making it nearly impossible to predict which San Francisco receiver is going to be a serviceable fantasy commodity. Lately, it's been more Stevie Johnson than Crabtree and I wouldn't argue with you if you chose to bench him for Stevie.

Anquan Boldin: He's popping up on a lot of sleeper lists this week. After all, his best fantasy game this season came against these very Rams. As stated above, it's hard to trust any 49er receiver right now. It's like the 49ers are becoming the Saints right before our eyes. Still, if you have your heart set on starting a 49er receiver he is a good option, but I prefer Crabtree slightly more this week.

Kenny Britt: Austin Davis has to throw to someone. Kenny Britt is someone. Volume alone could vault him to WR3 status this week as the Rams will likely be playing from behind.

Jared Cook: There is a good chance you are starving for a tight end this week. I think Cook will be good in PPR leagues, but Lance Kendricks seems to be the tight end of choice in the red zone. If you can live with 4-5 receptions for about 75 yards, then add Cook to your mix.

Avoid

Vernon Davis: Maybe the week off allowed him to get his back and ankle right? I don't trust him in FanDuel or any other fantasy game this week. The Rams cover tight ends very well and he was atrocious in their last meeting. He is always a threat for a TD though, so if his name value is enough for you then you could certainly do worse.

Austin Davis: He just hasn't been playing consistently for 4 quarters. Avoid him in standard leagues, but if you are in a 2 QB league then he becomes slightly more attractive, but I'd rather have Derek Carr or Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Tre Mason/Benny Cunningham/Zac Stacy: If you can make sense of the St. Louis backfield then that makes one of us. All 3 got work last week and all 3 were disappointing. I'll give Tre Mason the edge, mainly because his father is in one of my favorite hip-hop groups of all time. I'd rather start Carlos Hyde than any of the heads of the St. Louis Cerberus this week.

Sleeper

Stevie Johnson: Over the last 2 weeks he has been what we thought Crabtree would be. What makes him an interesting sleeper is that he usually sees an easier match-up in the secondary and the Rams defense is all sorts of banged up. I bet he is pretty cheap in daily fantasy leagues and if you are scouring the waiver wire for WR help he is a good play.