Fantasy Football Week 9 wish list: Who gets the work in Tampa Bay's backfield?

The Buccaneers' backfield might be the biggest question for Fantasy players to figure out this week, Chris Towers says.

Week 9 Rankings: Standard | PPR

We've spent so much time talking about running back in the Fantsy world, it's easy to forget that, well, every position has been difficult this season. I've got leagues where I'm streaming both QB and TE, but my running backs have actually been reliable.

Truth is, as tough as the running back situations have been for Fantasy players, that isn't all that has been troubling Fantasy players. Big name quarterbacks have busted, and so have wide receivers -- the two safest positions in a pass-happy NFL, we've long believed.

So, this week, we aren't just desperate for clarity at running back -- we'd also like some answers about the passing games around the league. Let's see if we can find them.

Who will carry the ball in Tampa?

With Doug Martin and Jacquizz Rodgers officially ruled out for Week 9 against the Falcons, this is one of the bigger questions facing Fantasy players this week. The Buccaneers are a pass-heavy team, but their running backs have actually still generated a ton of value this season, even if they've had plenty of injury issues. Antone Smith and Peyton Barber are likely to split time pretty evenly, but it sure would be nice if one or the other could end up as the lead back -- and it would be even nicer if we knew who it would be ahead of time.

Coach Dirk Koetter told reporters he expects Smith to be used as the third-down back, though he didn't limit him to just that role. He is the big-play threat here, while undrafted rookie free agent Peyton Barber could be used more as a running downs back. The game script may benefit Smith a bit more -- the Falcons may open an early lead, forcing the Bucs to abandon the run early.

My recommendation: If I had to start one of the duo -- and I do in one league -- he's where I would go.

Can Russell Wilson succeed without the ability to run?

We may already have the answer to this one, frankly. Wilson has played three games since the Seahawks' Week 5 bye, and the numbers aren't pretty; despite completing 65.7 percent of his passes, Wilson is averaging just 6.9 yards per attempt, with no touchdowns. He has also rushed for just 16 yards in those three games, a sign that he just isn't right, and hasn't been all season. If you want to be pessimistic, the answer to this one is clearly no. However, it's hard to write Wilson off entirely. What if he has a good week in the trainer's room, gets out there feeling like his old self, and rips off a run like last season's, when he tossed 24 touchdowns in his final seven games.

My Recommendation: As much as you may want to sit Wilson down this week, it might be hard to do with six teams on a bye. I might still roll with him if I'm desperate at QB.

Can Derek Carr do it against the Broncos' defense?

Probably not. I mean, this is the best defense in the NFL, especially against the pass. They have two elite shutdown corners in Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, and Bradley Roby has even held opposing quarterbacks to a 58.5 passer rating when targeted this season. A monstrous pass rush helps, and makes this one of the most fearsome pass defenses we've seen in a while. As well as Carr has played this season, he's faced a pretty soft schedule, and has some regression nipping at his heels. This matchup against the Broncos -- who held him to 30 Fantasy points in two games a year ago -- is probably where it starts.

My Recommendation: Unless you are absolutely desperate, it's probably best to steer clear of Carr.

Can Ben Roethlisberger come back healthy?

This might not be a question we get an answer to until next week, but Roethlisberger is back at practice and aiming to play in Week 9, so it's worth asking. Roethlisberger was off to a tremendous start, averaging 28.4 Fantasy points per game over the first five games of the season prior to his injury, with 15 touchdowns to four interceptions in that span.

Roethlisberger suffered a knee injury that cost him four games last season, and returned from the injury with a 262-yard, three-interception performance, with just one touchdown pass in his first game. Maybe this time will be different, but I'm going to be hesitant to rely on him just 20 days after undergoing surgery on his knee.

My Recommendation: Keep rolling with whoever you picked up to replace Roethlisberger for just one more week.

Will the Jets go for a change at QB?

Ryan Fitzpatrick may have saved his job for the time being with a win over the Browns last week, but it still feels like a change is inevitable. If he really wants to keep his job, however, Fitzpatrick needs to dramatically improve, and the two games before their Week 11 bye might be his last, best chance to do so. Fitzpatrick is mostly past the point of Fantasy relevance, but his play still has an impact on the likes of Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, and Quincy Enunwa. If he can't turn things around, it might be hard for that trio to make an impact with rookie Bryce Petty either.

My Recommendation: Sell high on Forte, and don't trust Marshall as more than a No. 2 receiver.

Can Eli Manning find the end zone?

On the whole, Manning doesn't look that much different from last year. His yards per attempt is right in line with where he was a year ago, he is passing for slightly more yards, with a slightly higher completion percentage, and is throwing an interception roughly as often as he did a year ago. However, he has been pretty disappointing for Fantasy players because he hasn't been able to get into the end zone, throwing a touchdown nearly half as often (3.0 percent of his pass attempts end with a touchdown) as he did a year ago (5.7 percent). When all signs points to a player being pretty much the same guy, but his touchdowns are down, it's usually safe to bet on that touchdown rate returning to career levels.

My Recommendation: The Eagles are a tough matchup, but you still have to bet on Manning turning things around if you don't have a better option.

Will the Lions open up the offense?

Stodgy, old, football people still like to go on and on about the virtues of running the ball, but that isn't the only way to control the clock and dominate time of possession. Just ask the Lions, who are hardly anyone's idea of a grind-it-out team, but who have nonetheless played at the slowest pace in the last over the last four weeks, per ProFootballFocus.com. Typically, you think of a team like the Cowboys slowing the pace down with the running game, letting the clock wind down and keeping their defense off the field, but the Lions have done the same with their passing game.

It hasn't helped them dominate time of possession -- they've had the ball less often than their opponents in three of four games -- but they have been able to limit the exposure of their defense by scrapping the no-huddle offense and keeping Matthew Stafford focused on high-percentage, low-risk plays. His average depth of target over the last four weeks has fallen to 5.7 yards, which would be the lowest in 11 years PFF has been tracking this data.

This has had a negative impact on the Lions' offense -- especially Marvin Jones, averaging 43.5 yards per game in this span -- and has made their defense less prone to exposure. That trend probably won't change this week against the Vikings, another team that isn't particularly interested in engaging in a shootout.

My Recommendation: Coming off a pair of subpar outings, Matthew Stafford is tough to trust against this Vikings' defense.

Can Mark Ingram get back on Sean Payton's good side?

I'm not going to pretend Sean Payton's decision to bench Mark Ingram made much sense. It's not like Ingram didn't know he shouldn't fumble, nor has Ingram had the kind of fumble issues in the past that would make you think the last two weeks are anything but a random tough luck streak. The decision to use Tim Hightower almost exclusively certainly didn't pay dividends last week -- Hightower was stopped from the 1-yard line on four different attempts -- and it's awfully hard to get excited about Hightower as a featured back or as part of a committee. Here's hoping Payton is just using the tough-love approach with Ingram, and he can get back to the form that made him so useful for Fantasy purposes last season.

My Recommendation: You probably want some exposure to the great matchup against the 49ers, so it makes sense to use either Ingram or Hightower as a start if you're desperate.