Close Calls: Week 9's Toughest Lineup Decisions

There's no more maddening choice for fantasy managers. No more gut-wrenching decision. They are the close call—and they exist to drive us cuckoo.

It's not exactly difficult to decide whether to start Washington Commanders quarterback Jaden Daniels, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley or Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. If they're playing, they are starting for fantasy teams.

The difference in fantasy points last week between the No. 33 wide receiver (Xavier Legette of the Carolina Panthers) and the  No. 42 wideout (Ricky Pearsall of the San Francisco 49ers) last week was only about 1.7 points. The duo of rookies was a toss-up. But that 1.7-point difference could be the difference between victory and defeat. And that Week 8 game could wind up deciding whether or not a team makes the playoffs.

The slimmest of margins can matter the most. And that's what makes close calls so exasperating.

But don't fret, intrepid reader. Close Calls is here at Footballguys to de-exasper you. To help you decide which side of the coin flip you want to be on.

Every week, we're going to look at some of the closest calls of the week. Make the case for both players. And then offer up this analyst's take on which player is the correct play.

For the sake of this exercise, we'll only consider quarterbacks and tight ends outside the top 10, running backs outside the top 20, and wide receivers outside the top 30 in Footballguys' Weekly Rankings. If your team is loaded with no-brainer starts, then you don't need our help.

You also need to stop gloating—it's unbecoming.

Close Call: Dak Prescott, Dallas (QB12) vs. Jared Goff, Detroit (QB15)

The Case for Prescott: Prescott was one of this analyst's favorite value picks at quarterback this year, largely because of the expectation that the Cowboys would have a pass-heavy offense. Sure enough, the Cowboys are dead last in rushing attempts and rushing yards per game and Prescott is eighth in passing attempts despite every quarterback ahead of him having played one more game.

It's simple—if the Cowboys have a chance to get back to .500 this week, it will be throwing the ball. The Falcons have been an average defense against the pass this season, and even with Rico Dowdle back it has become plainly evident to anyone with eyes that Dallas simply cannot run the ball effectively.

The Case for Goff: Given that Goff was essentially given away by the Los Angeles Rams, the Detroit Lions have to be happy with that trade. The team is 6-1 on the season, and Goff leads the entire NFL in both completion percentage (74.1) and yards per attempt (9.0). He's playing arguably the best football of his career.

Of course, it helps to have a loaded offense and one of the league's best offensive lines. The Lions are sixth in the NFL in rushing this year. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is a legitimate superstar. And with fellow wideout Jameson Williams suspended last week, young tight end Sam LaPorta stepped up with one of his best games of the year.

The Verdict: Prescott. The Lions are rolling offensively, but they are doing it without big numbers from Goff, who ranks outside the top-12 in fantasy points per game. So does Prescott, but he draws a far better matchup in Week 9—the Falcons have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season.

Close Call: Nick Chubb, Cleveland (RB23) vs. Brian Robinson Jr., Washington (RB26)

The Case for Chubb: We know what Chubb is capable of if he's close to 100 percent—two years ago, the 28-year-old gained over 1,500 rushing yards, averaged five yards per carry, and scored a dozen times on the ground. It's not a huge stretch to say that a healthy Chubb is a top-tier talent at his position.

Last week, the Browns did something they have not done all season long—they topped 20 points in an upset of the Baltimore Ravens. Chubb's numbers weren't great against the NFL's No. 1 run defense—16 carries for 52 yards. But he's getting touches, and Jameis Winston taking over at quarterback gives the Browns something resembling an actual NFL offense.

The Case for Robinson: Jayden Daniels may be Batman in D.C., but Robinson has made a case for inclusion in the Justice League as well. The third-year pro is averaging a rock-solid 4.6 yards per carry this season. Robinson has posted a pair of 100-yard games on the ground, and he has rushing scores in five of seven games.

After last week's miraculous win over the Chicago Bears, the Commanders get a bit of a breather this week, taking on a two-win New York Giants team. The G-Men haven't done a ton right on either side of the ball this season, and defending the run is no different—New York's 141.6 yards per game allowed on the ground ranks 27th in the NFL.

The Verdict: Robinson—and it's not that close. We don't know how close to 100 percent Chubb really is. Robinson has been consistently productive for the Commanders this year. He has a dozen or more touches in four of the past five games. And the Giants have given up over 140 yards per contest on the ground.