- Somehow, Drew Brees makes 296 yards and three TDs seem pedestrian.

- Aaron Rodgers (180 yards) picked a bad time to have his first zero TD game of the season.

- The Bills have a good pass defense, but Matt Cassel’s performance (224 yards, 4 INT) was downright pitiful.

- Carson Palmer (94 yards, TD) and the Bengals’ passing game was surprisingly unproductive against the Vikings’ sketchy pass defense. Minnesota did get a boost from Antonie Winfield, who returned from a six-week absence.

- Tony Romo (249 yards, 2 TD) stayed hot. It has helped that the Cowboys have trailed in the second half, because he’s racking up some stats in garbage time.


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- Pierre Thomas (19 touches, 100 yards) got even more work with Mike Bell out, but Reggie Bush (12 touches, 79 yards, 2 TD) vultured a couple of pass TDs.

- Kevin Smith (23 touches, 88 yards) suffered a “gruesome” knee injury and Rotoworld is saying that his season is “unquestionably over.”

- Ray Rice (13 carries, 166 yards, TD) and Willis McGahee (12 carries, 76 yards, 2 TD) destroyed the Lions rush defense. Rice also went for 4-53 in the passing game.

- Ryan Grant (20 carries, 137 yards, 2 TD) had a very nice day running the ball. He started the scoring with a 62-yard TD run. He wasn’t even touched on the play.

- Julius Jones (11 touches, 43 yards) and Justin Forsett (13 touches, 73 yards) pretty much split the work out of the Seattle backfield. Forsett is more productive, but Jones continues to start.

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- Calvin Johnson (4-37) had a rough game against a good Ravens defense, though he’s a lot better off when Matt Stafford is under center.

- With Devin Hester out, Johnny Knox (5-83-1) and Devin Aromashodu (8-76-1) both had nice days.

- Andre Johnson (11-193-2) went nuts against a bad Seattle pass defense.

- You better hope you weren’t playing Brandon Marshall (21-200-2) in a PPR league. (I did.) Marshall set the record for most catches in a game. Eddie Royal had one catch for three yards.

- Davone Bess (3-22) no longer looks like a starting caliber fantasy wideout. Greg Camarillo (7-110) got most of the work.

- Mike Sims-Walker (1-6) was a surprise start (calf), but he was terribly unproductive.

- Way to go, Randy Moss (1-16). Wes Welker (10-105) is far more dependable.

- After a couple of semi-quiet weeks, Vincent Jackson (7-120) went off against the Cowboys.

Check back in a few minutes for the RB and QB positions.

- Jermichael Finley (5-70) continues to be a big part of the Green Bay passing game.

- Dallas Clark (5-43-3) will probably carry a few fantasy teams to victory this week.

- Ben Watson (3-37-1) caught a TD, so he’ll be on the fantasy radar this week. Don’t fall for it.

- Dustin Keller (1-3) was brutal, as was the entire Jets passing game. They didn’t have to throw it much because they ran the ball at will on the Bucs.

- Fred Davis (3-50-2) continues his nice run. He has posted 12-146-4 over the last three games.

- Jason Witten (4-49) outgained Antonio Gates (4-44-1) but Gates found the endzone.

Check back in a bit for the WR, RB and QB positions.

Every week, I pick one question from our Fantasy Football Q&A and post it on Sunday morning. This week’s question comes from Matt, who is wondering what to do with Cedric Benson.

“At RB, Pick 2. AP, Benson, and Charles. Leaning towards using Charles this week. Your thoughts?”

My answer: Charles looks like a better option than Benson this week, though Benson has run well against good rush DTs before (so be warned).

With the news that Benson is expected to share carries with Larry Johnson, Charles definitely looks like the better play this week. He has been hot (four straight games with a TD) and he has a terrific matchup against the league’s worst rush defense (BUF). Meanwhile, Benson has a terrible matchup (MIN) and is going to share carries with LJ. I’d bench him.


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The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week, you pick up a defensethat is playing against a bad offense (preferably at home). And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. To see how this approach performed last season, click here.

Last week, I recommended three DTBWW picks. Let’s see how they fared…

#1 Chargers: 23 PA (0) + 2 SK + 1 FR = 3 fantasy points
#2 Jets: 13 PA (4) + 3 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR = 9 fp
#3 Bears: 9 PA (6) + 3 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR = 11 fp

The Chargers were without Shawne Merriman on Sunday, and laid an egg against the Browns (who are playing a little better offensively). The Jets and Bears posted solid performances, as expected.

On the season, my #1 pick is averaging 9.0 fantasy points, my #2 pick is averaging 10.8 fp and #3 pick 6.7. My #2 pick has stayed hot — over the last 10 weeks, it has averaged 11.4 points and hasn’t scored less than eight points in that span. On the season, DTBWW as a whole is averaging 8.8 fp, which equates to DT4 numbers.

Let’s take a look at this week’s picks. Keep in mind that to be eligible for DTBWW, a defense must be available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

Pick #1: Tennessee Titans (vs. STL)
The Titans defense has struggled the last couple of weeks, but has feasted on medicore and bad offenses since Tennessee’s bye.

Pick #2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYJ)
The Jets are starting Kellen Clemens at QB this week and that’s a very good thing for Tampa’s defense.

Pick #3: Kansas City Chiefs (vs. BUF)
Buffalo has been a great matchup for fantasy defenses all year, so even the Chiefs are startable this week.

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Every week, I highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

Ben Roethlisberger should be in lineups this week given his opposition, the Browns’ 26th-ranked pass defense…Kurt Warner is back and playing well, and with a good matchup against the 49ers, he should post good numbers this week…If Matt Schaub is able to play, he’s a nice start against the Seahawks, who have the league’s 25th-ranked pass defense…David Garrard faces a Dolphins defense that is ranked 24th against the pass. The Jaguar receivers should be able to take advantage of a young Miami secondary…Alex Smith has been solid this season, and his matchup with the Cardinals is favorable. The 49ers are likely to have to throw quite a bit to stay in the game, so Smith should finish with two or three TD…Joe Flacco isn’t playing all that well of late, but with the Lions coming to down, that should change. Detroit has yielded 275 yards and 2.3 TD per game this season…Desperate? Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn’t good against the Jets’ stingy pass defense last week, but the Chiefs’ secondary isn’t nearly as good.

Ray Rice didn’t have a great week against the Packers, but he should bounce back in a big way against the Lions…strong>Rashard Mendenhall has been running the ball well and expected to start Thursday night despite an injury. The Browns are ranked 29th against the run…Jamal Charles is looking like a very nice start against Buffalo’s 32nd-ranked rush defense. The Bills have given up 162 yards and 1.3 rush TD on the ground this season…The Buffalo line has struggled to run block this year, but Fred Jackson should be able to gain some yards on the ground and in the passing game against a suspect Chiefs defense…Desperate? Pick up Quinton Ganther, who was recently promoted to RB1 in Washington. He has a nice matchup with a pretty porous Oakland run defense…Really desperate? Consider Sammy Morris, who is back healthy and might be out on the waiver wire. He has a good chance of finding the endzone against the Panthers’ 26th-ranked rush defense.

The Arizona passing attack has a nice matchup with the 49ers, so Anquan Boldin should definitely be in starting lineups and Steve Breaston is worth a look in deeper leagues…Derrick Mason had a tough outing against the Packers, but with the Lions coming to town, things are looking up…He didn’t have a very good game against the Bucs, but Steve Smith 1.0 hooked up with Matt Moore on a long bomb in the second half. He has another nice matchup with the Pats, who have been brutal against the pass of late…Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan have a nice matchup agianst the Cards, who have given up 257 yards and 1.5 pass TD per game this season…They are no sure bet, but Terrell Owens and Lee Evans should be able to take advantage of a week Kansas City pass defense that is ranked 28th in the league…Davone Bess is coming off a 10-117-1 performance and has caught 29 passes over the last five weeks. This week, he faces the 23rd-ranked Jaguar pass defense. He’s worth a look in PPR leagues.

The Falcons are hopeful that Matt Ryan can start this week, but he is coming off of an injury and has a bad matchup with a Saints defense that has only given up 1.0 pass TD per game this season…The Bills are pretty stingy against the pass (4th in the league, 10 pass TD allowed), so Matt Cassel might seem like a good start this week, but he’s not…Vince Young plays the Rams, who are better than advertised against the pass…Kyle Orton should be avoided. Indy is mediocre against the pass in terms of yards, but they’ve only allowed 11 pass TD all season.

The Bears are talking about reducing Matt Forte‘s workload, so that, combined with a bad matchup against the Packers this week, makes him a sketchy play…He’s still startable in many formats, but the Vikings have the 3rd-ranked rush defense, so Cedric Benson is unlikely to put up big numbers this week…Kevin Smith has had a good season, and I’d still start him in PPR leagues, but he’s a bad start in standard leagues given his tough matchup with the Ravens’ 6th-ranked rush defense…Steer clear of Julius Jones this week. The Texans’ rush defense has been a lot better of late and there’s a chance that Justin Forsett will eat into his touches as his quads get better.

Antonio Bryant has played pretty well of late, but the Jets have he #1 pass defense in the league, so it’s doubtful that he’s going to have a big day…The Bills rush defense stinks, but their pass defense is pretty good (4th-ranked), so don’t expect a big bounce back game this week for Chris Chambers…The Green Bay defense has been playing great lately, so I wouldn’t count on Devin Hester, Johnny Knox or Earl Bennett for big fantasy lines this week.

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Be sure to check out Week 13’s Fantasy Fallout and our Waiver Wire Watch for Week 14. Still have questions? Fire away, but be sure to tell me about your league’s roster requirements and whether or not you’re in a PPR league.

Most leagues are entering the fantasy playoffs, so I’m going to do something a little different this week and only list a few guys at each position that could help out a fantasy owner for the next week or three. I’ll even offer up a couple of “by committee” pairs to get owners by at the QB and TE position. Remember, to be eligible, a player has to be available in at least 50% of ESPN’s fantasy leagues. I’ll list the player’s percentage-owned in parenthesis.

Alex Smith (29.0)
I’ve been beating the Alex Smith drum for a while now, and he’s still available in more than 70% of ESPN leagues. Since becoming the starter, he has averaged 225 yards and 1.9 TD per game, and other than that clunker against the Bears in Week 10, he has played QB1 ball. He has Arizona this week, Philly in Week 15 and Detroit in Week 16, so aside from that tough matchup with the Eagles, he’s startable the rest of the way. Fantasy owners who have Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb or Ben Roethlisberger might want to pick up Smith to give them a good option in Week 16. All of those QBs have tough matchups that week.

Vince Young (25.2)
This looks like 2006 again. Since taking over as the starter, he has averaged 208 passing yards, 1.0 pass TD, 28 rushing yards and 0.2 rush TD per game. Young has three straight home games coming up, and his Week 15 matchup with Miami is a good one. In fact, he and Alex Smith would make a fine QBBC for the next three weeks. Just start Smith in Week 14 and Week 16 and Young in Week 15.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (1.4)
He had a pretty awful game on Thursday, but the Jets have one of the best pass defenses in the league. Things get much easier down the stretch with Kansas City in Week 14 and Atlanta in Week 16. Even Week 15′s matchup with the Patriots doesn’t look so bad given the way New England has played in recent weeks. If Smith is unavailable in your league, Fitzpatrick could be used in a QBBC with Young.

Recommended QBBC combos (along with the good matchups for each player): Smith (14, 16)/Young (15), Smith (14, 16)/Sanchez (14, 15), Smith (14, 16)/Stafford (15), Fitzpatrick (14, 16)/Young (15), Sanchez (14, 15)/Fitzpatrick (14, 16), Henne (14, 15)/Fitzpatrick (14, 16), Henne (14, 15)/Campbell (16)

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