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

Philip Rivers has a nice matchup with the Dolphins, who have struggled to stop the pass in each of the first two games. I worry a little bit about the Chargers’ inability to stop the run and how the Dolphins could eat up the clock, but Rivers is still a must-start in most formats this week…Through two weeks, Eli Manning is QB11, and has looked pretty sharp. Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are coming on, so he has some weapons to throw to. This week, he faces a Bucs defense that is 27th against the pass, allowing 282 passing yards and 2.5 pass TD per game…Trent Edwards should have a nice game against the Saints, who are likely to put up a lot of points and aren’t terribly good against the pass…Jake Delhomme actually looks like a pretty good start this week as he faces a Cowboys defense that has given up 303 yards and 1.5 pass TD per game this season. He’s still a shaky start, but if you’re in dire straits or play in a two-QB league, he’s worth a shot…Mark Sanchez has been solid thus far and with a matchup against the 32nd-ranked Tennessee pass defense, he should have a nice day…Jason Campbell didn’t throw a TD last week against the Rams, which is worrisome, but he has another great matchup this week. The Lions have given up eight pass TD through two games.

Clinton Portis should be started this week as he plays the Lions, who have given up an average of 135 rushing yards per game this season…Ray Rice and Willis McGahee should both be in lineups this week. They face the Browns, who have the 31st-ranked rush defense (206 yards per game). The Ravens should have a field day…Assuming he can hold off Beanie Wells for another week, Tim Hightower seems like a very good start against the Colts, who have one of the worst rush defenses in the league…Knowshon Moreno saw a bigger piece of the action in Week 2, so he should have a significant role in Week 3 against a suspect Raiders rush defense.

Mario Manningham and Steve Smith are almost must-starts against a Bucs defense that was torched by the Cowboys in Week 1 and didn’t fare much better against the Bills in Week 2…Jerricho Cotchery should be in all PPR lineups this week. The Jets face the Titans, who have the league’s worst pass defense through two games…Terrell Owens and Lee Evans should be good starts this week against the Saints, who have a tendency to jump out to a big lead. The Bills may be behind and Owens and Evans should rack up some yards as Buffalo tries to come back…The Browns aren’t going to be able to run on the Ravens, so they’ll have to pass, and that means Braylon Edwards should have a good game…Santana Moss has had a miserable start to the year, but a date with the Lions could fix that. If he doesn’t have a big game this week, he should probably ride the bench until he wakes up…Kevin Walter (if he plays) could be a good start against the Jags, who are 26th in the league against the pass. If he can’t go Andre Davis or Jacoby Jones (whoever starts opposite Andre Johnson) would be a sneaky good start.

It doesn’t seem like a bad matchup for Brett Favre, but the 49ers have only allowed two pass TD through two games. Look elsewhere if you can…He’s still startable, but Kurt Warner probably won’t post his usual numbers due to a very bad matchup against the Colts, who have only allowed 139 pass yards per game and have yet to give up a pass TD (partly because they are so bad against the run)…There are a number of lower-level QBs that have tough matchups this week: Matthew Stafford (vs. WAS), JaMarcus Russell (vs. DEN), Shaun Hill (@ MIN), Byron Leftwich (vs. NYG) and Kerry Collins (@ NYJ).

Stay away from the Cleveland RBs this week against the Ravens’ top-ranked rush defense…With the Bears coming to town, don’t expect a big game out of Julius Jones, who struggled last week and is fighting off Justin Forsett…They’re still somewhat startable, but Thomas Jones and Leon Washington aren’t likely to find much rushing room against a Tennessee defense that is excellent against the run, yielding just 1.9 yards per carry. Washington may be able to make some headway in the passing game, however…Cedric Benson has been great thus far (RB12), but with the Steelers coming to town, he should probably hit the bench. Pittsburgh has the 8th-best rush defense in the league and has yet to yield a rushing TD…

I’d still start him in most situations, but don’t expect Roddy White to have a career day against a Pats defense that has done a nice job of taking away their opponents’ wide receivers this year…Bernard Berrian doesn’t yet have great chemistry with Brett Favre, and I don’t think he’s going to find it this week against a pretty gritty 49ers defense…I would avoid all of the mediocre fantasy wideouts that play for the Titans (Justin Gage and Nate Washington), 49ers (Isaac Bruce and Josh Morgan) and Buccaneers (Michael Clayton) this week, as the matchups aren’t good and none of the WRs are dependable enough to overcome a bad matchup.

Every week, I will 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.

Brett Favre’s debut with the Vikings was less than stellar, but he had to shake off the rust and the Browns defense is a little better than people think. He has an outstanding matchup with a Lions defense that got torched by Drew Brees last week…Granted, Matt Schaub and the entire Houston offense looked pathetic last week, but a matchup with the Titans isn’t as bad as it might look on paper. Tennessee gave up 363 yards to Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers last week so Schaub should have some success…Trent Edwards should have a nice game against the Bucs, who were torched by Tony Romo last week, but Edwards needs to throw the ball deep to Terrell Owens and Lee Evans…For the desperate, Jason Campbell, Matt Sanchez, Byron Leftwich and JaMarcus Russell all have good matchups this week.

Even though he struggled last week, Chris Johnson should be in all fantasy lineups with the Texans coming to town…Darren McFadden should find plenty of running room against a struggling Kansas City defense…Clinton Portis is a great start against a Rams defense that let Julius Jones run wild in Week 1…The Cowboys were pushed around against Tampa Bay last week, so I’d expect Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to have nice games this week as they visit Texas…Larry Johnson didn’t run well against the Ravens last week, but no one really runs well against the Ravens. The Raiders really struggled to stop the run in 2008, but looked a little better on Monday night against the Chargers. Still, LJ should be a decent start this week.

Andre Johnson struggled in Week 1, but the Titans gave up a ton of yards to the Steelers last week, and I’d expect AJ to have a bounce-back game…The Cowboy receivers had a field day against the Bucs last week, so I’d expect Terrell Owens and Lee Evans to have a nice Week 2…Santana Moss had a nightmare of a game against the Giants on Sunday, but with the Rams’ porous defense coming to down, he is primed for a much better outing in Week 2…Justin Gage caught seven passes for 78 yards and a TD against the Steelers in Week 1, and with the Texans coming to down he should find the going even easier. The only worry is that the Titans move the ball too easily on the ground and don’t have to throw the ball…Percy Harvin scored a TD in his first NFL game, and there should be plenty of opportunity to score fantasy points against a Lions defense that was shredded by the Saints last week…Louis Murphy looked great last week, catching four passes for 87 yards and a TD. He actually had another TD called back because of penalty. It’s tough to trust a rookie wideout, especially one that plays for the Raiders. But if you need help at WR, Murphy looks like a sneaky good start against the Chiefs.

Chad Pennington has a rough matchup against the Colts this week. Indy has had a pretty good pass defense for some time now…Whoever starts for the Chiefs faces an Oakland pass defense than is better than advertised…Given the way he played last week, I’d recommend avoiding Jay Cutler this week, as he faces a tough Steelers defense (even though they’re without Troy Polamalu)…Matt Hasselbeck seems like a good start, but the 49er defense locked down Kurt Warner pretty well and might do the same to the Seahawks’ passing game.

There are several top running backs that have tough matchups this week. I’m not recommending that fantasy owners bench these players, but they should consider their options: Matt Forte, Marion Barber, Steve Slaton, Kevin Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson/Darren Sproles and Steven Jackson…The 49er defense completely suffocated the Arizona running game last week, so I wouldn’t expect a repeat performance by Julius Jones in Week 2.

The Giants completely shut down Santana Moss last week, so if they pay the same sort of attention to Roy Williams, I don’t see him having a very good Week 2…The Colts are stingy against the pass, so I’d stay away from Ted Ginn, Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo this week…I’d still start him, but Dwayne Bowe is going to have Nnamdi Asomugha shadowing him all day, and that’s not a good thing.

Note: If you’re looking for a defense to pick up, be sure to check out my DTBWW picks.

Every week, I will 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.

The Broncos were 26th against the pass last season, so Carson Palmer has a favorable matchup assuming his ankle holds up…Joe Flacco plays at home against a Chiefs defense that gave up 238 passing yards and 1.3 pass TD last season. The second-year QB should also have a bit more freedom when it comes to throwing the ball now that he has a year of experience under his belt…Brett Favre faces the Browns, who gave up 204 passing yards and 1.2 pass TD last season…Matt Hasselbeck has a tasty matchup with the Rams, who allowed 217 passing yards and 1.3 pass TD last season…If you’re in a real bind, Matthew Stafford (@ NO), Chad Pennington (@ ATL) and Kyle Orton (@ CIN) also have nice matchups this week.

The Falcons were 25th against the run last season, so Ronnie Brown should find enough running room to grind out some nice numbers this week…Ray Rice looks like a very nice start against the Chiefs, who gave up 159 yard and 1.6 TD on the ground last season. It’s not clear just how many carries Rice will get, but even if he only gets 10-15 against the Chiefs, he should be worthy of a RB2 or flex start…If Pierre Thomas can go (unlikely), then start him. If not, start Mike Bell, who should have a nice game against the Lions’ perennially awful rush defense…The Rams were pretty bad against the run last year, so if you’re in a bind and have Julius Jones on your roster, he’s worth a shot.

New England wasn’t very good against the pass in 2008 (1.7 pass TD per game), so while Terrell Owens is probably a must-start, Lee Evans deserves a long look too…While Marques Colston is a must-start, Lance Moore also deserves consideration since he has a great matchup against the Lions…Derrick Mason looks like a nice start against a Chiefs defense that was pretty pathetic against the pass last season…Chad Ochocinco should be in all lineups, but Laveranues Coles and Chris Henry are also startable this week against a Broncos defense that really struggled against the pass in 2008…The Falcons had a tough time stopping the pass last season, so don’t be surprised if Ted Ginn has a nice game in Week 1…He hasn’t had a great preseason, but Josh Morgan has the opportunity to post good numbers against a Cardinals defense that yielded 36 receiving touchdowns last season. Isaac Bruce should have a nice game as well…He’s long been a fantasy tease, but Nate Burleson might have a nice game against a suspect Rams defense this week.

Leave Jake Delhomme on your bench this week. He faces the Eagles’ third-ranked pass defense and it probably won’t be pretty…The Colts only allowed six pass TD during the entire 2008 season, so David Garrard doesn’t look like a very good start this week…Matt Cassel should ride the pine this week against the Ravens. Not only does he have a bum knee, but he’s facing 2008’s 2nd-ranked pass defense. That’s not a good combination…This is probably not a good week to experiment with Jason Campbell in your starting lineup. He faces the Giants, who had the 8th-ranked pass defense last season.

Fred Jackson should get the starting nod with Marshawn Lynch suspended, but this week’s matchup against the Pats (who only allowed 8 rush TD in all of 2008) is a bad one…It looks like Minnesota’s “Williams Wall” is going to play, so that makes Jamal Lewis nothing but a benchwarmer this week…Larry Johnson faces a Baltimore defense that was #3 against the run in 2008. Don’t expect a big day from LJ…Given the crowded Tampa Bay backfield and the stingy Dallas defense, Derrick Ward doesn’t look like a very good start in Week 1.

Steve Smith is still a good start, but Muhsin Muhammad should probably ride the pine against a pretty stingy Eagles pass defense…The Colts aren’t good against the run, but they are capable of shutting down a passing game, so don’t expect Torry Holt or any of the other Jacksonville receivers to post good numbers this week…Washington was pretty stingy against wideouts last year, so Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon and Hakeem Nicks might struggle in Week 1.

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

LOVE ‘EM

QB: Don’t overthink things and bench Kurt Warner this week. The Pats are not very good against the pass, so Warner and Co. should be able to have their way through the air. The only wildcard is the weather…Matt Cassel is a nice start against an Arizona defense that has given up the most pass TD (31) in the league…Despite the long plane ride, Brett Favre looks like a good start against a Seahawks pass defense that is last in the league in yards allowed…In the same game, Seneca Wallace has a nice matchup with the Jets defense that is 29th in the league against the pass…Dan Orlovsky played pretty well last week against the Colts and he has a great matchup this week against the Saints, who own the league’s 26th ranked pass defense. He’s a legit option for the desperate…For the super-desperate, JaMarcus Russell (vs. HOU) and Brian Griese (vs. SD) both have good matchups. If Jeff Garcia starts, he’s a solid play against a Chargers defense that is ranked 31st against the pass.

RB: Matt Forte should be in your lineup this week. The Packers just can’t stop the run…Steve Slaton has a great matchup with an Oakland defense that is ranked #31 against the run. They have allowed 167 yards and 1.4 rush TD per game…With Reggie Bush out for the rest of the season, Pierre Thomas should rack up the stats against the Lions…Maurice Jones-Drew is a terrific play this week against a Colts defense that has yielded 127 yards and 1.1 rush TD per game… Marshawn Lynch had a big game last week against the Jets and I think he’s in store for another one against a sketchy Denver rush defense…Frank Gore would be a good start against the Rams. If he can’t go, DeShaun Foster should be able to take advantage of the league’s 29th-ranked rush defense…Ronnie Brown is a great start against the Chiefs. They’ve struggled against the run all year.

WR: Randy Moss and Wes Welker are both must-starts against an Arizona defense that really struggles against the pass…Both Green Bay receivers – Greg Jennings and Donald Driver – should be in your lineup this week assuming the weather is decent in Chicago. The Bears are 28th against the pass…T.J. Houshmandzadeh should be started in PPR leagues, and Chad Johnson is a fringe start this week as well. The Browns have struggled against the pass, especially lately…Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are both worth a start this week as they face a Seattle defense that is dead last against the pass…Braylon Edwards has a good shot to score against a Bengals secondary that has allowed 22 pass TDs this year.

LEAVE ‘EM

QB: Matt Ryan is playing well this season, but I don’t feel great about him this week against Minnesota. The Vikings have been good against the pass, especially lately and it’s going to be tough for him to put up big numbers…It would be a good idea to leave David Garrard on the bench despite his solid play in recent weeks. The Colts have the #7 pass defense and have only allowed five pass TD on the year…Ben Roethlisberger is still startable, but he doesn’t have a very good matchup this week. The Titans have the #5 ranked pass defense and have only yielded nine pass TD on the year…I’d definitely recommend benching Kerry Collins this week. The thought of Collins trying to throw against the Steelers sends a chill down my spine.

RB: Michael Turner has been productive all season, but don’t expect him to go off against the league’s #1 run defense…DeAngelo Williams is pretty much a must-start every week, but Jonathan Stewart isn’t likely to go off in limited work against the Giants, who are #4 in the league against the run…Marion Barber (or Tashard Choice) isn’t a very good option against the Ravens. Choice did have success against the Steelers, so there’s an outside shot that a Dallas RB will have a nice game on Saturday…The Dolphins have been tough against the run, so it would be wise to bench the plodding Larry Johnson unless you don’t have any better options…The Chargers rush defense has been better lately, and with a RBBC brewing in Tampa Bay (with Warrick Dunn and Cadillac Williams), it’s probably best to avoid the Bucs RBs this week…They’re still startable but Chris Johnson (vs. PIT) and Clinton Portis (vs. PHI) both have bad matchups this week.

WR: It’s not a good week to experiment with any of the Giants’ WRs. Carolina’s pass defense has only allowed 14 TD all year…They’re still startable, but don’t expect huge games from DeSean Jackson or Kevin Curtis. The Redskins have the #6 pass defense in the league…The same goes for Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, who face a stingy Titans defense…Vincent Jackson is still worth a start, but the Bucs defense held down Roddy White last week and has been tough to throw on all year. If you have a better option, utilize it.

THINKING DEFENSIVELY (DTBWW)

Welcome to the world of Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW). Each week, you pick up a defense, usually one playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. All teams are available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

(I’d take the Dolphins first before moving onto the list.)

CLE (vs. CIN) – 12/18 update: I moved the Browns ahead of the Seahawks and Dolphins.
SEA (vs. NYJ)

Last week’s picks:

Patriots: 26 PA + 2 SK + 1 INT + 1 RET TD = 9 fantasy points
Redskins: 20 PA + 2 SK = 2 fantasy points

Post your roster questions here, and be sure to let me know if you are in a PPR league.

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

LOVE ‘EM

QB: There are a number of so-so QBs with nice matchups this week. Phillip Rivers has a nice matchup with a Kansas City defense that is ranked 29th against the pass…. Tyler Thigpen has proven himself to be a capable fantasy QB, and his matchup with the Chargers 30th-ranked pass defense is a tasty one…Kyle Orton has been solid this year, and as long as the weather cooperates, he should be a good start against the Saints, who have struggled against the pass this season…Jason Campbell faces the Bengals, who have yielded 1.6 pass TD per game this year…Kerry Collins’ problem against the Lions was that Detroit couldn’t keep it close. Houston has more of an offensive backbone and I think Collins will have to pass to keep the chains moving to put points on the board…Seneca Wallace isn’t a bad play against the Rams…For the desperate, Tarvaris Jackson (or Gus Frerotte) and Marc Bulger have nice matchups with Arizona and Seattle, respectively.

RB: Maurice Jones-Drew is an absolute must-start against a porous Packer rush defense, especially with the news that Fred Taylor is nicked up and might miss the game…Both Chris Johnson and LenDale White should be in lineups this week. Houston is pretty bad against the run so there should be enough touches to go around to allow both guys to be productive…Sammy Morris looks like a good start against an Oakland defense that is ranked 30th against the run…DeAngelo Williams has been absolutely tearing it up, and he’s a terrific start against a sketchy Denver rush defense this week, but given what Jonathan Stewart did last week against the Bucs, he’s worth a start as well. The guy is gold when he gets 14+ carries, but be warned that he has only received that many looks in six of 13 games this season…Kevin Smith should find room to run against the Colts, who are ranked 25th in the league against the run. Indy has been a little better of late, and if the Colts get out to a big lead the Lions might abandon the run, so this start is not without peril…If Joseph Addai doesn’t play, look for Dominic Rhodes to have a big day against the league’s worst rush defense. Even if Addai does play, Rhodes has a good shot to get plenty of garbage time carries as the Colts try to keep Addai fresh for the stretch run…For the desperate, Maurice Morris is a sneaky good start assuming he gets a majority of the carries like he did last week. The Rams have struggled against the run all season.

WR: Santana Moss is a good start this week against the Bengals, who have been especially bad against the pass of late…Marques Colston and Lance Moore are both good starts against the Bears, who have yielded 234 pass yards per game this season…Bernard Berrrian is a great start against a Cardinals defense that has yielded the most pass TD in the league (27)…Marvin Harrison is playing at home, which is a great sign, especially since he’s playing the Lions. The only worry is that Detroit can’t score enough to force the Colts to stay aggressive…Isaac Bruce isn’t a bad start against a Dolphins defense that is much better against the run than they are against the pass…Devin Hester has a nice matchup with a shaky Saints pass defense, assuming the weather in Chicago isn’t too bad…If you’re desperate, Torry Holt and Donnie Avery have a nice matchup against the Seahawks, who have given up a league-worst 265 passing yards per game.

LEAVE ‘EM

QB: In that PIT/BAL matchup, both Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco face tough tests this week. Big Ben is still startable, but if you have a better option, it would be a good time to utilize it…Matt Ryan is playing very well, but he’s a mediocre start this week against a good Bucs defense. Tampa Bay hasn’t played very well on the road, so Ryan should post decent numbers; just don’t expect him to set the world on fire…Lately, the Raiders and Broncos have been pretty decent against opposing QBs, so Matt Cassel and Jake Delhomme have so-so matchups this week…Matt Schaub should be benched if possible against the Titans who are ranked 3rd in pass defense.

RB: Tim Hightower can still be started, but he faces a tough matchup with the Vikings’ 2nd-ranked rush defense this week…LeRon McClain should get most of the touches with Ray Rice and Willis McGahee nicked up, but I’m not optimistic about his potential against Pittsburgh’s #1 rush defense that was embarrassed last week against the Cowboys…Jamal Lewis has been pretty brutal all season and things aren’t going to get better this week against a good Philly rush defense…The Chargers have actually been pretty tough against the run of late, so be careful with Larry Johnson this week. If you have a good alternative, you may want to use it…Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore face a tough Ravens rush defense that has yielded an average of just 77 yards and 0.2 TD on the season…Unless Frank Gore makes a strong recovery this week, I’d bench him (and his balky ankle) against Miami, assuming I had another good option.

WR: He’s still startable in PPR leagues, but Derrick Mason hasn’t caught a TD pass against the Steelers in 19-straight meetings. He did post 8-137 in the matchup earlier this season, so there is some reason for optimism…Braylon Edwards has two things working against him: 1) he faces the Eagles’ 6th-ranked pass defense this week and 2) he has Ken Dorsey throwing the ball to him. Bench him if you can…T.J. Houshmandzadeh is still starter-worthy, but you might want to leave Ocho Cinco on the bench with the Redskins’ 7th-ranked pass defense coming to town.

THINKING DEFENSIVELY (DTBWW)

Welcome to the world of Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW). Each week, you pick up a defense, usually one playing at home against a bad offense. And each week, you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position. All teams are available in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

I’m moving this feature up from it’s normal slot in my Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em feature because I realize that a lot of owners are playing the waiver wire right now trying to find a defense, so the earlier you can put your bids in the better.

This week’s picks:

Patriots (@ OAK)
Redskins (@ CIN)

(I’d grab the Colts, Dolphins and Cardinals – in that order – before the Pats and Redskins, but they are owned in more than 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues, so they aren’t eligible for DTBWW this week.)

Last week’s picks:

Great week for DTBWW in crunch time.