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.

Matt Schaub is coming off his bye and has a tasty matchup with a Tennessee defense that has given up an average of 270 yards and 2.6 pass TD per game…Eli Manning is also coming off his bye and has a date with an Atlanta defense that is 28th against the pass…The KC DT has been a little better versus QBs of late, but Ben Roethlisberger should still have a nice game. On the season, the Chiefs have given up an average of 234 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game…It’s tough to run on the Vikings, so look for Matt Hasselbeck to pass early and often to try to take advantage of Minnesota’s 23rd-ranked pass defense…The Giants have struggled against the pass of late, so Matt Ryan will have an opportunity to break out of his recent funk…Desperate? Miami has really struggled against the pass lately, so (gulp) Jake Delhomme should be able to post some good fantasy numbers.

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The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week, you pick up a defense, preferably one playing at home against a bad offense. 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 Dolphins: 23 PA (0) + 3 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR = 5 fantasy points
#2 Titans: 17 PA (2) + 2 SK + 2 INT + 2 RET TD = 18 fp
#3 Cardinals: 20 PA (0) + 4 SK + 2 INT = 6 fp

The Dolphins were a little disappointing considering their opponent (TB), but they put up a serviceable point total. The Titans were excellent — TEN is averaging 14.0 fp over the last three weeks (in three very good matchups). Arizona was mediocre, but at least they didn’t put up a goose egg like my bonus pick (ATL).

On the season, my #1 pick is averaging 10.1 fantasy points, my #2 pick is averaging 10.7 fp and my #3 pick is averaging 6.8 fp. As a whole, DTBWW is averaging 9.2 fp, which are DT3 numbers. Not bad.

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.

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Be sure to check out Week 10’s Fantasy Fallout and our Waiver Wire Watch. 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.

Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

Alex Smith (17.0)
Of this group, I’d still take Smith first despite a bad outing against a suspect Bears secondary. He has a great upcoming schedule and has a few good options in the passing game in Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree.
Vince Young (6.6)
Young has been very solid of late, and with the Texans and Cardinals up next, he has a chance to post decent fantasy numbers.
Mark Sanchez (46.4)
The rookie has been pretty good over the last three weeks, but with the Pats and Panthers up next, that may not last.
Jason Campbell (19.2)
Matthew Stafford (5.8)
Marc Bulger (3.7)
Josh Freeman (3.4)
Chad Henne (5.2)

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Every week, I pick one question from our Fantasy Football Q&A and post it on Sunday morning. This week’s question comes from Raj, who is wondering if he should trade Brett Favre away for Brandon Marshall.

“I have been offered a trade for Brett Favre. He is giving me Brandon Marshall for Brett Favre. I already own Tom Brady. If I take this trade, then I will have no back-up QB. Favre is on-fire this year….not sure what to do. It could hurt me in the finals to, especially If I end up playing him.”

My response: Raj — My first instinct is to say hell yes. Brady should be fine for the remainder of the year. Who’s available on the waiver wire at QB? I’m sure we can find someone that has a decent schedule during the fantasy playoffs.

After the bye weeks have passed, it’s usually wise to start looking to unload your depth at one position to shore up another. Raj didn’t break down his roster in his question, but from a value standpoint a Favre-for-Marshall deal favors the owner getting Marshall. This is due to the relative depth at QB compared to the WR position. Since Raj already has Brady, he is set at QB, so he might as well add a playmaker at WR. There are probably a few QBs on his waiver wire that could act as serviceable backups to Brady if he were to go down before the fantasy playoffs.

Besides, this 40-year-old version of Favre is an injury risk. It’s not like he’s guaranteed to be playing at a high level late in the season.

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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 is coming off a bye week and is facing Detroit’s 31st-ranked pass defense at home. This is not a good combination for the Lions, but it’s an excellent situation for his fantasy owners…The Bears are really struggling against the pass, so Alex Smith should be able to post a nice fantasy line on Thursday night. He has averaged 230 pass yards and 2.0 TD per game since taking over in Week 7…Matt Hasselbeck looks like a good start against the Cards’ 29th-ranked pass defense…Mark Sanchez is startable this week against the Jags, who are ranked 26th against the pass. Jacksonville is giving up an average of 242 yards and 1.9 TD through the air this season.

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The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week, you pick up a defense, preferably one playing at home against a bad offense. 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 Seahawks: 20 PA (0) + 2 SK + 5 INT + RET TD = 13 fantasy points
#2 Falcons: 17 PA (2) + 5 SK + 1 INT + RET TD = 14 fp
#3 49ers: 34 PA (0) + 1 SK = 1 fp

Seattle and Atlanta both played well against bad competition (Detroit and Washington, respectively). Clearly, the 49ers were a disappointment. I was a little worried about this matchup because Tennessee looked pretty good the previous week with Vince Young under center, and they really have the running game going now. San Francisco’s defense isn’t as good as we thought it was, but that doesn’t mean we’ll abandon it.

For the season, my #1 pick is averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game, my #2 pick is averaging 9.9 fp and my #3 pick is averaging 6.9 fp. Combined, DTBWW is averaging 9.1 fppg, which equates to about 82 points, or DT4 numbers. Not bad.

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: Miami Dolphins (vs. TB)
Josh Freeman looked pretty good last week against the Packers, but he’s still a rookie and he has to face a capable defense on the road. Miami has been pretty spotty defensively, but they have proven they can post a nice fantasy day when given a good matchup.

Pick #2: Tennessee Titans (vs. BUF)
Boy, I didn’t think that I’d be using the Titans in DTBWW anytime soon, but after a couple of double digit performances the last two weeks and a tasty matchup at home against a struggling Bills team, I’ve changed my tune.

Pick #3: Arizona Cardinals (vs. SEA)
The Cards’ defense has been a little spotty at times, but the Seahawks are a nice matchup. Arizona has a chance to jump out on Seattle, and that will put Matt Hasselbeck in a tough spot.

Bonus pick: Atlanta (@ CAR). I’m a little worried about the Carolina running game, but the Falcons should be able to build a lead. The more Jake Delhomme pass attempts, the better.

Be sure to check out Week 9’s Fantasy Fallout and our Waiver Wire Watch. 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.

Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 50% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance, PPR scoring system.

Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

I’d grab Matt Hasselbeck (73.2) and Matt Cassel (68.0) before moving onto this list. I’d take Smith over David Garrard (78.2) right now.

Alex Smith (16.5)
Since taking over in Week 7, Smith is averaging 230 yards and 2.0 TD per game, and has a pretty nice schedule going forward.
Mark Sanchez (44.3)
He’s not going to put up consistently good numbers, but nice matchups in Week 10 (JAX) and Week 14 (TB) make him worth rostering in deep leagues.
Vince Young (6.0)
Young has been solid if unspectacular. He’s not going to rack up a ton of passing yards, but he’s a threat to score on the ground.
Jason Campbell (20.6)
Trent Edwards (29.4)
Matthew Stafford (5.9)
Josh Freeman (0.7)
Chad Henne (4.2)

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Every week, I pick one question from our Fantasy Football Q&A and post it on Sunday morning. This week’s question comes from Lauren, who is wondering if it’s time make a trade to compensate for Kurt Warner’s poor play of late.

“I currently have Kurt Warner and due to his poor performance in week 8 I have been offered a trade of Favre for Roddy White or Palmer for Roddy White. My other receivers are Hines Ward, Driver and Steve Smith (carolina) I also have Michael Turner and Addai and Bradshaw as my starters. I will keep Kurt Warner on the bench but I need a stronger QB to win. Who would you pick? Palmer or Favre?”

My answer: Don’t trade Roddy White. There is a lot of depth at QB and this guy is trying to sucker you into making a trade when you don’t need to. Which QBs are available on your waiver wire? Of the two, I’d rather have Favre, so offer up Ward, Driver or S. Smith (CAR) and see if the guy bites. Any of those guys would be fair value for Favre. (Make sure you mention that he’s an injury risk and that there’s a lot of depth at the QB position.)

It turns out that Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Cassel, Alex Smith, Jason Campbell and Vince Young were available on her waiver wire. She eventually traded Steve Smith 1.0 for Carson Palmer, which depletes her depth at WR but does give her another good option at QB.

There is usually a lot of depth at the quarterback position. This season the difference between QB10 (Eli Manning) and QB18 (David Garrard) is only 24 points, so it’s not worth trading away a player like Steve Smith to upgrade from Kurt Warner (QB15) to Carson Palmer (QB12).

Besides, Warner had a bad matchup last week — the Panthers’ pass defense is actually pretty good — and has a nice upcoming schedule. He’s a good bet to bounce back, even though he’s already had a solid fantasy season.

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