QUARTERBACKS

It looks like the beginning of the end of the Donovan McNabb era in Philly. He was yanked for Kevin Kolb after tossing two picks in the first half. Kolb didn’t fare any better…Joe Flacco (183 yards, 2 TD) was once again effective. He isn’t going to throw for a lot of yards, but he has tossed at least one TD in each of the last six games…Brady Quinn (94 yards, 2 INT) was supposed to have a nice day against a pretty bad Houston pass defense, but he stunk up the joint and was actually replaced by Derek Anderson (51 yards, INT), who didn’t do any better…Gus Frerotte (120 yards, INT) had a string of solid performances broken against the Jags. The Vikings got up by 14 early and didn’t look deep very often. Bernard Berrian (1-6) is suffering as a result…After a strong start, something seems to be wrong with the Denver passing game. Jay Cutler is averaging just 210 yards and 0.5 TD over the last two weeks.

RUNNING BACKS

Brian Westbrook (16 touches, 34 yards) looks like a shadow of his old self, and it’s not clear if it’s the injuries that are bothering him or the lack of good play from his QB. Correll Buckhalter sprained his knee, so the Eagles are really hurting at RB…Jamal Lewis (12 touches, 68 yards) was fairly productive, but he failed to score a TD and fumbled once. I thought he’d be a solid start due to a nice schedule down the stretch, but the Browns’ offense is in trouble and Lewis’ numbers are suffering because of it…Warrick Dunn (19 touches, 127 yards, TD) was very productive against a bad Lions rush defense. Cadillac Williams (16 touches, 27 yards) came in for mop up duty…Kevin Smith (16 carries, 86 yards) looked pretty good against a good Bucs rush defense before leaving the game with an apparent knee injury…Larry Johnson (9 touches, 105 yards) ran the ball well, but only received seven carries since the game got out of hand…Apologies to anyone who started Antonio Pittman (12 touches, 19 yards) on my recommendation. Ryan Grant was successful against the Bears rush defense last week and I thought that Pittman would at least post 70-80 total yards and maybe score a TD…The Tennessee running game is suddenly ineffective. Over the last three games Chris Johnson and LenDale White have combined for just 243 yards and one TD. White carried the ball once against the Jets, so right now, it looks like the Chris Johnson show. He might have big week in a great matchup against the Lions next week…Even though he’s supposedly healthy, Sammy Morris (10 touches, 49 yards) didn’t get as many touches as Kevin Faulk (14 touches, 105 yards, TD). Moreover, Faulk was more productive and BenJarvus Green-Ellis (a.k.a. “The Law Firm”) vultured seven carries and a TD…Maurice Jones-Drew (12 touches, 117 yards) is so valuable in PPR leagues because when things aren’t going well on the ground (3 carries, 4 yards), he can be heavily involved in the passing game (9-113)…DeAngelo Williams (21 touches, 120 yards, TD) appears to be RB1 in Carolina for the time being. He’s startable this week, against the Packers and in Week 15, against the Broncos…Michael Turner (117 yards, 4 TD) finally broke out against a good rush defense. All year, he’s been overperforming against bad defenses and underperforming against good ones…Clinton Portis (31 touches, 159 yards) is a warrior…LaDainian Tomlinson has scored just two TD in his last seven games.

WIDE RECEIVERS

If the Eagles go with Kevin Kolb at QB, I’d downgrade DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis…It doesn’t appear that any Detroit WR other than Calvin Johnson (3-66-1) is worth owning right now…Dwayne Bowe (3-58-1) continues to clean up in garbage time. His numbers weren’t looking very good, but late in the game he caught a garbage TD to finish with a nice stat line…It looks like Torry Holt (4-84) is still WR1 in St. Louis. Donnie Avery (1-14) cannot be counted on…After a couple shoddy weeks, Greg Camarillo (6-75-1) had a nice day, but he’s going to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. This should give Ted Ginn and Davone Bess a boost in value…Terrell Owens (7-213-1) busted out with a huge game against his old team. He hadn’t gained more than 38 receiving yards in the last five games…Simply stated, Plaxico Burress (0-0) can’t be counted on right now.

TIGHT ENDS

Kellen Winslow’s poor day (1-11) could be attributed to poor play at QB or his sprained shoulder. Either way, he was a disappointment…In a week when guys like Winslow, Jason Witten (1-11) and Antonio Gates (3-28) were disappointments, Tony Gonzalez (10-113-1) came up huge…Dustin Keller (6-42) continues to be a favorite target of Brett Favre. Over the last three weeks, he has posted 20-236-1 and looks like a good TE start down the stretch.

FREE AGENTS

LeRon McClain (18 carries, 88 yards, TD) was the most productive RB for the Ravens, continuing the season-long carousel at the position. There’s no telling who will play well week to week…Over the last three weeks, Kerry Collins has averaged 254 passing yards and 2.0 TD per game. He did most of his work this week in garbage time, which is an unusual situation for the Titans to be in…Tatum Bell got some work (7 touches, 14 yards), but it was Peyton Hillis (19 touches, 96 yards, TD) that got the lion’s share of the touches in the Denver backfield.. He has a tough matchup with the Jets next week, but a great matchup with the Chiefs in Week 14…Derrick Ward played well (24 touches, 99 yards, TD) with Brandon Jacobs out. Keep an eye on this situation as Ward could be a productive back if Jacobs misses more time. Keeper league owners should take note – Ward will be a free agent after this season…Maurice Morris produces 113 yards and a TD on 17 touches. Julius Jones had two carries for 21 yards and injured his calf. Morris might be able to help fantasy owners down the stretch.

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

LOVE ‘EM

QB: Jason Campbell faces the Seahawks, who are 31st in the league against the pass (265 yards, 1.5 pass TD per game), so he should be in store for a nice day…Brady Quinn has a great matchup with a Houston defense that is tied for third in most passing TD allowed on the season. Quinn had a great first start, but didn’t throw a TD against the Bills last week. I’d feel more confident in this play if Kellen Winslow is healthy enough to play…Gus Frerotte faces a Jaguars defense that has allowed the 2nd most passing TD in the league. Frerotte has been a solid fantasy QB since he took over in Minnesota but many fantasy owners are still scared to use him..Kerry Collins has posted good fantasy numbers in the last two games as teams try to gang up on LenDale White and Chris Johnson. This week, he faces a Jets defense that has allowed 240 passing yards and 1.4 pass TD per game…Jeff Garcia faces a Detroit defense that is 23rd in the league against the pass. They played pretty well against the Panthers last week, but on the season the Lions have been dreadful.

RB: Matt Forte (@ STL), Marshawn Lynch (@ KC), Marion Barber (vs. SF) and LaDainian Tomlinson (vs. IND) all have great matchups and should be in your starting lineup…Jamal Lewis faces a Houston defense that has yielded an average of 133 rushing yards and 1.5 rush TD per game this season. He has had a rough schedule thus far, but he should be able to find the endzone this week…It’s always dicey starting a Denver running back, but Peyton Hillis seems to be Mike Shanahan’s current favorite and he has a great matchup with the Raiders’ 30th-ranked rush defense…With Earnest Graham on IR and Cadillac Williams working his way back, Warrick Dunn is a sleeper this week against a Lions rush defense that gave up more than 200 yards to the Panthers last week. They’re so bad that they’ve overtaken the Chiefs as the worst rush defense in the league.

WR: The Giants pass defense is pretty good on the whole, but they’ve given up some points to wide receivers, so don’t think about benching Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald…Santana Moss has been spotty at times, but give him a start this week against the Seahawks, who have given up the second most yards in the passing game this season…Given the Jaguars propensity to give up pass TD (18 on the season), Bernard Berrian should be in lineups this week even though he’s been quiet the last couple of games…Plaxico Burress has only 10 catches in the last four games, but the Giants will need him against a Cardinals team that should put up some points. It doesn’t hurt that Arizona has given up a league-leading 19 pass TD on the season…Greg Jennings is a no-brainer this week against the Saints, but try to find room for Donald Driver in your lineup as well, assuming he’s able to practice this week…Antonio Bryant should start this week as he faces a Lions defense that has allowed some big games to receivers this season…Andre Johnson is a weekly must-start, but Kevin Walter is also startable against a Browns pass defense that is 19th in the league…Torry Holt has had a rough season, but he has an outside shot at a big game against a Bears defense that has struggled against the pass.

LEAVE ‘EM

QB: Matt Ryan has been solid this season, especially for a rookie, but this week he faces the 5th-ranked Panthers pass defense that has yielded an average of 185 yards and 0.8 TD per game, so Ryan may find the going rough…Minnesota’s pass defense isn’t that great yardage-wise (21st-ranked), but they have only given up eight TD in 10 games, so the odds are against David Garrard having a multiple-TD day…I’d leave Matt Hasselbeck on the bench another week. The 10th-ranked Redskins pass defense has been solid all year and Hass didn’t look that great in his first game back…They’re still startable, but Phillip Rivers and Brett Favre have tough matchups against the Colts and the Titans, respectively, so lower those expectations…If you’re desperate, don’t turn to the likes of Daunte Culpepper (vs. TB) or Ryan Fitzpatrick (@ PIT) as neither guy has a good (or even decent) matchup.

RB: I’d try to stay away from Cedric Benson this week as he faces the #1-ranked Pittsburgh rush defense…Kevin Smith also has a bad matchup against a Bucs defense that has only given up ONE rush TD all season…Julius Jones may be getting most of the carries in Seattle, but with the Redskins’ 5th-ranked rush defense coming to town, he’s not a good start this week…Sammy Morris seems like he’s all the way back, but the Dolphins have the league’s 9th-ranked rush defense, so I wouldn’t expect a big game…These guys are still startable, but they have bad matchups so adjust your expectations accordingly: Tim Hightower (vs. NYG), Michael Turner (vs. CAR), Brandon Jacobs (@ ARI, assuming he plays) and Brian Westbrook (@ BAL).

WR: While Roddy White is pretty much a must-start every week, I wouldn’t start Michael Jenkins as the Falcons face a pretty tough Carolina pass defense…None of the Jacksonville receivers are worth starting this week. The Minnesota pass defense may give up some yards, but they have only allowed eight pass TD all season…I’d leave Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers on the bench this week. The Colts pass defense has been excellent this season…It’s not the week to gamble on any of the Seattle wideouts. The Washington pass defense is in the top 10 in both yards and TD allowed…They’re still startable, but lower your expectations for the Jets’ and Saints’ WRs, who face the Titans and Packers, respectively.

DTBWW

Welcome to the world of Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW). Each week, you pick up a defense, usually 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.

This week’s picks:

DAL (vs. SF)
DEN (vs. OAK)

(I feel a LOT better about Dallas than I do Denver.)

Last week’s picks:

DTBWW got back on track this week.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

The opening and closing music is AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock & Roll)”

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.

QUARTERBACKS

I’d pick up Matt Cassel and Tyler Thigpen before moving onto the list below. Jeff Garcia and Brady Quinn also have nice matchups this week. I’d probably pick them up after Frerotte.

Gus Frerotte (32.3)
He has a great schedule down the stretch that includes JAX, DET and ARI.
Matt Hasselbeck (47.8)
He was rough in his first week back, but he has as much upside as anyone on this list.
Kerry Collins (22.1)
519 yards and five TD over the last two weeks is nothing to sneeze at. Plus, he has four pretty good matchups in the next four weeks – NYJ, DET, CLE and HOU. You wouldn’t want to start him Week 16 however (PIT).
Shaun Hill (21.8)
He’s averaging 215 yards and 2.0 pass TD over the last two games, plus he had a rush TD to boot. He has a nice stretch run in Weeks 14-16 against the Jets, Dolphins and Rams.
Joe Flacco (42.8)
Sage Rosenfels (30.6)
JaMarcus Russell (25.8)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (6.8)
Daunte Culpepper (12.4)
I have no idea why Detroit isn’t looking at Drew Stanton right now, but Culpepper is a starting QB, so he does have some value.

RUNNING BACKS

If Warrick Dunn, Sammy Morris, Justin Fargas or Derrick Ward are out there on your waiver wire, they’d be worth a pickup. Dunn will benefit from Earnest Graham’s absence, Morris is working his way back into the starting lineup and Fargas is already there. Brandon Jacobs had a precautionary MRI on his sore knee, so Ward has an outside chance to see his stock rise significantly over the next week or two.

Peyton Hillis (13.3)
He’s the closest thing that the Broncos have to a RB1 right now.
Cedric Benson (47.3)
Antonio Pittman (14.0)
Steven Jackson will be out for at least another week, maybe longer.
Pierre Thomas (19.4)
He was very productive on 20 touches this week, but if Reggie Bush comes back, Thomas’ value will take a hit.
Selvin Young (40.2)
If he can just get healthy, he would see some serious work in the Denver backfield.
Carnell Williams (24.9)
There’s no telling when (or if) Caddy will be able to help, but he’s practicing some now, so there’s a chance that he could split time in the Tampa Bay backfield.
Ahmad Bradshaw (23.8)
He’d see his value rise if Jacobs were to miss any time.
Tatum Bell (23.0)
Clifton Smith (1.0)
He’s a darkhorse to get some carries with Earnest Graham out and Cadillac Williams working his way back.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Ted Ginn is owned in just over 52% of ESPN leagues and he’s starting to put up some consistent fantasy numbers, especially in PPR leagues.

Justin Gage (12.5)
He finally put two good games together (8-194-3 over the last two weeks). Has Kerry Collins finally found a “go to” WR?
Michael Jenkins (26.5)
He is quietly developing into a bona fide WR2 in Atlanta. He has a rough matchup this week, but things look solid down the stretch.
Mark Bradley (20.1)
After three straight 15+ fantasy point games (in PPR leagues), I would have liked to have seen more out of him against the Saints, but he posted just 3-54. He has 21 catches in his last four games.
Deion Branch (9.2)
4-54 in his first game back with Hasselbeck leads me to believe that he might be a worthwhile add in bigger leagues.
Jason Hill (2.2)
In the last three games, Hill has caught 12 passes for 153 yards and a TD.
Devin Hester (45.0)
He had a rough game against the Packers, but most wideouts don’t fair very well against Charles Woodson and Al Harris. His schedule over the next four weeks is much better.
Rashied Davis (30.7)
See “Devin Hester” above.
Antwaan Randle El (42.0)
Washington has nice matchups over the next two weeks.
Bobby Wade (6.3)
He has caught at least three passes in eight of 10 games this season, and last week he went for 2-12-1.
Bryant Johnson (13.6)
If you’re digging deep at WR, Johnson has caught 10 passes in the last three games.
Bobby Engram (33.5)
Will he and Hasselbeck get back into the swing of things?
Shaun McDonald (4.2)
He has caught 18 passes over the last four weeks.

TIGHT ENDS

Dustin Keller (27.1)
14 catches for 194 yards and a TD over the last two games is no fluke. He’s becoming Favre’s safety-valve over the middle.
Zach Miller (48.6)
Miller has gained at least 42 yards in six of the last seven games.
Donald Lee (40.6)
Lee has three TD in the last six games and has caught at least two passes in eight of the Packers’ 10 games.
Todd Heap (48.6)
After a horrible start, Heap has eight catches over the last two weeks. If Derrick Mason misses anytime with his shoulder injury, Heap could – repeat, could – become a bigger part of the Baltimore game plan.
Matt Spaeth (0.8)
Spaeth has 12 catches in the last two weeks filling in for Heath Miller. He’s a viable start in PPR leagues.
L.J. Smith (22.9)
Smith has six catches for 51 yards and a TD in the last two games.
John Carlson (44.4)
Carlson is averaging 3.0-28-0.3 over the last six games.
Marcedes Lewis (27.8)
Vernon Davis (34.3)
Don’t look now, but Davis has a consecutive-games-with-a-TD streak going.
Ben Watson (19.4)
His 8-88-1 outing against the Jets was probably a fluke.