Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Week 14.

QUARTERBACKS

Kyle Orton (219 yards, 2 TD, INT) had a pretty nice game against the Jags, and he is a solid start next week against the Saints, assuming the weather is decent…It was a very disappointing performance from Eli Manning (123 yards, TD) though he did throw for a late TD to avoid a totally miserable day…In my book, Matt Ryan (315 yards, TD, INT, rush TD) is the clear cut rookie of the year (assuming the Falcons don’t collapse during the stretch run). He didn’t get the win, but he continued to make plays…Shaun Hill (285 yards, 2 TD, INT) had an excellent day for fantasy owners brave enough to start him against a sketchy Jets pass defense. He has thrown nine TD over the last five games and has Miami and St. Louis over the next two weeks, so he’s a viable starter for owners in need…Brett Favre (137 yards, INT) was surprisingly ineffective against a mediocre 49ers pass defense, but he did run for a TD…Kurt Warner (279 yards, TD, INT) got off to a great start, but didn’t have to throw much in the second half since the Cardinals were so far ahead.

Listen in as Anthony Stalter and I discuss the fantasy impact of the Vikings’ and Saints’ suspensions, Marion Barber’s toe, Matt Schaub’s possible return and the New York Giants wide receiving corps.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

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 LaDainian Tomlinson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and start them. 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.

LOVE ‘EM

QB: Matt Ryan is a nice start against a New Orleans defense that was already 24th against the pass even before the suspension of Will Smith, the team’s best pass rusher…Matt Cassel is worth starting against a league-worst Seahawks defense that has yielded 265 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game…Shaun Hill is startable this week against a Jets defense that is ranked 30th against he pass…For the desperate, Gus Frerotte has a tantalizing matchup against a bad Lions defense. The only question is will Detroit put up enough of a fight so that the Vikings will have to throw the ball? Last week against the Titans, the answer was “no,â€� and Kerry Collins finished with a poor fantasy line…For the REALLY desperate, Marc Bulger and JaMarcus Russell have good matchups against the Cardinals and Chargers, respectively.

RB: Peyton Hillis is a great start against the Chiefs, who are next-to-last against the run…Steve Slaton has a tantalizing matchup with the Packers, who are awful against the run…Get Tim Hightower in your lineups this week. The Rams rush defense is ranked 30th in the league…Larry Johnson has a nice matchup with the Broncos, who are 28th in the league against the rush…It looks like Ryan Grant is going to play, and that makes him a solid start against a sketchy Texans rush defense…Given the Vikings’ defensive suspensions, Kevin Smith is suddenly an interesting start…If you have a big hole at RB, Cedric Benson is a sneaky good start against a Colts rush defense that has allowed 134 yards and 1.3 TD per game this season.

WR: Roddy White is a must-start this week against a bad Saints pass defense…Unless the Lions completely fold, I’d expect Bernard Berrian to catch at least one deep pass en route to a good fantasy line…Unless he pulls one of his disappearing acts, Lee Evans should be able to take advantage of the Dolphins’ 26th-ranked pass defense…Reggie Wayne is a must-start, but Marvin Harrison is also startable against a Cincy pass defense that has allowed 218 yards and 1.5 TD per game this season…Matt Jones continues to play well in PPR leagues, so he’s a decent start against the Bears, who have the league’s 29th –ranked pass defense.

LEAVE ‘EM

QB: Joe Flacco has had a nice run (11 TD in his last six games), but this week he faces a stingy Washington defense. He’s still startable in some formats, but I wouldn’t expect more than one TD this week…After a brutal 1 TD/4 INT effort against Oakland in Week 10, Jake Delhomme has been decent, scoring four TD over the last three games. This week, the 3rd-ranked Bucs pass defense comes to town, so I’m not optimistic…Phillip Rivers (vs. OAK) and Tony Romo (@ PIT) are still startable, but you may want to look at other options…Leave Ryan Fitzpatrick (@IND) and whoever is QB’ng the Browns (@ TEN) on the bench – they have brutal matchups…Jeff Garcia should ride the pine as he faces the Panthers 12th-rated pass defense. Carolina has only given up 11 pass TD in 12 games…Jason Campbell isn’t playing particularly well right now and given his matchup – the Ravens’ 2nd-ranked pass defense – it would be wise to look elsewhere this week.

RB: None of the Baltimore RBs look like great starts against a solid Washington rush defense. Besides, I wouldn’t feel confident predicting which one would get most of the touches…He’s still startable, but be wary with Marion Barber this week. He faces the #1 rush defense in the league and has a bum foot…The same goes for Clinton Portis, who can be started in a pinch, but don’t expect much from him against a great Ravens rush defense.

WR: Derrick Mason is still startable, but despite Mark Clayton’s newfound fantasy success, I’d stay away from him this week against Washington…It’s always tough to bench Braylon Edwards, but given his current QB situation and his matchup against the stingy 4th-rated Tennessee pass defense, he’s not a good start this week…i wouldn’t feel comfortable starting Vincent Jackson or Chris Chambers this week. The Raiders pass defense is surprisingly good, and the Chargers are better off attacking with the ground game…Antonio Bryant is still startable in some formats, but I wouldn’t expect big numbers against a stingy Carolina pass defense.

THINKING DEFENSIVELY (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:

I love the Cardinals this week, but they are only available in 32% of ESPN fantasy leagues, so they are not eligible.

IND (vs. CIN)
SD (vs. OAK)

Denver (vs. KC) is another option, but it’s tough to say which defense is going to show up.

Last week’s picks:

Unsurprisingly, the Raiders let us down.

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 of 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.

QUARTERBACKS

Gus Frerotte (29.9)
Shaun Hill (30.6)
Matt Hasselbeck (48.7)
Joe Flacco (45.6)
Kerry Collins (46.7)
JaMarcus Russell (23.8)
Marc Bulger (42.9)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (6.7)

It’s playoff time in most fantasy leagues. Post your roster questions here.

(And be sure to let me know if you are in a PPR league or not.)