QUARTERBACKS

Matt Ryan (206 yards, 2 INT) struggled some against a good Bucs pass defense, but he had a TD pass taken away when Jason Rader fumbled the ball at the goal line…Shaun Hill (233 pass yards) threw the ball 46 times, but failed to throw a TD for the first time since he took over the job midseason…It looked like Phillip Rivers (346 yards, 2 TD, INT) was going to have a bad day, but he bounced back with two late TDs to get the win and finish with a great stat line…Considering the opponent, Ben Roethlisberger (246 yards, TD) posted great stats. It’s not often that a QB moves the ball this well on the Ravens…Matt Cassel (218 yards, 4 TD, INT) has been excellent for much of the year and he took advantage of a Radiers secondary still reeling from last week’s blowout at the hands of the Chargers.

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 Peyton Manning, 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: 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.

Listen in as Anthony Stalter and I discuss how it’s wrong to blame Aaron Rodgers for all that has gone wrong with the Green Bay Packers this season, how Clinton Portis’ outburst affects his prospects this week, and what to expect from the Cowboys/Giants tilt this Sunday. I’ll also throw out a few QB sleepers for fantasy owners in need.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

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

Shaun Hill (35.7)
Kerry Collins (44.4)
Seneca Wallace (2.6)
Tarvaris Jackson (3.0)
Marc Bulger (40.4)
J.T. O’Sullivan (11.9)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (6.5)

Post your roster questions here. Be sure to get them in by Saturday morning and let me know if you are in a PPR league. It helps to make my advice a little bit better.