Each week in the Pregame, I’ll provide a few players to start and a few to bench. These recommendations are based on that player’s strength of schedule (SOS) for that particular week or that player’s specific situation.
I’m a strong advocate of always starting your studs, so I won’t be telling you about LaDainian Tomlinson’s tough matchup or how Peyton Manning and company will light it up against a bad defense. Anyone can make those calls. I’ll be discussing marginal fantasy starters – guys that can start for you, but only under certain circumstances.
START
DREW BREES has a great matchup with a Bengals pass defense that has allowed 227 yards and 1.4 TD per game. JAKE PLUMMER, STEVE MCNAIR and JAKE DELHOMME are borderline starters that also have nice matchups this week…REGGIE BUSH and DEUCE MCALLISTER face a Bengals defense that has yielded 127 yards and 1.3 TD on the ground per game. FRANK GORE, WALI LUNDY and ANTHONY THOMAS also have very favorable matchups this week…JOEY GALLOWAY faces a Redskins defense that has allowed the most fantasy points versus opposing WRs over the last six weeks. MARK CLAYTON, DERRICK MASON and CHRIS CHAMBERS also have attractive matchups this weekend.
BENCH
VINCE YOUNG, CHAD PENNINGTON and BRETT FAVRE have tough matchups this week and should be benched if possible…It’s tough to bench RONNIE BROWN, but he’s got a groin injury that has kept him out of practice this week and he faces a Vikings defense that is very tough against the run. LEON WASHINGTON, KEVAN BARLOW and CHESTER TAYLOR also face tough rush defenses this week…DREW BENNETT played well last week, but he runs into an Eagles defense that has only yielded 191 pass yards and 0.9 TD this season. TERRY GLENN is coming off a knee injury and has a tough matchup with the Colts this week.
Check back tomorrow for a complete injury update. In the meantime, feel free to ask a question on our Q & A.
