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 Carson Palmer 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 Ben Roethlisberger, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.
START ‘EM
QB: Brian Griese has been putting up monster stats and has a terrific matchup against the Lions this week. Detroit is 30th against the pass, allowing 269 yards and 2 TD per game…For those in desperate at QB, Alex Smith is practicing fully this week and he has a nice matchup with the Saints, who are 27th against the pass…Jay Cutler and Brett Favre both have pretty favorable matchups in that Broncos/Packers tilt.
RB: Cedric Benson has a terrific matchup against the Lions, who have yielded an average of 116 rush yards and 1.2 rush TD per game this season…LenDale White is worth another start against the Raiders, who are 29th against the rush…Surprisingly, Kevin Jones is worth a start against the Bears who have been uncharacteristically bad against the run this season…Whoever the starter is in Cleveland – Jason Wright or Jamal Lewis – is a good fantasy play against the Rams, who have given up 130 yards and 1.3 TD on the ground this season…Thomas Jones is also worth a start against the Bills, who are 25th against the run.
WR: Both Chicago WRs – Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad – should be solid starts this week as they face a very bad Detroit secondary…Santonio Holmes should definitely be in the lineup against the Bengals, who have yielded 249 yards and 2.7 TD through the air this season…Kevin Curtis has a nice matchup against the Vikings, who are terrific against the run, but are last in the league against the pass…Ronald Curry faces the Titans, who are 9th against the pass…Kevin Walter and Andre Davis have a pretty nice matchup against the Chargers, who have allowed an average of 240 yards per game through the air this season.
SIT ‘EM
QB: I still like Jason Campbell, but he faces a very good Pats defense this week and should be benched if possible…Even if Vince Young suits up, he should be benched against the Raiders, who are 12th against the pass and have only allowed six pass TD all season…David Carr should be avoided. He faces the Colts, who have given up a league-best 162 pass yards per game (and just five pass TD) this season.
RB: Don’t expect much from Kenny Watson (or Rudi Johnson, if he plays) against the Steelers. They are the league’s 3rd best rush defense (though Watson should be able to catch some passes)…LaMont Jordan faces a tough test against Tennessee’s stingy front seven, who have yielded a league-best 60 yards per game on the ground…Ahman Green has several nice matchups coming up, but this week’s game against the Chargers isn’t one of them.
WR: Ted Ginn and Marty Booker should be benched this week. They face the Giants, who are on fire defensively right now…Ike Hilliard has been playing well, but this week he faces the Jags, who have allowed a league-best four pass TD thus far this season.
THINKING DEFENSIVELY
Last week, my top three picks were Tampa Bay, Seattle and the NY Giants. The Seahawks and Giants were terrific, but the Bucs defense laid an egg in Detroit. Here are a few defenses that have nice matchups this week and are available in at least 40% of ESPN leagues (in order of strength of play):
TEN, IND, HOU, OAK and NO
SLEEPER OF THE WEEK
Marc Bulger, Rams
It’s strange to see Bulger’s name mentioned as a sleeper, and I know he’s been pretty awful, but if he can’t put up good stats against the Browns (who have allowed an average of 264 yards and 2.8 TD through the air), then he’s in serious trouble. For some owners, this will be Bulger’s last chance.
TOUGH SLEDDING
Adrian Peterson, Vikings
He’s a must-start these days, but the Eagles have a pretty stingy rush defense that has allowed just 88 yards and 0.3 TD per game on the ground this season. At some point, teams are going to bring nine guys into the box and dare Tarvaris Jackson to throw the ball…aren’t they?
