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: Brodie Croyle is a sneaky good start this week as he visits the Lions, who are reeling. Detroit is 31st against the pass (258 yards and 1.9 pass TD per game), so Croyle could have a nice week…Donovan McNabb is a little untrustworthy fantasy-wise, but he has a great matchup this week against the Saints, who are 30th in the league against the pass…The super-desperate can look to Tarvaris Jackson (vs. WAS) and Chris Redman (@ ARI) for some help. Both have nice matchups and are probably available on your league’s waiver wire.
RB: Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew look like good starts against a Raiders defense that struggles to stop the run…Kolby Smith has the Lions, who have allowed 169 yards and 2.5 TD on the ground over the last four weeks. He should be a good start for owners looking for a solid RB2…Kevin Jones has been spotty this season, but he has a pretty good matchup with the Chiefs, who have yielded an average of 177 yards and 1.3 TD on the ground over the last four. He could have a nice day, assuming Mike Martz sticks with the run.
WR: Roddy White should be primed for a bounce back game after a miserable week 15. He faces the Cardinals, who have yielded 287 yards and 2.5 pass TD per game over the last four weeks…Even though he has been very undependable, David Patten is a sneaky good start against the Eagles, who have allowed 250 yards and 1.0 pass TD over the last month…Dwayne Bowe also figures to have a nice game against the Lions, who really struggle to stop the pass.
SIT ‘EM
QB: David Garrard has proven to be a capable starter no matter the matchup, but this week’s game against Oakland figures to be a tough one…Jay Cutler faces a Chargers secondary that is peaking right now against the pass…Vince Young has the Jets, who limited the Patriots’ passing game. The Jets are 10th in the league against the pass, so Young may find the going tough.
RB: Cleveland has been pretty good against the run of late, so you may want to bench the disappointing Rudi Johnson if you have other options…The Colts have improved somewhat against the run which means Ron Dayne might be in for a relatively quiet day. Also, there’s a good chance that Houston falls behind, which would reduce Dayne’s role in the offense…Shaun Alexander hasn’t done much to deserve a start, but he’ll find the going especially tough against an embarrassed Ravens defense this week.
WR: I wouldn’t expect Roydell Williams to repeat his terrific week 15 performance against the Jets, who did a nice job against the New England receivers last week…They are still startable, but don’t be surprised if Brandon Marshall (@ SD) and Calvin Johnson (vs. KC) struggle against solid pass defenses.
