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.

RB: Maurice Jones-Drew is an absolute must-start against a porous Packer rush defense, especially with the news that Fred Taylor is nicked up and might miss the game…Both Chris Johnson and LenDale White should be in lineups this week. Houston is pretty bad against the run so there should be enough touches to go around to allow both guys to be productive…Sammy Morris looks like a good start against an Oakland defense that is ranked 30th against the run…DeAngelo Williams has been absolutely tearing it up, and he’s a terrific start against a sketchy Denver rush defense this week, but given what Jonathan Stewart did last week against the Bucs, he’s worth a start as well. The guy is gold when he gets 14+ carries, but be warned that he has only received that many looks in six of 13 games this season…Kevin Smith should find room to run against the Colts, who are ranked 25th in the league against the run. Indy has been a little better of late, and if the Colts get out to a big lead the Lions might abandon the run, so this start is not without peril…If Joseph Addai doesn’t play, look for Dominic Rhodes to have a big day against the league’s worst rush defense. Even if Addai does play, Rhodes has a good shot to get plenty of garbage time carries as the Colts try to keep Addai fresh for the stretch run…For the desperate, Maurice Morris is a sneaky good start assuming he gets a majority of the carries like he did last week. The Rams have struggled against the run all season.

WR: Santana Moss is a good start this week against the Bengals, who have been especially bad against the pass of late…Marques Colston and Lance Moore are both good starts against the Bears, who have yielded 234 pass yards per game this season…Bernard Berrrian is a great start against a Cardinals defense that has yielded the most pass TD in the league (27)…Marvin Harrison is playing at home, which is a great sign, especially since he’s playing the Lions. The only worry is that Detroit can’t score enough to force the Colts to stay aggressive…Isaac Bruce isn’t a bad start against a Dolphins defense that is much better against the run than they are against the pass…Devin Hester has a nice matchup with a shaky Saints pass defense, assuming the weather in Chicago isn’t too bad…If you’re desperate, Torry Holt and Donnie Avery have a nice matchup against the Seahawks, who have given up a league-worst 265 passing yards per game.

LEAVE ‘EM

QB: In that PIT/BAL matchup, both Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco face tough tests this week. Big Ben is still startable, but if you have a better option, it would be a good time to utilize it…Matt Ryan is playing very well, but he’s a mediocre start this week against a good Bucs defense. Tampa Bay hasn’t played very well on the road, so Ryan should post decent numbers; just don’t expect him to set the world on fire…Lately, the Raiders and Broncos have been pretty decent against opposing QBs, so Matt Cassel and Jake Delhomme have so-so matchups this week…Matt Schaub should be benched if possible against the Titans who are ranked 3rd in pass defense.

RB: Tim Hightower can still be started, but he faces a tough matchup with the Vikings’ 2nd-ranked rush defense this week…LeRon McClain should get most of the touches with Ray Rice and Willis McGahee nicked up, but I’m not optimistic about his potential against Pittsburgh’s #1 rush defense that was embarrassed last week against the Cowboys…Jamal Lewis has been pretty brutal all season and things aren’t going to get better this week against a good Philly rush defense…The Chargers have actually been pretty tough against the run of late, so be careful with Larry Johnson this week. If you have a good alternative, you may want to use it…Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore face a tough Ravens rush defense that has yielded an average of just 77 yards and 0.2 TD on the season…Unless Frank Gore makes a strong recovery this week, I’d bench him (and his balky ankle) against Miami, assuming I had another good option.

WR: He’s still startable in PPR leagues, but Derrick Mason hasn’t caught a TD pass against the Steelers in 19-straight meetings. He did post 8-137 in the matchup earlier this season, so there is some reason for optimism…Braylon Edwards has two things working against him: 1) he faces the Eagles’ 6th-ranked pass defense this week and 2) he has Ken Dorsey throwing the ball to him. Bench him if you can…T.J. Houshmandzadeh is still starter-worthy, but you might want to leave Ocho Cinco on the bench with the Redskins’ 7th-ranked pass defense coming to town.

THINKING DEFENSIVELY (DTBWW)

Welcome to the world of Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW). Each week, you pick up a defense, usually one 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.

I’m moving this feature up from it’s normal slot in my Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em feature because I realize that a lot of owners are playing the waiver wire right now trying to find a defense, so the earlier you can put your bids in the better.

This week’s picks:

Patriots (@ OAK)
Redskins (@ CIN)

(I’d grab the Colts, Dolphins and Cardinals – in that order – before the Pats and Redskins, but they are owned in more than 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues, so they aren’t eligible for DTBWW this week.)

Last week’s picks:

Colts: 3 PA + 5 SK + 3 INT + 1 INT RET TD + 1 FR = 23 fantasy points
Chargers: 7 PA + 3 SK + 3 INT + 1 FR = 13 fantasy points

Great week for DTBWW in crunch time.