Listen in as Anthony Stalter and I discuss the fantasy impact of the Vikings’ and Saints’ suspensions, Marion Barber’s toe, Matt Schaub’s possible return and the New York Giants wide receiving corps.
Author: John Paulsen (Page 607 of 937)
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 Tony Romo, 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: Matt Ryan is a nice start against a New Orleans defense that was already 24th against the pass even before the suspension of Will Smith, the team’s best pass rusher…Matt Cassel is worth starting against a league-worst Seahawks defense that has yielded 265 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game…Shaun Hill is startable this week against a Jets defense that is ranked 30th against he pass…For the desperate, Gus Frerotte has a tantalizing matchup against a bad Lions defense. The only question is will Detroit put up enough of a fight so that the Vikings will have to throw the ball? Last week against the Titans, the answer was “no,” and Kerry Collins finished with a poor fantasy line…For the REALLY desperate, Marc Bulger and JaMarcus Russell have good matchups against the Cardinals and Chargers, respectively.
RB: Peyton Hillis is a great start against the Chiefs, who are next-to-last against the run…Steve Slaton has a tantalizing matchup with the Packers, who are awful against the run…Get Tim Hightower in your lineups this week. The Rams rush defense is ranked 30th in the league…Larry Johnson has a nice matchup with the Broncos, who are 28th in the league against the rush…It looks like Ryan Grant is going to play, and that makes him a solid start against a sketchy Texans rush defense…Given the Vikings’ defensive suspensions, Kevin Smith is suddenly an interesting start…If you have a big hole at RB, Cedric Benson is a sneaky good start against a Colts rush defense that has allowed 134 yards and 1.3 TD per game this season.
WR: Roddy White is a must-start this week against a bad Saints pass defense…Unless the Lions completely fold, I’d expect Bernard Berrian to catch at least one deep pass en route to a good fantasy line…Unless he pulls one of his disappearing acts, Lee Evans should be able to take advantage of the Dolphins’ 26th-ranked pass defense…Reggie Wayne is a must-start, but Marvin Harrison is also startable against a Cincy pass defense that has allowed 218 yards and 1.5 TD per game this season…Matt Jones continues to play well in PPR leagues, so he’s a decent start against the Bears, who have the league’s 29th –ranked pass defense.
LEAVE ‘EM
QB: Joe Flacco has had a nice run (11 TD in his last six games), but this week he faces a stingy Washington defense. He’s still startable in some formats, but I wouldn’t expect more than one TD this week…After a brutal 1 TD/4 INT effort against Oakland in Week 10, Jake Delhomme has been decent, scoring four TD over the last three games. This week, the 3rd-ranked Bucs pass defense comes to town, so I’m not optimistic…Phillip Rivers (vs. OAK) and Tony Romo (@ PIT) are still startable, but you may want to look at other options…Leave Ryan Fitzpatrick (@IND) and whoever is QB’ng the Browns (@ TEN) on the bench – they have brutal matchups…Jeff Garcia should ride the pine as he faces the Panthers 12th-rated pass defense. Carolina has only given up 11 pass TD in 12 games…Jason Campbell isn’t playing particularly well right now and given his matchup – the Ravens’ 2nd-ranked pass defense – it would be wise to look elsewhere this week.
RB: None of the Baltimore RBs look like great starts against a solid Washington rush defense. Besides, I wouldn’t feel confident predicting which one would get most of the touches…He’s still startable, but be wary with Marion Barber this week. He faces the #1 rush defense in the league and has a bum foot…The same goes for Clinton Portis, who can be started in a pinch, but don’t expect much from him against a great Ravens rush defense.
WR: Derrick Mason is still startable, but despite Mark Clayton’s newfound fantasy success, I’d stay away from him this week against Washington…It’s always tough to bench Braylon Edwards, but given his current QB situation and his matchup against the stingy 4th-rated Tennessee pass defense, he’s not a good start this week…i wouldn’t feel comfortable starting Vincent Jackson or Chris Chambers this week. The Raiders pass defense is surprisingly good, and the Chargers are better off attacking with the ground game…Antonio Bryant is still startable in some formats, but I wouldn’t expect big numbers against a stingy Carolina pass defense.
THINKING DEFENSIVELY (DTBWW)
Welcome to the world of Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW). Each week, you pick up a defense, usually 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.
This week’s picks:
I love the Cardinals this week, but they are only available in 32% of ESPN fantasy leagues, so they are not eligible.
IND (vs. CIN)
SD (vs. OAK)
Denver (vs. KC) is another option, but it’s tough to say which defense is going to show up.
Last week’s picks:
Bills: 10 PA + 3 SK + 1 FR = 10 fantasy points
Raiders: 20 PA + 1 SK + 1 INT = 2 fantasy points
Unsurprisingly, the Raiders let us down.
Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer led the Blue Devils with 20 points a piece as Duke rolled over the Boilermakers, 76-60, as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Singler also posted 12 rebounds in the win.
In his freshman season, Singler was forced to guard guys bigger and stronger than he was, and he eventually wore down towards the end of the season. This summer, he forced himself to eat as much as his stomach could handle, and he looks quite a bit stronger as a result.
Duke is starting Nolan Smith at point guard; he beat out Greg Paulus for the starting gig in the preseason. Smith had 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal against Purdue, and looks to be turning the corner as a player. Plus, it helps Duke to have Paulus’ wealth of experience coming off the bench. Smith, Paulus and Scheyer make for a formidable rotation in the backcourt.
Here’s a quick list of the top 10 point guards under the age of 26, ranked in the order of a combination of current performance and trade value, and regardless of salary.
I’ll also list the player’s age and his Player Efficiency Rating.
1. Chris Paul, Hornets
Age: 23
PER: 30.99
He’s the best point guard in the league, regardless of of age.
2. Deron Williams, Jazz
Age: 24
PER: 16.82
Better jumper than CP3, but doesn’t have his quickness or vision.
3. Derrick Rose, Bulls
Age: 20
PER: 17.51
What he’s doing in his rookie year (18.7 points, 5.8 assists) is phenomenal.
4. Devin Harris, Nets
Age: 25
PER: 27.81
He’s absolutely blowing up – 24.8 points, 6.1 assists – right before our very eyes. That sound you hear is Mark Cuban grinding his teeth.
5. Mo Williams, Cavs
Age: 25
PER: 15.91
Mo is still figuring things out on the defensive end, but he’s a nice sidekick for LeBron, despite the so-so FG% (43.7%).
6. Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Age: 22
PER: 18.73
Handled the point during the C’s championship run. Does it with passing (7.2 assists) and defense (2.2 steals).
7. Ramon Sessions, Bucks
Age: 22
PER: 17.67
It was Sessions, not Ridnour, that prompted the Bucks to trade Mo Williams away. 15.6 points and 5.8 assists indicates he’s the point guard of the future in Milwaukee.
8. Jordan Farmar, Lakers
Age: 22
PER: 14.84
He’s struggling with his shot this season (41.9%) and is still playing behind Derek Fisher.
9. Nate Robinson, Knicks
Age: 24
PER: 17.88
He’s thriving in Mike D’Antoni’s system (14.5 points, 4.2 asissts), but at just 5’ 9”, is he limited in his upside?
10. Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Age: 20
PER: 15.06
He just joined the starting lineup, but is still averaging 12.3 points and 4.1 assists.
Before you blast me for missing a player or two, be sure to check his age. All these guys are 25 years-old or younger.
12/4 Update: Mo Williams is 25, not 23.
Other lists:
This is why it’s hard to get excited about the Houston Rockets.
Over the past three seasons, Tracy McGrady has missed an average of 21 games due to injury. Now the AP is reporting that T-Mac is going to miss three weeks as he rehabs his sore left knee.
Here’s what I wrote in our season preview of the Rockets:
If T-Mac, Yao Ming and Ron Artest can all play 75+ games and are healthy for the playoffs, this team will be very competitive. But as history has shown us, that is a HUGE “if.” Yao hasn’t played more than 57 games in any of the last three seasons and McGrady is averaging 61 games played over the same span. So the Rockets can’t really hope that the duo will stay healthy, they just have to hope that whatever injuries T-Mac and Yao do sustain aren’t of the season-ending variety.
Hey, at least this isn’t a season-ending injury.
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