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 has a very nice matchup with a San Diego defense that is ranked dead last in the league in passing yards allowed. They have also allowed 1.7 pass TD per game, so Ryan should be good for at least 1-2 scores…Jeff Garcia isn’t going to set the world on fire, but he should be good for 200 yards and a TD against a Saints defense that is ranked 24th against the pass…Kerry Collins has posted solid fantasy numbers the last three weeks, but he did most of his damage against the Jets in garbage time. A matchup against the Lions is tempting, however, as Detroit is 19th against the pass and only has two INT all season.
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew is a must-start this week against a Texans defense that has yielded 129 yards and 1.4 rush TD per game this season…Thomas Jones has a great matchup against a Denver defense that is ranked 27th against the rush this season…DeAngelo Williams is a strong play against a Packers defense that has been pretty brutal against the run…Larry Johnson looks like a good play against a Raiders defense that ranks 29th against the run. The Chiefs might have trouble passing the ball, so they may lean on LJ this week…Look for Chris Johnson to get back on track against a very bad Detroit defense…Ronnie Brown has been inconsistent this season, but everyone is having their way with the Rams rush defense…Jamal Lewis has been very spotty this season, but with the Colts coming to town, a good game is possible. Indy fared pretty well against LT2 last week, so I wouldn’t get my expectations too high.
WR: I thought he was going to have a bounce-back week against the Jags, but his team got up by two touchdowns right away and had little reason to go deep. Bernard Berrian should fare better against a Bears defense that is 30th in the league against the pass…WRs have had their way with the Patriots secondary this season, so Hines Ward (and Santonio Holmes) should be able to produce now that Ben Roethlisberger is throwing the ball well again…The Giants have a solid defense, but wideouts have been productive and Santana Moss should post solid numbers, especially if the Redskins are forced to play catchup…Even with the turmoil at QB, I’d expect Donovan McNabb to bounce back and that should help DeSean Jackson’s chances against an Arizona defense that has allowed 2.0 pass TD per game this season…Antonio Bryant should be able to get deep once or twice against the Saints, who have yielded 235 yards and 1.6 pass TD per game.
LEAVE ‘EM
QB: I’d leave Brady Quinn (or Derek Anderson) on the bench this week. Cleveland faces a Colts defense that has only allowed four pass TD all season…This is not the week to be experimenting with Ryan Fitzpatrick or Daunte Culpepper. Their matchups (with Baltimore and Tennessee, respectively) are pretty brutal…Tyler Thigpen has been hot, and he’s still startable, but the Raider pass defense is playing much better of late. Proceed with caution…Matt Cassel is also starter-worthy, but don’t expect another 40-point fantasy game as he faces the #1-ranked Steeler defense.
RB: Cedric Benson looks like a bad start this week against the 4th-ranked Ravens rush defense…I’d leave Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk on the bench this week, as the top-ranked Steeler rush defense is coming to town…Antonio Pittman was pretty bad last week, and I wouldn’t expect much of an improvement this week against the Dolphins, who have yielded just 94 rushing yards and 0.7 rush TD per game this season.
WR: I wouldn’t expect any of the Bears receivers to do much against an improved Vikings secondary. Devin Hester will probably catch a few passes, but Kyle Orton has been spreading it around lately…He’s still startable since he can be so explosive, but with the way Braylon Edwards and the rest of the Cleveland offense is playing, I’d be very hesitant to start him against a tough Colts secondary…I’m still going to have him in my lineup, but Dwayne Bowe faces a tough test against Nnamdi Asomugha, who is regarded as one of the very best CBs in the league.
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. (I’d grab MIA before OAK this week, if available.)
This week’s picks:
BUF (vs. SF)
OAK (vs. KC)
Last week’s picks:
Cowboys: 22 PA + 4 SK + 1 INT + 1 FR + 1 S = 8 fantasy points
Broncos: 31 PA = 0 fantasy points
The Cowboys were solid, but man, the Broncos were brutal.
On our most recent podcast, John Paulsen and I debated whether or not the Detroit Lions should continue to be featured on Thanksgiving Day. I argued yes because it was a tradition in the NFL, he argued no because he didn’t want to see the Lions play every season.
