Category: Fantasy Football (Page 262 of 324)

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

(Disclaimer: They don’t always turn out to be right.)

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: For those in need of a bye week fill in, Damon Huard has a terrific matchup at home against the Bengals, who have been brutal against he pass. There was some talk about Brodie Croyle starting, but Huard is practicing and is off the injury report…Cleo Lemon also has a great matchup against a suspect Browns pass defense that has allowed 267 yards and 3 TD per game through the air…Brian Griese (vs. MIN), Phillip Rivers (vs. OAK), Kurt Warner (vs. CAR) and Gus Frerotte (@ BAL) also have good matchups and can be used if you’re in a pinch.

RB: It’s tough to know who to start, but LenDale White and Chris Brown have a very good matchup this week against a Bucs defense that is surprisingly bad against the run (124 ypg)…Willis McGahee has a great matchup against the Rams, who have allowed 146 yards and 1.6 rush TD per game this season…Adrian Peterson is a decent start against the Bears, who haven’t been themselves against the run this season.

WR: Dwayne Bowe should have a nice game against the Bengals, who have given up the most fantasy points to WRs thus far…Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson are compelling starts for owners in need of help at WR. They face a bad Saints defense that has yielded 218 passing yards and 2.0 TD pass TD per game…Chris Chambers faces a porous Browns defense that has given up a ton of points to opposing WRs…Wes Welker (@ DAL) and Vincent Jackson (vs. OAK) are also good starts.

SIT ‘EM

QB: Jeff Garcia should be avoided. The Titans have allowed only two pass TD all year…It might be time for owners with Drew Brees on their roster to start looking somewhere else. He’s really struggling and he has a tough test this week in Seattle. The Seahawks have allowed just three pass TD in five games…Vince Young has a bad matchup against a Bucs defense that has been pretty stingy (189 yards, 1 TD per game) against the pass…Matt Schaub (@ JAX) and David Garrard (vs. HOU) have tough matchups as well.

RB: It’s tough to bench Clinton Portis, but RBs have struggled to score against Green Bay this season. The Packers have allowed just one rush TD thus far…Brian Leonard should be avoided against the perennially stout Ravens rush defense…Cedric Benson is in for a tough day against the Vikings, who have allowed just 62 yards per game and zero scores on the ground…Marion Barber and Julius Jones may find the going tough against the Pats, who are 5th in the league against the run…LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes face a Chargers team that is difficult to run against. San Diego has allowed just 93 yards and 0.4 TD per game on the ground this season.

WR: The Redskins have been particularly tough against wideouts, so if you have a good alternative, it might be wise to sit Greg Jennings and James Jones…Joey Galloway has been spotty, so it’s a good idea to bench him against a solid Titans pass defense…The Giants’ DT is (surprisingly) playing well, so Roddy White should be avoided if possible.

THINKING DEFENSIVELY

If your defense is on bye or has a bad matchup, you may want to look to the waiver wire and try to find a mediocre or good defense with a good matchup. The following teams are available in 50% or more of ESPN leagues and have a nice matchup this week in the order that I’d pick them up: ARI. NYG, ARI, TB, KC and NYJ.

SLEEPER OF THE WEEK

Bobby Engram (vs. NO)
The 34 year-old wideout just won’t quit. Thus far, he’s averaging 3.8 catches for 55 yards and 0.4 TD, which isn’t bad for a third or fourth option in the passing game. He should see his targets increase, however, now that Deion Branch is out for two games. Plus, he’s got a great matchup against the Saints, who are pretty awful against the pass and the run.

TOUGH SLEDDING

Carson Palmer (@ KC) and Brett Favre (vs. WAS)
I don’t advocate benching these hot QBs, but they have difficult matchups this week against two of the better pass defenses in the league. They are still worth a start, but don’t expect their normal output this week.

Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I’ll use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only players eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire of at least 40% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to talk about a player or two that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters.

QUARTERBACKS

Derek Anderson (47.4) has a great matchup in week 6 and then goes through a mediocre to tough stretch for the next several games…He has thrown six picks in the last three games, but he gets a ton of garbage yards and TD…David Garrard (39.7) has been steady and solid. He has three easy and four tough matchups in the next eight games so he might be a little spotty, but he’s thrown one touchdown in each of his first four games…Jason Campbell (29.9) has thrown three TD and zero INT in the last two games, and has had solid fantasy performances in the last three…Kurt Warner (7.3) will take over for Matt Leinart now that he’s out. Arizona has a load of offensive weapons, so it will be interesting to see if he’ll be able to post good numbers on a consistent basis…Brian Griese (16.5) has thrown two TD in each of his first two starts. He has also thrown four picks, but his yardage (250 ypg) has been good…Jeff Garcia (37.7) doesn’t throw for scores regularly, so he can’t be counted upon for solid games, but he doesn’t throw a lot of picks either…David Carr (7.9) will be the starter in Carolina now that Jake Delhomme has opted for season-ending surgery…Gus Frerotte threw for 262 yards and 3 scores against Arizona and should be a good fill in until Marc Bulger can get healthy…Trent Edwards (2.9) has a pretty nice schedule coming up with the Ravens, Jets and Bengals on tap in the next four weeks…Brodie Croyle (2.7) has a great matchup with the Bengals in week 6, making him a good pickup for the desperate…Kellen Clemens (1.7) would start if the Jets decide to yank Chad Pennington, but for now, Pennington is the starter.

RUNNING BACKS

Earnest Graham (53.2) is going to be the main ball carrier in Tampa now that Michael Pittman is out. Don’t be surprised if the Bucs sign another RB to shore up the position…Dominic Rhodes (38.0) could start if LaMont Jordan can’t go…Brian Leonard (44.9) continues to get the majority of the work in St. Louis, and played well against the Cards (135 total yards). Steven Jackson is going to miss another week, so that leaves Leonard to face the Ravens… Selvin Young (14.9) saw a big boost this week with the news about Travis Henry’s positive drug test. It looks like Henry is going to fight it, which means that Young may not get his shot for another month, or as long as the appeal takes…Vernand Morency (53.5) is back and looked good as he gained 91 total yards and caught seven passes, making him a nice pickup in PPR leagues. He’s going to split time with DeShawn Wynn (and Brandon Jackson, when he comes back), so don’t get too excited…DeShawn Wynn (26.1) looked great at the start of Sunday night’s game, but gave up snaps to Morency when he came down with cramps. This looks like a RBBC until one of these guys establishes himself as a star…Ron Dayne (23.3) had another decent game in place of Ahman Green and should continue to get most of the work for the Texans as long as Green is out… Najeh Davenport (14.9) stole a couple TD from Willie Parker and his value would skyrocket if Parker were to go down. As of now, however, he’s nothing but a desperate bye-week fill in…Kenton Keith (6.5) went off and will continue to be very valuable until Joseph Addai comes back, probably after the Colts’ bye…Jason Wright (0.2) filled in admirably for Jamal Lewis, who had to leave Sunday’s game with a foot sprain. Lewis will undergo a MRI this week, and the results will determine Wright’s value for week 6.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Antwaan Randle El (50.6) should continue to thrive as long as Santana Moss is out. He injured his hammy on Sunday, but he should be good to go next week…Patrick Crayton (44.0) is still a nice prospect as the WR2 in Dallas, though his week-to-week output looks to be a bit spotty…Bobby Engram (36.2) should see his role increase now that Deion Branch is out for two weeks. He had a quiet game against Pittsburgh, but has the Saints and Rams over the next two weeks…Andre Davis (14.8) will continue to perform with Andre Johnson out with injury. He’s not going to put up big points every week, but he’s solid in PPR leagues…Like Engram, Nate Burleson (16.6) should see his opportunities increase with the absence of Branch…Devery Henderson (51.7) dropped a big pass on Sunday, but he also caught four balls for 101 yards in the loss. The Saints say they might go to a rotation at WR2, but Henderson is the most talented wideout after Marques Colston…Roddy White (33.0) continues to be involved in the Falcons’ offense, but his weekly production has a lot to do with the quality of the QB play. If Joey Harrington tanks, so will White…Anthony Gonzalez (17.3) will fill in for Marvin Harrison while he’s out, though he should be back in week 7…James Jones (15.4) continues to be a solid bye week option in PPR leagues.

TIGHT ENDS

Owen Daniels (60.1) should be owned in all leagues, especially in PPR leagues. He has caught 23 passes over the last four weeks…Greg Olsen (41.9) made a couple of big plays against the Packers, but he’s still playing behind Desmond Clark (31.6), who is a favorite of Brian Griese. Clark has caught a TD in each of the last two games…Donald Lee plays a consistent role in the Packers’ offense which makes him a good backup option at TE…Eric Johnson (14.6) has caught 10 passes over the last two games and should benefit when (or is it if?) the Saints’ offense gets back on track…Alex Smith (5.1) caught two TD on Sunday and has caught at least two passes in every game this season.

Trent Green, Deion Branch, Santonio Holmes, Jamal Lewis, Michael Pittman, Matt Leinart, Damon Huard and Calvin Johnson all left their respective games due to injury on Sunday. With the bye weeks in full swing, some fantasy owners are scrambling to put together a decent starting lineup.

If you have questions, we’ve got answers. They may not be the correct answers, but they’re still answers.

The Saints have stopped marching. In fact, the Saints have been downright awful this year, sporting an 0-3 record months after nearly reaching the Super Bowl. In my latest column, I take a closer look at the numbers and discover that the Saints could be on the verge of some very bad history.