14 December 2007 - 09:05

Start 'Em and Sit 'Em: Week 15  Comments

QUARTERBACKS -- START 'EM

Carson Palmer (at SF): Fantasy owners are concerned about Palmer's recent play, and they have a legitimate gripe. In his past two games, Palmer has passed for less than 190 yards in each game with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He hasn't been that bad since early in his career in 2004. Now he gets the 49ers, who are No. 16 in pass defense with 20 passing touchdowns allowed. This is a game where Palmer and the Bengals passing game bounce back.

Jay Cutler (at HOU): Cutler is emerging as a future star with his recent play, which should continue against the Texans. He has nine passing touchdowns and four interceptions in his past five games, with one 300-yard outing in that span. Last week against Kansas City, Cutler had 244 yards passing, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Houston has allowed 17 passing touchdowns this year, but Cutler should find the end zone at least twice.

Kurt Warner (at NO): If you can live with an interception or five, Warner is your man. Warner had 337 yards passing, three touchdowns and five interceptions last week at Seattle. Despite the interceptions, Warner has played well recently with 12 touchdowns in his past five games. The Saints pass defense is among the worst in the NFL and ranks No. 29 with 23 passing touchdowns allowed. Warner should continue his success even if Anquan Boldin (toe) remains out.

Brett Favre (at STL): Favre as the "Sit of the Week" was a bad call last week against Oakland since he had 266 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception, which came on a tipped ball. He certainly wasn't the Favre we've seen all season because he was limited with a bad elbow and shoulder, but now he should get back to business. The Rams have allowed 17 passing touchdowns this year, but Favre will add to that total.

Matt Hasselbeck (at CAR): It's hard to find a QB hotter than Hasselbeck right now since he has 11 touchdowns and only three interceptions in his past five games, including four touchdowns last week against Arizona. The Panthers just allowed David Garrard to pass for 230 yards and two touchdowns against them, and Carolina has allowed 18 passing touchdowns this season.

Philip Rivers (vs. DET). I'm not the biggest Rivers fan based on his inconsistent play this season, and he's dealing with a knee injury from last week's game at Tennessee. But everyone passes on the Lions, and Rivers should do well here. Detroit is No. 31 in pass defense and No. 2 in touchdowns allowed with 26. Rivers also has six touchdowns and only two interceptions in his past three home games.

QUARTERBACKS -- SIT 'EM

Donovan McNabb (at DAL): McNabb will finish out the season as the starter for the Eagles, but you might not want to use him in that role on your Fantasy team. He came back from his ankle and thumb injuries last week against the Giants and had 179 yards passing and one touchdown. McNabb only has two games with over 300 yards passing this season and two games with multiple touchdowns. He also has a bad history against the Cowboys. In his past five games against Dallas, McNabb has four touchdowns and five interceptions with only one game over 300 yards.

Ben Roethlisberger (vs. JAC): Roethlisberger has slowed down recently with four passing touchdowns and four interceptions in his past four games with less than 200-yards passing in each outing. He's not lighting up the scoreboard, and now he gets a Jaguars defense that has allowed only 15 passing touchdowns with 16 interceptions. Last year at Jacksonville, Big Ben had 141 yards passing, no touchdowns and two interceptions in his first game of the season following his appendectomy surgery.

Jon Kitna (at SD): Kitna hasn't thrown for multiple touchdowns in his past four games and has four interceptions over that span. He also has seven interceptions on the road this season in six games. He is still without his best wide receiver in Roy Williams, who is out for the season with a knee injury. And the Chargers lead the NFL in interceptions with 22.

David Garrard (at PIT): Garrard is on fire right now with seven passing touchdowns and one interception in his past five games, with the interception his lone for the season. He also is averaging 261 passing yards the past three games. But now he faces a Steelers team with something to prove after guaranteeing a victory against New England and then getting shellacked. The Steelers, despite allowing 399-yards passing and four touchdowns against Tom Brady, are still No. 2 in pass defense and should limit Garrard's scoring chances this week.

Kellen Clemens (at NE): We've seen how the Patriots play when they're motivated, and this week it's the first game against the Jets since the "Spygate" incident in Week 1. That doesn’t bode well for Clemens, who hasn’t taken advantage of his opportunity since being named the starter. He has only three passing touchdowns and five interception in his past five games and managed to make the Browns secondary look halfway decent last week. The Patriots are No. 6 in pass defense and should dominate this matchup. One-week bust: Chris Redman (at TB). I was excited about Redman last week against the Saints because he had a favorable matchup and delivered with 298-yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception in his first start. But Redman will find Tampa Bay's secondary to be much better than New Orleans. The Bucs are among the league leaders with only 13 passing touchdowns allowed and rank No. 4 in pass defense. And with the situation with Bobby Petrino, it's hard to know how Atlanta's offense will look this week.


RUNNING BACKS -- START 'EM

Earnest Graham (vs. ATL): After watching Bobby Petrino do the "Pig Suey" in Arkansas as he was introduced as the Razorbacks new coach Tuesday night, you have to figure Atlanta is going to be a mess this week. In one week, the Falcons watched QB Michael Vick get sentenced to 23 months in prison for dogfighting, lost on Monday night against New Orleans and then saw their coach head off to college. With a short week and an opponent in disarray, Graham should shine. He already had 102 yards rushing and a touchdown against the Falcons in Week 11 and is on a tear recently. Graham has 468 yards rushing and six touchdowns in his past five games with a touchdown in each outing. Atlanta is No. 27 in run defense with nine touchdowns allowed, and Graham will have another good performance this week.

Jamal Lewis (vs. BUF): Lewis continues to be a surprise and has scored a touchdown in his past four games, including last week against the Jets when he had 118-yards rushing and three catches for 19 yards. The Bills are No. 18 against the run with 12 rushing touchdowns allowed, and last week Buffalo gave up two rushing touchdowns to Miami's Samkon Gado.

Ryan Grant (at STL): Grant, last week's "Start of the Week," had 156-yards rushing and a touchdown against Oakland, and his hot streak just keeps going. Grant now has 558 yards rushing and five touchdowns in his past five games and won't slow down now. Rudi Johnson had 92 yards rushing and a touchdown last week against the Rams, who are No. 21 against the run with 13 rushing touchdowns allowed.

Rudi Johnson (at SF): Where was this Rudi Johnson all season long? He has three rushing touchdowns in his past three games, including two outings with at least 88-yards rushing. The 49ers are No. 25 against the run with nine rushing touchdowns allowed. And even though they held Adrian Peterson to just 3 yards last week, Chester Taylor still had 101-yards rushing and a touchdown.

LenDale White (at KC): White hasn’t exactly been consistent this season, with two games of only eight carries in his past five, but he had 113-yards rushing and a touchdown last week against San Diego and has a favorable matchup now. The Chiefs got run over by Oakland, Denver and San Diego the past three weeks, and White will be trying to score his third touchdown in a row. Kansas City has allowed 10 rushing touchdowns this season, including five in the past three weeks.

Selvin Young (at HOU): The Texans have allowed five rushing touchdowns the past three games against Tampa Bay, Tennessee and Cleveland. For the season, Houston is No. 23 against the run with 13 rushing touchdowns allowed. Young proved last week against Kansas City that he is the best running back for the Broncos, which is why he is expected to get the majority of carries this week instead of Travis Henry. Young had 17 carries for 156 yards against the Chiefs and should excel this week also.

Aaron Stecker (vs. ARI). Stecker stepped up last week at Atlanta with Reggie Bush (knee) and had 20 carries for 100 yards. Stecker will likely start the rest of the season and is worth using on your Fantasy team this week. The Cardinals are No. 11 against the run with 10 rushing touchdowns allowed, but Arizona is dealing with several key injuries on defense. And Stecker is also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.

RUNNING BACKS -- SIT 'EM

Kolby Smith, (vs. TEN): Smith had been playing well before getting hurt against Denver last week when he finished with 12 yards on 13 carries. He is expected to play this week against the Titans, but this is not a good week to use him. He's not going to be 100 percent, and Titans coach Jeff Fisher said defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is getting better with his hamstring injury. The Chiefs offensive line is a mess right now, and Smith is just not a proven enough running back to count on him during the Fantasy playoffs.

Edgerrin James (at ARI): James hasn’t scored a touchdown in three weeks and has just one 100-yard game in his past 11 outings. He also only has more than 20 carries twice in his past six games. The Cardinals are dealing with plenty of injuries on offense, and New Orleans is surprisingly good against the run. The Saints are No. 8 in run defense with only six rushing touchdowns allowed.

Justin Fargas (vs. IND): Fargas injured his ribs against the Packers last week and was limited to 57-yards rushing. He expects to play, but you should sit him in your Fantasy leagues this week. The Colts are No. 17 against the run with only eight rushing touchdowns allowed. Indianapolis should go ahead early in this game, making the running game a non-factor for Oakland.

Samkon Gado (vs. BAL): Even though Joseph Addai scored three touchdowns against the Ravens last week, and even though Gado had two touchdowns against the Bills, don't start him this week. Gado replaced an injured Jesse Chatman (ankle) at Buffalo and is expected to start again this week, but Baltimore's run defense should do fine here. The Ravens still rank No. 3 in run defense with seven rushing touchdowns allowed, and Miami's offense has sputtered the past four games, which makes Gado a risky play.

Clinton Portis (at NYG): Portis hasn’t run for 100 yards in his past four games and has just one touchdown in his past five outings. In his past two games at Giants Stadium against the Giants (he's faced the Jets there also) Portis has 85 yards rushing and no touchdowns. The Giants also are No. 7 against the run with only seven rushing touchdowns allowed.

Adrian Peterson (at MIN): The Vikings run defense remains No. 1 in the NFL with only five rushing touchdowns allowed, and Peterson wasn’t impressive last week at Washington with 35-yards rushing. With Kyle Orton starting at QB for the Bears, expect the Vikings to key in on Peterson and limit his chances.

Fred Taylor (at PIT). Taylor is proving there is life after 30 for a running back with his recent play. In his past five games, Taylor has 470-yards rushing and three touchdowns, including over 100 yards in three-straight games. Taylor is playing better than Maurice Jones-Drew and has emerged as the go-to running back for the Jaguars. But this week he faces an angry opponent in the Steelers. Pittsburgh is No. 2 in run defense and leads the NFL with only three rushing touchdowns allowed. The Steelers have only allowed one running back to rush for over 100 yards this season and should shut down Taylor this week.


WIDE RECEIVERS -- START 'EM

Brandon Marshall (at HOU): All Marshall has done the past five games is catch 30 passes for 420 yards and four touchdowns. He had a monster game last week against Kansas City with 10 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns and is proving to be one of the next great wide receivers in the NFL. He has another favorable matchup at Houston, which has allowed 17 passing touchdowns this season. Marshall only has one game this year with less than 50-yards receiving.

Greg Jennings (at STL): Jennings has turned into the new version of former Minnesota WR Cris Carter because all Jennings does is catch touchdowns. He has a touchdown in four games in a row and nine of 11 games this year. As long as Brett Favre continues to look for Jennings, you should continue to start him in your lineup every week.

Bobby Engram (at CAR): Add Deion Branch and Nate Burleson to the list as well because all three are playing a significant role in this offense. Last week, Engram had four catches for 55 yards against Arizona and has 115 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks. Branch had three catches for 52 yards and a touchdown and has now scored twice in the past three weeks. And Burleson had five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown and has now scored three times in the past four weeks. The offense is clicking for the Seahawks so feel free to use all three receivers against the Panthers.

Plaxico Burress (vs. WAS): Burress is showing his ankle injury is of no concern with his recent performance. He caught seven passes for 136 yards and a touchdown last week at Philadelphia and has two touchdowns in his past three games. He had five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown at Washington earlier this year and should finish the season strong.

Chris Chambers (vs. DET): Chambers has been erratic since joining the Chargers, but he did play well last week with four catches for 90 yards at Tennessee. He has a great matchup this week against the Lions, who are No. 31 in pass defense with 26 passing touchdowns allowed. Detroit did a good job in limiting Terrell Owens last week, but you have to assume that attention will go to Antonio Gates this week, meaning Chambers should benefit.

Lee Evans (at CLE). Wouldn’t you know it, the calendar turned to December and Evans had a big game, scoring two touchdowns last week against Miami. In the last two years, Evans has eight touchdowns in his past nine December contests, so this is the time of year when he shines. And Evans is from Ohio, so expect a solid outing in his return home. Cleveland also leads the NFL with 27 passing touchdowns allowed.

WIDE RECEIVERS -- SIT 'EM

Steve Smith (vs. SEA): A dismal year for Smith just keeps getting worse. He hasn’t scored a touchdown in his past six games and last week had six catches for just 44 yards. The Seahawks should be able to contain Smith. Seattle is tied for the NFL lead with only 10 passing touchdowns allowed and among the league leaders with 20 interceptions and 41 sacks, which doesn’t bode well for the Panthers' passing game.

Dwayne Bowe (vs. TEN): Bowe appears to have hit the rookie wall with only 11 catches for 153 yards and no touchdowns the past three weeks. It doesn’t help that QB Brodie Croyle is playing behind a patchwork offensive line and the running game is struggling. The Titans also are No. 8 in pass defense with 17 touchdowns allowed and 18 interceptions, and they should be able limit Bowe this week.

Santonio Holmes (vs. JAC): Holmes returned last week at New England after missing two games with an ankle injury, but he was limited to one catch for 13 yards. Holmes is expected to be limited in practice this week but will play against the Jaguars. Since he's playing hurt, you might want to consider another option this week.

Roddy White (at TB): No head coach and a bad matchup make White a poor start this week. The Bucs are among the league leaders with only 13 passing touchdowns allowed this year, and they have done well against White. He has only 14 catches for 202 yards in his past five games against Tampa Bay, including four catches for 28 yards earlier this year. And White has no touchdowns in three games outdoors this season.

Reggie Williams (at PIT): Williams has a touchdown in three of his past four games and has become the favorite target for QB David Garrard. But I don’t like the matchup here on the road against the Steelers, who are No. 2 in pass defense with 15 passing touchdowns allowed. Expect Pittsburgh to focus on stopping Williams in the passing game this week.

Jerry Porter (vs. IND). Porter has put together two nice games in a row the past two weeks with a touchdown in each game. But I don’t know if he'll make it three in a row against the Colts, who are No. 1 in pass defense with 13 passing touchdowns allowed. The Raiders also are expected to give rookie QB JaMarcus Russell an extended look this week, which means Porter should struggle with an inexperienced passer. Porter's been much better this season than last year, but he should be kept on the bench this week.


TIGHT ENDS -- START 'EM

Benjamin Watson (vs. NYJ): With a potential snowstorm in New England this week, Watson could be the beneficiary of several passes in his direction. Watson scored a touchdown in the first meeting against the Jets in Week 1, and New York has allowed 17 passing touchdowns this season. Tom Brady also is five touchdowns away from setting a new single-season record, so it's never a bad idea to start one of his favorite targets.

Chris Cooley (at NYG): Cooley is making the most of his contract year and should do well this week. He scored a touchdown against the Giants in their first meeting and is on a recent tear with 26 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns in his past four games. And QB Todd Collins, who will start this week for an injured Jason Campbell (knee), used his tight ends plenty last week against Chicago.

Donald Lee (at STL): Lee's breakout season continued last week with four catches for 71 yards and a touchdown against Oakland. Brett Favre loves throwing to his tight ends, and Lee has benefited with four touchdowns in his past five games. He should do well here this week since the Rams have allowed 17 passing touchdowns this season.

Vernon Davis (vs. CIN). The Bengals have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL and rank No. 25 with 24 passing touchdowns allowed. That bodes well for Davis, who has been a bust this season. But Davis has a chance to shine this week with an inexperienced QB in Shaun Hill, who is expected to replace an injured Trent Dilfer (concussion). Hill will likely rely on Davis, which is a good thing for Fantasy owners. If you want a super-sleeper this week, look for Baltimore's Daniel Wilcox. He is starting for an injured Todd Heap, and last week Miami allowed Buffalo's Robert Royal to catch two touchdown passes.

TIGHT ENDS -- SIT 'EM

Heath Miller (vs. JAC): Miller has been terrible recently with 10 catches for 94 yards in his past four games. He could struggle again this week since the Jaguars have only allowed 15 passing touchdowns this year. L.J. Smith (at DAL): Smith is dealing with a knee injury and poor play this season. He only has 15 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown the past five games and has suffered with Donovan McNabb's difficult year. Smith also hasn’t scored a touchdown in his past five games against the Cowboys.

Tony Scheffler (at HOU): Even with Jay Cutler throwing for four touchdowns last week, Scheffler had just four catches for 31 yards and has only five catches for 48 yards the past two games. He's not being involved in the offense to help your Fantasy team in the playoffs, so keep him on the bench.

Marcus Pollard (at CAR). Don’t get excited about Pollard scoring a touchdown last week against the Cardinals. It was only his second of the season, and even though Matt Hasselbeck is playing well right now, Pollard is low in the pecking order behind Deion Branch, Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson and even Leonard Weaver out of the backfield. Pollard also hasn’t caught more than two passes in all but one game this season and hasn’t gone over 45 yards in a game. The touchdown was nice, but let's leave it at that.


KICKERS -- START 'EM

Mason Crosby (at STL): Crosby missed two field goals last week against Oakland, but don't worry about a letdown from the rookie. He has played well on the road this season, with only two missed field goals, and he is 5-of-5 in his past two games away from Lambeau Field. The Rams have allowed 26 made field goals this year, which is the third most in the league.

Shayne Graham (at SF): Graham got back on track last week against St. Louis after missing two field goals in his previous two games. Graham kicked four field goals against the Rams, and he has another favorable matchup this week. The 49ers have allowed 25 made field goals this year with only three missed kicks against them, so look for Graham to stay hot.

Jason Elam (at HOU): Elam has been extremely consistent the past five games with two field goals in each contest. The Texans have allowed 25 made field goals this year, so look for Elam to continue his streak. Both of Elam's 50-yard field goals have come on the road this year also.

Jay Feely (vs. BAL). The Dolphins offense has been terrible lately, and Feely has suffered. He has only four field goals in his past five games, but he should have a few opportunities this week. Miami won't score touchdowns, but Baltimore certainly allows field goals. The Ravens are No. 1 in the NFL with 32 made field goals against them and No. 1 with 38 attempts. Feely also is 6-of-6 on field goals at Dolphins Stadium this year.

KICKERS -- SIT 'EM

Jason Hanson (at SD): Two of Hanson's six missed field goals have come outdoors this season, but that's not why you sit Hanson this week. San Diego has only allowed 11 made field goals this year, which is tied for first in the NFL. The Chargers just don't allow field goals, so Hanson won't get many chances this week.

Nate Kaeding (vs. DET): Something happened to Kaeding this year because he's not getting enough opportunities to score. Kaeding only has 18 field goal attempts this season, with only three games with more than one made field goal. And the Lions are like a jinx for kickers. Opponents are only 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) on field goals against Detroit this year, which is the worst conversion rate in the NFL.

Sebastian Janikowski (vs. IND): Janikowski had a great November with 10 field goals in four games and only one missed kick. But December hasn’t been kind so far. In two games, Janikowski has three missed field goals and now has a tough matchup. The Colts have only allowed 12 made field goals this year, which is among the league leaders in the NFL.

Mike Nugent (at NE). Here's what Nugent has done in his past four games: 13-of-13 on field goals, which is unreal. He also has only one missed field goal in his past seven games. But New England is No. 1 in field goals allowed with only 11 this season and only 12 attempts. Nugent didn’t attempt a field goal in Week 1 against New England and only has three field goals against the Patriots in their past five meetings.


DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS -- START 'EM

The Ravens DST (at MIA): The Ravens DST has been awful this season, and in most standard scoring leagues, they are not worth starting every week. Except this one. The Dolphins had five turnovers last week at Buffalo and gave up four sacks. Baltimore's defense has been bad, but the Dolphins offense will make the Ravens look like the Ravens again.

The Colts DST (at OAK): The Raiders are among the league leaders in the NFL with 29 turnovers, and Indianapolis should take advantage of that this week. Oakland also will give an extended look to JaMarcus Russell this week, so expect the Colts to come after the rookie passer.

The Vikings DST (vs. CHI): The Vikings DST continues to improve every week and has five touchdowns, nine sacks and five interceptions the past three games. Now they get the Bears, who will start Kyle Orton at quarterback. Expect another dominating performance.

The Bengals DST (at SF). I know what you're saying, "It's the Bengals!" But Cincinnati has a favorable matchup this week since the 49ers are last in total offense and have third-stringer Shaun Hill at quarterback. San Francisco also is among the league leaders in turnovers with 32, and even the Bengals DST should do well this week.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS -- SIT 'EM

The Bears DST (at MIN): Take away Devin Hester and you take away the Bears DST. You have to figure Vikings coach Brad Childress will do that, so sit the Bears DST this week. Minnesota's offense is clicking right now, and the last time these teams met, Adrian Peterson ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Chicago's defense hasn’t been the same this season and is not worth using right now.

The Eagles DST (at DAL): The Cowboys are No. 2 in total offense and scored 38 points against the Eagles in their first meeting this year. Philadelphia has just one interception and seven sacks the past three games, and those kind of stats aren’t going to help your Fantasy team.

The Bills DST (at CLE): Buffalo's defense has played well recently, including last week against Miami when the Bills DST scored a touchdown, had four sacks and two interceptions. But the Browns offense is better than the Dolphins, with Cleveland ranked No. 9 in total offense. Buffalo may get some turnovers here, but the Browns are going to score plenty of points.

The Jaguars DST (at PIT). The Jaguars DST scored a touchdown last week off an interception against Carolina, but Jacksonville's defense hasn’t been that stellar recently. In their past three games, the Jaguars DST has only three sacks and four interceptions. Now they get the Steelers on the road, and Pittsburgh should be in a foul mood after last week's loss to the Patriots. This game won't be high-scoring, but the Steelers should have enough offense to limit the Jaguars DST this week.

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posted by Marcel. 14 December 2007 - 09:05