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Darren McFadden, RB, OAK – If last week was not enough to convince you that DMC is back and playing at an elite level, then hopefully the 123 yards rushing, 86 yards receiving and 3 TDs are enough to confirm in your mind that this guy is a huge part of your playoff hopes.   Don’t get caught with him on your bench as there are still only two games that he started where he did not exceed 100 yards from scrimmage… and one of those was against the Steelers.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – Jackson’s big-play ability and break away speed are unmatched at this time in the NFL.  These skills were on display this week, as Jackson was able to haul in 4 catches for 210 yards and a TD.  Is 52.5 yards per catch good enough for you?  He may not be the most consistent performer, but if you drafted him then you have to start him… wouldn’t want to miss one of these monster performances that can happen any week.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL – What impresses me most about this Falcons team is their versatility on offense.  They have a very balanced attack with Pro Bowl talent at WR, QB and RB.  The passing game never seems to run on all cylinders while on the road, but this week Turner carried the team on his back to a victory against the inept Panthers.  Turner racked up 28 carries with 112 yards and 3 rushing TDs.  He is fulfilling the dream he destroyed for fantasy owners last year when injuring himself just in time for the fantasy football playoffs.  Turner owners this year should get Jason Snelling on their team now in case there is a repeat of last season.

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU – There is something about this Texans team that likes to rally late in games, but unfortunately they are not able to finish games after closing the gap and they lost a heart breaker in OT late last night on a Matt Schaub INT that was run back for a touchdown. Andre Johnson was a beast in their late-game resurgence.  He started with a 42 yard TD grab to finish the first half and added another 8 catches to total 140 yards receiving and 2 scores. Games like this are why AJ was drafted in the first round as the top receiver… but they have been hard to come by this season and it is re-assuring to see it at the start of the playoffs.

Tim Hightower, RB, ARI – We did know that the Broncos were a bad run defense, but we did not know that Hightower would be able to grind out 148 yards and 2 TDs on 18 carries!  With the Panthers 25th ranked rush defense coming up next week and this clear indication that Wells is not going to be seeing extensive work… I think Tim would be an excellent flex play next week and should be in the top 25 at the RB position.

Deion Branch, WR, NE – No matter how good the opponent is, Tom Brady has been tearing them to shreds as of late.  It is a great time to own a Patriot in your fantasy football league as there are tons of catches to go around.  Welker also had a great game, topping 100 yards… but Branch had 151 yards and a TD making him the best receiver from New England this week.  I will still give Welker the edge in my rankings, but Branch is acclimating nicely into his old offense and will move up considerably as long as Brady and the Pats can keep this up.

Pierre Garcon, WR, IND – We finally saw shades of the talent that made me so excited about this guy in the preseason.  It is too little, too late for most of the fantasy owners who drafted Garcon, but if you were able to replace him and make it into the playoffs… then you’ve gotta start him next week against the Jaguars, who have not been able to cover WRs all season long (they are allowing just over 23 fantasy points per game to opposing WRs).

Jason Witten, TE, DAL – Witten has been among the best and most consistent TEs in the NFL over the past three weeks and with a 69 yard, 2 TD performance this week, he provides a much needed consistency at an injury-riddled position for fantasy owners this season.  Consider him a must-start and feel free to drop any other TEs you may have have on your bench as you need not look any farther to find your starter throughout the playoffs.

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – Torain saw 24 carries and made the most of them by totaling 172 rushing yards.  Most of this came in the first half, when the Skins were not losing by enough to abandon the running game.  Usually you see a week of mediocre production after sitting out as long as Torain did due to his injury… but at least now we know who the starter will be in Washington for the rest of the way.  Torain should be considered for your flex spot with good, not great, match ups over the next two weeks.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, NYG – What happened here? Consider the combo of Jacobs and Bradshaw as the best in the league as both are essentially must-starts going into the fantasy-playoffs.  Jacobs broke off the longest single rush of his career with a 73 yarder to help push the Giants past their nightmarish experience of trying to play their scheduled game this week.  Both teams looked out of sync after the 30 hour delay and I think it is reasonable to expect this type of performance (probably a little worse, given the match ups) for the rest of the season.

Duds

Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN – Let me tell you a little story about how bad AP killed his fantasy owners this week.  I played my brother this week and going into Monday’s games, he had a 3 point lead with AP still to play… I had Andre Johnson.  The game ended with me as a clear victor, but I thought for sure I would lose.  2 points from the 2nd overall draft pick is simply not enough.  The bad performance can likely be written off as a precaution by the Vikings after AP and Jackson collided on a handoff and both players were banged up on the play.  Anyways, thanks a bunch Adrian!

Michael Crabtree, WR, SF – What is truly surprising about the complete lack of production from Crabtree was how well Alex Smith played in this game.  You would expect Crabtree to be productive when he gets such good play from the signal-caller… but all the catches went to Westbrook,  Morgan and Davis.  Don’t expect him to get shut down like this again, however these inconsistencies are exactly what keep me from raising Crabtree to a starter in my rankings.

Kyle Orton, QB, DEN - The rebuilding process should begin in a hurry after only 166 yards and FOUR TURNOVERS from Orton this week.  He may have been a great post-draft pickup, but he also probably just ended your season early with that performance.  If you benched him, had a bye week, or weren’t in the playoffs yet… don’t get caught dead with Orton in your lineup next week after getting destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals.  Tim Tebow anyone?

Jay Cutler, QB, CHI - After watching the Patriots dismantle yet another playoff team in the Bears this week, I am willing to excuse this performance from Cutler.  This is a shining example of why he is not an elite QB though.  The Patriots have a young and easily manipulated secondary and he couldn’t get the job done.  I expected an upset by the Bears in this game, but no one beats Tom Brady when the weather outside is frightful…

Benjamin Watson, TE, CLE – This poor game is inexcusable against Buffalo, who has not effectively been able to stop the opposing TE all year.  I place most of the blame on Jake Delhomme, but Watson is getting downgraded after this performance… even if McCoy is back in time for next week.

Davone Bess, WR, MIA - The Dolphins offense struggled as a whole this week in a tough divisional victory over the Jets.  Bess isn’t a huge factor in standard leagues, but in PPR formats he has been a beast.  You can keep using him given the quality of defense that shut him down.

Terrell Owens, WR, CIN - The Steelers shut down Owens this week with their zone blitzing scheme forcing some poor decision-making out of Carson Palmer.  He will remain in my top 20, but with the whole Bengals team floundering… you shouldn’t consider TO a top 10 guy any longer.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, PHI - One catch on three targets for 11 yards.  The worst game of the season for Maclin came at a terrible time for his fantasy-owners.  Don’t worry too much about playing him next week (if you’re still alive), you have to trust the guys that got you this far… and he sure helped quite a bit I am sure.

Mike Williams, WR, TB - The Redskins defense is pretty bad, especially against the pass and Williams was not a dynamic play maker in this game.  The big plays were made by Arrelious Benn, but don’t worry… you can still start Williams with confidence, it was only one bad game so don’t panic.

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Jets at Patriots

The Battle for the AFC East will be fought on Monday night this week as the Patriots play host to the cardiac Jets.  The Jets managed to win this match up when they were at home in week 2 this year, but in order to demonstrate they are a true threat to make it to the Super Bowl… they will need to prove they can go on the road and beat an elite team.  Despite the fact that the Patriots have the same record, I don’t foresee them being able to beat the Jets in this match up.  The Patriots’ pass defense has fallen to last place in the NFL and with the development of Sanchez coming along smoothly and the integration of Santonio Holmes into the Jets offense being finished, I am going to go out on a limb and say that the Jets complete a comeback win inside the last two minutes of the game.  Because of the Jets defense you should stay away from starting any and all Patriots players on your fantasy team… except Brady. Upgrade Sanchez and his receivers as the Patriots have proven they are not able to keep receivers covered for very long at all.  The Patriots run defense is solid, but they are not good enough to lower expectations for LT or Shonn Greene.

Texans at Eagles

The number two game on my list of must-see games this week is the Thursday night game on NFL Network tonight.  The Texans are another pass defense that does not seem to be able to cover anyone and until last week they appeared to have a strangle-hold on the worst ranked pass defense in the NFL.  On the other side of the ball Michael Vick is having an MVP season this year.  He has thrown just ONE interception thus far and while facing off against such a terrible secondary, Vick is sure to have a huge performance in this game and he has been locked in as my top ranked QB for the week.  Also look for great performances from each of the Eagles’ top two receivers as each has been a beneficiary of Vick’s play.  Lots of people have lowered their expectations for DeSean Jackson, largely due to the consistency of Jeremy Maclin… but no receiver in the league has the big-play ability that Jackson does and I feel he is a must start for the rest of the way.  The Eagles defense has been able to contain most of the RBs they have faced this season, but with Foster being the top rusher of the season… he remains a must start and it is reasonable to expect a good game from him this week.  Andre Johnson is still a stud and since he was not suspended, you still have to start him as he is the best all-around receiver in the NFL.  I expect a big win for the Eagles if they get Asante Samuel back in their lineup for this match up, but if not… this game could go just like the Bears game did.

Steelers at Ravens

A football fan’s favorite match up comes in as the third must-watch game of the week.  The past 10 or so years have featured elite defenses from both the Steelers and Ravens every year.  Since they face each other twice a year, there is also a rivalry element when these teams meet… which almost always leads to a hard-fought and entertaining defensive battle.  So, if you want to see long passing TDs and breakout offensive performances… your going to want to find a different game to watch.  Downgrade EVERYONE involved in this game on the offensive side of the ball, though with the struggles of the Ravens defense this year… your Steelers are likely still starters for your week 13 fantasy match up.  I expect the Steelers to create a big play or two with Big Ben’s scrambling ability and that should be enough to get the win in this game.  As for the Ravens on your fantasy team, don’t expect a big game from  Boldin… but with Ray Rice’s involvement in the passing game he will remain a top 20 RB.

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