Love

Frank Gore, RB, SF – Teams have been beating up on the Rams all season with a punishing rushing game. Gore has yet to play against them yet this year but I have little doubt that he is able to end his slump this week.  The Rams are allowing an average of 159 yards per game to opposing running backs and while Kendall Hunter is bound to see a fair few carries as well, Gore is just about a lock for 100 yards.

Josh Freeman, QB, TB – The Buccaneers are not as well-rounded as they were last year and Freeman has certainly been a part of the problem.  Fortunately, the Panthers defense fixes a lot of issues.  You should start all your typical Buccaneers in this game because Carolina can neither stop the run or the pass. If you need convincing, take a look at the stats the Colts had on offense last week.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG – All the attention is on Cruz lately and Nicks has been very underwhelming this season but I think Nicks is the one due for a huge game. Green Bay is going to win, I am pretty damned sure of it but the Packers have the 31st ranked pass defense in the league and I still trust Nicks more than Cruz.  He is a superior red zone target and when it counts, Eli will look his way.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Law Firm has been a very inconsistent player this season and he isn’t totally to blame.  Three backs other than Green-Ellis saw at least 4 carries in the game last week for the Patriots and while Law Firm was by and far the leader with 14, it is incredibly frustrating to see as a Law Firm owner. Don’t sweat it this week against the Colts who can’t stop anyone on the ground.

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU – The Texans are going to have to dig deep to pull off a win against Atlanta this week.  I am not crazy about Johnson this week but Atlanta has a lights-out run defense and eventually, TJ Yates or not, the Texans will have to go to the air.  The only thing that will keep Johnson from producing is opportunity so if he can get a few targets, he will do something with them. I think AJ is a solid WR2 this week.

Hate

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – The Bills were actually competitive again and Fitz played really well against that Jets D. I’m not sold yet.  The injury report for Buffalo is a mile long and I don’t see them as a high-powered offense without Fred Jackson in the lineup. Make Fitzpatrick do it one more time before you take a gamble and start him with your season on the line.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Hanie played bad on Sunday and while I expect him to improve, I have no reason to expect Knox to put up near the same numbers.  Watching the game last week showed that Knox was on fire and clearly the Bears’ best playmaker but after such a disappointing season I want to see him do it a couple of times before I start to buy in to it. Leave him on the bench.

Arian Foster, RB, HOU – The Texans offense essentially runs through Foster and Tate now but the Falcons have absolutely been shutting down opposing running backs.  You have to start Foster regardless this week but I think he is going to be hard pressed to manage over a hundred yards. Lower expectations and hope for the best this week.

Percy Harvin, WR, MIN – The Vikings really made an effort to get the ball in the hands of Harvin with Peterson sidelined.  Unfortunately the Broncos defense has been playing great in recent weeks and Harvin is not very likely to have a repeat performance.  His speed and skill in the open field mean that you should be starting him in your flex spot anyways but I don’t expect a lot of open space in this game.

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Studs

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – He didn’t find the endzone in this game but we can forgive him because he racked up 190 yards!  About time CJ. I’ll be treating him as a low end RB1 until im sure he really has it turned around. Hopefully he does and hopefully its not too late for you.

Drew Brees, QB, NO – The Saints have been a very good football team all year long. Brees and the offense played as close to perfect as I have seen them play all season last night and Brees ended up the top-scoring fantasy player in the NFL for week 12. If you own Brees and are headed into the playoffs, you should be ecstatic. This offense is scary to say the least and with Graham and Sproles really entrenched into this offense now, they are firing on all cylinders.

Roy Helu, RB, WAS – The Skins finally had a solid running game this week with Helu carrying the load and Torain riding the pine. We have little reason to expect Shanahan to keep riding Helu but he will remain a solid flex play for as long as he keeps being the most productive back on that offense.

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG – I am almost tempted to start rankings Cruz above Nicks but I just won’t be able to do it.  Cruz is a must-start and really ought to be above Manningham on the depth chart when both guys are healthy. Cruz’s hands and speed are a scary combination that have really proved to be a difference maker for the Giants.  Nicks is still the go-to-guy and a better red-zone target so he will remain above Cruz on my rankings but the gap is getting very narrow.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – Beanie is incredibly frustrating from a fantasy standpoint. He is #9 in the NFL among RBs for fantasy points scored yet he has had 4 pretty terrible games and very possibly cost you wins in each of those weeks. Bottom line with Wells is that when he is healthy, you have to start him.  The Cardinals offense relies heavily on the running game to provide balance and he WILL see a large number of carries in every start that he gets.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Caleb Hanie played pretty poorly in this game but the Bears were competitive in the game and Hanie was able to exploit the Raiders’ secondary at times and find his top receiver on a fair few big plays. Knox had a great game all around and helped with kick returns too but I would be careful trusting him too much next week.  I want to see him do it next week before I bother to try and start him with my season on the line.

Duds

Jordy Nelson, WR, GB – This was a bit of an off-week for Rodgers and the Packers.  They won fairly convincingly but Jennings, Nelson AND Jones didn’t all catch TD passes.  Off weeks are tough… Keep starting Nelson as he scores far more often than not and there are a lot of mouths to feed in that passing game.

Frank Gore, RB, SF – Don’t beat yourself up for starting him, you had to. But, only one straw was going to break in that game on Thanksgiving night and it wasn’t the Ravens’. With the Rams and Cardinals as opponents over the next two weeks, Gore is sure to get things turned around.

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – I still can’t decide what the bigger story was out of that GREAT game on Sunday between the Chargers and the Broncos; the Chargers’ continued collapse or the Broncos continued surge.  One thing is sure, talent isn’t enough.  Jackson and Rivers should easily both be top 10 fantasy producers at their positions but Norv Turner does not seem to have this team playing for anything at the moment.  VJax is just a mediocre WR2 the rest of the way and ideally you can use him in your flex.

Mike Wallace, WR, PIT – I loved Wallace this week and couldn’t have been more wrong.  I would love him again next week if they played against the Chiefs again however.  I didn’t see a lot of this game but it was disheartening that the Steelers were not able to rout the hapless Chiefs. A win is a win however so we will have to just keep playing our Steelers and not panic much over a mediocre game.

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Pick Ups

Roy Helu, RB, WAS – The inherent mess of the Shanahan running backs may have let Helu remain on free agency this long. He isn’t even owned in half of leagues and he is the one guy on the list at RB that has big-game potential.  Torain did not even touch the ball on Sunday and Helu had a pretty nice game in a win over Seattle. Shanahan might just decide to spit in the face of fantasy owners again and start Torain next week but if you are taking a chance on one of these guys, it should be Helu every single time.

Greg Little, WR, CLE – The Browns desperately need a play maker at receiver and with Little starting to emerge, at least a little, I expect them to let Colt McCoy sling the ball around some so that they can properly evaluate him for their future needs.  I believe in McCoy and expect Little to continue to perform better than a Browns receiver has since Braylon Edwards did with Derek Anderson at QB in 2007.  Little should be owned in all leagues and could make a decent flex play if the match up is right the rest of the way.

Donald Brown, RB, IND – If you are making a serious playoff push right now, Brown would probably not be any better than a bench-warmer for you. I would probably rather seek out a handcuff to your best running back instead unless your fighting tooth and nail to get into the playoffs at all.  If that is the case Brown might have another decent game next week against New England but considering how badly they are going to lose, his upside is limited as well. He is worthy of a roster spot in most leagues but as you can tell, he does not excite me.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Despite how poorly Caleb Hanie played in this game, his ability to find Knox was undeniable. I’m not even ready to call Knox a solid flex-play yet but if Hanie keeps finding this speedy deep threat next week, then I will have to concede that Knox is worth starting again. I will already say that I would rather have Knox on my team than Bennett.

Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE – Hillis is available in around 20% of leagues at the moment and this is probably a mistake.  He is a borderline top 25 back and now that he is healthy, he must be owned.  He hasn’t played like he did last season but I never expected him to either. Bottom line is he is going to see between 12 and 15 carries and should be the primary goal line back.  This guy is too good to just be sitting on free agency.

Dump List

Bernard Scott, RB, CIN – Anyone who thinks that Scott has more in him than being a mediocre handcuff just hasn’t been watching the Bengals play.  Benson is the more dynamic threat out of the back field and Scott is only used as a change of pace.

Steve Breaston, WR, KC – I could see holding him until Orton starts and you see how he manages this offense but I wouldn’t wait.  I don’t trust Breaston at the moment and with this offense being so one-dimensional, I don’t see that changing.

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, NYJ – LT is still owned in over 40% of leagues and I don’t get it.  McKnight has run better than he has and neither has really seen the field very much.  Cut your loses with LT now and let him be someone else’s problem as you head into the playoffs!

Lance Ball, RB, DEN – With McGahee having gotten banged up a few times, Ball isn’t value-less. But he didn’t break-out at all when he had the chance and was merely a viable replacement. McGahee has bounce back quickly from his injuries this season and I would probably let Ball go if I had my eye on someone on waivers this week.

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Pickups

Earnest Graham, RB, TB – Graham did a great job filling in for Blount this week and solidified his spot in this article today by gaining 131 yards Sunday. I expect Blount back, but even as a backup Graham has value in PPR formats. Graham is 4th in the NFL in receptions among RB’s, which puts him above Chris Johnson, Fred Jackson and Ray Rice. Take note PPR players.

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – Houston is not the same team without Andre Johnson but as I thought, Jacoby Jones is the guy you want to take a chance on in Johnson’s absence. This week Jones was able to haul in 4 catches on 7 targets for 73 yards and a score. This is more than acceptable for a flex play.

Dallas Clark, TE, IND – Clark was targeted 7 times in this game and managed 53 yards and a score. Losing a fumble kept him out of double digit points, but I think he still needs to be owned. Without Manning he is no better than a top 10 guy, but last I checked that makes him a weekly starter and a lot of people dropped him too soon.

Danario Alexander, WR, STL – I’ve made my choice for which Rams receiver I would want to start should I need to. It’s nothing more than apparent trust with Bradford either. While three different receivers were targeted exactly 10 times, Alexander hauled in 6 of them for a team-high 91 yards receiving.

Arrelious Benn, WR, TB – The Buccs made a statement when they beat the Saints in Tampa on Sunday afternoon. After being dismantled by the 49ers last week, many people (myself included) were questioning whether they would have what it takes to be a playoff contender late into the season. The answer is in: maybe. Tampa is a young and dangerous team, they beat an NFC powerhouse with a total team effort. Back up RB Earnest Graham proved he has fantasy value, especially in PPR leagues by doing a great job filling in for LeGarrette Blount. The defense intercepted Brees 3 times and Tampa put themselves on top of the NFC South. Benn has made some explosive plays and is worth a roster spot to me in some deep formats.

Dump List

Denarius Moore, WR, OAK – I do a lot of warning about Raiders receivers lately. I am OK with picking one up after a big game if you have an open roster spot, but don’t not pick up someone on my pickups list to save room for any Raider receiver not named Jacoby Ford.

Pierre Thomas, RB, NO – Sproles has been the surprise stud of the Saints’ running backs and with Ingram handling most of the traditional carries, Thomas just doesn’t have enough work left over to be much of a factor. Unless someone gets hurt, you can’t risk starting Thomas.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – He’s still owned in almost half of leagues. Really? When will you guys finally give up!? It’s definitely time to drop this once great receiver.

Thomas Jones, RB, KC – Still owned in a quarter of all leagues. Jackie Battle is the guy and Jones is done. McCluster has the 3rd down back duties and I wouldn’t even start Jones if Battle went down for the season next week.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – Cutler actually had time to throw this week and Knox STILL couldn’t get it done. I’m more than OK with dropping Knox at this point… I recommend it.

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Bears vs. Lions

The Bears have something the Lions want. The title of “Division Champ”. They can’t win that this week but they can certainly help their cause considerably. The story of this game will be the Bears’ offensive line, which has played terribly this season.  The Lion’s front seven on defense has been able to make up for their secondary with a great pass rush.  Also, the run defense has been really good through the first four weeks and we can expect them to contain Forte on the ground. Don’t worry fantasy owners, he’ll get enough rushing yards to compliment his receiving total and remains a must-start and a top 10 RB. Cutler is a decent QB2 this week, should your league allow you to play two, and his receivers are all too inconsistent to be worth even a flex spot as even Johnny Knox has almost fallen outside of my top 40 receivers.  Calvin Johnson is quite possibly the MVP of the first quarter of the season with remarkable consistency as he has hauled in two touchdowns in every single game thus far. Stafford has also joined the ranks of the elite fantasy QBs. Injuries remain a long-term concern in my opinion but until that happens, he is still the guy throwing to Megatron and he has led the Lions to 4-0.  I like the Lions to win at home in the dome, but I would not be at all surprised if it was a relatively low-scoring game.

Packers vs. Falcons

Last year, the Packers handed the Falcons one of their only two home-losses of the season. That game also ended the season for Atlanta because it was in the divisional round of the playoffs. I actually like Atlanta to win this game in a shootout. The beat Green Bay at home last in week 12 of last season, but it was far from a shootout. This year, both defenses are not quite living up to the expectations that most of us had for them. This should make for a lot of big plays and Julio Jones is inside the top 25 at wide receiver for the first time, making him a very good flex play. Hopefully he can find his way into the end zone for the first time in his career. Most people are staying completely away from the Ryan Grant/James Starks situation, but I think Grant makes a pretty good flex play with six teams on their bye week. Starks did not impress me last week with Grant sidelined and the week before that, Grant outplayed Starks considerably. Rodgers, Jennings and White are all must starts as always.

Jets vs. Patriots

The Jets sure need a win to try and pull even with Buffalo for the number two spot in the division.  If they could pull it off and Buffalo loses to Philly, which I expect will happen, there would be a three-way tie at 2-2 atop the AFC East. That was fun wasn’t it? Let’s be serious, I like the Patriots to win this one handily. Rex Ryan’s defense has some explaining to do after two very mediocre performances in a row and an inability to contain the running game. I also don’t think Darrelle Revis can stop Wes Welker the way the Patriots have been using him over four weeks.  There is no one better at running shallow crossing routes to draw linebackers into trying to cover him and if the Jets really do force Revis to follow him all over the field, the rest of the Patriots receivers will be taking turns being open even deeper down the field. I also think the Jets offense will be able to be productive against a Pats defense that has struggled to pressure the quarterback.  If Sanchez can avoid stupid mistakes, Santonio Holmes could be in for a big day. I have him ranked is a viable WR2 or flex play. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is the most likely back in New England’s committee to see carries at the goal line, so he remains the highest ranked of the three. Stevan Ridley HAS out performed Law Firm over the past two weeks though and might be worth a flex play in deeper formats however.

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Well, we have 4 weeks in the books and the bye weeks are about to begin with Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, St. Louis and Washington all about to take the week off.  For this and the three weeks that follow, depth will be very important and ignoring the waiver wire could prove to cost fantasy owners some very important wins. So let’s take a look at the most appealing guys left on free agency in a lot of leagues.

Pickups

Jacoby Jones, WR, HOU – If you didn’t see Andre Johnson’s injury, it looked TERRIBLE. He caught the ball, turned up field and crumpled to the ground like someone shot him. These non-contact injuries tend to be more severe and while the news has been good so far, I am still considering Johnson to be out for at least two weeks and his fantasy-owners should plan accordingly.  Jones was a popular sleeper last season as he is similar to AJ in many ways and the Texans’ offense is now looking for someone to fill that role. If I owned Johnson, I would run to get Jones off the waiver wire before someone else scoops him up and you miss out on all the targets that Jones should be about to see.

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – Everytime I answer a question or give advice on a Redskins RB, I give the Shanahan disclaimer. Mike Shanahan hates fantasy owners and you can NEVER be surprised to see his starter or feature back change. Ever. Ryan Torain was the guy I thought was the best feature-back to lead the team in carries and Hightower has never been in that role before and Helu looks more like a third down back. Out of left field, Torain was put in and tallied 135 yards and a TD. Washington is on its way to the Bye week for this week, but Torain has to be considered the top fantasy-option among Redskins backs and can’t be left on free agency. But, don’t expect this to be a long-term deal with his injury concerns.

Laurent Robinson, WR, DAL – Dallas is about to head into the bye week and Austin is going to get healthy again before too long. But Ogletree had appeared to be the one you want while Austin is out, but Robinson showed this week that he is the guy you want after 7 catches for 116 yards.

Stevan Ridley, RB, NE – This is the second week in a row where I thought Ridley looked better than Law Firm and I am starting to get concerned for the value of both Woodhead and Law Firm.  This week Woodhead was almost completely irrelevant and both Green-Ellis and Ridley saw double digit carries as well as found the end zone.  On six fewer carries, Ridley out rushed Law Firm by 22 yards. I would pick up Ridley but I am not excited to need to use any of three Patriot backs until we can be sure how they will be used.

Eric Decker, WR, DEN – Lloyd was back and he was still putting up numbers.  Why Decker is only owned in just over 60% of leagues is beyond me. 5 catches for 56 yards and two TD’s adds up to a quality outing for fantasy owners. As we head into the bye weeks, you can do a LOT worse than starting Decker in your flex.

Steve Breaston, WR, KC – The Chiefs brought in Breaston to be a complimentary deep threat to play opposite Dwayne Bowe.  Now that Charles is gone and the running game is lacking, Breaston is forced to play the role of possession receiver. I wouldn’t recommend picking him up unless your in a deeper PPR league… but he has value going into 4 straight weeks of 6 teams on bye.

Victor Cruz, WR, NYG – This guy just looks like a play maker on the field. You get the sense that anytime the ball gets into his hands, he has a chance to take it all the way. Apart from a bonehead play that almost backfired big-time, his 6 catches for 98 yards looks pretty impressive with both Nicks and Manningham in the lineup. And for the record, I DO think he gave himself up on that play. He didn’t trip, he just flopped down face first between two defenders and left the ball there as he went back to the huddle. He likely assumed someone touched him as the defenders were RIGHT there and I highly doubt he’ll make that mistake again.

Dump List

Scott Chandler, TE, BUF – He is a fine play if your guy is on a bye week or even in a TD only league, but after this week we know that Buffalo is not yet an elite offense and Chandler has only REALLY been effective around the goal line.  There is really no reason to hold a bench spot for Chandler in your standard league.  I just find it too hard to trust a guy with one career catch before this season.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI – With the woes that the Bears offensive line is trying to fight through, the Bears’ passing game won’t be more than mediocre this season and Cutler only has time to find an open receiver or check down to Forte in the flat. I don’t think you should drop Knox unless you really like a free agent, but I don’t see starting him anytime soon so don’t be afraid to in order to make room.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, NE – He still might find a way to a productive part of Brady’s offense but I don’t see it happening anytime soon and even when it does, after so many weeks of no production he needs to build trust with a couple of solid performances in a row.

Hines Ward, WR, PIT – I still see Ward on some rosters and unless your league counts points for Dancing with the Stars, this is crazy. Ben can’t stay on his feet OR healthy this season and Ward has lost his touch due to age. Get him off your team already folks!

Carnell Williams, RB, STL – Steven Jackson sure looks to have lost a step, but he is still better than Cadillac Williams. Now that Jackson is healthy again, you can drop Williams. He is not worth the bench spot.

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Texans at Saints

There aren’t too many better places for the Texans to make a statement to the NFL than the Super Dome. Houston is 2-0 and quickly became the favorites to win the division when David Garrard was released from Jacksonville and Peyton Manning went under the knife before Week 1.  Houston is dying for a playoff birth and a big road win against Drew Brees and the Saints would really speak volumes about their chances in the post season.  Houston still needs to show me that their secondary can play far better than their embarrassing performance last season and keeping Drew Brees at bay is just the task that I want to see them face in order to convince me.  They have certainly showed signs of improvement this season and currently sit at #1 in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, but I do think that Brees and the Saints will prove to be too tall of a task for Wade Phillips’ defense and I actually thing both Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem are quality plays this week with Colston still injured.  Ingram remains a bit of a stretch to start as he is still carving out his niche in this offense and Sproles has earned a fair share of playing time with his ability to make plays over the first two weeks. I do not think that Arian Foster is a sure-fire #1 back if he plays because after he had to come out in week 2, I expect the Texans to bring him back slowly. Schaub should do fine facing a very good defense with a very disruptive pass rush now that Owen Daniels seems to be rebounding to the reliable target that he was two years ago and despite Andre Johnson finally not being my top ranked receiver, but obviously he remains a must start and only fell to 3rd.

Packers at Bears

A rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game headlines the 4 o’clock  games this weekend and it has a lot of meaning for both teams.  The Bears are the defending division champs and the Packers are the defending Super Bowl champions.  The Bears are trying to establish themselves as a Super Bowl contender and beating Green Bay has been an issue for them recently and means a whole lot to Bears fans. I think that a Mike Martz offense has a serious chance to exploit this Green Bay secondary that has allowed back to back 400 yard passing games, one of which was by Cam Newton in his 2nd start ever.  The Bears defense has been playing well so far and should be able to contain the Packers offense enough to give the offense a chance.  I actually like the home team to win in an upset here.  Matt Forte produces more in the passing game than on the ground and as long as he keeps up this level on consistency, I don’t care how he does it.  Forte is fast becoming a top 10 fantasy running back because of his receiving ability like we haven’t seen since Brian Westbrook and is a must-start regardless of match-up until further notice. Johnny Knox remains the top receiving threat for fantasy owners on the Bears because of his speed and big-play ability, but he is a flex play at best.  Cutler is a good option this week in my opinion as there is a lot of tape of how to put up big numbers against the Packers in the air from the past two weeks and I really liked what I saw in the home opener against the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons.  There is no way the Packers go down without a fight and while I heavily downgraded the running backs for this week, you are starting Rodgers, Finley and Jennings no matter what happens and I can’t really argue with Jordy Nelson in the flex either if your in a deep format or short on receivers.

Patriots at Bills

I wasn’t going to take advantage of the opportunity to talk about my home town team, but the game really does just jump out at more than the rest of the games.  If you had to guess who the top scoring offense in the NFL was who would yo say? Patriots right? They aren’t even the top scoring offense in their division with Buffalo having 79, Detroit having 75 and the Pats sit in 3rd with 73.  It seems pretty obvious to me that the bubble is going to burst this week as the Patriots are a machine and the Bills are just not equipped to put up the number of points that are likely to be necessary to continue to out score Tom Brady. Buffalo fans are DYING to finally get a win over the Patriots (believe me) since the last time it happened was EIGHT YEARS AGO when they won 31-0 and came out to a blazing 5-1 start only to miss the playoffs.  I still have trouble seeing Buffalo doing much more than 7-9 and scaring some wild card teams late in the season.  One thing is apparent however, they may have found themselves a QB after all.  People were scratching their heads when Buffalo left the draft and then free agency without a new QB prospect and GM Buddy Nix and Head Coach Chan Gailey continued to reaffirm their confidence in the Amish Rifle (that’s Ryan Fitzpatrick if you didn’t guess by looking at his beard).  I am a lifelong Bills fan and I can’t honestly say that I ever considered Fitz to be a potential QB of the future, but this blazing fast start has me excited to see what he can do.  The Bills’ best hope for a huge upset is Fred Jackson.  He has led Buffalo top ranked rushing attack to an average of 193 yards over the first two games of the season.  If they can control the clock, keep Brady off the field and force a pair of timely turnovers, they just might do the unthinkable.  The probable scenario is that they find themselves playing from behind early, need to abandon the running game and they can’t win a blow for blow shootout with Tom Brady.  I am starting all the usual suspects with reasonably high expectations for a high scoring game.  The loss of Aaron Hernandez will mean an increase in targets for Gronkowski and Welker and I don’t have too high of expectations for the Law Firm or Woodhead because the Bills’ defensive front seven is vastly improved over what it was a season ago.

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Week 14 was a disaster for many fantasy owners as most of the elite talent in the league fell victim to bad weather, QB injuries, dropped passes and just plain getting shut down by opposing defenses. Out of these mediocre performances a few waiver wire gems appear, and here they are:

Pickups

Tim Hightower, RB, ARI - 18 carries for 148 yards and 2 TDs is like a dream for Hightower owners who were hoping for a third of that production from him this week.  Skelton at QB is not something that should scare us anymore as he has been the only guy to march the Cards down the field and balance out their mediocre offense.  If you’re still alive on your league, then look for Hightower to have another good performance next week against the Panthers inept rush defense.

Anthony Dixon, RB, SF - Dixon was by far the 49ers most productive runner in what was essentially a playoff game for the 49ers.  He saw the most carries (14) and racked up 60 yards, while Westbrook primarily contributed in the passing game with 6 grabs for 87 yards and a score.  Westbrook will remain the top ranked RB in San Fran due to his pass catching ability, but Dixon is startable in the flex position in Weeks 16 and 17 against the Rams and Cardinals.

Ryan Torain, RB, WAS – It appears as though we have found the Redskins RB for the rest of the season as Torain had 24 carries for 172 yards.  He didn’t find the endzone, but the Skins are bad and if he is able to produce like this right after coming back from an injury… then I see no reason he can’t be a flex starter the rest of the playoffs.  He won’t likely rise above that level any time soon, because you can’t trust Shanahan to follow common sense with his RBs.

Josh Morgan, WR, SF – After Crabtree was a non-factor in what was a great game for Alex Smith, there is little trust to be had in any of the 9ers receivers… but if you are in a deep format there is plenty of upside for a team looking to stay productive after losing Frank Gore.

Arrelious Benn, WR, TB – Another deep league guy, especially considering Mike Williams is clearly the bigger threat on the Buccaneers offense… but Benn was the guy that I liked in the preseason (until we found out Williams was going to be the starter anyways) and he demonstrated why with 4 catches for 122 yards.  You can ignore him in standard leagues, but he makes an interesting choice for Williams owners in those deeper formats where the options are minimal.

Rashad Jennings, RB, JAC - Jennings took just 5 carries and racked up 109 yards and a score this week against a soft Raiders run defense.  Rashad is the best handcuff you could possibly have and if you own MJD, then he should have been on your team for a couple weeks now.

Toby Gerhart, RB, MIN - Another one of them handcuffs, Adrian Peterson owners should not wait until he gets hurt to try and scoop him up… do it now!

Dump List

Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ – The playoffs is not really the time to play a guy who has been a disappointment and is a part of a team that is collapsing.  While he could end up being a big part of any resurgence that the Jets may have in coming up, he has to earn a starting job and go on a hot streak… and do it all inside the next two weeks.  Since that isn’t going to happen feel free to drop Greene if there are any good options left.

Johnny Knox, WR, CHI - You probably can’t find better on free agency or waivers… but with Earl Bennett emerging as Cutler’s new favorite weapon, Knox falls under the category of people you wouldn’t want to start… so go get Bennett or someone with more upside that could provide a better value if he does well.

Steve Smith, WR, CAR - Well, you probably don’t still have him and you definitely aren’t starting him… but with no signs of life coming from the Panthers now that Clausen is back, you can safely drop Smith and not be worried about anyone using him against you.  They truly are the worst team in the league and I do not expect that to change in the remaining few weeks of the season.

Braylon Edwards, WR, NYJ – There are some very serious issues that the Jets offense has to over come and since you really can’t count on him for the next couple weeks… go ahead and drop him.

Kyle Orton, QB, DEN - Oh how quickly the mighty have fallen… Studesville was chosen to be the interim because he will not be the new Head Coach next season.  After 6 years in Buffalo, I think the Broncos want to keep him as a part of their staff and since he is the only guy where this is the case, he was the logical choice.  I wouldn’t trust anyone but Knowshon Moreno now that the running back coach is in charge and don’t be surprised to see Tebow start or two to end the season.

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Question 1: Asked by @LSUGelpi

What do you think about Roy Williams? Think he’ll continue to put up numbers like last week? I am debating between him and Hines Ward.

Answer

I think Roy has found himself a very nice spot in this Cowboys offense that might keep him on the team past this season.  He is not the dynamic play maker that they went out and signed a few years back, but finally he is showing that he can be a decent receiver.  He has earned a spot on someones roster in every league, but the Steelers receivers have been dying to get their starting QB back and with the Browns coming to town you have to go with Ward here.

Question 2: Asked by joeyb4228

Play Hillis or Britt?

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One hell of a kickoff game has me pretty jacked up for Sunday, I don’t know about you all.  Lots of busts from the Saints offense this week, everyone but Devery Henderson for you deep format players.  Pierre Thomas was shut down in the first half but made up for it with one hell of a 2nd half to seal a close, physical and defensive week 1 victory.  On to the questions I have answered on twitter and during Yahoo! Q&A’s.  To get your questions answered ask me on Twitter (click the bird at the top of the screen) or you can tweet with the #StartSit hashtag, I am trying to get people to start using that! So help me out.

Question 1. Asked by Butcha

#2 wr this week?
Floyd vs kc
Knox or Aromashodu vs det

Answer

This is a really difficult call here, each guy comes in close to each other on my rankings.  I would try and use both Floyd and Knox if you are able to start one in the flex position, but I do not have any RB info to confirm that.  My rankings give the edge to Floyd but I am going to say to play Knox.  He is the deep threat and the Bears are going to allow big plays against the Lions on Sunday.  Aromashodu is a big goal line threat and ought to provide you some interesting options and depth at WR this season, but he won’t be your guy this week.

Question 2. Asked by @packers4

OK …Vince Young or Jason Campbell as starting QB in #fantasyfootball?

Answer

This is a tough decision, I don’t quite rank either as a starter this week. Campbell feels low in my ranks looking back on it at 22, but regardless Vince Young will be a better choice.  The Titans will be able to control the ball and VY should be able to get you in the area of 15 points.  Without the presence of a consistent receiving threat on Oakland it is not likely that Campbell can be as productive.

Question 3. Asked by @robertodileo

Someone help!! Who should I start at flex.. Bradshaw, TJ housh, dez bryant or maclin? #fantasyfootball #StartSit

Answer

Play Bradshaw here, the Panthers are not the strongest defense by any means and the running game can’t quite match-up to the firepower of the Giants offense.  Jacobs has been reacting like a child regarding being passed up on the depth chart, but should still see some goal line work.  Bradshaw is, in my opinion, a shoe-in for a thousand yard season, with 500 receiving likely as well.

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