Disclaimer ... Before you start reading, understand that we are not in the business of stating the obvious and wasting your time (or ours), so you won't be reading here why you need to start Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson or any other top-tier players. We're here to help you evaluate players you might be on the fence about.
Carson Palmer has been a pleasant surprise for Fantasy owners since being traded from Cincinnati to Oakland in Week 7. He's turned into a quality starting option.
Palmer has been a Top 10 Fantasy quarterback the past two weeks. He had 25 Fantasy points against Denver in Week 9 and 19 points at San Diego in Week 10. He should be a Top 10 option again this week at Minnesota.
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Mark Sanchez, NYJ | vs. DEN |
Michael Vick, PHI | at NYG |
Jay Cutler, CHI | vs. SD |
Tim Tebow, DEN | vs. NYJ |
Josh Freeman, TB | at GB |
The Vikings have struggled in pass defense all season and enter this game with the second-most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks behind New England. Minnesota has allowed 13 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks with no interceptions over the past four games against Chicago, Carolina and Green Bay twice.
And now things will only get worse for the Vikings with their pass defense since their best defensive back in Antoine Winfield (broken clavicle) is out for the season. That should only help Palmer succeed.
It would be nice if Palmer had his full complement of receivers, but Jacoby Ford (ankle) will miss the game. Still, Palmer should get by with Denarius Moore, who was a star against the Chargers, and Darrius Heyward-Bey, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Kevin Boss will all chip in.
Look for Palmer to be around 20 Fantasy points, and he's a great starting option with Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger on a bye. It's good to have Palmer back as a quality Fantasy quarterback again.
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Player | Fantasy Points (projected) | Fantasy Points (actual) | Start percentage | Rank at position |
Chris Johnson, RB, TEN | 11 | 23 | 88 | No. 3 |
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Player | Fantasy Points (projected) | Fantasy Points (actual) | Start percentage | Rank at position |
Matt Ryan, QB, ATL | 19 | 24 | 68 | No. 5 |
Mark Sanchez, QB, NYJ | 18 | 21 | 18 | No. 6 |
Eli Manning, QB, NYG | 21 | 20 | 62 | No. 8 |
Tim Tebow, QB, DEN | 22 | 18 | 34 | No. 10 |
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT | 11 | 18 | 82 | No. 7 |
Jordy Nelson, WR, GB | 9 | 18 | 82 | No. 4 |
Reggie Bush, RB, MIA | 9 | 16 | 64 | No. 8 |
Mario Manningham, WR, NYG | 6 | 13 | 40 | No. 9 |
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Player | Fantasy Points (projected) | Fantasy Points (actual) | Start percentage | Rank at position |
Matt Cassel, QB, KC | 17 | 10 | 14 | No. 19 |
Pierre Thomas, RB, NO | 9 | 2 | 44 | No. 46 |
Greg Olsen, TE, CAR | 9 | 2 | 45 | No. 25 |
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Player | Fantasy Points (projected) | Fantasy Points (actual) | Start percentage | Rank at position |
Joe Flacco, QB, BAL | 16 | 14 | 24 | No. 14 |
Matt Hasselbeck, QB, TEN | 15 | 14 | 9 | No. 15 |
Josh Freeman, QB, TB | 17 | 8 | 20 | No. 21 |
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF | 17 | 7 | 21 | No. 26 |
Cedric Benson, RB, CIN | 7 | 5 | 50 | No. 35 |
Maurice Morris, RB, DET | 6 | 4 | 17 | No. 38 |
Nate Washington, WR, TEN | 4 | 4 | 16 | No. 50 |
Pierre Garcon, WR, IND | 5 | 4 | 40 | No. 51 |
Mike Williams, WR, TB | 3 | 4 | 27 | No. 52 |
Kellen Winslow, TE, TB | 5 | 3 | 27 | No. 22 |
DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR | 4 | 3 | 14 | No. 45 |
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Player | Fantasy Points (projected) | Fantasy Points (actual) | Start percentage | Rank at position |
Tom Brady, QB, NE | 20 | 31 | 93 | No. 1 |
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI | 7 | 26 | 84 | No. 1 |
Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA | 8 | 21 | 32 | No. 5 |
Deion Branch, WR, NE | 6 | 11 | 36 | No. 13 |
Brandon Lloyd, WR, STL | 7 | 10 | 75 | No. 16 |
Vernon Davis, TE, SF | 5 | 10 | 61 | No. 5 |
Jermaine Gresham, TE, CIN | 5 | 8 | 3 | No. 7 |
Quarterback
Start 'Em
|
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Christian Ponder, MIN | vs. OAK |
John Skelton, ARI | at SF |
Alex Smith, SF | vs. ARI |
Eli Manning (vs. PHI): Manning was right this offseason
when he called himself an elite quarterback, and he's definitely been a
solid Fantasy option all season. He has at least 20 Fantasy points in
six of his past seven games with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions
over that span. The game that started this stretch was Week 3 at
Philadelphia when he had 34 Fantasy points, which is his best
performance of the season. The Eagles have allowed five passing
touchdowns in the past two games against Jay Cutler and John Skelton and
are likely without cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (ankle), which will further hamper their
secondary. (Started in 62 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Matt Ryan (vs. TEN): Ryan is coming off his best two-game
stretch of the season with a combined 51 Fantasy points against
Indianapolis and New Orleans. He should continue to play at a high level
against the Titans at home, and Ryan has at least 18 Fantasy points in
three of four home games this year. The Titans pass defense has been hit
or miss the past five games. They shut down Cam Newton last week and Curtis Painter
in Week 8, but Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Schaub and Andy Dalton
combined for 10 touchdowns and one interception in the other three
matchups. Look for Ryan to play at that level, and he's a solid starting
option this week. (Started in 68 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Matthew Stafford (vs. CAR): Stafford has struggled of late, and
part of the problem could be a broken finger on his throwing hand. He
only has one game with more than 20 Fantasy points in his past three
outings, and he was terrible last week at Chicago with 329 passing
yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. But Stafford should rebound
at home against the Panthers. He is averaging 247 passing yards in four
home games this season with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. The
Panthers have been stingy in their pass defense with most teams running
on them, but Kevin Kolb, Aaron Rodgers, Brees, Ryan and John Beck
still had multiple touchdowns against Carolina this year. (Started in
73 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Jay Cutler (vs. SD): Cutler has not been a good Fantasy
quarterback of late, which makes him hard to trust. He has exactly 20
Fantasy points in just two of his past six outings, but this is a
favorable matchup for him. The Chargers have been abused of late with
their pass defense as Mark Sanchez,
Rodgers and Palmer each had multiple touchdowns against them, and Cutler
has a chance to play well at home where he has three games of at least
20 Fantasy points this season. The good thing for Cutler is San Diego
doesn't have much of a pass rush, so Cutler should have time to make
plays down the field. (Started in 14 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Mark Sanchez (at DEN): The perception is Sanchez is a bad
Fantasy quarterback, which is fair since it appears like even his coach
doesn't like him. But Sanchez is actually the No. 12 quarterback in a
standard league, and he has at least 20 Fantasy points in three of his
past four games. The Broncos are third in Fantasy points allowed to
opposing quarterbacks, and Philip Rivers,
Stafford and Palmer have each had multiple touchdowns against Denver in
three of the past five games. The Jets could be more conservative with
their offense this week after Sanchez had two interceptions against New
England in Week 10, but Sanchez has still attempted at least 28 passes
in his past three games. (Started in 18 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Sit 'Em
Ryan Fitzpatrick (at MIA): It's difficult to trust
Fitzpatrick even in a good matchup. So even though the Dolphins have
allowed multiple touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in three of the
past five games with Sanchez, Manning and Tim Tebow, you can't start Fitzpatrick with confidence in the
majority of leagues. His offensive line is a mess with center Eric Wood (knee) out for the season and left tackle Demetrius Bell (shoulder) out for the past five games. Fitzpatrick has
four games with 11 Fantasy points or less in his past six outings with
seven touchdowns and eight interceptions over that span. (Started in
21 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Joe Flacco (vs. CIN): Flacco has thrown the ball 252 times in
his past six games, and he has just three touchdown passes over that
span. That means he is throwing a touchdown once every 84 pass attempts.
The Bengals secondary will be without defensive back Leon Hall (Achilles' tendon), which could help Flacco, but
Cincinnati has still allowed just one quarterback to score multiple
touchdowns since Week 2, which was Matt Hasselbeck
in Week 9. If the Ravens are smart they will limit Flacco's throwing and
focus on Ray Rice since he had just
five carries in last week's upset loss at Seattle. (Started in 24
percent of leagues in Week 10)
Matt Hasselbeck (at ATL): The Falcons weakness is their pass
defense as five quarterbacks have scored multiple touchdowns against
them this season, but Hasselbeck still remains a questionable Fantasy
quarterback in the majority of leagues. He has just one game with more
than 14 Fantasy points in his past five outings with a 6-to-4 touchdown
to interception ratio over that span. Fantasy owners might need to rely
on Hasselbeck during the bye week and potential injuries to
quarterbacks, but in our opinion he's just too risky to trust based on
his recent play. (Started in 9 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Andy Dalton (at BAL): The Ravens have allowed at least 20 points
the past three weeks against Arizona, Pittsburgh and Seattle, but
opposing quarterbacks have not done most of the damage. Baltimore has
allowed just six passing touchdowns on the season with eight
interceptions, and no quarterback has had multiple touchdowns against
the Ravens this year. Dalton has just one game with more than 17 Fantasy
points in his past five outings, and he should struggle with a motivated
Baltimore defense coming off a tough loss at Seattle last week. (Started
in 8 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Josh Freeman (at GB): There is a chance for Freeman to play well
this week since the Packers have struggled with their pass defense this
season. Five quarterbacks have thrown multiple touchdowns against Green
Bay this year in comeback efforts, and Freeman could have his fourth
game this season with at least 40 attempts. But the Packers also have
done a fantastic job in forcing turnovers since they have 17
interceptions, and Freeman has struggled on the road with two touchdowns
and three interceptions in three games with an average of 237 passing
yards over that span. He only has one game with more than 17 Fantasy
points in his past five games, and he's a risky starting option in the
majority of leagues this week. (Started in 20 percent of leagues in
Week 10)
Bust alert: Tim Tebow (vs. NYJ): Tebow has been great for Fantasy owners with at least 18 Fantasy points in six of seven starts the past two years. Even with his bad outing in Week 8 against Detroit he still finished as a Top 12 option in standard leagues. He will have to throw more than the eight passes he attempted at Kansas City last week to have success against the Jets, but the opportunity is there for him to still be productive. Just keep in mind this is a difficult matchup since the Jets can take away his throwing ability and focus on stopping him on the ground. Only two quarterbacks have had more than 20 Fantasy points against the Jets, which was Tony Romo in Week 1 and Tom Brady last week. (Started in 34 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Running back
Start 'Em
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Kendall Hunter, SF | vs. ARI |
Taiwan Jones, OAK | at MIN |
Lance Ball, DEN | vs. NYJ |
Maurice Morris, DET | vs. CAR |
Marion Barber, CHI | vs. SD |
Marshawn Lynch (at STL): Beast Mode is back as Lynch has
been fantastic the past two games with 55 carries for 244 yards and two
touchdowns against Dallas and Baltimore. He has averaged 20 Fantasy
points over that span, and he has a touchdown in each of his past five
games. St. Louis has improved its run defense of late with only one
touchdown allowed and an average of 60 rushing yards allowed against New
Orleans, Arizona and Cleveland, but Chris Ogbonnaya still managed double digits in Fantasy points last
week with 109 total yards. And for the season the Rams have allowed six
running backs to reach double digits in Fantasy points, with Lynch
likely to add to that total. (Started in 32 percent of leagues in
Week 10)
Brandon Jacobs (vs.
PHI): As long as Ahmad Bradshaw
(foot) remains out you can start Jacobs with confidence this week. He
had seven carries for 19 yards and two catches for 42 yards and a
touchdown against the Eagles in Week 3, and he has double digits in
Fantasy points in three of his past five games against Philadelphia. The
Eagles have struggled in run defense all season, allowing eight
touchdowns to opposing running backs and eight to reach double digits in
Fantasy points. Jacobs has three games with double digits in Fantasy
points this year, and he should get No. 4 in this matchup. (Started
in 47 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Reggie Bush (vs. BUF): Fantasy owners have to believe in Bush
after his performance the past three weeks with 47 Fantasy points
against the Giants, Kansas City and Washington. He has three touchdowns
over that span and continues to outplay Daniel Thomas. The Bills have allowed 11 touchdowns to opposing
running backs and seven have reached double digits in Fantasy points.
The defense has been particularly porous of late with three touchdowns
allowed in the past two games against the Jets and Dallas, and Bush
should remain hot since he's playing at a high level. (Started in 64
percent of leagues in Week 10)
James Starks (vs. TB): I'm making that mistake again. I'm looking
at Starks in a good matchup, and I'm expecting big things. But here we
are again with the Packers playing the Bucs, who have allowed 13
touchdowns to opposing running backs and eight to reach double digits in
Fantasy points. Last week alone Tampa Bay allowed four touchdowns
against Arian Foster, Ben Tate and Derrick Ward. Starks
hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1, and he has exactly 13 carries in
each of his past four games. But if you want to take a chance on a
running back with upside this week, go with Starks and hope he continues
to batter the Bucs as everyone has this season. (Started in 33
percent of leagues in Week 10)
Shonn Greene (at DEN): Greene owners should be happy that LaDainian Tomlinson (knee) is out against the Broncos because he will see
an increase in carries. He has at least seven Fantasy points in each of
his past five games with double digits in points in two of those
outings, and he should be successful in this matchup. The Broncos have
done well in their run defense with only one rushing touchdown to an
opposing rusher, but the Jets will try to flex their muscles this week
after losing to New England. That should mean a steady diet of Greene,
and he is safe to use as a No. 2 running back this week. (Started in
60 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Sit 'Em
Beanie Wells (at SF): The 49ers have now gone 31 games in a
row without allowing a 100-yard rusher. They have gone 10 games in a row
without allowing a running back to score a rushing touchdown. The best
rushing performance against the 49ers by a running back this year was Cedric Benson with 17 carries for 64 yards in Week 3. Since Wells has
minimal receiving ability with just six catches for 25 yards on the
season, you're looking at about six Fantasy points at best for Wells
this week with more downside than upside based on the matchup. Wells
also has struggled of late with nine Fantasy points combined against St.
Louis and Philadelphia. (Started in 62 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Cedric Benson (at BAL): Benson is a frustrating running back to
own because he continues to get carries (at least 15 in every start this
season), but he has just two touchdowns and three games with double
digits in Fantasy points. He's been particularly disappointing of late
with only one touchdown since Week 1 and he's facing the Ravens this
week, who should be motivated coming off a tough loss against Seattle.
Benson had just 13 Fantasy points combined against the Ravens in two
games last season, and he should struggle again this week. Baltimore has
allowed three touchdowns to opposing running backs the past three games
against Wells, Rashard Mendenhall and
Lynch, but I'm leery of starting Benson in the majority of leagues. (Started
in 50 percent of leagues in Week 10)
LeGarrette Blount (at GB): Blount is hard to trust right now even in a
good matchup. The Packers have allowed a running back to reach double
digits in Fantasy points in each of their past six games with four
touchdowns allowed over that span, but it's hard to count on Blount
being productive. He has just 10 Fantasy points combined the past two
games against New Orleans and Houston, and he has averaged just 11
carries a game in his past three outings. When Tampa Bay falls behind,
which has happened often and should be the case this week, Blount is off
the field in favor of Kregg Lumpkin.
Blount should be considered a low-end No. 2 Fantasy running back at
best, and he will need a touchdown to help his value in this matchup. (Started
in 70 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Roy Helu (vs. DAL): I would love to see Helu play well this
week, and it could happen since the Cowboys have allowed six touchdowns
to opposing running backs and six to reach double digits in Fantasy
points. But with the way Mike Shanahan is using his running backs you
just can't trust Helu as a starter in the majority of leagues. After
Helu had 146 total yards against the 49ers in Week 9 he was benched in
favor of Ryan Torain in Week 10 at
Miami. He still finished with 54 total yards while averaging 6.8 yards
per carry, but you never know what Shanahan will do this week, including
the potential debut of Tashard Choice
(hamstring). It's just too risky to trust the Redskins even though Helu
has plenty of upside based on his recent level of play. (Started in
43 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Chris Ogbonnaya (vs. JAC): We had Ogbonnaya listed as a sleeper
last week, and he responded with a solid game against the Rams with 109
total yards. But this is a tougher matchup against the Jaguars, who have
allowed just five touchdowns to opposing running backs and three to
reach double digits in Fantasy points. There's also a slim chance Montario Hardesty (calf) could return this week, which would take away
touches for Ogbonnaya and further limit his value. If Hardesty is out
then Ogbonnaya might be useful as a flex option in deeper leagues, but
most owners in standard formats should keep him reserved. (Started in
23 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Bust alert: Chris Johnson (at ATL):
Johnson was a star as our Start of the Week in Week 10 with 23
Fantasy points at Carolina, but the reason we liked him last week was
the matchup with the Panthers. This should be a tougher test against the
Falcons. Atlanta has been the best defense against opposing running
backs over the past five weeks. The Falcons have only allowed one
touchdown to a running back against Green Bay, Carolina, Detroit,
Indianapolis and New Orleans. While those rushing attacks aren't exactly
dominating, Atlanta has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher all season with
just five touchdowns allowed to opposing running backs. Keep in mind
that Johnson has just two touchdowns on the season and only two games
with more than 100 rushing yards. You're not going to sit him in the
majority of leagues this week, but don't expect another Top 5
performance. He will likely finish with fewer than 10 Fantasy points in
this matchup. (Started in 88 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Wide receiver
Start 'Em
|
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Early Doucet, ARI | at SF |
Damian Williams, TEN | at ATL |
Vincent Brown, SD | at CHI |
Harry Douglas, ATL | vs. TEN |
Preston Parker, TB | at GB |
Laurent Robinson (at WAS): Robinson is going to continue to
play well as an injury replacement for Miles Austin (hamstring). Robinson, who had three catches for 72
yards and two touchdowns in Week 10 against Buffalo, now has four
touchdowns in his past three games with 44 Fantasy points over that
span. The Redskins have only allowed two touchdowns to opposing
receivers, but six have reached at least nine Fantasy points. Tony Romo should be able to expose this Washington secondary, and
you can expect Robinson, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten to play well this week. (Started in 45 percent of
leagues in Week 10)
Denarius Moore
(at MIN): Moore is back after being non-existent for the past four
games, but he has done well since Palmer took over as the starting
quarterback. He has 19 targets in two games with Palmer as the starter,
and he was a star last week against the Chargers with five catches for
123 yards and two touchdowns. With Winfield out, Moore should be
productive again this week against the Vikings, who have allowed 11
touchdowns to opposing receivers, including seven in the past four games
against Chicago, Carolina and Green Bay twice. (Started in 6 percent
of leagues in Week 10)
Brandon Lloyd
(vs. SEA): Lloyd had arguably his best game of the season in Week 10
at Cleveland with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't
his best statistical performance, but he was able to remain productive
against a lockdown cornerback in Joe Haden.
He should have much more room to roam this week against Seattle since
the Seahawks have allowed seven touchdowns to opposing receivers and six
to reach double digits in Fantasy points. Lloyd has at least seven
Fantasy points in all four games he has played with the Rams since
coming to St. Louis in a trade from Denver with 47 targets over that
span. He will remain heavily involved in this NFC West division game,
and he should be successful once again. (Started in 75 percent of
leagues in Week 10)
Earl Bennett
(vs. SD): Bennett has been solid in his past two games after sitting
out for five games due to a chest injury. He had 15 Fantasy points in
Week 9 at Philadelphia and eight Fantasy points last week against
Detroit. He is a reliable target for Cutler because he catches every
pass in his direction, and the two have a tremendous rapport going back
to their days at Vanderbilt. The Chargers have allowed 11 touchdowns to
opposing receivers and seven have reached double digits in Fantasy
points, but they have been abused of late. In their past four games
against the Jets, Kansas City, Green Bay and Oakland, San Diego has
allowed nine touchdowns to opposing receivers on 44 catches for 644
yards. (Started in 18 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Mario Manningham (vs. PHI): Manningham missed the first meeting
with the Eagles in Week 3 with a knee injury, but he should do well in
the rematch. All the Giants receivers are worth starting this week with Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks since
the Eagles are struggling with injuries in their secondary. Manningham
has a touchdown in each of his past three games with 34 Fantasy points
over that span. In his last game against the Eagles at home last season,
Manningham had eight catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Look for
Manning to rely on him quite a bit since he has 26 targets in his past
three outings. (Started in 40 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Sit 'Em
Nate Washington (at ATL): Damian Williams has moved past Washington as the go-to receiver for
the Titans. Washington has just one game with a touchdown in his past
six outings, and he has five games with six Fantasy points or less over
that span. Williams, by comparison, has four touchdowns in his past six
games and is the only Tennessee receiver to trust this week against the
Falcons. Atlanta has allowed nine touchdowns to opposing receivers this
season, but the Falcons have done well in their past four games with
only two touchdowns allowed to Calvin Johnson
and Robert Meachem. Washington has just
16 targets in his past three games and could easily disappear again this
week. (Started in 16 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Steve Johnson (at MIA): Johnson has a shoulder injury, but he's
expected to play against the Dolphins. Just don't expect him to play
well. Johnson hasn't scored in his past three games, and he has 13
Fantasy points combined over that span. The Dolphins also should be able
to shadow Johnson with cornerback Vontae Davis,
and Johnson appears to struggle with press coverage. Johnson scored in
one meeting with the Dolphins last season, but he combined for nine
catches for 109 yards in both games against Miami last year. (Started
in 74 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Mike Williams (at GB): I want to see Williams play well this
week since this is such a good matchup. The Packers are among the league
leaders with 10 touchdowns allowed to opposing receivers and nine have
reached double digits in Fantasy points. But Preston Parker has a better chance to score than Williams, who hasn't
reached the end zone since Week 1. He has just eight Fantasy points
combined in his past two games against New Orleans and Houston, and his
targets are declining with just 13 over that span. You just can't trust
Williams with a potential Fantasy playoff spot on the line in the
majority of leagues even with this enticing matchup at Green Bay. (Started
in 27 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Steve Breaston (at NE): You should continue to start Dwayne Bowe even with the quarterback switch from Matt Cassel (hand) to Tyler Palko,
but Breaston is another story. He is not worth the risk even with a good
matchup against the Patriots. New England has allowed 10 touchdowns to
opposing receivers and eight to reach double digits in Fantasy points,
but it's hard to trust Breaston with Palko. Along with that, it's not
like Breaston has posted dominant stats with just one game with double
digits in Fantasy points in his past four outings and only one game with
a touchdown this season. (Started in 29 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Jabar Gaffney (vs. DAL): Gaffney will remain the No. 1 receiver
for the Redskins for at least one more week before Santana Moss (hand) could return in Week 12 at Seattle. But Gaffney is
not worth starting in the majority of leagues. He has just two
touchdowns on the season and only one since Week 1. He also has fewer
than five Fantasy points in three of his past four games. The Cowboys
have allowed seven touchdowns to opposing receivers, but they have yet
to allow a 100-yard receiver this year and only four receivers have
reached double digits in Fantasy points. Gaffney also has to deal with
the inconsistent Rex Grossman at
quarterback, which is not promising when looking for a starting receiver
in the majority of leagues. (Started in 18 percent of leagues in Week
10)
Bust alert: Eric Decker (vs. NYJ): Decker has been great the past three weeks with a touchdown in each game against Detroit, Oakland and Kansas City, and he's averaging more than 11 Fantasy points over that span. But this week will be a daunting task against Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets have only allowed five touchdowns to opposing receivers this season and six to reach double digits in Fantasy points. We're expecting Decker's touchdown streak to end this week, and he should only be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best in the majority of leagues. (Started in 48 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Tight end
Start 'Em
|
|
Ed Dickson, BAL | vs. CIN |
Anthony Fasano, MIA | vs. BUF |
Kevin Boss, OAK | at MIN |
Vernon Davis (vs. ARI): The 49ers realized in Week 10 that
they have a pretty good tight end in Davis when he had three catches for
40 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. It was just his fourth game
with double digits in Fantasy points this season, but he has the chance
for another solid outing in Week 11 against Arizona. Davis has three
touchdowns in his past five meetings with the Cardinals. And in his past
two home games against Arizona he has six catches for 130 yards and two
scores. The Cardinals have allowed only three touchdowns to opposing
tight ends, but when they have faced a legitimate threat at the position
they have been burned. Greg Olsen, Fred Davis, Jake Ballard and Heath Miller all had at least seven Fantasy points against Arizona,
and Brent Celek in Week 10 is the only
viable tight end not to exceed seven points when he finished with four
catches for 53 yards. (Started in 61 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Brent Celek (at NYG): The Giants are once again starting to show
their flaws with defending tight ends since they have allowed three
touchdowns the past two weeks against Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez
and Vernon Davis. The Giants have
actually faced only four legitimate tight ends playing at a high level
this season with Fred Davis in Week 1,
and all four have either scored or reached 100 yards receiving. Celek
had just two catches for 9 yards against the Giants in Week 3, but he
has been much improved of late with 22 catches for 249 yards and two
touchdowns in his past four games. He also has a good history against
the Giants with three touchdowns in his past five meetings. If Michael Vick (ribs) is out against the Giants, Celek should still be OK
since Vince Young has a good history of
using his tight end going back to his days in Tennessee with Bo Scaife. (Started in 32 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Greg Olsen (at DET): Olsen is familiar with the Lions from his
days with the Bears, and he has two touchdowns in his past four games
against Detroit. Olsen has five games with at least seven Fantasy points
this year, and the Lions have struggled with quality tight ends for most
of the season. They have allowed four touchdowns to opposing tight ends,
but three tight ends have had at least eight targets against Detroit
(Kellen Winslow, Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez) and all three finished with at least six Fantasy
points. (Started in 45 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Sit 'Em
Scott Chandler (at MIA): The Dolphins started the season
struggling in their defense of tight ends since they allowed three
touchdowns in their first two games against Gronkowski, Hernandez and Owen Daniels. Since then, Miami has improved and only one tight end
has scored since Week 3, including a matchup with Fred Davis last week, and he was held to three catches for 28 yards.
Chandler is hit or miss with his production because if he doesn't score
then he's useless, and we don't expect him to score in this matchup. (Started
in 15 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Dustin Keller (at DEN): The Broncos have allowed three touchdowns
to opposing tight ends, but no tight end has reached double digits in
Fantasy points. That includes matchups with Jermaine Gresham, Jermichael Finley and Brandon Pettigrew. Keller has once again pulled a disappearing act with
no touchdowns since Week 2 and a combined 17 Fantasy points in his past
four games. Keller does have a good history against the Broncos with 10
catches for 152 yards in two career meetings, but he's just not reliable
enough to use as a starter in the majority of standard leagues. (Started
in 27 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Jermaine Gresham (at BAL): Gresham has a tough matchup this week
against the Ravens, who have not allowed a touchdown to an opposing
tight end this season and have surrendered just two touchdowns to tight
ends in their past 25 games. This season, Miller is the only tight end
to exceed five Fantasy points against Baltimore, and Gresham did not
fare well against the Ravens last year with just three catches for 15
yards in his lone meeting. Gresham does have three touchdowns in his
past three games, including last week against the Steelers, but this is
his toughest matchup of the season based on how Baltimore has done
against opposing tight ends. (Started in 3 percent of leagues in Week
10)
Bust alert: Brandon Pettigrew (vs.
CAR): The Panthers have given up some big games to tight ends this
season. Jeff King, Jimmy Graham and Fred Davis have all
had at least 12 Fantasy points against Carolina, with King and Davis
scoring touchdowns. But Tony Gonzalez was
held to three Fantasy points, and Finley had just six, which means
Pettigrew's production is hard to gauge. Based on his recent play,
however, it's hard to consider him a must-start Fantasy option. He has
just six Fantasy points in his past three games, and he has just two
touchdowns on the season. Tony Scheffler
has twice as many touchdowns, including two in the past two games, and
he has become a better red-zone threat. We can understand starting
Pettigrew since he's at home with a favorable matchup, but don't be
surprised if he struggles against based on his recent play. (Started
in 44 percent of leagues in Week 10)
Defense/Special teams
Start 'Em
|
|
Jaguars | at CLE |
Dolphins | vs. BUF |
Patriots | vs. KC |
Cowboys (at WAS): The Cowboys DST is coming off its best game of
the season in Week 10 against Buffalo, and they have the chance for a
solid encore this week against the Redskins. The Dolphins DST had 17
Fantasy points in a standard league last week against the Redskins with
Grossman throwing two interceptions, allowing three sacks and scoring
just nine points. The Cowboys DST has scored at least 13 Fantasy points
in four of their past five games, and they had 13 points against the
Redskins in Week 3. Washington is limited with its offensive weapons,
and the Cowboys DST should be able to have another solid performance in
this matchup. (Started in 56 percent of leagues in Week 9)
Sit 'Em
Chargers (at CHI): The Chargers DST has been a tremendous disappointment this season, and they have really struggled of late with 11 Fantasy points combined in their past two games against Green Bay and Oakland. They have just four games with double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league, and this should be a difficult matchup. The Bears have turned the corner with their protection on Cutler with only four sacks allowed in their past three games, and the Chargers have averaged just two sacks a game this year. Cutler has also been able to limit his mistakes with just two interceptions in his past five outings, and the Bears should have plenty of success moving the ball against the Chargers at home. (Started in 37 percent of leagues in Week 9)
Kicker
Start 'Em
|
|
Josh Brown, STL | vs. SEA |
Nick Folk, NYJ | at DEN |
Olindo Mare, CAR | at DET |
Matt Bryant (vs. TEN): Bryant missed a field goal in Week
10 against New Orleans, but he still finished with 11 Fantasy points
with three made kicks and two extra points. He now has double digits in
Fantasy points in two of his past three games and is headed for a
favorable stretch with six games remaining indoors. The Titans have been
stingy against opposing kickers with only Josh Scobee, Billy Cundiff, Phil Dawson and Neil Rackers making
multiple field goals, but you should take your chances with Bryant at
home. He is just starting to heat up, and now is the time to buy in on
him if he's still available in your league. (Started in 51 percent of
leagues in Week 10)
Sit 'Em
Lawrence Tynes (vs. PHI): The first time Tynes faced the Eagles in Philadelphia in Week 3 he had just three extra points and no field goal attempts. He has yet to reach double digits in Fantasy points this season, and he has yet to make more than two field goals in any game. He has only made four field goals in his past five meetings with the Eagles, and Philadelphia has allowed the fewest field goals on the year with just nine. Josh Brown in Week 1 and Robbie Gould in Week 9 are the only kickers to make multiple field goals against the Eagles this season, and based on how the Giants have used Tynes this year, it's unlikely he will be the third kicker on that list. (Started in 6 percent of leagues in Week 10)
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