To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've
devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a
taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor
on a scale from 0-5 logos (with five logos suggesting can't-miss; a
player or unit without any logos suggests you probably shouldn't start
him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into
account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute.
|
|
San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans
Friday, 7:30 pm,
LP Field
|
|
While the Chargers might be tempted to modify their game plan by
attacking the Titans' suddenly thin linebacker corps with the run,
the likely bet is that they'll still lean on the pass. In that
regard they're catching the Titans at the right time because they
allowed nearly 350 yards to Miami last week and got exposed by the
Dolphins' varied passing attack. San Diego won't involve nearly as
many receivers, but look for them to make use of Darren Sproles, Legedu Naanee and Malcom Floyd in addition to Vincent Jackson,
Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers' defense will have its hands full
with Chris Johnson; San Diego's been
solid against the run over its last 10 games but it will struggle
here on a fairly short week on the road. The Titans' game plan
should continue to focus on Johnson leading the way and Vince Young playing off his run game to hit downfield targets. Bo Scaife should see some soft coverage as the Chargers have
struggled with tight ends. No Titans receiver has had more than 75
yards over their last three games, a trend that should continue this
week.
|
|
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
Sunday, 1:00
pm, Superdome
|
|
The Bucs have some confidence coming off of a solid win at Seattle
last week, but this "measuring stick game" for them won't go as
well. The Bucs should come out passing to test the Saints' secondary
that's been banged around over the last three weeks, and it's
unlikely that they'll get much consistency there. They should be
able to move the ball a little bit so long as the Saints' secondary
doesn't get healthy. But you have to expect Josh Freeman to make some mistakes, and you also have to expect
the Bucs' run game to be ineffective. The other problem the Bucs
have is that they are all that's standing between the Saints and
home-field advantage for the playoffs. That's not good, and the
Saints coming off their first loss of the season should be very
prepared for this game. Look for the Saints to do what they do --
throw the ball in single-coverage mismatches -- while also running
the ball. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell aren't terrible Fantasy choices but are safest as No.
3 options. We could see an uptick in production from Lance Moore, who is working his way back into game shape and is
someone the Saints want ready for the postseason. Also, Marques Colston has been relatively harmless in games against the
Bucs while Robert Meachem scored
twice in the matchup earlier this season (but has only 19 total
yards in two games vs. Tampa Bay).
|
|
|
Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Land
Shark Stadium
|
|
Gary Kubiak might be schizophrenic when it comes to his running
backs, but we're pretty confident he's not going to take the ball
out of Matt Schaub's hands. That's
especially true this week in what amounts to a playoff game -- the
loser will have eight losses and postseason dreams dashed. That
said, expect the Texans to take advantage of the Dolphins young and
off-and-on secondary by spreading the ball around to their receivers
with an obvious emphasis on Andre Johnson.
Tight end Joel Dreessen (six catches
last two games) is a sleeper this week. The Dolphins have been
exploiting defenses with their own short-area spread passing attack,
and that should work here along with a healthy dose of Ricky Williams. The Texans have been stingy at allowing big
yardage over the last four games but that will be challenged as Chad Henne is throwing the ball so much and putting up nice
yardage totals. This could come down to how efficient both
quarterbacks are, and the one who makes the fewest turnovers wins
the game.
|
|
|
Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Georgia
Dome
|
|
The Falcons' secondary gets a big break as Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't expected to play. That means Brian Brohm will see playing time for the Bills, and that's not
good for Lee Evans and Terrell Owens. The Bills should implement a simple short- and
mid-range passing attack to match with their run game, but if they
fall behind and are forced to pass it could get ugly. Atlanta should
come out of the locker room running the football, and whoever is the
team's primary back is going to have a good game. The Bills can't
tackle well and are giving up plenty of rushing yardage and
touchdowns week after week. Jason Snelling
is the guy to go with as a No. 3 or flex option if Michael Turner is out; Turner would otherwise be that guy. Look for Roddy White to get right here too as the Bills' secondary is
bottoming out -- cornerback Terrence McGee
and safety Jairus Byrd will miss the
remainder of the season with injuries. Might even be a decent enough
week for Matt Ryan.
|
|
|
Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Paul Brown Stadium
|
|
The Chiefs will surely come into the game with the idea of playing
spoiler, but the matchup is a tough one for them. Where they could
have some success is through the air, which the Chargers did last
week and came out winners in a close game with the Bengals. They've
got the horses in Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe, but their offensive line is a huge detriment. Jamaal Charles will obviously be a huge part of what the Chiefs
do, but he could make as big of a dent as a receiver than as a
rusher, particularly since the Bengals have remained strong against
the run even with defensive tackle Domata Peko
out of action. We should see a big dose of Cedric Benson from the Bengals in this matchup as the Chiefs are
coming off of giving up 286 rush yards to Jerome Harrison and are one of the absolute worst run defenses in
the league. This also opens up the door for Larry Johnson to relieve Benson and try to do damage against his
old team. Don't look for a lot of passing from Carson Palmer here since the run attack should do more than enough
to put the game -- and the AFC North division title -- in the
Bengals' hands.
|
|
|
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Heinz Field
|
|
It's obvious by now that passing on the Steelers is the way to go.
Even head coach Mike Tomlin is losing confidence in his secondary
after he tried an onside kick at a crucial point in their game last
week against Green Bay. Joe Flacco
got the confidence going again with a four-touchdown performance
against an uninterested Bears secondary last week, and he should be
as good this week. Demetrius Williams
has long been a deep-ball threat who either came up short or got
hurt too often. He'll get some chances this week if Mark Clayton is still out to make amends for past shortfalls. Derrick Mason is obviously the better option for Fantasy, and
despite Todd Heap's miserable
history against the Steelers, he could even get involved like he did
last week. Ray Rice will also make
contributions as a receiver, just not as a rusher. Ben Roethlisberger was out when the Steelers played the Ravens
earlier this year, and as a result they ran the ball a bunch. That's
not expected to repeat itself here, though it would help mask the
defensive shortcomings. Look for the Steelers to keep throwing the
ball against a Ravens secondary that is still shorthanded and
continuously depleted. Santonio Holmes
has been a Ravens killer throughout his career and the matchup is
sparkling for him, Hines Ward and Mike Wallace to be effective in a must-win game at home. Unlike
past meetings between these clubs, this could get high-scoring.
|
|
|
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
Sunday, 1:00
pm, Gillette Stadium
|
|
The Jaguars' best bet continues to be riding the coattails of Maurice Jones-Drew. The Patriots have struggled with running backs
this season in spite of yielding just three rushing touchdowns on
the year. Even if they concentrate their efforts on guarding against
Jones-Drew, he should still come out with some good totals. The New
England secondary is also a mess, and that might bode well for Mike Sims-Walker. He scored last week and should be able to use
his size and strength to out-muscle the Patriots' corners. Those two
will be enough to keep the Patriots on their toes, so anything else David Garrard can do to keep Bill Belichick's defense off-kilter
will only help the team. But one thing Garrard can't do is play
cornerback, and that's where the Jaguars have all sorts of problems.
Assuming the weather cooperates, this should be a big bounce-back
week for Tom Brady and his receivers
since Jacksonville has had a hard time with opposing receivers. Just
last week they allowed four touchdowns to the Colts' high-powered
offense, so the Patriots are more than likely to follow the same
plan. Does this mean diminished stats for Laurence Maroney? It could since the Jaguars are good against the
run, though the Patriots would surely lean on him once they build a
lead to kill the game clock. Considering his frequent trips to the
end zone, it would be difficult to get away from him without other
really good options in Fantasy.
|
|
|
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Lambeau Field
|
|
We're not sure how Seattle will get motivated for this matchup.
True, Matt Hasselbeck will be coming
back to the city that drafted him, but with an offense full of
veterans that are bummed about the dwindling season -- not to
mention the matchup -- this is tough sledding for the visiting
Seahawks. Their best bet is to follow the Steelers' plan from last
week and use three- and four-receiver sets to spread out the
Packers' cornerbacks and focus on matchups against their reserve
DBs, but their talent isn't as consistent or effective as the
Steelers' bunch. We could see John Carlson
continue to put up some stats. The Packers should be able to do as
they wish in this game, starting off balanced and then turning to Ryan Grant to grind down the Seahawks. It's hard to not like any
Packers players this week, especially with the Seahawks pass defense
ranked 29th in the league with 26 touchdowns allowed. Aaron Rodgers should stay hot -- the Seahawks have allowed all
three passers they've faced over their last three games to get 250
yards, with two over 300 yards.
|
|
|
Carolina Panthers at N.Y. Giants
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Giants
Stadium
|
|
These teams met in New York a year ago -- both playoff bound -- and
had an incredible game that was decided in OT. This year, the
Panthers are going home in January and the Giants are hanging on to
slim playoff hopes. But the game still has meaning to ex-Giants
defensive coordinator John Fox, and of course the Giants need wins
to make the playoffs. The Panthers have to be pleased with Matt Moore at this point, and the beat will go on for him as the
Giants' secondary did a good job disguising itself last week against
the Redskins in a game that got out of hand early on. Moore's
mobility to get away from the Vikings' pass rush was a big key in
extending plays and finding Steve Smith,
among others, for modest gains. That's a good game plan to use again
versus the Giants, and it could mean that Jonathan Stewart (and DeAngelo Williams
if he's healthy) could see less work than last year against the
Giants (24 carries and four touchdowns for Williams; nine carries
and bupkis for Stewart). The Panthers' trio of mediocre tight ends
has been effective against a Giants secondary that could be
challenged by Carolina's short-area success. The Giants will likely
try and crack the Panthers' front seven, which is something the
Vikings couldn't do in limited attempts last week. The running game
got back on track last week and so long as the offensive line holds
up we could see a decent outing from Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.
Seeing Bradshaw get two short-yardage red-zone touchdowns last week
makes him fairly appealing here since that and his breakaway speed
make for a dangerous combination. The Giants' passing game could be
reeled in a bit this week if Hakeem Nicks
is out. The Panthers will easily take away tight end Kevin Boss and match up fairly well with Steve Smith and Mario Manningham.
That, combined with Julius Peppers
coming off the end, might make for a long afternoon for Eli Manning. Expect the Giants to lean on the ground game and
then use play-action to exploit the Panthers.
|
|
|
Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
Sunday, 1:00 pm,
Cleveland Browns Stadium
|
|
The Raiders' run game should give them a decent chance here. Michael Bush and Darren McFadden
should both be busy against a Browns run defense that really has
played well in only one game this year (vs. Pittsburgh). With their
D-line banged up, Oakland would0 be wise to take as much pressure
off of JaMarcus Russell as possible
and lean on its two best offensive players. The Browns have a good
offensive player of their own in Jerome Harrison, and once again he's in a matchup that's too good
to pass up. Even though Denver failed to do well against the Raiders
last week, count on Cleveland leaning on its run game. Their
offensive line did so well last week and should come together again
to give Harrison room to run. Derek Anderson
will take over under center for the Browns but isn't expected to
throw much given the matchup and the Browns' poor receiving corps.
|
|
|
St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, 4:05 pm,
University of Phoenix Stadium
|
|
More of the same from the Rams: Ride Steven Jackson as much as possible. At least St. Louis is giving Keith Null a fair shake here, but the matchup is a real tough one
for him. Not having quality receivers definitely hurts the passing
game and ultimately makes the going tougher for Jackson. Then again,
the Cardinals are in the midst of one of their spells of bad play
against the run, so Jackson should be fine. The rest of the Rams,
not so much. The Cardinals have routinely posted strong passing
totals on the Rams and were on their way to doing so earlier this
season when Kurt Warner was concussed
and didn't play in the second half. He's healthy this time, and with
coach Ken Whisenhunt ordering his first-team offense to establish
some momentum leading into the playoffs, look for the Cardinals to
feast on the St. Louis secondary. But that said, the Cardinals won't
be dumb and run up the score with the first-team offense. Assuming
they build a big lead, we could see Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin
and others in sideline caps before the end of the game. That's when
the team might really pummel the Rams with Beanie Wells -- he'll play a bunch all game long and should repeat
his performance from last week. So long as he stays healthy, he's a
tremendous running option for the Cardinals both now and heading
into the future.
|
|
|
Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, 4:05 pm,
Candlestick Park
|
|
We got a surprise jolt out of Maurice Morris
last week, and he was sort of hidden in the hoopla of other surprise
free-agent running backs. His matchup is difficult, though, and the
only way he'll be effective once again is if he can break away from
the Niners' run defense for a long jaunt. He's played at San
Francisco a number of times with the Seahawks and has never done
well. But the reality is that Morris is a 15-carry candidate with
good receiving potential, so there's a shot for him to be useful as
a No. 3 running back or flex choice if you need help. As for Calvin Johnson, the expectation is that he'll struggle with double
coverage all game long, and with a weak quarterback throwing his
way, it's tough to expect him to put up good totals even in a
matchup against a team that's been bad against the pass. The 49ers
should be able to do whatever they'd like here and with Mike
Singletary still commanding attention among his players, we should
see a good effort. Frank Gore has
two-touchdown potential against an awful Lions run defense, and Vernon Davis should lead the charge in the passing game against a
depleted and ineffective Detroit secondary. Alex Smith might not have more than 250 yards or so but it would
be a shock to see him throw fewer than two touchdowns.
|
|
|
Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, 4:15 pm,
Lincoln Financial Field
|
|
This is a tough spot for the Broncos, who need to win badly. And
this is a tough spot for Fantasy owners too, because the Broncos
have produced so many hot one week, cold the next performances that
it's tough to tell who will do well. The most obvious Bronco who
should put up numbers is Brandon Marshall,
who has been exceptional of late and should find a way to top 100
yards and lead Denver in receiving against an Eagles defense that
has allowed a pair of 100-yard receivers over their last three
games. The Philly blitz will be an issue for Kyle Orton to deal with, but Marshall should still get his
numbers. Knowshon Moreno is more of
a mixed bag; he should have rocked the Raiders last week but
couldn't get going despite 22 total touches. He's been struggling in
short-yardage situations and might begin to lose touches this week
against the Eagles. He's not a sure thing for Fantasy. The Eagles
are expected to welcome back Brian Westbrook
this week, and his presence will only muddle the Eagles' running
back situation further. Our hunch is that Westbrook sees the most
playing time through the first half and until the game is in hand,
with LeSean McCoy working more in
the second half with fresh legs. Leonard Weaver, assuming he's not jawing with an opponent when he's
supposed to be lining up, should seemingly work in fewer roles than
before -- a short-yardage/goal-line role makes sense. Regardless,
the Eagles should be able to run fairly well here as the Broncos'
run defense has bottomed out. The passing game should be good but
not great -- Brian Dawkins will be
amped to play and should do enough to take away Brent Celek on most plays. Still, DeSean Jackson is one of the toughest assignments in the league
right now, and so long as Donovan McNabb
has time to throw, Jackson will be a threat for massive stats. Champ Bailey won't be able to hang with Jackson.
|
|
|
N.Y. Jets at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, 4:15 pm, Lucas
Oil Stadium
|
|
This is an interesting game as the Jets' defense will give the Colts
problems. But the Jets' biggest problem of all is putting points on
the board -- they're averaging 16.6 points per game over their last
five, and that includes a 29-point outburst at Tampa Bay two weeks
ago. They'll run with Thomas Jones
for sure, but eventually they'll encounter some long distance
situations that will cause some problems and turn the ball back over
the Colts. Indy has allowed a pair of 100-yard rushers over their
last three games, so Jones should be solid for them but that's about
it; it's hard to trust Jets receivers so long as Mark Sanchez is under center, and it's unlikely that they'll
have any long gains against a corralling Colts secondary. Peyton Manning has seen a lot of Rex Ryan's defensive scheme over
the course of his career, and he's crushed it. With the Ravens,
Ryan's defenses only kept Manning in check once in four games over
the last five years -- a playoff game during the 2006 season.
Manning has had at least 249 yards and two touchdowns in every other
meeting, and this one shouldn't be any different. There is some
concern about Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis
clamping down on Reggie Wayne, but
there's no promise that he'll be against him the whole time. It's
clear that Dallas Clark has been a
favorite target of Manning's, and Pierre Garcon (when healthy) has gotten the job done. We could see
Revis move around a little bit depending on the down and distance,
but will it matter much? Manning is the best in the league at
reading the pre-snap defense and will trust whoever has the easiest
matchup from play to play. That said, all Colts receivers have a
chance to do something here, but it will be spread around so that no
one option is safer than the others. If Garcon misses the game we
could see Manning have a smidge of trouble. Joseph Addai has a challenging matchup and might not be a huge
option this week.
|
|
|
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Sunday, 8:20 pm,
FedEx Field
|
|
The Cowboys have had problems playing at FedEx Field for years and
struggled with the Redskins at home earlier this season, so this is
far from a blowout. Dallas did a solid job of attacking the Saints'
secondary last week and it can only be assumed that they'll do the
same thing here since running the ball is a tough task against
Washington. Miles Austin's
deep-ball skills make him an obvious threat that the Redskins will
have a hard time with, and Roy E. Williams
should also be a candidate to catch more passes than normal. Jason Witten's history at Washington combined with his poor
overall campaign make him a risky Fantasy choice. As for the Dallas
run game, it'll be used but it can't be trusted to carry the team. Marion Barber is obviously a goal-line threat (both of his
touchdowns last week came from inside the Saints 3) but big yardage
isn't something that can be counted on with him or Felix Jones. The Redskins might have a hard time coming up with
motivation, but with this being their last home game of the season
against a bitter rival, they should put up a fight. The fate of the
offense will rest with Jason Campbell
since Quinton Ganther will face a
stiff Dallas run defense. Campbell didn't get a lot of protection
last week against the Giants, though he was pretty much forced to
play from behind in the first half. The Cowboys' pass rush is
playing great and will surely get in the face of Campbell, limiting
his potential to make plays. The Redskins need to spread out the
Cowboys secondary and lean on everyone from the running backs to the
tight ends and wideouts as outlets for Campbell, but that even might
not be enough to put points on the board. In spite of the Cowboys'
past woes at Washington, they've got a great matchup on both sides
of the ball.
|
|
|
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Monday, 8:30 pm,
Soldier Field
|
|
There are some reports of upheaval in Minnesota between Brett Favre and head coach Brad Childress, but those issues can
be solved with a win. Fortunately, they're playing the right
opponent for that to happen in the Bears. But a key mitigating
factor -- playing outdoors late in the season, including in the cold
-- could hurt Favre. From 2007 through last week Favre has played in
six outdoor/grass late-season and playoff games, some in chilly
weather. He's thrown five touchdowns (all in 2007 postseason, none
in '08 or '09) and eight interceptions with no games over 236 yards
passing. Even though the Bears defense is on its last legs right
now, between that history and the in-fighting between him and
Childress, it seems risky for Favre to even be trusted to handle the
majority of the Vikings' game plan. But it's not a stretch to
suggest that Adrian Peterson will
lead the way for the Vikings, and he should. The Bears' run defense
is atrocious, and Peterson has a history of mowing them down. Look
for AP to shoulder the workload and even give some reps to Chester Taylor in an effort to simply run more than throw.
Subsequently, Favre will be a good soldier and not audible out of
runs as he did last week. The Bears' offense continues to fall
apart, though some of last week's struggles can be blamed on the
team's poor travel arrangements that kept the team from their
typical road-game routine. Normally the Bears would be fired up in
this situation -- their final game in front of the home crowd
against a division rival -- but this year is different because of
their poor play. The Bears' game plan in their earlier meeting
against Minnesota was successful for a little while: Spread the ball
around and keep the Vikings defense off their toes. They don't have
the threats to really make that happen again here, but with the
Vikings' run defense stalling over the past two weeks we could see a
decent game from Matt Forte as a
rusher and receiver. If he can get going, Jay Cutler might be able to stand up and deliver some mid-range
passes and keep the chains moving. Remember, if the Bears' offense
can stay on the field, the Vikings offense is on the sideline.
|
