Fantasy Football Matchups: Week 6
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 stars (with five stars suggesting can't-miss; a player or unit without any stars 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.
Note: You should be able to compare the ratings for the players on your team and make an educated pick on who should start -- and sit -- in your lineup .
| Cincinnati Bengals at N.Y. Jets Sunday, 1:00 pm, Giants Stadium |
| This game is another tough spot for the Bengals, who will play a rested and confident Jets team in New Jersey without Carson Palmer. The Jets are solid vs. the run, and Chris Perry has been mostly a bust this season (why else would Cincy sign Cedric Benson?). Benson is a low-end option since he should start taking Perry's job this week. Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the nod at quarterback, but that's bad news for T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson. Even with the Jets' pass defense ranked low (they were ripped apart by Kurt Warner in their last game for nearly 500 yards), the Bengals can't compete with the Jets if Palmer is on the sideline. Be careful starting any Bengals this week. The Jets have the passing offense to overpower sixth-ranked Cincinnati, but they'll try to pound them on the ground first. Look for Thomas Jones to hit the left side of his line and set up the Bengals for play-action problems. It's a good week to start all prominent Jet players since they should be good for several touchdowns against a woeful Bengals defense. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | QB | Brett Favre | **** | |
| Cedric Benson | * | RB | Thomas Jones | **** |
| Chris Perry | RB | Leon Washington | * | |
| T.J. Houshmandzadeh | ** | WR | Laveranues Coles | **** |
| Chad Johnson | * | WR | Jerricho Cotchery | *** |
| Chris Henry | WR | Chansi Stuckey | * | |
| Ben Utecht | TE | Dustin Keller | ** | |
| Shayne Graham | ** | K | Jay Feely | * |
| Bengals | * | DST | Jets | ***** |
| Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings Sunday, 1:00 pm, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| Whether or not Jon Kitna starts or is inactive, the Lions' offense is in trouble. If Kitna plays, the Lions' receiving tandem of Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams have a shot to be effective against the Vikings' pass defense. If Kitna's out, you might want to go elsewhere for help at receiver. I've seen Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton in person, and neither guy is as good as Kitna. And since Kitna is no Dan Marino, that's saying something. Naturally, expect the Vikings' run defense to contain Kevin Smith and Rudi Johnson. The hapless Lions should struggle to score; the same cannot be said of the Vikings, who managed 30 points last week in spite of a terrible game by Adrian Peterson. Look for Minnesota to ride him into the end zone a couple of times. While that's solid for him, it makes the rest of the Vikings' offensive players question marks. After all, if the Vikings are running, running and running some more, what kind of potential is there for their pass attack? Still, Bernard Berrian should continue to rack up yardage, and Gus Frerotte is a low-end sleeper. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Jon Kitna | * | QB | Gus Frerotte | *** |
| Kevin Smith | * | RB | Adrian Peterson | ***** |
| Rudi Johnson | RB | Chester Taylor | ** | |
| Calvin Johnson | *** | WR | Bernard Berrian | *** |
| Roy Williams | ** | WR | Bobby Wade | |
| Michael Gaines | TE | Visanthe Shiancoe | ** | |
| Jason Hanson | ** | K | Ryan Longwell | ***** |
| Lions | * | DST | Vikings | ***** |
| Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lucas Oil Stadium |
| The Ravens' strength is running the football. The Colts' defensive weakness is run defense. Seems like an obvious game plan for Baltimore this week: Use both Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain as much as possible. The Ravens have run 161 times vs. 106 pass attempts, so that seems like a good plan. The only concern is if they'll keep running if they fall behind, which is obviously possible any time anyone plays the Colts. Speaking of concern, Peyton Manning & Co. must take the Ravens' defense seriously. Even down a cornerback and a defensive tackle, the Ravens will make life tough for the Colts. When this happens, usually Manning takes charge. Figure that the Colts will try and alleviate the Ravens' pass rush with quick passes and the occasional long ball in the direction of Corey Ivy, the backup corner expected to start for Samari Rolle. Running back Joseph Addai might score (he did have three in last year's meeting with Baltimore), but his yardage is expected to be very limited. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Joe Flacco | * | QB | Peyton Manning | **** |
| LeRon McClain | *** | RB | Joseph Addai | ** |
| Willis McGahee | *** | RB | Dominic Rhodes | |
| Derrick Mason | * | WR | Reggie Wayne | **** |
| Mark Clayton | * | WR | Marvin Harrison | ** |
| Todd Heap | * | TE | Dallas Clark | **** |
| Matt Stover | * | K | Adam Vinatieri | **** |
| Ravens | **** | DST | Colts | ** |
| St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins Sunday, 1:00 pm, FedEx Field |
| This is Al Saunders' new team vs. his old team, but with his first game as the full-fledged play-caller for the Rams, look for him to play it safe. The Redskins' secondary has been good but not great, but the St. Louis pass attack is weak to begin with and awful on the road. Look for Steven Jackson to carry the load. The bad news for Washington is that they're facing a rested and motivated Rams defense. The good news is that it's not very good. Expect St. Louis to hang around for a while, but the Redskins have shown a knack for pulling away in the fourth quarter, and that's a valuable asset for a team to have. Clinton Portis should lead the charge, but Jason Campbell and Santana Moss should get reacquainted. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Marc Bulger | ** | QB | Jason Campbell | **** |
| Steven Jackson | **** | RB | Clinton Portis | ***** |
| Antonio Pittman | RB | Ladell Betts | ||
| Torry Holt | ** | WR | Santana Moss | ***** |
| Donnie Avery | WR | Antwaan Randle El | * | |
| Joe Klopfenstein | TE | Chris Cooley | ***** | |
| Josh Brown | * | K | Shaun Suisham | *** |
| Rams | * | DST | Redskins | **** |
| Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Raymond James Stadium |
| The Panthers will want to make their running backs lead the way, but against the Bucs, you're better off throwing. Jake Delhomme can and should do that, and the re-emergence of Muhsin Muhammad should continue, as should the solid stats for Steve Smith. One catch: The Bucs will attack the weakened Panthers offensive line, and they will force some turnovers. Additionally, the line won't be as helpful to DeAngelo Williams, who would be lucky to get even half of the Fantasy points he got last week; he's been bottled up in games against the Bucs. Jonathan Stewart might score, but his long-term prognosis of working on kickoffs will hurt his chances for a big year. Tampa Bay will start Jeff Garcia at quarterback, but it doesn't mean the club won't pass. Garcia may need some work to get his timing down with Antonio Bryant and Jerramy Stevens, but he's already familiar with Ike Hilliard. One problem: The Panthers defense has been very tough, and they could make life real hard for all Bucs. Earnest Graham's yards won't be pretty, but considering his six-game touchdown streak at home and the mere fact that the Panthers are 'due' make him a candidate to be the first running back to score on them this season. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Jake Delhomme | *** | QB | Jeff Garcia | * |
| Jonathan Stewart | *** | RB | Earnest Graham | *** |
| DeAngelo Williams | * | RB | Warrick Dunn | * |
| Steve Smith | **** | WR | Ike Hilliard | ** |
| Muhsin Muhammad | *** | WR | Antonio Bryant | * |
| Dante Rosario | TE | Alex Smith | * | |
| John Kasay | ** | K | Matt Bryant | *** |
| Panthers | **** | DST | Buccaneers | *** |
| Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons Sunday, 1:00 pm, Georgia Dome |
| The feeling here is that while the Bears are pleased with their newfound passing game, they'd prefer to keep running the football. Atlanta ranks low vs. the run and the pass, which will likely mean a good balance from the Chicago offense. Matt Forte should be the workhorse as usual, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Devin Hester and Greg Olsen keep their production high. The Bears defense will focus on hindering Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood, which usually is every team's game plan against Atlanta. The difference is that teams that are stout vs. the run accomplish that goal. The Bears' run defense is very good, meaning that Turner could be limited and thus forcing the Falcons' hopes into Matt Ryan's hands. Thing is, Ryan's been pretty good in recent weeks and could post moderate numbers against a banged-up Chicago secondary. He's got a shot to be good for 200 yards and a couple of scores, but does anyone have the guts to start him? |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Kyle Orton | *** | QB | Matt Ryan | ** |
| Matt Forte | **** | RB | Michael Turner | *** |
| Kevin Jones | RB | Jerious Norwood | ** | |
| Devin Hester | ** | WR | Roddy White | *** |
| Marty Booker | * | WR | Michael Jenkins | |
| Greg Olsen | *** | TE | Ben Hartsock | |
| Robbie Gould | *** | K | Jason Elam | *** |
| Bears | **** | DST | Falcons | ** |
| Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans Sunday, 1:00 pm, Reliant Stadium |
| The Dolphins should be able to run at the Texans, and that's enough for them. The 'Wildcat' play along with basic rushing technique should buoy the Dolphins and push them deep into Texans territory. The Texans have allowed eight rushing touchdowns this year. Houston will get Matt Schaub back, and they'll need him. Miami's run defense has improved since Week 1, and Houston has a tough time going against 3-4 schemes (they hardly see them). The Dolphins' defensive weakness is still their secondary (seven pass TDs allowed vs. one INT), which likely means a quality game for Schaub, as well as Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. Steve Slaton looked great in this game two weeks ago, but with Ahman Green eating reps and the Dolphins run defense sharp, he's lost some sizzle this week. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Chad Pennington | ** | QB | Matt Schaub | ** |
| Ronnie Brown | ***** | RB | Steve Slaton | *** |
| Ricky Williams | * | RB | Ahman Green | * |
| Greg Camarillo | ** | WR | Andre Johnson | **** |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | WR | Kevin Walter | ** | |
| Anthony Fasano | *** | TE | Owen Daniels | **** |
| Dan Carpenter | * | K | Kris Brown | *** |
| Dolphins | *** | DST | Texans | ** |
| Oakland Raiders at New Orleans Saints Sunday, 1:00 pm, Superdome |
| The Raiders say they'll be more balanced offensively, and they just might get away from running the ball a bunch after seeing the Saints stuff Adrian Peterson and lose cornerback Tracy Porter for the season. The hang up here is that JaMarcus Russell doesn't have a lot of receivers he can trust. Tight end Zach Miller is decent, but Ronald Curry has fallen out of favor and Javon Walker and Ashley Lelie can't cut it. Johnnie Lee Higgins could continue to show his wares, but Fantasy owners can't go with him. With Justin Fargas back, the Raiders should use him as the plow and Darren McFadden as the dasher and slasher. Expect McFadden's workload to shrink some as he's still bothered by his turf toe, and the Raiders love using Fargas. Meanwhile, the Raiders will have trouble with Reggie Bush, whose toes are just dandy. New Orleans can't help themselves with passing the ball, but we don't know who will be catching it. Making matters more difficult is the questionable return of Marques Colston, who would muddle a group of receivers that are already tough to predict. One hunch: Colston won't be fabulous, but Devery Henderson's assault on opponents in the Superdome will roll on. Deuce McAllister should be a candidate for 10-to-15 carries. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| JaMarcus Russell | ** | QB | Drew Brees | ***** |
| Justin Fargas | ** | RB | Reggie Bush | ***** |
| Darren McFadden | ** | RB | Deuce McAllister | ** |
| Johnnie Lee Higgins | * | WR | Marques Colston | ** |
| Javon Walker | * | WR | Devery Henderson | ** |
| Ashley Lelie | WR | Lance Moore | ** | |
| Zach Miller | *** | TE | Billy Miller | |
| Sebastian Janikowski | ** | K | Taylor Mehlhaff | *** |
| Raiders | * | DST | Saints | ** |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos Sunday, 4:05 pm, Invesco Field at Mile High |
| The Jaguars know they need to get back to running the ball, and this is the perfect week for them to do it. Denver's run defense wasn't great against the Bucs last week and will have its hands full this week with Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor. Both should have solid weeks and way more touches than they did last week against a very good Steelers run defense. That will limit the Jacksonville passing game, which is limited to begin with. The decision to run will also keep Denver's offense off the field, but when they do get the ball, they're going to sling it. Selvin Young is out, so look for Michael Pittman to be a really decent option this week since he'll see a lot of playing time and a bunch of receptions. Jacksonville's pass defense has been poor (nine pass TDs allowed including three last week), so it only makes sense for Jay Cutler to let loose. Look for Brandon Marshall to rebound from his past outings and tight end Nate Jackson to be a sleeper to score this week. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| David Garrard | ** | QB | Jay Cutler | **** |
| Maurice Jones-Drew | **** | RB | Michael Pittman | *** |
| Fred Taylor | *** | RB | Andre Hall | ** |
| Matt Jones | * | WR | Brandon Marshall | **** |
| Dennis Northcutt | WR | Brandon Stokley | ** | |
| Marcedes Lewis | TE | Nate Jackson | *** | |
| Josh Scobee | ** | K | Matt Prater | ***** |
| Jaguars | ** | DST | Broncos | * |
| Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks Sunday, 4:15 pm, Qwest Field |
| Seattle's defense has been a bust thus far, giving up at least 33 points in three of four games this year. Both the run and pass defenses are struggling; opposing leading rushers have totaled at least 94 yards on the 'Hawks in every game (120 total in each of last two) and the Seattle secondary has yielded seven touchdowns vs. one interception. The pass rush has been off-and-on (eight sacks vs. 49ers, three total in other three games) and opponents are catching the Seahawks short when they blitz. All that said, Mike Holmgren reportedly erupted in practice and got angry with his players. If they respond, it could be tough for the Packers to move the ball. That said, you cannot ignore the beat down the Packers put on the Seahawks in the playoffs last year; Ryan Grant ran for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and the club threw for three more TDs ( Greg Jennings caught two). Aaron Rodgers should be able to connect with Jennings and Driver for good yardage, and we liked what we saw from Grant last week. He should have a solid game if his hamstring and the Packers' offensive line helps him out. This might also be a good week for the Seahawks, especially Julius Jones, to get some good numbers as the Packers' defense is tattered and unable to slow down opposing run games (check out what the Falcons did last week). |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Aaron Rodgers | **** | QB | Matt Hasselbeck | ** |
| Ryan Grant | *** | RB | Julius Jones | **** |
| Brandon Jackson | * | RB | T.J. Duckett | * |
| Greg Jennings | **** | WR | Bobby Engram | ** |
| Donald Driver | **** | WR | Billy McMullen | |
| Donald Lee | * | TE | John Carlson | ** |
| Mason Crosby | ***** | K | Olindo Mare | ** |
| Packers | **** | DST | Seahawks | ** |
| Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers Sunday, 4:15 pm, Candlestick Park |
| Miffed by a pair of close losses, the Eagles regrouped this week and plan to be more focused offensively. But they'll do so without Brian Westbrook, which changes the face of the offense quite a bit. Correll Buckhalter will be decent against the 49ers' run defense, but expect Donovan McNabb to lean on his receiving corps to move the ball, something that's been hit-or-miss. DeSean Jackson should be all right, as should L.J. Smith. The key might be if wideout Kevin Curtis comes back and gives McNabb another target he can lean on. If so, that's enough to keep the Niners' defense off balance and give the Eagles a chance at some nice stats. Philadelphia's run defense has lost some luster over its last two games, so expect San Francisco to battle back with a good dose of Frank Gore, much like they did against New England last week. The Eagles' defense has been good, not great, and even with the 49ers offensive line struggling, J.T. O'Sullivan should produce some good numbers if he can keep his turnovers limited. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Donovan McNabb | *** | QB | J.T. O'Sullivan | ** |
| Correll Buckhalter | *** | RB | Frank Gore | **** |
| Lorenzo Booker | RB | DeShaun Foster | ||
| DeSean Jackson | **** | WR | Isaac Bruce | *** |
| Hank Baskett | * | WR | Bryant Johnson | * |
| Kevin Curtis | WR | Arnaz Battle | ||
| L.J. Smith | *** | TE | Delanie Walker | * |
| David Akers | ** | K | Joe Nedney | *** |
| Eagles | **** | DST | 49ers | * |
| Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals Sunday, 4:15 pm, University of Phoenix Stadium |
| The Cowboys' offense started to get back on track against the Bengals and should rev up against the Cardinals. Arizona looked like world-beaters last week but face a different animal with the 'Boys, and if there's one thing we know about the Cardinals, it's that they're susceptible to the long ball (at least one catch allowed for 30-plus yards in three of five games this year including last two). Dallas can definitely sling it deep, and they can also pound the Arizona front seven with Marion Barber and Felix Jones. The Cardinals are throwing it more than 35 times per game on average, and that makes sense since they have the receivers to make plays. Don't expect a big game from Edgerrin James, and Tim Hightower might cash in a goal-line score, but count on Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston (if he starts over Anquan Boldin) to provide plenty of fireworks on a Dallas secondary that could be down a quality cornerback in Terence Newman and dealing with the off-field antics of Adam Jones. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Tony Romo | **** | QB | Kurt Warner | ***** |
| Marion Barber | ***** | RB | Edgerrin James | ** |
| Felix Jones | ** | RB | Tim Hightower | ** |
| Terrell Owens | ***** | WR | Larry Fitzgerald | ***** |
| Patrick Crayton | * | WR | Steve Breaston | *** |
| Jason Witten | ***** | TE | Ben Patrick | |
| Nick Folk | **** | K | Neil Rackers | *** |
| Cowboys | ** | DST | Cardinals | * |
| New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers Sunday, 8:15 pm, Qualcomm Stadium |
| If Tom Brady was healthy, you know the Patriots would enter this game throwing as much as possible since the Chargers' secondary has been awful against the pass. Think Bill Belichick is stubborn enough to put together a similar game plan without Brady? Judging by what we saw last week, I'd say yes. Look for the Patriots to throw more than run, making Matt Cassel a decent Fantasy option this week. And keep an eye on tight end Benjamin Watson to score; the Chargers are still poor defensively at stopping the tight end, and Watson was targeted for a touchdown last week. As such, the Patriots should run less as a balance and more as a strategy to burn the clock once a lead is built. The Chargers are depleted at receiver (Chris Chambers is out) and hurting at running back (LaDainian Tomlinson's toe is still bad). Even with the Patriots' run defense fair-to-middlin', don't expect Tomlinson to come up with a good game. New England held him in check the last time he played a full game against them (the time before he was off the hook, but that was essentially two years ago). Philip Rivers will have to lead the way and lean on Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson in the process. Gates' history against New England is pretty decent, but the Patriots have been stingy vs. tight ends so far this year. Only one tight end has scored on the Pats -- it was Anthony Fasano on a pass from Ronnie Brown. Maybe the Chargers try to do the same thing with Tomlinson, but you can't count on that. Gates and Jackson should at least have decent numbers. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Matt Cassel | *** | QB | Philip Rivers | *** |
| Sammy Morris | ** | RB | LaDainian Tomlinson | *** |
| Laurence Maroney | * | RB | Darren Sproles | ** |
| Randy Moss | **** | WR | Vincent Jackson | ** |
| Wes Welker | **** | WR | Legedu Naanee | |
| Benjamin Watson | *** | TE | Antonio Gates | *** |
| Stephen Gostkowski | **** | K | Nate Kaeding | ** |
| Patriots | *** | DST | Chargers | ** |
| N.Y. Giants at Cleveland Browns Monday, 8:30 pm, Cleveland Browns Stadium |
| There's a lot to like about the Giants' matchup here even if it is against a rested and desperate Browns defense. On the ground, Brandon Jacobs should thrash Cleveland's front seven much like he's done against everybody this season. He's also done well against 3-4 defenses in the past, so the matchup shouldn't be tough. Cleveland has been stingy vs. the pass, allowing three passing TDs in four games, but Eli Manning is playing out of his mind and gets back Plaxico Burress after a one-week suspension. He won't feel much of a pass rush and should pick apart the Browns. How will Cleveland respond? Probably not well. The Giants have been awesome against the run (82.0 rush yards per game, one rush TD allowed) and should buckle down vs. Jamal Lewis. It's a plus that the Browns are getting Donte Stallworth healthy, but he's not going to fix their ills. Derek Anderson needs a big game to right the ship, and he's not expected to offer that against the defense that knocked him out of a preseason game back in August. Kellen Winslow's mysterious illness doesn't make matters easier, either. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Eli Manning | **** | QB | Derek Anderson | ** |
| Brandon Jacobs | ***** | RB | Jamal Lewis | ** |
| Derrick Ward | * | RB | Jason Wright | |
| Plaxico Burress | **** | WR | Braylon Edwards | *** |
| Amani Toomer | ** | WR | Donte' Stallworth | * |
| Kevin Boss | * | TE | Kellen Winslow | *** |
| John Carney | **** | K | Phil Dawson | ** |
| Giants | ***** | DST | Browns |
