Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is our weekly look at the best and worst matchups from around the NFL and how they might affect lineup decisions for your Fantasy Football team. We are not in the business of stating the obvious, so you won't be reading here why you need to start Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson or any other top-tier players.
All eyes were on Aaron Rodgers on Monday night against Minnesota in his first game taking over for Brett Favre. Rodgers didn't disappoint.
He looked poised in the pocket, he threw a nice deep ball to Greg Jennings and made plays with his legs. For the game, Rodgers finished 18-of-22 passing for 178 yards and a touchdown and also had eight carries for 35 yards and a touchdown.
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| If Matt Ryan carved up the Lions, what might Aaron Rodgers do in Week 2? (US Presswire) |
It sets up well for Rodgers to be the "Start of the Week."
Rodgers was only started in 13 percent of leagues in Week 1 on CBSSports.com, but he could be a great replacement if you lost Tom Brady (knee) for the season. With Jennings, Donald Driver, Donald Lee and Jones, Rodgers has solid weapons at his disposal.
And he should be able to have another good week against the Lions, who weren't really tested in Week 1 by the Falcons and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, but have a mediocre secondary at best.
Last year, Detroit was No. 31 in pass defense and tied for the NFL lead with 32 passing touchdowns allowed. Favre destroyed the Lions secondary last year with five touchdowns in two games. At Detroit in November, Favre passed for 381 yards.
No one is comparing Rodgers to Favre at this point. But after one week, Rodgers is headed in the right direction as the Packers new starting quarterback.
Sit of the Week
Thomas Jones got off to a great start this year with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 1 at Miami. He showed with the addition of Favre and the improved offensive line that he will be better in 2008 than he was last year.But this week, Jones has a tough matchup. The Patriots run defense is among the best in the NFL with Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour and Ty Warren on the defensive line and solid linebackers in Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Adalius Thomas and Jerod Mayo.
The Patriots limited Larry Johnson and the Chiefs to just 102 rushing yards and no touchdowns last week and 3.8 yards per carry. And Jones struggled against the Patriots last year. In two games, Jones had 23 carries for only 61 yards and no touchdowns. He also had only three catches for 19 yards, but Jones isn't a receiving threat.
Don't be surprised if the Jets abandon the run early if the Patriots are able to stop the run as expected. That would mean more time for Leon Washington and less stats for Jones.
With the improvements on offense this year, Jones will be a better Fantasy option as the year goes on. But this matchup isn't good for Jones, so keep him reserved this week.
Quarterbacks
Start 'EmKurt Warner (vs. MIA): Warner was efficient in his Week 1 outing at San Francisco with 197 passing yards and one touchdown. The Dolphins allowed two passing touchdowns against the Jets last week and were among the league leaders with 28 passing touchdowns last year, so Warner has a chance to throw multiple touchdowns. With Anquan Boldin, who grew up in South Florida, facing his hometown team, Warner could look in his direction a couple of times.
Eli Manning (at STL): Manning has to be giddy after watching what Donovan McNabb did against the Rams secondary last week. McNabb passed for 361 yards and three touchdowns, so Manning should be in line for a good day. Manning got off to a hot start against Washington in Week 1 before finishing the game with just 216 yards passing and an interception along with a rushing touchdown. Manning will throw his first passing touchdown this week, and he has the chance for multiple scores based on St. Louis' poor showing against the Eagles.
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| Jay Cutler was clearly one of the biggest stars from Week 1. (US Presswire) |
Matt Cassel (at NYJ): You have to figure the Jets are going to force Cassel to make plays, so if you picked him up this week with Tom Brady (knee) going down, start him. The Jets are probably going to stack the line of scrimmage to defend the run, so Cassel could have a chance to drop back several times, and I'll take my chances with him throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker and having success. Chad Pennington threw two touchdown passes against the Jets secondary, so Cassel could do the same.
Brett Favre (vs. NE): Favre is no stranger to rivalry games having faced the Bears and Vikings twice a year when he was in Green Bay, so he's looking forward to the first game with New England. The Patriots are solid against the run, but their secondary can be exposed. Look for Favre to build off last week's season opener at Miami when he passed for 194 yards and two touchdowns. It's Favre's debut in New York, and you should expect some fireworks.
Sleeper alert: Damon Huard (vs. OAK): Huard steps in to replace the injured Brodie Croyle (shoulder), and he should do well if the Raiders secondary looks as bad as it did in Week 1 against Denver. Huard only faced Oakland once last year and passed for 177 yards and an interception. But Huard has been solid at home the past two years with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games. With Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez, Huard has good weapons, so he could be worth using for one week.
Sit 'Em
Marc Bulger (vs. NYG): It's never a good thing when you have to face two aggressive defenses in consecutive weeks with a banged-up offensive line. That's what Bulger is up against after facing the Eagles last week and now the Giants. Philadelphia sacked Bulger four times, and you can count on the Giants coming after him again. With Drew Bennett (foot) out, Bulger also is down another target, so that's one less player to help him in the passing game.
Matt Schaub (vs. BAL): The Ravens made a statement in Week 1 that their defense is still as talented as ever by limiting the Bengals to just 89 passing yards and no touchdowns. Schaub passed for a touchdown and ran for one in Week 1 at Pittsburgh, but he also threw two interceptions. He could struggle this week again, which means keep him on your bench. Schaub will always be a candidate for a touchdown since he plays with a dynamic receiver in Andre Johnson, but this matchup is not in his favor.
Matt Hasselbeck (vs. SF): Hasselbeck has a good history against the 49ers with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 10 career games as a starter. But he had healthy and talented receivers for those games as opposed to now. At some point, Hasselbeck is going to come around, but it could take the return of Deion Branch (knee) and one of his unknown receivers in Courtney Taylor, Logan Payne or converted quarterback Seneca Wallace to step up along with rookie tight end John Carlson. Until that happens, consider Hasselbeck a No. 2 Fantasy passer.
Matt Ryan (at TB): Ryan had an excellent rookie debut by going 9-of-13 passing for 161 yards with a touchdown on his first NFL pass and no interceptions against Detroit. But going on the road at Tampa Bay will be a different scenario. The Bucs will harass Ryan and should force him into a couple of turnovers. The safe bet with Ryan is to use him at home when the matchup is in his favor. This, unfortunately, is not one of those times, so keep him on the bench.
Trent Edwards (at JAC): Edwards will be looking for his first road touchdown in Week 2 against the Jaguars. Last year, Edwards played five road games and had no touchdowns and two interceptions, so clearly he struggles away from Orchard Park. He also averaged only 148 yards on the road. He played well in Week 1 against Seattle with 215 passing yards and a touchdown, but the Jaguars defense will be more aggressive at home than the Seahawks were on the road.
Bust alert: Derek Anderson (vs. PIT): Anderson has a decent history against the Steelers with five touchdowns and two interceptions in three games, but he hasn't passed for many yards. It could be a similar scenario this week where Anderson might find the end zone but not rack up the yardage. He looked sluggish in Week 1 against Dallas with just 114 passing yards and one touchdown, and the Steelers' aggressive defense should cause Anderson problems. Pittsburgh had two interceptions and five sacks against Houston last week.
Running backs
Start 'Em
Matt Forte (at CAR): Forte became the first Chicago rookie to start at running back since Walter Payton in 1975, and he was impressive with 123 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 1 at Indianapolis. He also caught three passes for 18 yards. There was some concern that Kevin Jones would cut into Forte's playing time, but Forte had 23 carries compared to Jones' 13. They will continue to split time, but Forte has established himself as the starter. Forte should be a candidate for 100 total yards against the Panthers.
Chris Johnson (at CIN): Johnson started in Week 1 ahead of LenDale White against Jacksonville and had 15 carries for 93 yards and caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. He can do it all and will likely be asked to carry the offensive load again with Vince Young (knee) out. The Bengals run defense is mediocre at best, so Johnson has a chance to shine this week also. It's been a good start to the season for East Carolina University, which is where Johnson went to college.
Brandon Jacobs (at STL): The only thing missing from Jacobs' sensational season-opener was a touchdown. Otherwise, Jacobs looked dominant with 21 carries for 116 yards against the Redskins. Jacobs is in a contract year, so he should continue to run well, especially against poor run defenses like the Rams. St. Louis had trouble stopping Brian Westbrook last week, and Jacobs will punish the defense again in Week 2. Hopefully this time he will find the end zone.
Edgerrin James (vs. MIA): James, a former University of Miami standout, gets a chance to face his hometown team this week. And even though you want to write him off because of his age (30) and lack of production recently, James continues to come through. He had 100 yards in Week 1 at San Francisco and has played well to start the year the past three years with five touchdowns and three 100 total-yards outings in eight September games. The Dolphins also allowed Thomas Jones to rush for 101 yards and a touchdown last week. Tim Hightower might steal James' touchdowns, but he should still run well.
Larry Johnson (vs. OAK): Johnson loves facing the Raiders. In his past five games against Oakland, Johnson has seven rushing touchdowns and four 100-yard games. The Raiders, who were No. 31 in run defense last year and led the NFL with 24 rushing touchdowns allowed, started this season off where last year ended. Denver ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1, so look for Johnson to keep it going. With Brodie Croyle (shoulder) out, Johnson should get plenty of carries.
Sleeper alert: Kevin Smith (vs. GB): Granted, it was Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, but Minnesota ran all over the Packers in Week 1 for 187 yards and a touchdown. Smith had a solid debut in Week 1 with 48 rushing yards and a touchdown and four catches for 32 yards at Atlanta. He is in line for similar production this week, which would make him a good No. 2 Fantasy running back. The Lions will focus on the run, and if Smith can get 20 carries he could get going because he's a grind-it-out type of runner.
Sit 'Em
Fred Taylor (vs. BUF): The Jaguars have struggled to run the ball going back to their last two playoff games against Pittsburgh and New England and Week 1 at Tennessee. Granted, those are three of the top run defenses, but teams are stacking the box and forcing the Jaguars to pass. Taylor was held to 18 yards on nine carries against the Titans and could struggle against a stout Buffalo defense. Jacksonville's offensive line is also a mess, which won't help Taylor and the ground game.
Chris Perry (vs. TEN): This is another week where Perry should struggle to get going. Tennessee has a solid run defense behind defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and should limit what Perry is able to do. Last week, Perry had 18 carries for 37 yards at Baltimore. If Perry does struggle this week, the Bengals could increase their efforts to sign Shaun Alexander. It would be nice to see if Perry can be productive, but it's unlikely to happen.
Laurence Maroney (at NYJ): If your choice is Maroney and Sammy Morris, go with Maroney. If your choice is starting Maroney or someone else with a better matchup, go with someone else. With Tom Brady out, the Jets are going to focus on stopping the run to force Matt Cassel to make plays. And the Jets run defense will be better this year with the additions of Calvin Pace and Vernon Gholston. Maroney has a good history against the Jets with 176 yards and a touchdown in his past two meetings, but that was when Brady was healthy.
Steve Slaton (vs. BAL): Slaton could be making his first NFL start this week with Ahman Green (ankle) hurt. Slaton will likely split carries with Chris Taylor, but Slaton will get more touches. Still, he should be used in this matchup. The Ravens have a solid run defense and last week held the Bengals to just 65 rushing yards. Slaton could play an important role this season with Green's injury history and recent ailments, but keep Slaton reserved for now.
Jamal Lewis (vs. PIT): Lewis hasn't run for 100 yards against the Steelers since Dec. 28, 2003, a span of eight games. He has scored against Pittsburgh, but in two games last year, Lewis only had 70 yards rushing and no touchdowns in two games. The Steelers held Houston to 75 yards rushing last week and are always solid against the run. Lewis might find the end zone this week, but he will struggle gaining yards and should be kept on the bench.
Bust alert: Michael Turner (at TB): Turner was the positive Fantasy story of Week 1 with 220 yards rushing and two touchdowns against Detroit in his debut with the Falcons. But now Turner faces the reality of facing a good defense on the road with a rookie quarterback. The Bucs are going to stack the line of scrimmage and force Matt Ryan to make plays. Tampa Bay does a solid job against the run, and Turner won't find as many holes as he did last week.
Wide receiver
Start 'Em
Santonio Holmes (at CLE): Holmes went to Ohio State, so he likes going on the road to face the Browns and Bengals. In two games at Cleveland in his career, Holmes has seven catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. He also has eight catches for 211 yards and a touchdown in two games at Cincinnati. The Browns secondary is bad, and Holmes is ready to improve on last week's lackluster outing when he only had two catches for 19 yards. He should get back on track this week.
Greg Jennings (at DET): Jennings has three touchdowns in two career games at Detroit with eight catches for 161 yards. The Lions secondary didn't have to do much in Week 1 at Atlanta with Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood running all over the place. But this week, the Packers will put the ball in the air. Detroit had the second-worst pass defense in 2007 and tied for the lead with 32 touchdowns allowed. Jennings will test that secondary this week.
Jerricho Cotchery (vs. NE): Cotchery is going to like playing with Brett Favre. The two connected on a 56-yard touchdown pass, and Cotchery had three catches for 80 yards in Week 1 at Miami. The Patriots have struggled to cover Cotchery in the past. In his previous four games, Cotchery has six catches in each outing with two touchdowns and one 100-yard game. The Jets will likely struggle to run against the Patriots, so expect a lot of passing from Favre and a lot of targets for Cotchery. He threw at Cotchery six times against the Dolphins.
Dwayne Bowe (vs. OAK): Bowe did well in two games against the Raiders last year with seven catches for 147 yards. He started off strong this year with five catches for 49 yards and a touchdown at New England, and the Raiders were torched by Denver last week for 299 yards passing and two touchdowns. The change at quarterback from the injured Brodie Croyle (shoulder) to Damon Huard should help Bowe since Huard threw Bowe the touchdown last week and three of his passes.
Vincent Jackson (at DEN): Like Santonio Holmes, Jackson is going back to a familiar place this week, which means good things. Jackson grew up in Colorado Springs and went to North Colorado University. It shows in his play since Jackson has a touchdown in his past two visits to Denver. Jackson picked up where last season ended by catching three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against Carolina. He should get plenty of single coverage this week and has a chance to impress his friends and family once again.
Sleeper alert: Muhsin Muhammad (at CHI): If you guessed that Muhammad was the second-most targeted receiver in Week 1 behind Reggie Wayne (17 targets), give yourself a prize. Muhammad filled in for the suspended Steve Smith and had six catches for 56 yards at San Diego, but Jake Delhomme looked in Muhammad's direction 15 times. That says Muhammad is the go-to guy with Smith out one more game. And Muhammad is facing his former team in the Bears, so he will have the revenge factor on his side.
Sit 'Em
Torry Holt (vs. NYG): Holt might have been the biggest disappointment in Week 1 with his performance. We expected him to fail but not catch just one pass for 9 yards. He also saw just two passes in his direction. Now the Giants will attack the Rams passing game and harass Marc Bulger, which won't help Holt's cause. And with Drew Bennett (foot) out, Holt will see even more coverage. Holt could be in line for a long year, and he should definitely struggle this week.
Chad Johnson (vs. TEN): I'm at the point with Johnson where he has to prove his health to me before counting on him as a starter. Last week, Johnson had just one catch for 22 yards, and he was only thrown at four times. He's dealing with the shoulder injury and isn't 100 percent. Maybe Johnson comes around against the Titans, but for right now the safe bet is to keep him on the bench. If he plays well, stick him in your lineup for Week 3.
Matt Jones (vs. BUF): Jones was one of the biggest surprises in Week 1 when he caught six passes for 80 yards and was targeted 10 times at Tennessee. Most people thought Jones would be out of the NFL following his arrest for cocaine possession this offseason. But now with Jerry Porter back after missing the opener with a hamstring problem, Jones should take a backseat in the passing game. He has a lot of talent but has been inconsistent in his career, so don't trust him this week against the Bills.
Hank Baskett (at DAL): Sometimes you have to overlook production and look at involvement in the game plan. For example, Baskett had two catches for 102 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Rams. But he was only thrown at three times, and he scored off a missed tackle that led to a 90-yard touchdown. Baskett could find the end zone again, but he won't see enough passes in his direction to help your Fantasy team on a consistent basis. The Cowboys secondary also tackles better than the Rams.
Roddy White (at TB): White has a terrible history against the Bucs with only 11 catches for 98 yards in his past five meetings. And with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan starting his first game on the road, I just don't like the matchup. Tampa Bay was No. 1 in pass defense in 2007, and even though the Bucs got lit up by New Orleans for 337 passing yards and three touchdowns in Week 1, they will bounce back this week and shut down the Falcons passing attack.
Bust alert: Patrick Crayton (vs. PHI): Crayton should be in line for a solid year as the No. 2 receiver for the Cowboys. But he has a tough history against the Eagles, who boast an excellent secondary. In his past five games against Philadelphia, Crayton only has eight catches for 131 yards and no touchdowns. Crayton will see a lot of single coverage in this game, but Asante Samuel, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown should be able to limit Crayton's production.
Tight ends
Start 'Em
Anthony Fasano (at ARI): As we know, Chad Pennington doesn't throw outside with much success, so he likes to stay over the middle. That will help Fasano, who played well in Week 1 against the Jets. Fasano had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown and was targeted nine times. The Dolphins don't have much talent at wide receiver, so Fasano could be the best receiving option every week. The Cardinals did a good job on Vernon Davis (three catches for 51 yards) last week, but Fasano will be more involved in the offense than Davis was since Davis was only targeted three times.
John Carlson (vs. SF): Last year, Matt Hasselbeck threw a touchdown pass to his tight end in each of the two games against the 49ers. And with all the injuries at wide receiver, Carlson could play a large role in the offense. The rookie had four catches for 52 yards last week at Buffalo was targeted four times. He is the Seahawks best threat in the passing game at this point, so hopefully Hasselbeck will continue to look in his direction and make it three touchdowns in three games for his tight end against the 49ers.
L.J. Smith (at DAL): Smith caught five passes for 39 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against St. Louis and is Donovan McNabb's favorite target in the red zone. He doesn't have a great history against Dallas (only 14 catches for 152 yards in his last five against the Cowboys), but don't let that concern you. Last week, Dallas allowed Kellen Winslow to catch five passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. With the Eagles expected to throw a lot, look for Smith to see plenty of passes. He led all tight ends in Week 1 with 10 targets.
Sleeper alert: Kevin Boss (at STL): Boss was quiet in Week 1 against Washington with no catches and only two passes thrown in his direction. But the Giants need someone to step up and help Plaxico Burress in the passing game, and this week Boss could be that guy. The Rams secondary allowed 414 passing yards against the Eagles last week, including five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown to L.J. Smith. Boss should be in line for a solid outing, and hopefully Eli Manning will go back to using his tight end.
Sit 'Em
Dante Rosario (vs. CHI): Rosario had a great debut in Week 1 with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown at San Diego. Now we'll find out if it's a fluke or not against a good defense with the Bears. If you added Rosario this week off the waiver wire, that was a great move in case he does continue to play like this. But against Chicago, keep Rosario reserved and just see how he does.
Dustin Keller (vs. NE): Keller has a chance to be a special player, and the Jets will eventually use him a lot in the offense. But he had no catches in Week 1 at Miami and was outplayed by Chris Baker and Bubba Franks. Facing New England, figure on Brett Favre continuing to trust his veteran tight ends, and the Patriots defend tight ends well. Tony Gonzalez had six catches for 55 yards last week for Kansas City, but he didn't score a touchdown.
Alge Crumpler (at CIN): Crumpler had one catch for 4 yards last week against Jacksonville while Bo Scaife had six catches for 105 yards. If Crumpler is going to be the decoy in this offense, then he's not going to help your Fantasy team much. For now, even though the Bengals defense isn't that good, keep Crumpler reserved, especially with Vince Young out. Kerry Collins might be the better passer, but we'll see what the offense looks like now.
Bust alert: Dallas Clark (at MIN): For starters, Clark is battling a knee injury, which could keep him from playing. So even if he does suit up, he won't be 100 percent. Clark has been at his best when the Colts didn't have three healthy receivers. But now with Marvin Harrison back and the emergence of Anthony Gonzalez, Clark could be the fourth option when you factor in Reggie Wayne. The Vikings also have enough speed in the secondary to stay with Clark, so find a better alternative this week.
Defense/Special teams
Start 'Em
Tampa Bay (vs. ATL): The Bucs allowed a total of 10 points against the Falcons in two games last year, and now Atlanta will give rookie quarterback Matt Ryan his first start on the road. There could be a couple of turnovers from Ryan, and Tampa Bay has plenty of playmakers on defense. The Bucs also are probably upset after losing a tough season opener on the road at New Orleans.
Sit 'Em
San Diego (at DEN): Shawne Merriman is now out for the season (knee), and the Broncos get back Brandon Marshall from his one-game suspension. The Chargers defense only had one sack and one turnover in Week 1 against Carolina at home, and the Broncos are coming off a solid outing against Oakland. We'll see how the Chargers perform without Merriman on the road, but the safe bet is to find another DST this week.
Kickers
Start 'EmNick Novak (vs. OAK): If you're looking for a kicker to start for one week, Novak could be your man. The Raiders allowed 41 points in Week 1 to Denver, including two field goals and five extra points. Denver used an unproven kicker in Matt Prater, so Novak could have similar success. This game doesn't figure to be high-scoring,but the Chiefs should move the ball, giving Novak several scoring opportunities.
Sit 'Em
Kris Brown (vs. BAL): It's a rough start for the Texans, facing Pittsburgh and Baltimore in consecutive weeks, which means the offense should again struggle to score against the Ravens. I don't like sitting kickers at home, especially since Brown was 12-of-12 last year with four 50-yard kicks in Houston. But Baltimore's defense is suffocating, and Brown might not get many chances. The Ravens held Cincinnati to 10 points in Week 1 with Shayne Graham getting only one field goal attempt.
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