Week 13 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em
Ahmad Bradshaw used to be a slam-dunk starting option, but these days he's been more of a roll of the dice. Our Jamey Eisenberg likes him to re-emerge as a stud in Week 13 in his Start 'Em and Sit 'Em.
Disclaimer ... Before you start reading, please 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, Arian Foster, Calvin Johnson or any other top-tier players. We're here to help you make a decision on players you are on the fence about.
Fantasy owners had given up on Ahmad Bradshaw heading into Week 12. He was mired in a three-game slump, injuries appeared to have taken a toll on him and he was losing touches to Andre Brown.
But Bradshaw's season took a dramatic turn against the Packers last week, and he's poised to finish the season strong. We like his outlook for this week at Washington, and we expect him to shine.
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| Alfred Morris | vs. NYG |
| BenJarvus Green-Ellis | at SD |
| Steven Jackson | vs. SF |
| Reggie Bush | vs. NE |
| Fred Jackson | vs. JAC |
The Giants were coming off a bye in Week 12 against Green Bay, and Bradshaw appeared fresh. After dealing with foot and neck injuries, Bradshaw looked healthy with 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 61 yards. But that wasn't all.
Brown broke his leg against the Packers, which is an unfortunate injury for the Giants, but a boost for Bradshaw. He should now get the majority of touches, including at the goal line, which is where Brown had taken over.
Brown had scored in each of the three games prior to Week 12. Bradshaw's Fantasy total during that stretch was 13 Fantasy points. If he scored the touchdowns in those games instead of Brown he would have had double digits in Fantasy points in every outing.
This week, Bradshaw faces a Redskins team that he scored against in Week 7 when he had 12 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 22 yards. Brown also scored against the Redskins in that matchup.
Washington has allowed a running back to score or reach 100 total yards in every game this season. In total, the Redskins have allowed nine touchdowns to opposing running backs and six have reached double digits in Fantasy points. And in his past five games against the Redskins, Bradshaw has five touchdowns with double digits in Fantasy points in four of them.
This week should be the beginning of a strong finish for Bradshaw. We like his matchup against the Redskins, and we're ready to buy into him again as a must-start Fantasy option.
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| Player | Fantasy Pts. (proj.) | Fantasy Pts. (actual) | Start % | Pos. rank |
| Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals | 24 | 26 | 56 | 7 |
| Carson Palmer, QB, Raiders | 22 | 7 | 40 | 30 |
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| Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys | 24 | 33 | 65 | 4 |
| Cecil Shorts, WR, Jaguars | 12 | 16 | 66 | 6 |
| Dustin Keller, TE, Jets | 9 | 12 | 33 | 2 |
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| Josh Freeman, QB, Buccaneers | 20 | 10 | 36 | 26 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals | 9 | 3 | 76 | 67 |
| Mike Wallace, WR, Steelers | 9 | 0 | 68 | 90 |
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| Matt Schaub, QB, Texans | 22 | 16 | 51 | 17 |
| Andrew Luck, QB, Colts | 25 | 15 | 56 | 18 |
| Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers | 11 | 2 | 72 | 69 |
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| Robert Griffin III, QB, Redskins | 19 | 36 | 66 | 2 |
| Reggie Bush, RB, Dolphins | 6 | 14 | 36 | 15 |
| Mikel Leshoure, RB, Lions | 8 | 11 | 51 | 23 |
Quarterback
Start 'Em
Andy Dalton (at SD): Dalton has been on an impressive run
the past three games with at least 26 Fantasy points against the Giants,
Chiefs and Raiders. He has 10 total touchdowns and no interceptions over
that span and has at least 25 Fantasy points in his past four road games
at Washington, Jacksonville, Cleveland and Kansas City. The Chargers
also have allowed at least 20 Fantasy points to the past three
quarterbacks they've faced in Josh Freeman,
Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco, and Dalton should have another productive week in this
matchup.
Tony Romo (vs. PHI):
Romo's arm might fall off with how many times he's throwing the ball
with at least 50 attempts in three of his past five games. It doesn't
always look pretty, but Romo is producing enough to help Fantasy owners.
He was 37 of 62 passing against Washington in Week 12 for 441 yards,
three touchdowns and two interceptions with a two-point conversion,
which was good enough for 33 Fantasy points. He now has at least 20
Fantasy points in three of his past five outings, including Week 10 at
the Eagles, who have allowed 81 Fantasy points the past two weeks to Robert Griffin III and Cam Newton.
Look for Romo to have another good outing this week.
Colin Kaepernick (at STL): Coach Jim Harbaugh announced Wednesday
that Kaepernick will remain the starter for the 49ers against the Rams.
He's been too good for Alex Smith to get
his job back, and Kaepernick should continue to help Fantasy owners. He
has 43 Fantasy points in his first two starts against the Bears and
Saints, and the Rams have allowed at least 20 Fantasy points to opposing
quarterbacks in four of their past six games. Kaepernick already faced
the Rams in Week 10 when Smith suffered a concussion, and he was 11 of
17 passing for 117 yards and had eight carries for 66 yards and a
touchdown for 16 Fantasy points. Imagine what he could do in a full game.
Matt Schaub (at TEN): Schaub likes facing the Titans. In his
past five meetings with Tennessee, Schaub has 10 touchdowns and one
interception with an average of 261 passing yards a game. He had 202
passing yards and two touchdowns against the Titans in Week 4, and
Tennessee has allowed eight quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy
points this season, including Chad Henne
last week. Schaub also has an impressive 842 passing yards in his past
two games against the Jaguars and Lions and he should remain productive
in this matchup.
Eli Manning (at
WAS): Manning has a miserable history against the Redskins with
three total touchdowns and eight interceptions in his past five meetings
with Washington while averaging just 253 passing yards over that span.
He had 337 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against
the Redskins in Week 7, but we're backing Manning again this week. He
was impressive in Week 12 against the Packers with 249 passing yards and
three touchdowns, and he looks poised for a strong finish. The Redskins,
even with their success against Manning, have allowed at least 23
Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in four of their past six games,
and Manning should snap his streak of bad performances against
Washington in this matchup.
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| Chad Henne | (at BUF) | Has six touchdowns in his past two games and faces a suspect BUF secondary. |
| Brandon Weeden | (at OAK) | OAK has allowed 11 passing touchdowns in the past four games |
| Ryan Tannehill | (vs. NE) | Seven quarterbacks have at least 300 passing yards vs. NE this year. |
Sit 'Em
Carson Palmer (vs. CLE): It's been tough to throw on the
Browns of late, which shows how good their secondary is when Joe Haden is healthy and active. In their past five games against Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Romo and Charlie Batch,
the best performance was from Luck with 18 Fantasy points. Palmer had
his worst game of the season in Week 12 at Cincinnati with seven Fantasy
points, and his interceptions have started to catch up to him with 10 in
his past seven games. This is a good game to avoid starting Palmer if
you can.
Philip Rivers (vs. CIN):
Rivers had another down game in Week 12 against Baltimore with 15
Fantasy points and now has just one game with more than 18 Fantasy
points in his past six outings. The Bengals should be able to limit
Rivers since Peyton Manning in Week 9 is
the only quarterback to have 20 Fantasy points against them in their
past eight outings. In the past three games against the Giants, Chiefs
and Raiders, the Bengals have allowed a total of 16 Fantasy points
combined to those quarterbacks, which is impressive.
Russell Wilson (at CHI): Wilson has been great of late with at
least 20 Fantasy points in his past four outings, and he's done well on
the road in his past two games with 42 Fantasy points at Detroit and
Miami. The Bears have only allowed one quarterback to get 20 Fantasy
points against them this season, which was Kaepernick in Week 11,
including matchups with Luck, Aaron Rodgers,
Romo, Matthew Stafford, Newton and
Schaub. In fact, four quarterbacks -- Sam Bradford, Blaine Gabbert,
Schaub and Christian Ponder -- have 10
Fantasy points or less against Chicago. As good as Wilson has been of
late, the Bears should be able to contain him, which makes him a risky
starting option even in two-quarterback leagues.
Jay Cutler (vs. SEA): Cutler almost got a break with the
looming four-game suspensions for Seattle corners Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner,
but both will play this week because of an appeal. That means the
Seahawks should be able to limit Cutler, who has four games with at
least 21 Fantasy points this season and five games with 15 points or
less. Cutler also has just one game with multiple touchdowns without
injured receiver Alshon Jeffery (knee),
who is out again, and the Seahawks have only allowed two quarterbacks to
have more than 17 Fantasy points, which were Tom Brady and Stafford.
Josh Freeman
(at DEN): Freeman snapped a streak of six games in a row with at
least 20 Fantasy points when he had 10 in Week 12 against Atlanta. He
failed to throw a touchdown for the first time all season and should be
limited again this week. The Broncos have been stellar in pass defense
of late in holding Drew Brees, Dalton,
Newton, Rivers and Brady Quinn to 18
Fantasy points or less in each matchup. Denver also has an interception
in each of its past six games with 11 over that span, and Freeman should
be looking at consecutive games with minimal production.
Bust alert: Andrew Luck (at DET):
At some point Luck is going to solve his road woes, but he's been
limited in his Fantasy production away from Indianapolis all season. He
is averaging just 13.4 Fantasy points in five road games this year
compared to 23.8 points in six games at home. The Lions have allowed
multiple passing touchdowns in four of their past five games, but Ponder
in Week 10 is the only quarterback with more than 19 Fantasy points,
including matchups with Rodgers and Schaub the past two games. Luck is
easily capable of a big game against the Lions, but his best game on the
road thus far is 18 Fantasy points at Jacksonville in Week 10, so
consider that if you start him this week.
Running back
Start 'Em
Mikel Leshoure (vs. IND): Leshoure has been playing at a
high level of late with double digits in Fantasy points in three of his
past four games. Leshoure became the first running back to rush for a
touchdown against the Texans in Week 12 and has five rushing touchdowns
since Week 9. The Colts have allowed a running back to score or reach
100 total yards in eight of 11 games this year, including four of the
past five games.
Bryce Brown (at
DAL): We had Brown listed as a sleeper in Week 12 with LeSean McCoy (concussion) out, but we never expected him to be the No.
1 running back in last week's scoring period with 26 Fantasy points. He
had 19 carries for 178 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes
for 11 yards. He did lose two fumbles, but he had a better game against
the Panthers than McCoy had all season with his high 18 Fantasy points
against Atlanta in Week 8. We expect Brown to remain hot with McCoy
likely out against the Cowboys, who have allowed a running back to score
or reach 100 total yards in eight of 11 games this year, including seven
games in a row.
Beanie Wells (at
NYJ): Wells returned from an eight-game absence from an injured toe
in Week 12 against the Rams to score 16 Fantasy points on 17 carries for
48 yards and two touchdowns. He has the chance to score again this week
since the Jets have allowed 11 touchdowns to running backs this year,
including four in their past four games. Also, the Cardinals have five
rushing touchdowns in their past six games when you include the three
scores from LaRod Stephens-Howling
going back to Week 7. Wells isn't going to post a big rushing total,
especially since he admitted conditioning was an issue in Week 12. But
he can reach double digits in Fantasy points with around 50 rushing
yards and a touchdown.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis (at SD): Green-Ellis is rewarding the Bengals
and Fantasy owners with his play the past two weeks, and he should have
another quality performance against the Chargers. He now has 44 carries
for 230 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs and Raiders, and San
Diego is banged up on defense heading into this matchup with Atari Bigby (groin) on injured reserve and Donald Butler (groin) hurting. The Chargers haven't allowed a rushing
touchdown in their past three games against Tampa Bay, Denver and
Baltimore, but Doug Martin and Ray Rice still reached double digits in Fantasy points. With the
way Green-Ellis is running now, we expect him to hit that mark as well
this week.
Shane Vereen (at MIA):
We're reaching a bit here on Vereen, but he's someone to consider if you
need a flex option this week. He's done well the past two games with 30
Fantasy points against Indianapolis and the Jets. He now has a touchdown
in three of the past four games and has been a solid complementary
option to Stevan Ridley. The Dolphins
run defense is tough, but the Patriots offense presents plenty of
problems for most teams to stop. And if New England builds a big lead in
this matchup you could see Vereen in the game helping to kill the clock.
Again, consider him just a flex option in most standard formats.
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| Jacquizz Rodgers | (vs. NO) | He continues to outplay Michael Turner and his role is increasing. |
| Felix Jones | (vs. PHI) | Worth starting in all leagues if DeMarco Murray (foot) remains out. |
| Bilal Powell | (vs. ARI) | Has three touchdowns in past two games and is outplaying Shonn Greene. |
| DeAngelo Williams | (at KC) | Gets the chance to start with Jonathan Stewart (ankle) likely out. |
| Rashad Jennings | (at BUF) | He's starting again with Jalen Parmele (groin) out but now has to perform. |
Sit 'Em
Reggie Bush (vs. NE): Bush is coming off a solid game in
Week 12 against Seattle with 14 Fantasy points, which is his second-best
total of the season. He also did well against the Patriots in 2011 with
double digits in Fantasy points in each meeting. And New England has
allowed four rushing touchdowns in its past three games. Then why is
Bush listed as a sit? He remains in a timeshare with Daniel Thomas, and the carry differential is only 24-21 the past two
weeks in favor of Bush. Thomas continues to work at the goal line in
favor of Bush. And if the Dolphins get behind early, which could
definitely happen against the Patriots, the running game will be
limited. Bush is just a flex.
Rashard Mendenhall (at BAL): The Ravens run defense has looked
better of late, at least on paper, since no running back has scored in
their past four games, including a matchup with the Steelers in Week 11.
They held Mendenhall to 11 carries for 33 yards and three catches for 17
yards in that meeting. Mendenhall has now been demoted from the starting
spot in favor of Jonathan Dwyer, but
he'll still get enough touches to remain relevant. However, until Ben Roethlisberger (shoulder, ribs) returns, the Steelers skill
players are too risky to trust, especially in a tough matchup with the
Ravens.
Fred Jackson (vs. JAC):
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Jackson score in this matchup with the
Jaguars. After all, Jacksonville has allowed 11 touchdowns to opposing
running backs this season, and even though Jackson is behind C.J. Spiller on the depth chart, he's still working at the goal
line. But we saw in Week 12 at the Colts what Jackson's stat line could
look like if he doesn't score, which was six carries for 16 yards and
one catch for 8 yards, and that was also a favorable matchup. The Bills
are committed to Spiller, which makes starting Jackson in all leagues
risky. On top of that, the Jaguars limited Arian Foster and Chris Johnson the
past two games, holding them to a combined 18 Fantasy points, which is
an impressive feat. Jacksonville is the only team Foster has not scored
on this year.
Michael Turner (vs.
NO): The risk in benching Turner, especially in a potential shootout
with the Saints, is that even though he might not have many rushing
yards he's always capable of scoring a touchdown. But there's a lot of
evidence to sit Turner this week. He's played fewer snaps than Jacquizz Rodgers the past two games and in Week 10 at New Orleans, he
had one Fantasy point on 13 carries for 15 yards. He also has only one
game with more than 60 rushing yards in his past six outings, and the
Saints haven't allowed a rushing touchdown in their past four games.
Steven Jackson (vs. SF): Jackson has been a star coming off the
bye in Week 9 with 38 Fantasy points in his past three games. Starting
that impressive run was his best game of the season at San Francisco in
Week 10 with 29 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown and two carries
for 26 yards in a tie with the 49ers. With that game fresh in the mind
of the San Francisco defense you can expect the 49ers to clamp down on
Jackson and force Sam Bradford to beat
them. We still consider Jackson a strong flex option, but don't be
surprised if he's held in single digits in Fantasy points this week.
Bust alert: Knowshon Moreno (vs. TB): Hopefully you added Moreno off waivers this week since he looks like the best running back in Denver for the rest of the season after he had 20 carries for 85 yards and four catches for 26 yards in Week 12 at Kansas City. But he could struggle this week against the Bucs. Even though Tampa Bay has allowed three rushing touchdowns in the past two games, the run defense for the Bucs has been stout most of the season, with Alfred Morris and Adrian Peterson the only running backs to run for 100 yards. Denver also has scored a rushing touchdown in just five games this season with only one in the past four games. Moreno remains a quality flex option this week, but he's not a must-start running back in the majority of leagues.
Wide receiver
Start 'Em
Cecil Shorts/Justin Blackmon
(at BUF): Shorts continues to make a case that he's this year's
version of Victor Cruz with double
digits in Fantasy points in five of his past six games. He now has 28
catches for 542 yards and four touchdowns over that span and should
remain hot against the Bills. The same goes for Blackmon, who has taken
off since Chad Henne has taken over in
Jacksonville. He has 42 Fantasy points in his past two games with 12
catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns. The duo should shine against a
Bills defense this week that has allowed 14 touchdowns to opposing
receivers, and four times this season a pair of receivers have scored at
least nine Fantasy points, including last week with Reggie Wayne (10 points) and T.Y Hilton
(nine).
Davone Bess (vs. NE):
Bess is getting hot at the right time with 23 Fantasy points in his past
two games with 13 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown over that span
on 20 targets. He faces the Patriots this week and has a great history
against New England. Bess has at least nine Fantasy points in his past
five meetings with the Patriots with four touchdowns over that span. New
England has allowed 14 touchdowns to opposing receivers on the season
with 10 reaching double digits in Fantasy points.
Michael Crabtree (at STL): As we said in Week 10 when Crabtree
first met St. Louis, there's no team that Crabtree enjoys facing more
than the Rams. Including that matchup when he had five catches for 70
yards and a touchdown, Crabtree now has 27 catches for 435 yards and six
touchdowns in his past five games against St. Louis. Crabtree
disappeared in last week's game at New Orleans with only three catches
for 26 yards on five targets, but his history against St. Louis makes
him worth using. The Rams have also allowed a receiver to reach double
digits in Fantasy points in each of their past five games.
Ryan Broyles (vs. IND): Broyles was great last week with Titus Young benched, catching six passes for 126 yards on 12 targets
against Houston. He has four games this season with at least four
targets, and he has responded with a touchdown or 100 receiving yards in
three of those outings. Young is expected to return this week, but
Broyles will remain ahead of him on the depth chart, which is good for
this matchup. The Colts have allowed 14 touchdowns to opposing receivers
and 13 have reached double digits in Fantasy points. This should be
another great week for the Detroit passing game.
Pierre Garcon (vs. NYG): Garcon is worth the gamble to start this
week after his performance in Week 12 against Dallas with five catches
for 93 yards and a touchdown. He showed no problems with his injured
foot on a 59-yard catch and run for the score, and he should perform
well to close the season if he can remain healthy. He has a good matchup
this week against the Giants, who have allowed 16 touchdowns to opposing
receivers and 13 to reach double digits in Fantasy points. Santana Moss had two touchdowns against the Giants in Week 7 and in the
past four games the Giants have allowed six touchdowns to opposing
receivers and six to reach double digits in Fantasy points.
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| Josh Gordon | (at OAK) | OAK has allowed nine touchdowns to receivers in its past five games. |
| Greg Jennings | (vs. MIN) | If he returns as expected then start him in all leagues against MIN. |
| Steve Johnson | (vs. JAC) | Quietly has 18 catches for 271 yards in past three games. |
| Brandon LaFell | (at KC) | Has at least eight Fantasy points in four of his past five games. |
| Danario Alexander | (vs. CIN) | Has at least seven targets in each of the past three games with 26 over that span. |
Sit 'Em
Larry Fitzgerald (at NYJ): The start of the Ryan Lindley era has not been good for Fitzgerald. In the two games
where Lindley has played the past two weeks, Fitzgerald has combined for
four catches on 42 yards despite 19 targets. The Jets have allowed seven
touchdowns to opposing receivers in their past three games against
Seattle, St. Louis and New England, but Fitzgerald has only four
touchdowns this season and just one on the road. Until Kevin Kolb (ribs) returns for the Cardinals we find it hard to
consider Fitzgerald a must-start Fantasy option.
Mike Wallace (at BAL): Wallace needs Roethlisberger back in a
hurry because he has been miserable the past two games. He has combined
for five catches for 33 yards and a fumble against Baltimore and
Cleveland, and he has zero Fantasy points in those outings. He also
doesn't have the best history against the Ravens with only one touchdown
in his past five meetings, and he hasn't scored at Baltimore in three
years.
Mike Williams (at DEN):
Williams' production has started to fade of late with poor outings in
his past three games. He has combined for seven catches for 121 yards
and no touchdowns against San Diego, Carolina and Atlanta, and he has a
tough matchup this week against the Broncos. Denver has only allowed
eight touchdowns to opposing receivers this year, and only A.J. Green and Danario Alexander
have reached double digits in Fantasy points against the Broncos in
their past six games.
Danny Amendola
(vs. SF): Amendola is going to play through the foot injury he
suffered in Week 11 against the Jets, but he was limited to just seven
snaps in Week 12 at Arizona. He finished with one catch for 38 yards on
one target, and he doesn't appear to be 100 percent. Now, he was stellar
against the 49ers in Week 10 with 11 catches for 102 yards on 12
targets, but he didn't have the foot injury then. The 49ers also have
allowed just three receivers to reach double digits in Fantasy points
this season, so trusting an injured Amendola in the majority of standard
formats could be risky.
Denarius Moore
(vs. CLE): Moore has struggled the past two weeks with two catches
for 29 yards and a touchdown against the Saints and Bengals for a
combined eight Fantasy points. He has struggled at home with only one
game with double digits in Fantasy points against Pittsburgh,
Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and New Orleans. And he will likely see a lot of
Haden, which will make it tough for him to have a big game. He's still
worth starting in most three-receiver leagues, but in standard formats
you might consider other options based on the matchup.
Bust alert: Torrey Smith (vs. PIT):
Normally we like Smith at home, where he has six touchdowns in his past
four games. He also has been playing well of late with double digits in
Fantasy points in three of his past four outings. But the game where he
failed to reach double digits was Week 11 at the Steelers, who have been
great against opposing receivers. No receiver has reached double digits
in Fantasy points against the Steelers in the past six games, including
matchups with Smith, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and A.J. Green. Smith
will likely see a lot of Ike Taylor, who
is having a solid season in coverage. We'd still consider Smith a No. 3
Fantasy receiver in most leagues, but if you can avoid starting him this
week it might be a good idea.
Tight end
Start 'Em
Owen Daniels (at TEN): I was baffled when I saw Daniels'
start percentage for Week 12 was only 73 percent. That's shocking given
his production this year, and he scored last week at Detroit for sixth
time this season. He faces a Titans team he beat up in Week 4 for six
catches, 72 yards and a touchdown, and he has at least seven Fantasy
points in three of his past four meetings with Tennessee.
Dallas Clark (at DEN): The thought this offseason was Clark would
follow Peyton Manning wherever he went,
but the Broncos apparently had no interest and went with Jacob Tamme instead. Clark gets to show the Broncos what they missed,
and he's playing well coming into this game with at least six Fantasy
points in his past three games with two touchdowns over that span.
Denver has allowed eight touchdowns to opposing tight ends and six to
reach double digits in Fantasy points, so Clark should be able to
exploit this defense.
Jermaine Gresham
(at SD): Gresham continues to play well with at least six Fantasy
points in his past four games with two touchdowns over that span. He has
a touchdown in two of his past four road games, and the Chargers have
allowed a tight end to score in two of their past three games with Clark
in Week 10 and Dennis Pitta in Week 12.
Gresham, like Daniels, doesn't get the respect he deserves from Fantasy
owners by only being started in 71 percent of leagues in Week 12.
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| Charles Clay | (vs. NE) | NE allows the most Fantasy points to tight ends and Clay scored last week. |
| Jacob Tamme | (vs. TB) | Has 12 targets the past two games and is starting to come along after slow start. |
| Dwayne Allen | (at DET) | DET has allowed a tight end to score in each of the past three weeks. |
Sit 'Em
Dennis Pitta (vs. PIT): I want Pitta in my lineup for Week
14 at Washington and Week 15 against Denver because those are two
amazing matchups. This week against the Steelers, however, Pitta should
struggle. He already faced Pittsburgh in Week 11 and finished with one
catch for 5 yards. The Steelers have allowed four touchdowns to opposing
tight ends but only one has reached double digits in Fantasy points,
which was Tamme in Week 1. Pass on Pitta this week but look for him to
shine in the coming weeks.
Heath Miller
(at BAL): The Ravens, despite getting ravaged by injuries on
defense, have still been able to limit tight ends. Daniels is the lone
tight end to score against Baltimore, and the Ravens already held Miller
to two catches for 22 yards in Week 11. Miller also doesn't have a
strong rapport with Batch. In the last four games Batch has started for
Pittsburgh since 2010, including Week 12 at Cleveland, Miller has
totaled 11 catches for 138 yards and no touchdowns. We wouldn't cut
Miller yet because we hope Roethlisberger will return, but until he's
back Miller might remain on your bench.
Brandon Pettigrew (vs. IND): Pettigrew was a star for PPR owners in
Week 12 against Houston with eight catches for 74 yards on 15 targets,
but he lost a fumble and finished with just five Fantasy points in a
standard league. He has yet to reach double digits in Fantasy points
this year despite scoring two touchdowns and has a tough matchup this
week against the Colts. Indianapolis is among the league leaders against
opposing tight ends as Rob Gronkowski
is the only one to reach double digits in Fantasy points this year.
Pettigrew is always better at home than on the road, but he's only
averaging 5.1 Fantasy points in a standard league in five home games
this season.
Bust alert: Brandon Myers (vs. CLE):
The Browns lead the NFL in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing
tight ends with only two touchdowns to Gresham and Clay Harbor, and Gresham is the only one to reach double digits in
points. They have limited Miller, Jason Witten,
Pitta and Antonio Gates to six Fantasy
points or less in each matchup, and Myers could struggle this week. He
does have three touchdowns in his past two home games, but he also has
three games at home with six Fantasy points or less. Based on how
Cleveland has done against tight ends this year you might consider other
options this week.
Defense/Special teams
Start 'Em
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| Jets | vs. ARI |
| Browns | at OAK |
| Panthers | at KC |
Cowboys (vs. PHI): The last time the Cowboys DST faced the Eagles in Week 10 they had 26 Fantasy points in a standard league with three touchdowns, two sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. Three of the last four teams to face Philadelphia have at least 20 Fantasy points, and only three opponents have failed to reach double digits in points against the Eagles this season. The Cowboys DST has struggled of late with 14 Fantasy points combined against Cleveland and Washington, but facing the Eagles should help them produce at a high level again.
Sit 'Em
Giants (at WAS): Griffin has been on a tear the past two games and should be able to remain hot against the Giants DST, which was dominant against the Packers in Week 12 with 15 Fantasy points. The Giants DST has at least 15 Fantasy points in three of its past four games, and they produced 13 Fantasy points in Week 7 against the Redskins with an interception, three sacks and three fumble recoveries. But Griffin has eight passing touchdowns and one interception in his past two games, and Washington's offense is clicking. We'd look for another alternative to the Giants DST this week, and some options include the Jets, Panthers and Browns, which are all available in at least 40 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com.
Kicker
Start 'Em
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| Rian Lindell | vs. JAC |
| Phil Dawson | at OAK |
| Rob Bironas | vs. HOU |
Dan Bailey (vs. PHI): Bailey has done a nice job heading
into Week 13 with six field goals and four extra points in his past two
games against Cleveland and Washington. He has at least seven Fantasy
points in his past seven games with four games in double digits over
that span. The Eagles have allowed multiple field goals to six kickers
this season and five have reached double digits in Fantasy points.
Bailey only had eight points against Philadelphia in Week 10, but Bailey
has reached double digits in Fantasy points in three of his past four
home games.
Sit 'Em
Blair Walsh (at GB): Walsh has been solid all season with double digits in Fantasy points in six games and only three games with fewer than eight points. One of those was last week at Chicago where he was 1 of 2 on field goals and had just one extra point, and he could struggle again this week. The Packers have only allowed two kickers to reach double digits in Fantasy points, and only David Akers did it in Green Bay in Week 1. The last six kickers to face the Packers have averaged 7.3 Fantasy points, so look for Walsh to be around that range, leaving him likely outside the Top 12 kickers this week.
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