HOT
Daniel Thomas v. NYJ 5I'm only starting Thomas assuming he puts in a full practice on Friday or Saturday. The Jets have the league's premiere shutdown corner, but they're having trouble stopping the run. The Fins will want to start the game on the ground; my only concern is the possibility that the Jets get up big quick and then the Fins have to abandon the run. But the Jets offense is not exactly explosive, so Daniel Thomas should get his carries. Reggie Bush won't take many touches at all away from Thomas. In the two games Thomas has played this season, he has ran hard right up the middle, which is exactly where the Jets are susceptible (see BenJarvus Green-Ellis last week). And if your league awards points for sick haircuts, DT is even more valuable!
Mark Sanchez v. MIA 3
The Sanchize has exactly 2 passing TDs in 4 out of his 5 games (We all remember the one game where had zero TDs against the Ravens). The Dolphins are a mess; and I would feel even more confident in Sanchez if the Fins weren't coming off their bye. But he still makes for a solid start in MNF. The Jets say they'll "ground and pound," but I expect them to have more success through the air.
James Starks v. STL 4
I wrote on Monday that Starks is a risky flex start most weeks because the Packers just pass, pass, pass. But against the Rams, Starks should only need 15-18 touches to get solid fantasy production. After Ryan Grant lost a fumble, I expect this to be more of a 70-30 split against the Rams. Starks could also finally find the endzone.
Earnest Graham v. NO 24
The 31-year old is likely past his prime, but the Bucs will work him while they have him this week. The matchup is not easy, but Graham will see plenty of touches, and I could see 60 yards on the ground with 30 yards in the air. If 9 fantasy points makes Graham flex-worthy on your team, then plug him in.
Ryan Torain v. PHI 1
All eyes will be on the Redskins backfield this weekend. Torain should have the hot hand for now, but the split is unpredictable with Shanahan calling the shots. I would feel a little uncomfortable starting either Torain or Hightower, except for the fact that they're going against the number one most generous defense to opposing RBs. Thus, my uncertain belief that Torain will hopefully get 75% of the carries makes him worth starting in this matchup. In a pinch, you could even squeeze some fantasy points out of Timmy Hightower in deeper leagues.
Miles Austin v. NE 1
Don't hesitate to start Austin in his first week back from the hamstring injury. It made sense to bench Colston when he recovered ahead of schedule and barely played. But Austin was close to playing in Week 4. Then he had the bye and should be 100% now. In this juicy matchup. I cannot wait to get Austin back into my lineup.
Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez v. DAL 8
Hernandez was limited in practice, which is worth monitoring. Assuming he plays, I don't want owners shying away from this duo out of a fear that they'll cancel each other out. Week 5 was disappointing for Gronkowski-owners and a little bit for Hernandez-owners. But in Weeks 1 and 2, both TEs produced big numbers at the same time. In what projects to be a shootout, I'm loving Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Welker as the Pats' leading receivers.
NOT
Matt Schaub v. BAL 31
Schaub is still probably a starter in most leagues unless you managed to pickup Cam Newton, but I don't have high hopes this week. That Ravens defense is swarming and coming off a bye. With no Andre Johnson, the Texans will stick to the ground, and probably not find a ton of offensive success.
Josh Freeman v. NO 9
Freeman quite simply is not putting up starting numbers this year. He hasn't passed for more than 300 yards or more than 1 TD in a single game this year. You know I'm obsessed with Fantasy QBs who can run, and Freeman's only averaging 21 rushing yards per game this year, which is not enough to pad his stats into start-worthy status. Don't drop Freeman, but don't start him until he shows you something, which could even come this week. You have to let him ride the bench until he breaks out.
Donald Brown / Delone Carter v. CIN 20
Joseph Addai will not play this weekend. Even if this were an easy matchup, I wouldn't trust Carter or Brown. In this tough matchup against a strong Bengals Run D, I'm definitely not getting cute with these two. Unlike Earnest Graham, they're not plug-and-plays. If one of the two runs away with the gig, then he could be start-worthy next week against the Saints. But for now, these two wreak of Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster level disappointments.
Jacoby Jones / Kevin Walter v. BAL 18
Sticking with the "Don't get cute with plug-and-plays" theme, you shouldn't be starting Jacoby Jones or Kevin Walter, even in the absence of Andre Johnson. The Texans will put the game in Arian Foster's hands. And we've seen that even when Jones gets double digit targets (last week), he just doesn't have the hands of a reliable receiver.
Brandon Marshall v. NYJ 26
I'm "Forgetting Brandon Marshall" this week (did you see what I did there?). This is in spite of his promise to play like a monster and get ejected in the 2nd quarter (a call that is sure to be as historic as Babe Ruth's famous homerun call). I'm sitting Marshall for two reasons: Matt Moore and Darrell Revis. Enough said.
Percy Harvin v. CHI 20
Harvin was held out of practice today with a rib injury. I expect him to be active, but here are my concerns: (1) his health is at less than 100%, (2) he's not playing enough snaps, (3) Donovan McNabb is on the decline, and (4) it's a tough matchup. In one of my deep leagues, and with byes, I have to start Harvin, and I've got my fingers crossed for 5 or 6 points.
Jacoby Ford / Denarius Moore / Darrius Heyward-Bey v. CLE 30
There's a good chance that Joe Haden will sitout this game, and he's approaching shutdown corner status. So there's a good chance that one Raider WR has a nice game. I just don't know which one. If I had to rank them, I'd go DHB, Moore, Ford, but I wouldn't feel comfortable starting any of them yet.
Dallas Clark v. CIN 21
Clark should not be started, and should probably be dropped in 10 team leagues. He's just not getting it done. This is mostly thanks to the absence of Peyton Manning, but Clark even had some uncharacteristic drops last week. He'll have to stay in the line to block more often than not, so he should not be in your lineup, especially in this tough matchup.
