QBs
Joe Flacco (BAL QB) vs. CLE
Flacco has had 2 awful games in a row, throwing 4 picks last weekend against Cincinnati. This week he faces a Cleveland secondary that gives up the 22nd most points to opposing QBs, so ostensibly not a great matchup. While Cleveland's D is improved, it's easier to rank well in defense when you've only faced Tampa Bay and Kansas City so far. I'm not predicting a huge game out of Flacco, but he is startable. It's do-or-die time. Many analysts have picked Balty to go to the Superbowl, but if Flacco can't get that passing game together Sunday, the Ravens are in serious trouble.
Michael Vick (PHI QB) vs. JAC
For some of you, this may be obvious. But a lot of you are hesitant to start this waiver pickup over the QB you drafted to start. Jacksonville gives up the 5th most points to QBs. Start Vick.
Donovan McNabb (WAS QB) vs. STL
McNabb threw for 426 yards on Sunday. Now he gets to face St. Louis. Though he was drafted as a backup, this is a great week to start him and see if he can add a pair of TDs to that impressive yardage.
Bruce Gradkowski (OAK QB) vs. ARI
This one is for deeper leagues. Gradkowski threw for 162 yards, a TD, and a pick in his one half of starting on Sunday. As his young receivers improve, GradCow's stats should improve too. The Arizona secondary got torched by Matt Ryan and even made Sam Bradford look good.
RBs
Darren McFadden (OAK RB) vs. ARI
Over the summer, Michael Bush was said to be the starter. With Bush's return this weekend, DMC owners may hesitate to start him. McFadden has played too well to be benched, by Coach Cable or by you. Plus, Arizona has given up the 4th most points to RBs.
Clinton Portis (WAS RB) vs. STL
We've been touting Keiland Williams since August. With the release of Larry Johnson, I've picked up Williams in most leagues. However, Portis is not injured yet; he's still the man in Washington. If you own him, ride him while you have him. He'll face a St. Louis D that made Darren McFadden look like a star last weekend.
Fred Taylor (NE RB) vs. BUF
This may apply more to deeper leagues. Laurence Maroney was recently traded, and Kevin Faulk was placed on Injured Reserve. Maroney was already a non-factor and Faulk's 3rd down role will be filled by Sammy Morris more than Fred Taylor. Regardless, the thinning of this crowded backfield has got to increase Taylor's value a little. And although the Pats will always be a passing team and Taylor still may only get a dozen carries, a dozen carries is all he needs against Buffalo. Taylor is start-worthy in deeper leagues.
NOT
QBs
Eli Manning (NYG QB) vs. TEN
Eli looked like crap in Sunday night's Manning-Bowl. Now he faces a Tennessee defense that gives up the 30th most fantasy points to opposing QBs. His go-to guy, Steve Smith, hasn't quite clicked yet. Save him for a better matchup.
RBs
There are 2 things an RB needs to make our "HOT" start list: a high number of carries and a good matchup. If an RB is in a committee, and faces a tough matchup, I'm worried.
C.J. Spiller / Fred Jackson / Marshawn Lynch (BUF RBs) vs. NE
Lynch looked like the starter on Sunday, but it was merely to show off Lynch for a potential trade to Green Bay. None of these guys will receive enough carries to make a big dent against a tough New England run defense.
Jerome Harrison / Peyton Hillis (CLE RBs) vs. BAL
They're sharing carries. They're on a bad offense. And they face the 2nd hardest running matchup: The Ravens.
Justin Forsett / Julius Jones / Leon Washington (SEA RBs) vs. SD
Same deal: sharing carries, bad offense, and not an easy matchup.
DeAngelo Williams / Jonathan Stewart (CAR RBs) vs. CIN
Now, we get more controversial. You drafted Williams in the first round, and drafted Stewart in the 4th to be your flex. So far they've disappointed. You thought they were every-week starters regardless of the matchup, but until this offense gets its act together, you should sit these two in tough matchups (if you have other options). If they couldn't get it done against Tampa Bay, they won't get it done against Cincinnati's tougher run D.
Marion Barber / Felix Jones (DAL RBs) vs. HOU
Again, you drafted them to start right away, but the offense has struggled and they're sharing touches too evenly for either one to pull ahead. I still have faith that Dallas will figure its offense out, and one of these guys will be good. But I don't know who it will be and it hasn't happened yet. (They both make decent buy-lows, especially Barber.) Houston's run defense ranks 26h so far.
Cadillac Williams (TB RB) vs. PIT
Like Portis, Caddy Williams was not a sexy draft pick because everyone assumes he'll get injured. But he's not injured yet and will receive a ton of carries while healthy. Normally, that makes him startable. But this weekend, he faces Pittsburgh's run defense that ranks 32nd so far. Ride him while you can, but not in this matchup.
Wide Receiver and Tight Ends HOT OR NOT will come Thursday afternoon.
10 comments:
Yo, I'm not happy with Deangelo williams, but i don't know if I can actually sit him. Would you sit him for McGahee or Ricky Williams?
No way. He is too talented. Maybe he break off a huge run.
Yah, I wouldn't sit DeAngelo Williams for McGahee or Ricky Williams. Some of you may not have the options to start someone over DeAngelo (which is understandable). But it's very conceivable that you could have an RB2 and then another better option as well, like Arian Foster, McFadden, Bradshaw, any of whom I would start over Williams.
Deangelo is a RB1 and a first round pick because he can break off a long td run at any time. His start this year is similar to his start in 2008 when he blew up in week 5 and went on to score 20 TDs in 12 weeks.
I am sticking with him. I don't want to lose a game because I got too cute with the matchups and benched my top picks.
Wasn't that after foster was dealt and deangello became the lone back though? Also Carolina had a much more competent passing game to open up for the run and their defense allowed their offense to run out the clock in protection of the lead en route to a 12 win season. I'm much more skeptical about the Carolina backs this season
Carolina Steve Smith is the Rod Tidwell of the NFL
Foster wasn't on the panthers at any point in the 2008 season. Deangelo was already the lone back when the season started.
I'm not saying that I expect Deangelo to score 20 tds. I am just saying that you start your first round pick because he has talent. He has started slow in the past and nothing has happened in 2 weeks that makes him any worse of a fantasy player than when you drafted him.
And just to clarify, I am concerned with the Carolina running game. But I am not even considering benching Deangelo for Clinton Portis, Marion Barber, or JOseph Addai until week 6 at the earliest.
Foster went to the 49ers prior to the season opener but 2008 was williams' first season carrying the load so it would be reasonable to expect a slow start before he gets used to the full load, but here nothing in the backfield has changed since last season. Clearly there is some problem when deangello and Stewart are struggling so much, I agree that it probably is an issue of the passing game being so dismal that defenses can stack 8 men in the box
I think the problem is game plan and the defense. In its last 2 games, Carolina has gotten behind early and abandoned the run in the second half.
For whatever its worth, someone on ESPN (maybe Eric Karabell) was saying that Carolina is looking to establish the run early and rely on it more with Clausen at QB. We shall see . . .
Post a Comment