Question 1: Asked by Ray

I need 3 of the 5 wide receivers.  Fitzgerald, Wallace, Brown, L Robinson, D. Jackson.  My gut says Fitz, Wallace and Robinson. What would you do?

Answer

I think Fitz and Wallace are no-brainers so stick with them for sure. The third option that you should consider is Brown.  With Mendenhall not performing up to expectations this season, Pittsburgh has looked to the passing game on offense.  They have really turned to both Wallace and Brown and each of them have responded in a big way. Assuming Ben plays, he will have a better time against the Rams defense as opposed to the last game against the 49ers and Brown gets too many targets to not play against that secondary.  With Laurent Robinson playing in a fair number of two-receiver sets, he is bound to see more attention than most slot receivers.

Question 2: Asked by Eric

I am playing for the championship.  I have to start one of the following.  Marshawn Lynch, Victor Cruz, or Dez Bryant.  I have to start two of them if Chris Johnson is not able to play.  Could you rank them for me?

Answer

I rank em Cruz, Bryant, Lynch. It is tough to sit Lynch after the last 5 weeks he has put together but I don’t think has hardly any chance at success in this one. He faced the Bears last week, a top 10 rush defense, and managed just 40 yards.  This week he plays the 49ers, who are by far the best rush defense in the league.  What saved Lynch’s fantasy value last week was two short TD’s but San Fran has yet to allow a rushing TD at all this season.

Question 3: Asked by @Steel_Thoughts

WR, Pick 2. D.Bryant(Vs PHI), Wallace(Vs STL), S.Moss(Vs MIN) or D.Thomas(@ BUF)? NonPPR

Answer

Wallace has a great match up and is a great start.  Demaryius Thomas is very likely the guy I would go with.  He isn’t as proven or consistent as Bryant and it is a VERY close call but he has had a string of really good games and I think he is sure to have a decent yardage total this week against the Bills. Targets are being spread thin in Dallas this week and against the Eagles in town, Dallas is going to focus on the run a bit more than usual.  Trust your gut though, this is a VERY close call. They are right next to each other in my rankings and both in the top 20.

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Love

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – Wells has had a very solid season in spite of some injuries.  When he has been in there, his production can not be denied. He did have a bad week in week 14 but everyone has against San Francisco this season and I am ready to look past it. Joe Haden will be locked up on Larry Fitzgerald, limiting his impact on the game significantly. Arizona is likely going to get another win this week on the back of Wells.

Jordy Nelson, WR, GB – With Greg Jennings on the sidelines for this coming game, Rodgers will be sure to look towards Jordy Nelson and all the rest of his receivers a bit more often.  The match-up is pretty good against the Chiefs and while we may see the starters on the bench by the 4th quarter again but I think all your Packers are good for a start this week regardless.

Tim Tebow, QB, DEN – There is no softer secondary in the NFL than New England’s.  Tebow is very unlikely to get a win this week but I do think he is very likely to have his highest fantasy point total of the season anyways.  Denver’s grind-it-out offense almost definitely can’t outscore the Pats and Brady but they will limit their production and keep it competitive.  This could be a 350+ yard passing day for the promising second year QB.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN – The Bengals are on a two game losing streak and are looking to cling to their playoff hopes, which are fading fast, against the league’s worst rush defense. They should have little trouble righting the ship against the Rams, who have been inept all season and especially on defense. Benson is sure to play a big role in this game and is a must-start this week for your playoff match up.

Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA – I expect Miami to focus on the ground game early on and it should be effective against the Bills’ soft defense that has really missed Kyle Williams since he went on IR. This is going to open up the passing game and Marshall should have little trouble racking up stats, especially since Buffalo stopped forcing all the turnovers they were able to cause early in the year.

Felix Jones, RB, DAL – With DeMarco Murray on IR, the running game is now in the hands of Felix.  He handled himself well with a good match up last week and has another this week against the Buccaneers, who have allowed an average of 23.5 yards per game to opposing RBs.  You shouldn’t expect him to top 20 but it is possible and he will do just fine for a play as an RB2 this week.

Hate

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT – He has had a disappointing season and plays the 9ers this week, who are by and far the best rush defense in the league. He fell outside my top 20 so don’t hesitate to put him on your bench if you have better options.

Plaxico Burress, WR, NYJ – I am down on both of the Jets’ receivers this week due to the depth of the Eagles’ secondary. With Vick back the Eagles offense is able to stay on the field more and limit opportunities against their defense too.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR – Houston may be without some of their most important offensive weapons but their defense is still in-tact and playing great. The Panthers’ running backs have been thoroughly un-impressive this season and that is not likely to change with such a tough match up in front of them.  Lower expectations on all Panthers this week.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – He rebounded slightly last week but it wasn’t a huge performance and he is on Revis Island this week.  He might draw some added coverage from Antonio Cromartie because Cromartie is slightly better defending vertical routes, which Jackson runs more often than not.

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Sam Bradford, QB, STL – Active

Jared Cook, TE, TEN - Active

Joseph Addai, RB, IND - Inactive

Jermaine Gresham, TE, CIN – Active

Kevin Kolb, QB, ARI - Inactive

Lance Moore, WR, NO – Active

Nate Washington, WR, TEN – Active

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – Inactive. Disciplinary Reasons.

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Studs

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – It is nice to see both Jackson and Rivers back with some elite fantasy numbers. Jackson went crazy in this game as the Chargers were throwing a lot to try and keep pace with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.  I never really punished Jackson in my rankings for the poor play of Rivers early on and I do expect the Chargers to turn things around.  Bottom line is the Packers are the best team in the NFL and the Chargers were in that game till the end and that is saying something.

Willis McGahee, RB, DEN – Willis came back very quickly from his hand injury and I was concerned that it might have been too soon. It turns out that it was not too soon at all.  McGahee had a phenomenal game and provided a great balance to the Broncos offense.  This balance forced the Raiders to slow their pass rush on Tebow, which really allowed him to excel in this game too.

Julio Jones, WR, ATL – It finally happened and I can’t really say that I am surprised. Jones’ talent was self-evident and it was only a matter of time before his big play ability led to a huge fantasy performance. Jones is going to be a bit of a hit or miss guy but I think he is a very good flex play. You don’t want him to have these type of games on your bench.

Matt Moore, QB, MIA – What the hell Kansas City? Coming off a three game winning streak, you can’t beat the Dolphins at home? They LOVE to lose and have been finding a way to forfeit games all season.  I was mildly considering the Chiefs as a potential wild card contender despite their injuries but that is dead now. Moore is not a serious option down the stretch as KC’s secondary is not very good without Eric Berry.

Reggie Bush, RB, MIA – We might need to consider Bush for more than a potential flex play.  Daniel Thomas was active in this game and Bush stole the show again.  He was just shy of 100 yards rushing and had a TD.  Once you add the 50 yards receiving, you’ve got a 20 point fantasy outing.  I think Bush has won over the coaching staff, who would probably like to stay employed and I think we can expect 15-20 touches for Bush as long as he stays healthy.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – This was an impressive outing for Lynch who has been unbelievably inconsistent since he had that 1000 yard rushing season as a Buffalo Bill a while back.  This isn’t a situation like Julio Jones, where you want to start the guy on a weekly basis to avoid missing these performances.  Lynch doesn’t often have even a decent game and I don’t see how he can be trusted unless he gets another solid performance or two over the next couple of weeks.

DeMarco Murray, RB, DAL – I don’t think there will be much of a competition for touches with Felix Jones anymore.  Murray has been great, even when the offense has struggled. I think Murray has earned a feature-back role in this offense and might be one of the best keepers going into next season.

Duds

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, CLE – He clearly isn’t ready or capable of being a lead back in the NFL.  He might have still be seeing the bulk of the carries on this offense next week against the Rams but if you don’t need him for next week, get rid of him. Hardesty is the guy I expect to take over the starting job when he returns from injury and I think he has a decent shot at being a solid flex play once he does indeed return.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, OAK – This is not a surprise to me. Hey-Bey has speed and can be tough to cover at times.  It is not yet clear if there is a reason why he didn’t get on the field very much after 4 straight games of 8 or more fantasy points but I’ve been steadfast in saying that Jacoby Ford is the best receiver on that team and the guy I want to own.  I’m not excited about starting any of them quite yet but as Palmer improves and gets acclimated to this offense, the value of Ford might rise significantly.

Michael Vick, QB, PHI – This was a very winnable match up for the Eagles who went from being a team I thought would make it into the playoffs as a wild card team, to probably being too far behind to be a factor.  I am not concerned too much about any Eagle’s fantasy value the rest of the way as the schedule looks very favorable and this team is about big plays, which are near impossible to rely on.

Beanie Wells, RB, ARI – It is crazy to me that Wells was shut down by the Rams defense when he has had some good performances against some solid rush defenses this season.  I am going to treat this as an anomaly but I am certainly a little nervous about how bad he was in this game.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – I think you need to keep starting this guy but he has NOT been a very good player for fantasy owners.  I am done ranking him above Maclin after 0 points this week. But at least as a flex play, you HAVE to keep him in the game.

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Cowboys at Eagles

Dallas has been a very inconsistent team this season.  Half the time Romo looks like a hero and the other half he looks like a scapegoat. Philadelphia has the opposite problem.  They have been consistently awful all season long!  They struggle to stop the run on defense and they also have not been able to keep from turning the ball over on offense. Offensive production in terms of points and yardage have never been the issue, but they just simply have not been able to overcome the turn overs.  I expect Dallas to lean on DeMarco Murray to take full advantage of the Eagles undersized defensive front and inability to contain the running game.  Because of Murray, the Cowboys should be able to keep Vick and the Eagles high-flying offense on the sideline and control the clock.  Dallas also has the ability to go deep with Austin and Bryant at receiver so this should be a great game regardless of who wins. I slightly downgrade the Cowboys ground game and think Murray is a must-start as an RB2 for this week. The Dallas defense is not good enough to make me downgrade any of the Eagles and you should still be starting all the usual suspects despite the losing streak. I like Dallas to win a close game with a heavy dose of the run game.

Patriots at Steelers

Brady has historically had no trouble passing against the Steelers and Pittsburgh has no one that can contain Welker, but I expect the run game to be a big part of New England’s plan this week.  Law Firm has been running strong the past couple of weeks and Ridley has been coming along as his primary backup.  With two quality runners and a Steelers defense that has been pretty mediocre against the run, Brady will probably not stick to the pass too much.  I think that the Steelers passing game should be in a for a big day.  Roethlisberger has not had much time to throw this season but then again, the Patriots have not been able to get much pressure on the QB or cover receivers in the vertical passing game.  Mike Wallace is an absolute MUST start in this match up and if you have Big Ben, you likely do not have a better option either. Welker and Brady have just been too good this season to bench ever too and I think New England squeaks out a win in a VERY close game.

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Love

Fred Jackson, RB, BUF – Last week the 49ers demonstrated that a significantly less talented team is able to beat these Eagles.  Philly racked up over 500 yards of offense and was still beaten by a tough, physical running game.  The Bills have a very balanced offensive attack, but are almost certain to focus on getting Fred Jackson into a groove early on so that he can keep Vick off the field.

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET – After Cam Newton was able to put up such big numbers last week against the Bears, I am pretty optimistic for Stafford and Megatron this week. With three road wins in the first four weeks of the season, I don’t see this game going badly for this surging young team. I expect the hot streak to continue at least one more week.

Ryan Mathews, RB, SD – Mathews is on pace for 1,000 yards rushing AND 1,000 yards receiving this season and going against last season’s 31′st ranked rush defense this week.  Denver has been statistically better so far this season but with two interior defensive linemen injured, I think they will continue to fall down the rankings in this area.

DeSean Jackson, WR, PHI – After seeing what Denarius Moore did to the Bills in Week 2, I think the weakness in Buffalo’s secondary is to speed. Something tells me DJax has some speed…

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – The Jets still have a great secondary, but have struggled containing the run game.  The Ridley situation is a serious cause for concern but with Law Firm being the go-to-guy on the goal line, he is worth the risk this week.

AJ Green, WR, CIN – Gabbert is going to have some trouble against the NFL’s top ranked defense and this will lead to a lot of chances for Dalton and Green to connect on a big play. Jacksonville is also known for not being able to handle big, physical, play making receivers.

Ryan Grant, RB, GB – With this being a Bye-week for 6 different teams, people need to dig a little deeper into their roster to find an RB 2 or a flex play.  Most people don’t want a piece of the Grant-Starks situation but Grant looked really good two weeks ago and with no one to compete with in week 4, Starks failed to impress anyone with a very mediocre performance. There is DEFINITELY some risk involved here but I think Grant will get the first look this week. If he runs well, he’ll see the lion’s share of the workload.

Hate

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF – Last week we saw a very different Fitzpatrick than we saw in the first three weeks. He is a bit of a gun-slinger so I am not too worried about interceptions, but I was surprised to see such poor decision making and inability to take advantage of any match ups last week.  I hope he turns it around but against an all-star group of corner backs, I think it is only reasonable to hope for around 15 or so fantasy points.

Mike Thomas, WR, JAC – Rookie QB in just his second career start and going against the league’s top ranked defense spell bad news for Thomas and all Jaguars not named Maurice Jones-Drew.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR – Going against the Saints this week means that Carolina will be playing from behind and won’t have too much time to dedicate to the running game. Since Stewart has been the better player thus far and has also been much more involved in the passing game, I think he is the one worth the flex start. I would try and leave Williams on your bench if at all possible.

Julio Jones, WR, ATL – Given the bye weeks and the fact that Jones has been being worked more and more into the offense as the season has progressed, a lot of people are high on him this week.  I know the Falcons play better at home, but I think Matt Ryan will need to use a short to intermediate passing attack due to a heavy pass rush and this does not really fir Jones’ skill set. As always with a vertical threat it just takes one big play to make a good fantasy outing, but the odds are low in my opinion this week.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – The Giants d-line is finally starting to get healthy and Lynch has yet to really demonstrate that we can trust him to be consistent on a weekly basis. I don’t trust Lynch as more than a poor flex-play in standard leagues and that is saying something with 6 teams on bye.

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