Start Sit Week 8

It's been a while. I've missed you. Have you missed me? Well we find ourselves here in the eighth week of the NFL season. It's moving so fast. So many of our preseason guesses have moved into the right or wrong category. We are turning the corner toward the playoffs. Hopefully you are still worried about making them and bringing home the ship.

Well I am here to help. Bringing back the start and sit article from the dead for Halloween. Giving you some insight on what I think are some good match ups for some of your players this week. Let's dive in.

Start

Ladarius Green, TE, San Diego Chargers

View image | gettyimages.com

Green has once again found himself with a tremendous opportunity. The start of the season presented one as well with the suspension to Antonio Gates. And now Gates is likely to miss his second game in a row. Last week Green made the best of his opportunity scoring on one of his five catches for

45 yards. The Chargers have had a big aerial attack this season, and that is just how you beat the Ravens. Green is a must start this week.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers

Stewart has a fantastic schedule ahead of him, and this week starts off the rest of the year with a top tier game. Facing the Colts on Monday night, Stewart squares off against the 7th worst defense in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Indy is allowing an average of over 100 yards and more than a touchdown per week. Coming off of a big game where he ran for 125 yards last week against the Eagles, make sure you play Stewart this week.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

View image | gettyimages.com

Diggs has become a rookie sensation. After missing the first three games of the season, Diggs has made his presence known in the last three Vikings games. Averaging over 100 yards and 6.3 catches per game, Diggs is a great play for a PPR or Standard league. The Vikings face off against the Bears this week, and their 10th worst rank in Fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Expect there to be a lot of opportunity for Diggs this week.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Floyd and the Cardinals face off against the Cleveland Browns and their lackluster passing defense. The Browns don't allow a huge amount of yards per game, 242, but they do allow a lot of touchdowns. So far on the season the Browns have allowed 11 touchdowns through the air. This sets up the passing game of the Cards well. Another possible benefit for Floyd is the status of John Brown. Brown is questionable this week, and it has been rumored that the team will rest him this week to get him healthy. If Brown is out, Floyd is a Halloween weekend monster.

Willie Snead, WR, New Orleans Saints

Snead had a good start to his season, and then cooled a bit in the last game. This week Snead and the Saints will face the beat up New York Giants defense and their 30th ranked pass defense. The Giants are allowing 288 yards per game and 10 scores on the season. Snead should find a nice match up awaiting him this week.

Sit

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns

Crowell has been extremely inconsistent so far this season. The worst bit of news for him is that there are now three mouths to feed again in Cleveland. Crowell has not been making the most of his touches in recent weeks either. In his defense there have been some difficult match ups, but Crowell has lost a lot of his share of touches to both Robert Turbin and Duke Johnson. This week the Browns face off against the Arizona Cardinals and their eighth ranked run defense. The Cards only allow 97 yards per game, and only three touchdowns on the ground through seven games this year. I can't play Crowell on any of my teams this week.

Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

View image | gettyimages.com

Dez has been out since the first game of the season with a broken bone in his foot. This week he participated in practice in a limited fashion. The Cowboys have been snake bitten so far this year, losing not only Bryant, but then Tony Romo the next week. The quarterback situation has been a mess, and now here comes Seattle. It is likely that Richard Sherman would roll with Dez on Sunday if he plays, and I won't want any part of that match up playing for me. I have put my money where my mouth is on this one too. I traded for Dez in a few leagues after he got hurt, and I am not even considering playing him this week. I want to see how he looks, and see him playing against a different defesne.

Latavius Murray, RB, Oakland Raiders

Murray has the misfortune of facing the top ranked run defense of the New York Jets this week. The Jets have allowed 71 yards per game, and only two scores on the season. So far this year Murray has only had one monster game. There is not a lot of positive feeling about this game for me about the ability of Oakland to run. I have Murray on the bench in leagues where I can afford to bench him.

Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders

View image | gettyimages.com

Cooper is the other side of the terrible match up the Raiders have this week. Cooper will draw the coverage of Darrelle Revis, who is a top shut down corner. Cooper has been able to take advantage of his good match ups this season, and has not done much in the harder ones. In week five Cooper faced Denver and their tough secondary, and had four catches for 45 yards. Week four saw Cooper face the oddly shut down in yards and allow touchdowns pass defense of the Chicago Bears. Cooper followed the trend, with only 49 yards, but a score. So while he may one day be an all time great, and is quite polished as a rookie, Cooper will likely be shut down this week, and you should shut him down too.

All the 49ers

There is not a player on the 49ers I am excited about playing this week. Facing the Rams in St. Louis is a daunting task. Now add to that the fact that Carlos Hyde will not be playing. Colin Kaepernick has been mostly terrible this year. Anquan Boldin hurt his hamstring in practice on Thursday and might not play. The offense will rely on Reggie Bush, who can't stay healthy, and Torrey Smith. I don't want anything to do with any player from the 49ers this week.

So there you have it. Welcome back to the FTW blog, and thanks for your time. I hope in the next few weeks to continue to provide you some strategy and advice artilces. Feel free to find me on twitter, or email me any questions you have. Make sure to check out my injury article on socalledfantasyexperts.com. Thanks for reading.

Start Sit Week 4

Image Source: foxsports.com

Welcome in once again to another start sit column. I'm writing this after having watched the abomination that was another Thursday night football game. The offense in these games is painful to watch. It is a marginal product at its best, and is not safe for the players. But the money will keep them coming back. I digress.
So for the fourth week of the season there are some great match-ups, and some not so good. This is, as always what we strive to unearth every week. So let us take a look at the players who we should start and sit this week.

Start

Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets
Ivory was active last week for the Jets, but did not get a touch. This week Ivory has said that he feels much better than last week, and he has been participating in practice. The Jets play in the London game this week, and will kick off at 9:30 am eastern. This will require you to make an early decision on him, but as long as he is active, I would start him. The Dolphins defense has been a huge disappointment so far this season. Allowing 145 yards per game on the ground so far this season, Miami is like a matador to opposing running backs. Ole, and start Ivory.

All the Bears and Raiders
Obviously this is meant for the top tier starters for these teams. I would include in this Amari Cooper, Alshon Jeffery, Latavius Murray, Matt Forte, and of course Martellus Bennett. With Gronk out, many fantasy analysts have Bennett as the top tight end this week. The Raiders can't stop the tight end. This is evidenced by them allowing a career day to Gary Barnidge last week, which in turn allowed me to win a bet where I now get to kick the loser in the face. Defense will not be at a premium in this game, and I would start all my players in this game with confidence.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans
Foster has been out since the preseason with a groin injury. It has become possible that he will get into the action this week for the Texans. If Foster is active, he is a must start in my opinion. Foster usually will not come back from an injury unless he is ready to go. Houston will face the Atlanta Falcons this week. The Falcons are middle of the pack in yards allowed on the ground, but they have given up six rushing scores through three weeks. If you drafted Foster this year you have been waiting for him to come back. Bask in his glow while you can.

Karlos Williams, RB, Buffalo Bills
Williams has been a very bright spot for the Bills so far this season. So far on the season Williams is averaging 62 yards per game on the ground, but he has also scored a touchdown every week so far. The Giants are actually the second ranked run defense by yards allowed, but I believe that is a bit of fools gold. The Bills are a good run blocking unit. I expect the rookie to have a solid week.

Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego Chargers
Gordon has had positive and negative press in the Fantasy community so far this season. He has not been able to pass block, and a lot of his role has been taken by Danny Woodhead. This week the Chargers and Gordon take aim at the worst run defense in the league, both this year and last. The Browns have allowed 158 yards per game so far this season. I expect Gordon to be able to gash them, and hopefully get himself a nice long score. Gordon should be a solid RB2 or flex play for your squad this week.


Sit

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Bucs
Martin has opened the season with three great match ups this season. The problem is that he has looked every bit of the Martin we saw over the last two years. Martin has been unable to take advantage of his beneficial schedule early this season. This week Martin squares off against the fourth ranked by yards run defense of the Carolina Panthers. Carolina is only allowing 75.7 yards per game. The offensive line of the Bucs is not very good either. This seems to be the perfect storm to keep Martin's numbers down this week.

Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins
I have lost my faith in Miller and the Dolphins. Miller has been abysmal so far this season, and the Dolphins have been under-performing on both sides of the ball. The Jets have a good defense, even though they are middle of the pack in yards allowed per week. The Dolphins have not blocked well, passed well, and definitely haven't run well. I am not interested in starting any piece of their offense outside of Jarvis Landry, and that is only because of volume in a PPR.

Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Hyde looked amazing on the first Monday night of the season. Then he got banged up during Week 2. And in Week 3, the box was stacked. The rest of the league knows that Colin Kaepernick is not a good quarterback. They are willing to stack the box and let Kaep throw and force him to beat them. You can expect this to remain the case for the rest of the season. This week against Green Bay I expect the same, and with coverage for the Packers being pretty good, they can afford to push forward and force the issue.

Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Bucs
Evans has been out or a decoy in two of three games this season. So how can I tell you to sit him? Josh Norman. The corner for the Panthers has been making his case to be the next shutdown corner in the NFL, and he is making it well. With a rookie quarterback in Jameis Winston, and facing off against one of the better defensive units in the league, I am thinking that I will take my chances with whoever I was playing while he was out.

Defenses to stream

Green Bay Packers are a solid streaming choice this week. The 49ers almost fooled us in Week 1. But their true colors have shined through since. I expect a solid game from the Packers, and even though the game is in San Francisco, I am starting the Packers defense this week.

San Diego Chargers face off against the Cleveland Browns. Possessing a good secondary will help to control Travis Benjamin. The Browns have been a bad running unit and I can't see this changing much this week. I think the Chargers at home this week are a good option for a defensive streamer.

Quarterbacks to stream

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets is facing off against the middle of the road pass defense of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have allowed six passing touchdowns on the season. If Fitzpatrick has all of his weapons back, he is a solid streaming option this week.

Brandon Weeden, QB, Dallas Cowboys faces off against a New Orleans Saints defense that has allowed six touchdowns on the season. The Saints have not intercepted a pass on the season, a good thing for a quarterback that is a backup. With another week under his belt, and a chance to get more comfortable with his abilities and limitations, I can see using Weeden for an emergency fill in this week.

We reach the end of another start sit for Week 4. It's crazy to think that we are already in the fourth week of the season. It's going so fast. All the buildup of the off-season and drafting has come down to this. Take this information and use it for good this week. Good luck!

Week Two Start Sit

Well it has been a slow few weeks as real life has caught up with me. Lots of busy things happening. Drafts were amazing. Had a great time, and have some great teams. I hope the same has befallen you as well. So now we have a full week in the bank. It’s time to look at the best plays and worst plays we find this week. So let’s take a look at this week’s start/sit.

Start

John Brown, WR, Arizona is facing his second good match up in a row. After performing fairly well in Week One, with four catches on seven targets for 46 yards and a touchdown, Brown is once again a guy I am sliding into my flex positions this week.  Facing the Chicago Bears in Week Two, Brown finds a favorable situation ahead. The Bears gave up three touchdowns through the air last week. In the 2014 season the Bears were 30^th in passing yards allowed for the season. I expect the issues with the Bears passing defense to continue this week. Get Brown in your lineup.

Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona is leading the attack again this week for the Cardinals. Palmer had a superb opening game to the season, throwing for 307 yards and 3 scores. Palmer is a good enough quarterback to take advantage of a defense that is weak in the passing game. Expect him to do more of the same this week. If you are lucky and planned the start of your season, you can stack Palmer and Brown this week and double your pleasure. Palmer is a great start for you this week.

Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee is a surprise addition to this list. I never thought I'd say that after the 2014 season, and the tumultuous offseason at the running back position in Tennessee. Sankey had a fantastic performance in the new and seemingly improved offense of the Titans. Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota was fantastic in his NFL debut last week, and Sankey was also impressive. This week Sankey and the Titans will face off against the hapless Cleveland Browns. Last season the Browns gave up the most yards per game on the ground. The Browns picked up right where they left off allowing 154 yards in their first game of the season. If you see Sankey hanging out on your waiver wire and are in need of a running back this week, snatch him up and get him in your lineup.

Steve Smith Sr, WR, Baltimore squares off against the not improved defense of the Oakland raiders. The Ravens faced the Broncos in a clash of good defensive units last week. This week, the Ravens offense will have a much better time of it. The Raiders gave up 270 yards and 2 passing touchdowns last week to the Cincinnati Bengals. This bodes well for the likes of Smith Sr. Look for him to atone for dropping a touchdown last week. Get Smith Sr. in your lineups.

Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets is a great second receiver for an NFL team. The good news about that is he will likely not get the top corner coverage a lot this year now that the Jets have a number one guy. This week the Jets face the sub-par defense of the Indianapolis Colts. The colts didn’t give up a huge amount of passing yards in the first week of the season, but they did give up a long score to Percy Harvin. Expect that the top corner, Vontae Davis, will be on Brandon Marshall. This leads me to believe that Decker is primed to have himself a solid game. Start him if you got him.

Sit

LeGarrette Blount, RB, New England Patriots was suspended for the first week of the season so we haven’t seen him on the field yet in regular season action. His first game back is against the stout defense of the Buffalo Bills. The narrative being bounced around twitter and the podcast circuit is that the Patriots will attack the Bills defense with short passing. This seems to make sense with some of the personnel the Pats feature. If this is in fact what Bill Belichick does with his game plan, this doesn’t play well for Blount. Blount is not the best pass catching back the pats have. Along with the possible bad game plan for Blount, Buffalo is very good against the run. The Bills allowed just over 100 yards on the ground per game last season, and in their first game of this season they held the Colts to 64 rushing yards. I’m sitting Blount this week.

Andre Johnson, WR, Indianapolis Colts looked like an old, washed up man last week against the Bills. This week assuming he gets the top corner his opponent has if TY Hilton is out, we will welcome Johnson to Revis Island. I can’t imagine any situation where Revis has two functioning legs and can’t shut down Johnson. The best hope for him is if Donte Moncrief torches the Jets on a few plays and they shift the coverage to Moncrief instead. But this assumes that Johnson is ready for the challenge and steps up to it. I am not looking to take that chance myself and would sit Andre Johnson this week.

Latavius Murray, RB, Oakland Raiders had a decent game for one where his team was never even close to competitive. The good news is he got seven catches in the game last week. This week Murray and the Raiders face the stiff Baltimore Ravens defense. Baltimore only gave up 69 yards rushing last week against the Broncos. This might seem like it is due to the mess that has been the Broncos offensive line, but they were stout last year as well. In the 2014 campaign the Ravens only allowed 88 yards rushing per game and eight touchdowns on the season. This makes me want to put Murray on my bench this week.

TJ Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars had 51 rushing yards in his first NFL start. The positives about this are that he got four yards per carry, and that he also caught three passes. This was a game against Carolina, a usually strong defense, but they were missing Star Lotulelei in the middle of that defensive line. This week doesn’t get any easier than last week, squaring off against the Miami Dolphins and their scary defense. The Dolphins did give up a lot of yards in game one of the season, but that was against an actually decent run blocking line of Washington. The Jags line is not that good. I don’t see good things for Yeldon this week and am sitting him in the leagues I own him in.

Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts squares off against the New York Jets this week. Another team with a strong defensive line, the Jets only allowed 104 yards last week to the Browns, but 58 of those yards were given up to the quarterbacks of the browns. That means that the running backs only gained 46 yards. Gore looked old, and actually left the game with cramps. Gore had 8 carries for 31 yards and 2 catches last week. I am not feeling too good about his chances this week and would bench him for a better option.

It feels good to be back. The first week of the season was amazing. Happy to bring you some advice and insights into who to start and sit in your leagues. Check back for more articles in the near future and read some of my other work at socalledfantasyexperts.com and fakepigskin.com. Thanks for reading and good luck in week two!

Start Sit Week 14

For many of you, this will be the first week of the fantasy playoffs. For others, this will be the last week until they start. I assume that if you are still reading, it means good things, or you are just as much of a fantasy football sicko as I have become. Either way, lets look at the start sit for week 14 together.

Start

Josh Gordon (CLE) takes on the Colts at home this week. Indianapolis will be without Vontae Davis this week, and that should lead to a field day for Gordon against the Colts. It is also likely that in his third week back from suspension, Gordon has worked out some of the bugs in his route running and the offense and should strike gold for you this week. A shootout is definitely possible in this game against the high octane offense of Indy, so expect a lot of scoring. Get Gordon in your lineup.

Delanie Walker (TEN) is very nearly the last man standing in the passing attack of the Titans. Losing Justin Hunter last week, and likely without Kendall Wright as well this week, Walker should see a large uptick in targets and production this week. The match up for Walker is fantastic as well, taking on the Giants who are reeling and have given up 20 touchdowns through the air on the season. In the vast wasteland that has been the tight end position this season, Walker should be a bright spot this week. Start him.

Frank Gore (SF) has a fantastic opportunity to be the hero in a cross bridge rivalry game with the Oakland Raiders and their 27th ranked run defense. Oakland has allowed 130.5 yards per game, and 13 scores on the ground this season. Last week the Rams showed us how it was done, torching the Raiders with their running game. The only possible negative is that the 49ers get up big early and decide to take Gore out and run Carlos Hyde, but by that time Gore may have already put up solid numbers for you. Start him.

Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb (GB) has the fortune of facing off against the worst passing defense in the league this week when he and the Packers in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field. The Falcons by yardage are the worst pass defense, likely because they are easy to punch it in against, but I don't see both Cobb and Nelson having trouble finding the end zone. The Packers have been scoring almost at will, and that is unlikely to stop this week against Atlanta. You better have both these guys playing if you want to win.

Sit

LeSean McCoy (PHI) has a tough match up this week against the Seahawks, and his track record this year against good run defenses is not so good. On the season McCoy only has one performance over 10 fantasy points in a PPR format against a top 15 run defense, and even expanding that to 15 points the number only swells to 2. The Seahawks have been playing their best defensive ball of the season, and have the 5th ranked run defense on the season, allowing only 86.3 yards per game. It is tough medicine, but sitting McCoy will cure what ails ya.

Eric Decker (NYJ) is a victim of multiple circumstances for the Jets. Terrible quarterback play, injuries, and now facing the 6th ranked pass defense of the Vikings on the road. If the Jets employ a similar game plan as last week, Decker is lost. Somehow Decker caught 2 passes of the 13 thrown by Geno Smith. The Vikes only allow 219 yards per game, and I would expect that number to go down this week. I would not even think about starting Decker this week.

Percy Harvin (NYJ) falls under a the same category as his teammate Eric Decker. The only bonus for Harvin over Decker is that he gets some rushing yards, but this offense and team are a complete mess. On the season, split between two teams, and two offenses, Harvin has been a disaster. Having only 1 game over 50 receiving yards on the season, and 188 rushing yards on the season, if you have been playing Harvin and made the playoffs, the rest of your team is amazing. Plug in any random player and carry on. 

Tre Mason (STL) take on a surprisingly stout run defense of Washington this week. Washington is ranked 9th against the run, and allows only 102.8 yards per game on the ground. Points may be hard to come by this week, and the Rams might have a better chance through the air where Washington has given up 26 touchdowns. After a huge game last week, I expect a big letdown this week for Mason. Sit him.

Sammy Watkins (BUF) has fallen off the last 4 games. Reports that he is dealing with groin and hip issues seem to have limited him. It hasn't helped that Watkins has been facing some good corners, and that is going to continue this week when Buffalo takes on Denver on the road. Watkins will be taking on Aqib Talib, and will once again have a tough time. Banged up and facing a defense that allows only 229.7 yards per game through the air, I am sitting Watkins this week.

Ryan Mathews (SD) is facing the 13th ranked run defense in the league this week in the New England Patriots. The ranking is somewhat deceptive as the Pats have allowed only 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. Mathews had missed much of the season, and is fresh, but in the first week of the playoffs, I am not inclined to recommend that you start Mathews this week.

That brings us once again to the end of the start sit article this week. Here is hoping that this article helps you to either your playoffs, or to the next round. Go out there and get 'em. Good luck this week!

Start Sit Week 13

Lucky week 13. I had a hard time finding players to put on the sit list this week, which is a good thing for the action this week. here is a look at my starters and players riding the pine for me this week.

Starts

Image source: philly.com

Calvin Johnson (DET) is obviously a starter for most of you every week. Johnson has been a bit of a disappointment this season, missing time with injuries and being used as a decoy in a few games. Nut this week is the game we have all been waiting for. I myself traded for Matthew Stafford specifically for this week and the fantasy playoffs. If Megatron is going to have a game, this is likely the week. The Lions face off against the Chicago Bears in a Thanksgiving Day match up. The Bears defense has been terrible this season. Having allowed 260.5 yards per game and 25 touchdowns through the air, expect good things from the Lions offense. If they can't do it against this team, I no longer like the odds of the Lions for the playoffs. Johnson should be a monster against the Bears this week.

Jordan Matthews (PHI) faces the Dallas Cowboys in another Thanksgiving game this week. Dallas was exposed last week in the first 3 quarters of the game against the Giants allowing Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. to pass all over them. Since Mark Sanchez has taken over as the quarterback for the Eagles, Matthews has seen an increase in his production and scoring. I would say Matthews is a good start this week as a wide receiver 2 or a solid flex play.

Image source: kennystills84.com

Kenny Stills (NO) had 8 catches for 98 yards on Monday night against the Ravens in his increased

role minus Brandin Cooks for the Saints. Stills and the Saints are playing at the Steelers this week, and I would look for Stills production to continue against the Steelers 16th ranked pass defense. The Steelers allow 241.6 yards per game, and have allowed 19 passing touchdowns on the year. Stills is a good flex play this week for your fantasy team.

Jarvis Landry (MIA) has a great game awaiting him in the Dolphins match up at the New York Jets. The Jets are the 14th ranked pass defense by yards per game at 238.6, but they have allowed a league high 27 passing touchdowns on the season. After the terrible performance against the Bills last week, it is a hot mess for the Jets on all sides of the ball. I would not be surprised if Landry keeps up his productive ways, and believe he has a great chance to score this week for the Dolphins. Landry is a solid wide receiver 2 or flex play for you this week.

Image source: patriots.com

LeGarrett Blount (NE) got another shot for the Patriots last week, and he didn't disappoint New England Fans. This week the likely game plan will be run to control the clock and keep the high octane offense of the Packers off the field. Look for Blount to get a good deal of work for the Pats this week against the 30th ranked run defense of the Packers. Start Blount this week.

Sits

Image source: nfl.com

Brandon Marshall (CHI) has been banged up and sporadic this season. Facing off against the 10th ranked pass defense of the Lions isn't a very good match up for a Bears offense that has been struggling as of late. Detroit allows only 233.1 yards per game and has 14 touchdowns to 13 interceptions on the season. I'm sitting Marshall this week.

Frank Gore (SF) faces the 6th ranked run defense of the Seahawks this week. Gore has lost a share of the goal line work, and has seen his workload diminished. Along with those facts, the play calling in San Francisco has been suspect this season. Gore has also fumbled in each of his last 2 games. I personally have Gore on one of my fantasy teams, and have been less than enthusiastic about playing him. This week playing against a defense only allowing 88.4 yards per game I think Gore is a sit.

Steve Smith Sr. (BAL) is a player I wrote about earlier this season. This week, I am not a fan of playing him in a match up against the 6th ranked pass defense of the San Diego Chargers. Allowing only 221.3 yards per game through the air, the Chargers may prove to be too much for the Ravens and Smith. In the last few weeks the production has been spotty, having less than 40 yards in 3 of his last 4 games, and only scoring one time since week 6. Sit Steve Smith this week.

Image source: nydailynews.com

Eric Decker (NYJ) is a victim of his circumstance. At the start of the season Decker had a hamstring

injury that was limiting his production, but now the play of the quarterbacks and team in general is hampering him. Michael Vick took over a few weeks ago, and has played about as poorly as Geno Smith, who returns to the starting role this week. I wouldn't trust Decker one bit this week against the stout defense of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are the 4th ranked pass defense in the NFL, allowing 211.7 yards per game on the season. If you were playing him, this is time to jump off that train.

Ryan Mathews (SD) has a big task ahead this week facing the run defense of the New York Jets, who allow only 86.2 yards per game. A caveat to the Mathews situation is that the Jets might be without Muhammad Wilkerson this week. If Wilkerson is out, the Jets run defense will suffer. But as a whole, I am not sure that I trust using Mathews this week. If the Chargers get out to a big lead, you can expect to see more of Branden Oliver in an effort to save Mathews for the rest of the season. With so many variables to the possible performance for Mathews, I would try to find myself a better option this week.

Well we once again find ourselves at the end of another start sit column. Here is hoping that you all have a Happy Thanksgiving of enjoying a triple header of football action, and some well prepared turkey. Good luck this week!

Start Sit Week 12

Week 12 is upon us, and some fantastic match ups for some great individual players are on tap for this week. On the flip side a few fantasy stalwarts may not be the scoring dynamos that we have come to rely on this week. Let's take a look at this weeks start sit players.

Starts 

Josh Gordon (CLE) is back this week from suspension. According to report he is in great shape, and has been at the team facility and looking good. The Browns play against the Atlanta Falcons this week, which is about the best match up you could think of for Gordon in his return. Atlanta has the worst pass defense in the league, allowing 281.2 yards per game through the air. Most of you have been keeping him on your bench for a part of the season, now is your time. start him this week.

Andrew Hawkins (CLE) is now the other half of the receiving attack that could now be much more formidable than it has been. Hawkins has been a solid PPR performer all season, but now with Josh Gordon returning, it seems likely that Hawkins will be receiving less attention from defenses and have more room to work with. Facing the Falcons this week I expect big things from Hawkins in his now complimentary role to Gordon. Hawkins is a great start for a wide receiver 2 or flex this week.

Trent Richardson (IND) is quite possibly now the man in Indianapolis. With Ahmad Bradshaw
breaking his ankle in week 11, Richardson is now the lead back and should see the larger share of the workload for the Colts going forward. This is only somewhat exciting as Richardson has been less than thrilling since coming into the league, but a starting running back has value for fantasy. This week the Colts face off against the 26th ranked run defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags are allowing 126.2 yards per game on the ground this season. Richardson is now a running back 2 or flex play and should be started this week.

Image source: fansided.com

Sammy Watkins (BUF) should take on the Jets in Buffalo this week, assuming that the entire stadium isn't covered in snow. As of writing this post, it is less likely that the game will be in Buffalo on Sunday, and could likely move to either Detroit or Washington on Monday night. Given lots of rest and assuming that the Bills get a chance to get in some practice before the game, Watkins should be healthy and ready to score against the New York Jets 15th ranked pass defense. The Jets don't give up the most yards per game (240.5), but they have allowed the most passing touchdowns through the air at 25 on the season. Look for Watkins to put up some numbers this week and start him.

Image source: azcentral.com

Andre Ellington (ARI) has a match up against the 7th ranked run defense of the Seattle Seahawks
this week. This normally would look to be a negative thing, but the Seahawks are missing some key players on defense. Couple that with the fact that the Cardinals are starting their back up quarterback on the road, and a commitment to the running game seems to be in order for Arizona. Look for Ellington to get a fair amount of touches both out of the backfield and in the passing game against the Seahawks this week.

Ryan Mathews (SD) has reasonably fresh legs for the San Diego Chargers after missing time earlier this season. The Chargers play against the 18th ranked run defense of the St. Louis Rams who allow 114.6 yards per game on the ground. The Chargers quarterback, Phillip Rivers, has a rib injury and I expect them to hand the ball to Mathews a lot this week in a decent match up at home. Mathews is a definite start for me in week 12.

Sits 

Image source: sidelionreport.com

Golden Tate (DET) faces a tough match up this week and is likely to be covered by a player quite familiar with him. Tate is likely to face off against former teammate Brandon Browner in New England this week. The Patriots have a good pass defense, which is ranked 17th, but had been missing Browner for the first few games of the season due to suspension. On the other side there is Revis Island to take care of Calvin Johnson, and that leaves Tate and Browner. The Lions have struggled on offense this season, both with and without Johnson, and I don't expect a huge game from any of the Lions in their second straight road game this week. I am sitting Golden Tate this week.

Cordarelle Patterson (MIN) is a guy I am finally done with. I held on as long as I could, but he's dead to me now. The Vikings offense is a mess. Patterson can't run routes or get open, and the Packers only allow 238.2 yards per game and have a 15:14 touchdown to interception ratio on the season. If you are still rostering Patterson, you may safely release him back into the wild at this point.

Image source: sportingnews.com

Alfred Morris (WAS) faces a daunting task this week squaring off against the 6th ranked run defense
of the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers allow 88.6 yards per game on the ground, and have only allowed 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. Given that Robert Griffin III is playing terribly, and the offense is a mess, it seems likely that San Francisco will be stacking the box and daring RG3 to beat them with his passing. Sit Morris this week.

Mark Ingram (NO) will be running into the 5th ranked run defense of the Baltimore Ravens in week 12. Baltimore allows 84.5 yards per game on the ground, and only 6 rushing touchdowns on the season. Ingram had a bad rushing game last week, and only really had value in PPR leagues due to catching 7 balls last week. In addition, I would be concerned that the heavy workload that he has been getting might catch up with an injury prone running back soon. Over the last 4 games Ingram has 104 runs, and has been anything but durable throughout his career. I don't trust the match up, and I don't trust Ingram this week.

Image source: patriots.com

Jonas Gray (NE) is the flavor of the week for the Patriots. Rushing for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns last week, Gray is set up to let you down this week. Among the many issues with Gray is the fact that Bill Belichick isn't the kind of coach that will give a running back consistent work, and you can never really trust the Patriots running backs. On top of that, the Pats face the top ranked run defense of the Detroit Lions this week. Detroit only allows 68.8 yards per game on the ground. The final issue I see with Gray this week is the arrival of LeGarrette Blount. Blount has a chance to take touches from Gray as he is likely fairly familiar with the offense of the Patriots having played for them last season. All of these reasons are more than enough for me to not trust Gray this week and recommend sitting him this week.

With just 2 weeks left in most leagues regular season, the final push is on. Many teams need a win this week to keep hope alive for the 2014 fantasy season. Here's hoping that this article will help you make good decisions and provide insight to help you make those playoffs. Good luck this week!

Start/Sit: Week 11

Week 11 already. Fantasy playoffs on the horizon. Where did the season go? Hopefully it has gone well for you and you are making your preparations to dominate your playoffs. I'm here to try to help you to a win this week with some start/sit advice.

Start

Image source: savannahnow.com

Kelvin Benjamin (CAR) has been about the only weapon through the air that the Panthers have been able to consistently count on. Lining up opposite the now worst ranked pass defense in the league in the Atlanta Falcons this week, Benjamin is set up to have a monster game. Atlanta is allowing 280.8 yards per game through the air and doesn't have anyone that can really match up against the size and speed of Benjamin. Look for him to have a big game this week.

Golden Tate (DET) is a player that loyal Fantasy Squads readers may recall I wrote about previously. Tate is a fantastically talented receiver, and the return of Calvin Johnson to the field did not slow him down. In week 10 Tate had 11 catches for 109 yards against a top tier defense of the Miami Dolphins. In week 11 the Lions face off against the 30th ranked passing defense of the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards have allowed 274.2 yards per game to opponents through the air. There should likely not be a week you take Tate out of your lineup the rest of the season, and certainly not this week.

Image source: post-gazette.com

Martavis Bryant (PIT) has exploded on the scene in Pittsburgh. Scoring 6 touchdowns in his first 4 games, Bryant has shown a wide range of skills. From deep ball threat, to solid red zone target, what can't Bryant do? With a weakened and old defense in for the Steelers, most of their games are likely to feature lots of passing down the stretch. This week the Steelers take on the Titans in Tennessee. The Titans have the 11th ranked pass defense in the NFL going into this week, but this stat may be a function of their terrible run defense. If you don't have to pass against them, why do it? Well I think the Steelers will have to pass against them at least a bit, and Bryant is a versatile player that is in a good offense opposite Antonio Brown taking most of the extra attention. Get Bryant in your lineup this week.

DeSean Jackson (WAS) laces them up against the 31st ranked pass defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 11. Tampa bay has given up 277.1 yards per game on the season, and allowed 19 receiving touchdowns to only 6 interceptions. Jackson has proven to still be a big deep pass threat this season, and I would look for him to get loose for at least one big play this week.

Image source: startribune.com

Cordarelle Patterson (MIN) has been a big disappointment this season. Being ranked in the top 24 of wide receivers in the preseason by many fantasy analysts, Patterson has not performed. In the Vikings last game, there were some signs of life, including added usage, and him breaking free on a busted coverage only to be overthrown by Teddy Bridgewater. Look for the Vikings to have used the bye week to work on some timing and chemistry to fully take advantage of their match up against the 28th ranked pass defense of the Chicago Bears. The Bears were just torched on Sunday Night Football for 6 first half touchdowns by the Packers. Yes, Teddy is not Aaron Rodgers, but the Bears passing defense is terrible, allowing the second most (23) receiving touchdowns on the season. Take a chance on Patterson this week, I think you might be rewarded.

Sit

Image source: usatoday.com

Sammy Watkins (BUF) tweaked his groin in practice last week, and was largely ineffective in week 10. The news doesn't get much better in week 11 when the Bills will face off against the number 2 pass defense of the  Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night football. The Dolphins are only allowing 210.8 yards per game to opposing teams via the pass, and have allowed 14 touchdowns through the air on the season. I say this speaking as a guy who just traded for Watkins last week, I'm likely sitting him this week in favor of another wide receiver or flex option.

Lamar Miller (MIA) continues our Thursday night flare on the sit column. Miller has a sprained AC joint in his shoulder, and was only able to manage 5 touches in week 10 against the Lions. This week the Dolphins face the 8th ranked run defense of the Bills on a short week. The short turn around for the Dolphins, coupled with the lack of touches in last weeks game don't bode well for Miller and his chances this week. If I were a miller owner, I would be looking for another option for this week.

Image source: iplsports.com

Bobby Rainey (TB) has been a sometimes bright spot this season for the Bucs. This has been due to the fact that there are not really any bright spots at all for them. Rainey will have his workload cut into by the recently activated Charles Sims, and didn't do much with his 6 carries last week, only gaining 14 yards. Rainey did slightly better in the passing game, 4 catches for 42 yards, but facing the 14th Washington run defense who has been somewhat stingy with the rushing touchdowns, and only allowing 110 yards per game on the ground, I am not a fan of starting Rainey this week.

Image source: detroitnews.com

The next section will be dedicated to the three headed not so scary monster that is the Detroit Lions backfield. The first key issue is that they can't stay healthy. Reggie Bush has had a very hard time staying on the field, and it seems as if he is alternating missing time with Joique Bell this season. The guy who has been putting up the best fantasy numbers has been Theo Riddick, and he only played 7 snaps last week, he just happened to be the one to catch a touchdown pass on one of them. This week against the 3rd ranked pass defense of the Arizona Cardinals, who only allow 78.6 yards per game on the ground, I can see the reason to start any of the Lions running backs. I am not even sure at this point I would want to be taking up a roster spot with any of them.

Image source: zimbio.com

Tre Mason (STL) is the man out front, sometimes, for the Rams running game. The indecision by Jeff Fisher as to what he is doing with his running backs, along with the lack of overall production team up to make Mason a sit this week in my book. Facing the top ranked run defense of the Denver Broncos, who allow 67 yards per game on the ground, does not make me change that opinion in any way. It will likely be a long week for the Rams if, more like when, Denver gets out to a big lead on them. If the rams are getting blown out, the game will turn to more passing for the Rams, and Mason is not a good pass blocker as of yet, so may not even be on the field much. Sit Mason this week.

That is the finale of our look at starts and sits this week. I hope to have given you some helpful information to make good decisions for your fantasy rosters this week. Good luck!

Monster Match Ups And Misses Week 8

Week 8 has some huge games that offer up some monster match ups for your fantasy week. On the flip side of that, there are some games that offer up bad match ups for both receivers and running backs on your teams. Let's take a look at this weeks monsters and misses.

The Good

Image source detroitlions.com

Detroit Lions have a great match up this week against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have the 27th ranked run defense in the league allowing 137.7 rushing yards per game and 13 rushing touchdowns so far this season. With Reggie Bush and Theo Riddick both being banged up, it might be a great week for Joique Bell this week in London. Along with the bad run defense the Falcons have the 29th ranked pass defense in the league. Allowing 274.4 yards and 8 touchdowns through the air this year, Golden Tate should find himself some good stats this week. Early rumors say that it is possible that Calvin Johnson will play this week, but keep an eye out for practice report updates this week. Being that this game is in London, the start time is early for both east and west coast fantasy players. If Johnson practices this week, you can expect him to play and plug him in your lineup.

The

In week 8 the Seattle Seahawks face off against the once menacing defense of the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers rank 26th against the run, allowing 137.6 yards per game and 8 touchdowns on the season on the ground. Ranking 22nd against the pass, they allow 250.7 yards per game and 15 touchdowns. I look for the Seahawks to recommit to the run this week with Marshawn Lynch. On top of that, it could be a coming out party for Paul Richardson this week against the porous Carolina secondary. Start your Seahwaks, and don't leave Richardson on your waiver wire for the future.

Image source zimbio.com

The Minnesota Vikings have a great match up against the run defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs allow 128.3 yards per game with their 25th ranked run defense. Jerick McKinnon seems to have finally passed Matt Asiata to be the starter and feature back for the Vikings. With 30 rushes for 143 yards the past 2 weeks for the Vikes, McKinnon has had the lions share of the rushes for the Vikings. He is a must start this week against the Bucs.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers wide receivers have to be licking their chops with their match up this week at the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have the 28th ranked pass defense, allowing 270.5 yards per game and have given up 11 touchdowns while only having 3 interceptions. Look for the great offense of the Packers to feast on the Saints defense early and often.

The Philadelphia Eagles square off against the 31st ranked pass defense of the Arizona Cardinals. Allowing 284.8 yards per game, the pass heavy offense of the Eagles should be able to find some success against the Cards. Look for Jeremy Maclin to have a good game, but the sleeper to watch is Jordan Matthews. Look for him to have a breakout game this week. I would expect to see Patrick Peterson on Jeremy Maclin a lot, leaving Mathews in a good spot to score for you.

Image source sportsworldreport.com

A team I would never have expected to be writing about hits up the monsters list next. The Oakland Raiders have a great match up against the 32nd ranked defense of the Cleveland Browns. Giving up a league high 155.5 yards per game, and 5 yards per carry, it is a good week ahead for Darren McFadden. As long as the Raiders follow a game plan that includes attacking Cleveland at their weak point, you should get a solid spot start from McFadden this week.

The Bad:

The Cincinnati Bengals had a tough week 7 against the Colts, and it isn't going to get much easier this week against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are the 7th ranked run defense in the NFL allowing only 87 yards per game on the ground and only 3 touchdowns on the season. This will make for a hard game for Giovanni Bernard and Jeremy Hill in week 8. The Ravens passing defense is ranked 24th in the league allowing 258 yards a game, but they have not allowed a lot of scoring, only 7 passing touchdowns on the season. The Bengals need AJ Green to play this week, or they will have a hard time finding a way to win this game. If Green sits out again this week, or if he isn't 100 percent, I don't like the fantasy output you will likely see from the Bengals.

Image source stltoday.com

St. Louis Rams played a solid game against the Seahawks in week 7, but their special teams was the

difference maker last week. This week I look for their passing attack to have a difficult time against the leagues number 2 pass defense. The Kansas City Chiefs only allow 209 yards per game on the season. They have allowed 11 passing touchdowns on the season, but a young quarterback, and inconsistent play from the wide receivers of the Rams leads me to the desire to sit my Rams wide outs this week.

The Jacksonville Jaguars earned their first win of the season in week 7, but in week 8 they get to face the defense that just shut down a much better Chicago offense. The Miami Dolphins are the 4th ranked passing defense and 10th ranked run defense. Allowing 213.3 and 100.3 yards a game respectively, it looks to be a bad match up for the Jags this week. Add to that the revolving door at running back, and a rookie signal caller, and it is hard to find a Jaguar I would want to start on my fantasy team this week.

Image source sportstalkflorida.com

This week the Atlanta Falcons face off against what has been one of the best defenses in the league in the Detroit Lions. Detroit has the leagues 2nd ranked run defense at 73.4 yards per game and 3 rushing scores allowed on the season. The Falcons have a mess on their offensive line, having lost 5 players for the season already. On top of that, they have a weird 4 headed monster of a running back by committee going on. Steven Jackson is quite obviously past his prime now, and the other three rely on long touchdown catches to do anything at all. There is not a Falcons running back that I would even roster now, let alone think about starting for my fantasy teams the rest of this season.

Another tough running back situation sets up this week for the San Diego Chargers. Facing the 3rd ranked run defense of the Denver Broncos in week 8, who give up only 74.3 yards per game, and 5 scores on the ground so far on the season, Branden Oliver has a mountain to climb this week, pun not intended. Add to that the short week, this is the Thursday night game, and the fact that it is in Denver in the thin air, and Oliver is a sit in my book. The Chargers don't have another viable option at running back, so Oliver will see workload, but I don't expect him to put up huge numbers.

Image source: sbnation.com

The Chicago Bears wide receivers and Jay Cutler have their second difficult match up in a row coming in week 8. They face off against the top ranked New England Patriots pass defense. Allowing only 208 yards per game and 11 touchdowns on the season, the Pats have the luxury of having Revis Island. You can basically take one of the Bears receivers out of the picture, but I am not sure which one it will be. In any case, with dissension amongst the ranks in the Bears offense after last weeks abysmal performance at the Dolphins, I don't see relief in their future. 

That brings us to the end of another monster match ups and misses. Hopefully it has helped to shape informed decisions for your week 8 fantasy lineups. Good luck and go get 'em!