Week 11
Games through November 17

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START

QB:

Drew Bledsoe, Buf: Last Sunday, Bledsoe was a killer for every fantasy owner who started him, and the previous weeks weren’t much better. However, is you haven’t dropped him in a fit of frustration, this may be a week where you should at least consider inserting him into your lineup again. Houston is only 29th in the league against the pass, so Bledsoe could have his best day in quite some time.

Tim Rattay, SF: With Jeff Garcia out for at least another week, Rattay will again get the start. He did an incredible job two weeks ago in destroying St. Louis, and he could have another solid outing on Monday night. Pittsburgh still has problems stopping opposing teams’ passing attack, as San Francisco’s offensive strategists are well aware of.

Others to start:
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Brad Johnson, TB
Kerry Collins, NYG
Trent Green, KC
Brett Favre, GB

No-brainers:
Peyton Manning, Ind
Marc Bulger, StL
Steve McNair, Ten
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Aaron Brooks, NO
Chad Pennington, NYJ

RB:

Correll Buckhalter, Phi: The Giants allowed Warrick Dunn to gain 178 yards on the ground last week, and even if Buckhalter doesn’t repeat numbers, he could still be a solid fantasy starter. With McNabb improving week after week, defenses can’t focus primarily on stopping the run any more.

Marshall Faulk, StL: In spite of his two scores, Marshall Faulk struggled at times last week against a solid Baltimore defense. But Faulk has now had a game to shake off any rust from his six-week absence, and the Bears aren’s the Ravens.

Others to start:
TJ Duckett, Atl
Moe Williams, Min
Marcel Shipp, Ari
Fred Taylor, Jax
Tiki Barber, NYG
Domanick Davis, Hou

No-brainers:
Jamal Lewis, Bal
Ahman Green, GB
LaDainan Tomlinson, SD
Deuce McAllister, NO
Clinton Portis, Den
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Priest Holmes, KC
Travis Henry, Buf
Edgerrin James, Ind

WR:

Chris Chambers, Mia: Regardless of who plays quarterback for the Dolphins on Sunday, Chambers is worth a look this week. If Baltimore makes stopping Ricky Williams its number one priority, Chambers may be Miami’s next best option. Together with TE Randy McMichael he is the only reliable receiver on the team, making him worth a start.

Reggie Wayne, Ind: With Marvin Harrison’s status up in the air due to a hamstring injury, this is the time for Wayne to step up. After losing last week to the Jaguars, Indianapolis should come into the game with a chip on its shoulder, and Peyton Manning will try to get the offense rolling right from the start.

Others to start:
Rod Smith, Den
Quincy Morgan, Cle
Donte Stallworth, NO
David Boston, SD
Isaac Bruce, StL
Eric Moulds, Buf
Ike Hilliard, NYG
Donald Driver, GB

No-brainers:
Derrick Mason, Ten
Randy Moss, Min
Santana Moss, NYJ
Chad Johnson, Cin
Amani Toomer, NYG
Terrell Owens, SF
Laveranues Coles, Was
Joe Horn, NO
Torry Holt, StL
Hines Ward, Pit
Anquan Boldin, Ari
Steve Smith, Car

TE/K/D:

Daniel Graham, NE: Tom Brady is throwing the ball to too many receivers to make any New England WR a reliable option, but Graham has turned into a bright spot recently. This weekend’s game may turn into a low-scoring affair, but Graham should still receive enough looks to be worth starting.

Shayne Graham, K, Cin: Cincinnati has quietly become one of the highest-scoring teams in the league in the last few weeks, and this trend may continue when the Bengals meet the Chiefs. Graham might still be available on the wire, and is worth a look for Sunday.

Vikings: Rick Mirer did not throw an interception last week, but he might not be so lucky when facing Minnesota. With Charlie Garner likely to be a gametime decision, the odds seem to favor the Vikings in this game, making their defense worth taking a gamble on, particularly in leagues that award points for turnovers.

 
BENCH

QB:

Tom Brady, NE: In what could evolve as a fierce defensive battle in New England, neither of the quarterbacks might post respectable numbers. Dallas ranks first in the league versus the pass, making Brady a risky start.

Tommy Maddox, Pit: Don’t be fooled by one great game: this is not the same Tommy Maddox we saw last year. He could be heavily pressured be the 49ers and might not be able to find his receivers on a constant basis. Last week was an encouraging sign, but one good week is not enough to regain faith in him, so sit him for now if you have other options.

RB:

Ricky Williams, Mia: It’s hard to do, but it may finally be time to put Ricky’s name on this list. The Ravens haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher since Tomlinson gained a season-high 105 yards against them in week 3, and with Williams continuing to struggle, the matchup simply doesn’t bode well. In a week with a lot of good matchups for middle of the pack running backs, finding a fill-in for Ricky might not be so difficult.

Troy Hambrick, NE: Bill Parcells is saying that Hambrick remains his starter, but Adrian Murrell’s increased role in the offense has to be concerning for Hambrick owners. Will we have another running back by committee approach on our hands? To make matters worse, the Patriots are allowing only 92 yards per game on the ground.

WR:

Kevin Johnson, Jax: He may have been the most sought after free agent in fantasy football this week, but that does not mean you should start him. Even if he starts for Jacksonville, he may not be thrown to enough to make a significant impact. Leftwich is a young QB, and he loves to throw to Jimmy Smith, and Johnson hasn’t had enough time to completely familiarize himself with the Jaguars’ schemes. Johnson could be a solid value down the stretch, but keep him on the bench for now and watch how things turn out.

Corey Bradford, Hou: Buffalo ranks second in the NFL against the pass and will try to pressure David Carr all day. He may not have the time to locate receivers down the field, so it might be a long day for Bradford.

TE/K/D:

Marcellus Rivers, TE, NYG: Replacing Shockey in the Giants lineup does not mean he will also put up the same numbers. Especially at the TE position, a fill-in may be used differently than the injured starter, so follow Rivers’ progress and usage closely before starting him.

Kris Brown, K, Hou: Will Houston be able to give Brown a decent number of field goal opportunities against Buffalo? Maybe, but there are far safer starts.

Eagles: The Giants seem to play their best football with their season on the line, and this week might be no different. Tiki Barber owned the Eagles last season, and could again to significant damage. In any case, the flow of this game is too unpredictable to feel good about starting the Eagles defense.

 
Fantasy Football Cafe’s Start & Sit lists are suggestions intended to give fantasy football players an edge in their weekly matchups. Savvy owners will see these lists not as an absolute ranking, but as an indication of possible outcomes of a given week, and use them together with their own opinions and hunches to field the lineup that will give their team the greatest odds of winning. The Start & Sit lists are compiled by Dan Spazierer (not Madame Zelda). For more insights and additional fine-tuning, visit our Who to Start/Bench forum section.