Week 7
Games through October 20

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START

QB:

Tim Couch, Cle: It looks like Cleveland may finally have gotten back on track again. The main reasons might be the solid play of William Green and a defense that is starting to come together, but the change at quarterback also hasn’t hurt. This week might be a good opportunity for Couch owners to exploit the Browns’ recent success: so far, San Diego has not been able to stop anyone through the air.

Jon Kitna, Cin: Baltimore’s defense has shown they can stop the run, but they have been vulnerable against the pass at times. With the Bengals running game in question, as Corey Dillon’s status is not clear, Kitna may have to air it out early often. Whether he can capitalize remains to be seen, but the opportunity should be there.

Others to start:
Trent Green, KC
Tom Brady, NE
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Quincy Carter, Dal
Patrick Ramsey, Was
Aaron Brooks, NO
Brad Johnson, TB

No-brainers:
Marc Bulger, StL
Brett Favre, GB
Drew Bledsoe, Buf
Steve McNair, Ten
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
Kerry Collins, NYG
Daunte Culpepper, Min

RB:

Domanick Davis, Hou: Davis is still a dark horse for many fantasy owners, but he’s making strides toward locking up the top spot on the RB depth chart in Houston. This alone does not qualify him for a fantasy start, but as the Texans are playing the Jets, who are last in the league against the run, he could be a good risk to take this week.

Troy Hambrick, Dal: Despite only gaining 46 yards, Hambrick still had a solid week against a tough unit last week, giving fantasy owners reason to cheer by scoring a TD. This week Hambrick should have an easier time, as the Cowboys play the Lions in Detroit. Hambrick is never a sure thing, but if you’ve been shuffling him in and out of your lineup, this looks like a week to put him back in.

Others to start:
Lamar Gordon, StL
Charlie Garner, Oak
William Green, Cle
Tiki Barber, NYG
TJ Duckett, Atl
Moe Williams, Min

No-brainers:
Jamal Lewis, Bal
Ahman Green, GB
LaDainan Tomlinson, SD
Deuce McAllister, NO
Clinton Portis, Den
Stephen Davis, Car
Ricky Williams, Mia
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Priest Holmes, KC
Travis Henry, Buf

WR:

Santana Moss, NYJ: Houston is last in the league against the pass, and the Texans might have a tough time stopping the speedy Moss on Sunday. Even Troy Edwards gained 111 yards in week 4 against Houston.

Ike Hilliard, NYG: Hilliard is healthy again, and after a tough week at New England, he should find more opportunities against a banged up Eagles secondary. Kerry Collins may find himself throwing often, with Hilliard, Toomer and Shockey all receiving quite a few looks.

Others to start:
Troy Brown, NE
Rod Smith, Den
Derrick Mason, Ten
Quincy Morgan, Cle
Donte Stallworth, NO
Joey Galloway, Dal
Marty Booker, Chi
Peerless Price, Atl
David Boston, SD
Chris Chambers, Mia
Keyshawn Johnson, TB

No-brainers:
Randy Moss, Min
Chad Johnson, Cin
Donald Driver, GB
Amani Toomer, NYG
Terell Owens, SF
Eric Moulds, Buf
Laveranues Coles, Was
Joe Horn, NO
Jerry Rice, Oak
Koren Robinson, Sea
Isaac Bruce, StL
Torry Holt, StL

TE/K/D:

Mikhael Ricks, TE; Det: With Charles Rogers out, Joey Harrington lost another good target to throw at. Az-Zahir Hazim doesn’t seem to get open consistently, so Harrington may look to Ricks often, especially if Detroit approaches the end zone.

John Kasay, K, Car: If you need a fill-in at kicker, Kasay might be a good option if he is still available. Not many owners trust a Panther besides Stephen Davis, but Kasay might be a good option this week, as he could see several field goal chances against the Titans.

Houston: Houston’s defense is often underrated simply because the team as a whole doesn’t win a lot games. The Titans will play a tough game against the Jets this week, and might be worth a look, especially for Pittsburgh or Indy owners searching for a bye week fill-in.

 
BENCH

QB:

Steve Beuerlein, Den: Beuerlein barely led the Broncos to a victory over the Steelers last week, and he was anything but convincing. It may not get easier this week, when Denver has to play in Minnesota against an unbeaten Vikings team. Consider sitting Beuerlein for now, until he proves he can produce consistently against good teams.

Jeff Garcia, SF: The 49ers again ran out of luck last week, losing at Seattle by a one point margin. One big reason why San Francisco has struggled so far is the play of Terrell Owens and Jeff Garcia. The tandem hasn’t been playing up to expectations, and playing Tampa Bay usually isn’t a cure for offensive woes. If you have other options, consider leaving Garcia on your bench this week.

RB:

Eddie George, Ten: George is almost a weekly guest at this spot, and so far, he hasn’t done anything to prove he doesn’t belong. This week, George and the Titans visit the Panthers, whose defense is among the toughest in the league.

Curtis Martin, NYJ: Houston is last in the league against the pass, but has played respectably against the run. This might mean a lot of work for Vinny Testaverde this week, and low numbers for Martin, especially as he may lose additional carries to LaMont Jordan.

WR:

Corey Bradford, Hou: Bradford had another great outing last week, catching five passes for 127 yards and a score. The Jets have allowed only slightly more than 160 yards per game through the air, however, which might make repeating those numbers difficult.

Tai Streets, SF: Streets only has 90 receiving yards less than Owens for the season, which would be great numbers any other year. However, Owens just hasn’t been himself so far, and this means just 324 yards in six games for Streets. This week, Tampa Bay comes to town…

TE/K/D:

Todd Yoder, TE, TB: Yoder had two TDs out of nowhere last week, which will make starting him a temptation for many fantasy owners, as the TE position is very thin once again. But don’t be fooled; the Buccaneers played a weak Washington defense, and Yoder might not be able to take San Francisco by surprise.

Adam Vinatieri, K, NE: A crucial game for the Patriots in Miami might turn into a low-scoring affair, which isn’t good news for any kicker. If you have a solid #2 option, replacing Vinatieri may be worth thinking about.

Green Bay: The Rams offense is coming together, having scored 123 points in their last four games and at times resembling the juggernaut of several years ago. Green Bay has been vulnerable against the pass throughout the season, which St. Louis may be able to exploit.

 
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.