Week 13
Games through Dec. 6

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We predicted a shoot-out last week, and we got one. But while our expectations for the Kansas City – San Diego game were correct, the final tally of 34 -31 was low-scoring compared to the 58-48 eruption between the Browns and the Bengals. What a game. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, other than Rudi Johnson, William Green, Chad Johnson and maybe Antonio Bryant, most of the players involved in that contest spent the day on the fantasy bench. Or did you start Steve Heiden, Carson Palmer or Kelly Holcomb? Probably not. If you did, you looked like a genius, but the odds were stacked quite high against all of these guys. But it’s exactly this unpredictability that makes fantasy football such a fun game. This week, we won’t go so far as to predict such spectacular games from almost unknown TEs, but we still try to help you set your starting lineup by taking a look at several key players in this week’s Start & Sit.

START

QB:

Matt Hasselbeck, Sea: Can he be trusted as a fantasy starter? This is definitely a tough question for Hasselbeck owners after yet another disappointing game by the Seahawks’ quarterback. Ok, it came against a strong Bills defense, but Hasselbeck has not had great success all season. Yet this week, he faces a Dallas defense that allowed Kyle Boller to look like a real NFL quarterback two weeks ago, a Dallas defense that has allowed 22 passing TDs this season, second-worst in the NFL. Consider taking the risk. If there is any week for Hasselbeck to shine, this is it.

Kerry Collins, Oak: Collins is finally showing some comfort in the Raiders offense, and led Oakland to a surprising victory in Denver. His task might be a bit easier this week, as he plays against a Chiefs defense that ranks only 30th in the league vs. the pass. He could come close to last week’s stats, so be sure to have him active.

Others to start:
Jake Delhomme, Car
Aaron Brooks, NO
Tom Brady, NE
Ben Roethlisberger, Pit
Steve McNair, Ten
Michael Vick, Atl

No-brainers:
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Peyton Manning, Ind
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Marc Bulger, StL
Brett Favre, GB
Drew Brees, SD
Jake Plummer, Den

RB:

Willis McGahee, Buf: If you needed more proof of what McGahee is capable of doing, last week’s 116 yards and four TDs against Seattle should have provided exactly what you were looking for. This week, McGahee faces a Miami defense that ranks 29th in the league against the run and has to play without star linebacker Zach Thomas. McGahee rushed for 111 yards in the teams’ first meeting, and could approach that total again this time around.

Julius Jones, Dal: Jones was on the start list last week, and he responded with a monster game on Thanksgiving Day. This Monday, he could be on his way to another great game against a Seattle defense that surrendered four rushing TDs a week ago to Willis McGahee. Jones is the real deal in Dallas, and should be at least a solid #2 fantasy back in all leagues.

Others to start:
Duce Staley, Pit
Chris Brown, Ten (if healthy)
Domanick Davis, Hou
Onterrio Smith, Min
Chester Taylor, Bal
Clinton Portis, Was

No-brainers:
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Edgerrin James, Ind
Tiki Barber, NYG
Deuce McAllister, NO
Ahman Green, GB (if healthy)
Corey Dillon, NE
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD

WR:

Keary Colbert, Car: Muhsin Muhammad may be drawing all the attention as the Carolina Panthers’ leading receiver, but Colbert had a nice game last week, finishing with 72 yards and two TDs. He should be equally busy catching the balls this week, as the Panthers play against the worst pass defense of the league, the Saints. Needless to say, Colbert should be active on your fantasy lineup.

Jerry Rice, Sea: The future Hall-of-Famer’s success is tightly tied to the performance of his quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck. Rice has become more comfortable in the Seahawks’ offense, and playing in front of a national audience on Monday night is just what it takes to bring out his very best.

Others to start:
Eric Moulds, Buf
Chad Johnson, Cin
David Givens, NE
Keyshawn Johnson, Dal
Michael Clayton, TB
Darrell Jackson, Sea
Rod Smith, Den
Hines Ward, Pit

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Randy Moss, Min
Terrell Owens, Phi
Joe Horn, NO
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Javon Walker, GB
Andre Johnson, Hou
Derrick Mason, Ten
Isaac Bruce, StL
Muhsin Muhammad, Car

TE/K/D:

Kris Mangum, TE, Car: Mangum is a deep sleeper this week, but if you are hurting at TE and need to take a chance, he might be your man. Mangum has been a solid contributor for the Panthers so far, and may have a big game this week against the lowly New Orleans Saints, a team that has given up an average of four catches per game to opposing TEs in the past five weeks.

Gary Anderson, Ten: With the return of Steve McNair, the Titans offense is capable of playing at a significantly higher level, and should be able to do some damage against a suspect Colts defense. Anderson should therefore see several scoring opportunities, and be a nice start this week.

Detroit Defense: The Lions defense has not been terribly impressive recently, but this week, this unit is a must-start against a Cardinals offense that features a rookie quarterback (John Navarre, whose chances of pulling a Ben Roethlisberger are slim) and a rookie running back both making the first starts of their NFL careers. This game has opportunity written all over it.

 
BENCH

QB:

Kelly Holcomb, Cle: Holcomb had a career game filling in for the injured Jeff Garcia, throwing for 413 yards and five TDs in a shootout for the ages. He will start again this week, but he presumably will not enjoy the same success. The Patriots defense is simply too good to allow the Browns to move the ball consistently, so if you were thinking about starting Holcomb, think again if you have alternatives.

David Carr, Hou: Carr rallied Houston to a win over the Titans last week and finished with solid stats. Unfortunately for his owners (not to mention the Texans), Carr faces a very stingy defense this week, as the Jets have only surrendered 10 total points in the last two games. The Jets allow only 195 yards per game through the air, so benching Carr might be advisable.

RB:

Reuben Droughns, Den: This is a tough call, but Droughns goes against the second best rushing defense of the league, San Diego, and he has yet to prove he can produce against the top defenses. Sure, he has six 100+ yard games in seven starts, but all of them came against lowly defenses, with Houston, ranked 13th, providing the greatest challenge, and the rest not in the top 20. The only time he faced a top 10 unit was against Atlanta, where he finished with 49 yards on the ground. If you have to start him, go ahead, but if you have other options, be sure to evaluate them carefully.

Fred Taylor, Jax: During the Jaguars’ last two losses, Taylor was one of the few bright spots on the team. He has surpassed the 100-yard mark in four of the last five games after failing to do so in the first six contests of the season. However, this streak may come to an end on Sunday. The Steelers, the top run defense in the league, will concentrate on shutting him down, as they did to so many other RBs recently.

WR:

Lee Evans, Buf: Evans had a nice game last Sunday, catching six passes for 70 yards and a TD. He has proven to be a good fit in the Bills’ offense; now if only he had a better quarterback throwing to him… Evans is still a rookie and tends to disappear at times, and he will have a hard time this week playing against the #1 passing defense in the league, the Dolphins. Evans has a bright future, but he probably should not be active on your fantasy team this week.

TJ Houshmandzadeh, Cin: The guy with the unpronounceable name also was one of the benefactors of last week’s fireworks display between the Brown and the Bengals, and has proven to be a worthy fantasy receiver alongside Chad Johnson, as long as the matchup is right. This week, unfortunately, it simply is not. The Ravens have allowed the fewest passing TDs in the league, and are fourth in passing yards allowed. They will do their best to stymie the Bengals’ passing game, so better bench Houshmandzadeh.

TE/K/D:

Steve Heiden, TE, Cle: Heiden was one of the hot pickups from the wire this week, after his seven-catch, three-TD game last week. However, bear in mind that he is still only the second TE on the Browns’ depth chart, and that the team plays a strong Patriots defense. He might get a catch or two, but do not expect him to come anywhere close to last week’s numbers.

Shayne Graham, K, Cin: OK, Graham kicked our butts last week for putting him on the sit list, scoring 16 points in the slugfest. This week, he plays against a Ravens defense that has allowed the fewest points in the league. Cincinnati may have trouble moving the ball, and Graham’s chances will suffer. What a difference a week makes.

Denver Defense: The Broncos have been very solid on the defensive end so far, but let themselves down in the fourth quarter last week at home against the Raiders. This week, things might get even tougher for Denver, as they travel to San Diego, a team that is second in the league in scoring and has the fewest giveaways in the NFL.

 
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.