Week 15
Games through Dec. 20

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This is probably the last week of the season in which fantasy owners can start studs with good matchups without hesitation. Beginning in week 16, teams that have clinched a playoff spot may rest star performers, while those with nothing left to play for may give playing time to backups, either to evaluate rookies or to showcase trade bait. Superstars Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens are prime examples, and could see their fantasy value drastically reduced if Philadelphia clinches home-field advantage throughout the playoffs this week. For now, though, McNabb and Owens should still be fixtures in their owners’ lineups. For a list of other players to start and some who might be best left on the bench, here’s this week’s Start & Sit column.

START

QB:

Billy Volek, Ten: Volek filled in nicely for Steve McNair in the last two games, with an impressive seven TDs and only two interceptions. Volek will start again next Sunday, and he plays against a weak Raiders secondary that is only 24th in league vs. the pass. McNair’s backup is on fire, and is well worth a fantasy start.

Brian Griese, TB: Griese looks like a very nice option against the second-worst pass defense in the league this week, as his Buccaneers host the New Orleans Saints. Griese has become quite a dependable QB, throwing for two or more TDs in five of the last six games, and surpassing 300 yards in two of the last three. Griese is rapidly turning into a must-start QB; it’ll be interesting to see how early he goes off the fantasy draft boards next year.

Others to start:
Michael Vick, Atl
David Carr, Hou
Trent Green, KC
Tom Brady, NE
Byron Leftwich, Jax
Kyle Boller, Bal

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

RB:

Jerome Bettis, Pit: With Duce Staley likely out again, Bettis will get the majority of the carries against a weak Giants run defense. The G-men have not stopped anybody on the ground in recent weeks and are allowing over 137 yards per game to opposing rushers. The Bus should be the Steelers’ primary mode of transportation again this week.

Kevin Jones, Det: Jones silenced his critics in the last month, gaining an average of 137.5 yards per game on the ground. He is the centerpiece of the Lions offense right now, and should continue to shine against a mediocre Vikings defense. Jones is for real, and you should not hesitate to start him in the fantasy playoffs.

Others to start:
Chris Brown, Ten (if healthy)
Clinton Portis, Was
Deuce McAllister, NO
Nick Goings, Car
Fred Taylor, Jax
Julius Jones, Dal
Onterrio Smith, Min
Jamal Lewis, Bal

No-brainers:
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Edgerrin James, Ind
Ahman Green, GB
Corey Dillon, NE
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Willis McGahee, Buf
Reuben Droughns, Den
Domanick Davis, Hou
Michael Pittman, TB

WR:

Ashley Lelie, Den: Lelie has been a very steady producer throughout the season, but never exploded for that one huge game his owners were hoping for. Will that change this week? Maybe. Denver faces the weakest passing defense in the league, the Chiefs. Kansas City has been particularly vulnerable to the opposing team’s #2 WR in recent weeks, which makes this an excellent match-up for Lelie.

Antonio Bryant, Cle: After two huge games, Bryant was quite disappointing last week, but that was mainly due to the strong Bills defense. Of course, the quarterback situation in Cleveland is a reason to be concerned, but Bryant is too talented not to make impact, especially against a San Diego secondary that is the third-worst in the league against the pass.

Others to start:
Lee Evans, Buf
Deion Branch, NE
Michael Clayton, TB
Darrell Jackson, Sea
Hines Ward, Pit
Jerry Porter, Oak
Isaac Bruce, StL
Jimmy Smith, Jax
Andre Johnson, Hou
Chad Johnson, Cin
Derrick Mason, Ten

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Randy Moss, Min
Terrell Owens, Phi
Joe Horn, NO
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Javon Walker, GB
Drew Bennett, Ten
Muhsin Muhammad, Car
Rod Smith, Den

TE/K/D:

Todd Heap, Bal: Heap is back! With his performance last week against the Giants, he silenced all critics who doubted that he can be back at full strength this year. He immediately became the focus of the Ravens’ passing game again, and should undoubtedly be in your lineup this week against the Colts’ less than overpowering defense.

Jason Hanson, K, Det: Hanson has always been a dependable kicker, but his fantasy value is low simply because of the so-so Lions offense. However, Detroit has gotten better behind the running of Kevin Jones, and this week against Minnesota they should again be able to work their way into scoring position often.

Houston Defense: The way the Chicago offense is playing, the Texans are a nice start this week. Chicago is 31st in the league in scoring, and Houston should be able to keep the Bears offense in check. The defensive linemen will try to to hurry Chad Hutchinson into some bad throws, so you might be able to pick up an interception or two.

 
BENCH

QB:

Matt Hasselbeck, Sea: Hasselbeck has finally lived up to expectations in the last two weeks, throwing for six TDs and a total of 748 yards. Unfortunately, his success could come to an end this Sunday, as the Jets’ stingy defenders will do their best to make things difficult for Seattle’s offense. New York has not allowed as QB to throw for more than 157 yards in the past four weeks, and the last TD pass from a QB came four weeks ago, too, with only RB Jerome Bettis finding the end zone since.

Aaron Brooks, NO: Brooks did not do a lot to convince anyone that he is a consistent fantasy quarterback this season, passing for more than one TD in only three games so far. It might not be any different this week, when the Saints visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lead the league against the pass. If you planned on starting Brooks, you should at least consider other options.

RB:

Tiki Barber, NYG: Barber was on the Sit list last week, and if the Giants hadn’t brought in Kurt Warner at QB for the final minutes, he would have finished with 44 yards and no score – but his late TD on Warner’s drive somehow rescued the day. However, the Giants plan to stick with rookie Eli Manning again this Saturday, which is bad news for Barber owners. Barber has not scored a TD yet with Manning in at quarterback. To make matters worse, the Steelers are very tough against the run, so this time, not even a sudden quarterback change might be enough to bail out Barber’s day.

Maurice Hicks, SF: Hicks had a great game last week against the Cardinals, and was named the starter this week despite Kevan Barlow being available. Still, this does not mean he should be active for your fantasy team when the Niners tangle with the Redskins, a team that is third in the league against the rush. Barlow should be in the mix on Saturday, too, so neither he nor Hicks might have much value this week.

WR:

Marcus Robinson, Min: Robinson had some very nice games after Randy Moss went down, but things haven’t been the same recently. He only came up with one useful game in the last six weeks, and with Moss back at full strength, he should not be in your lineup on weekly basis anymore, especially as the Vikings’ offense is struggling a bit right now. The Lions may only be a mediocre defense, but they should still be enough to keep Robinson down.

Cedrick Wilson, SF: The 49ers somehow got something going last week, but unfortunately they do not play the Cardinals every week. Wilson was a big part of the offense last week, and had his best game of the season. But he will come back to earth on Saturday, as will the whole 49ers offense – the Redskins are simply too good a defense for San Francisco to handle. Bench Wilson, who could also be in for a tough time in the last two games against Buffalo and New England.

TE/K/D:

Erron Kinney/Shad Meier, TEs, Ten: The Tennessee passing game has flourished of late, and may be very good again this week against the Raiders. But still, things are not looking so good for the Titans TEs. Oakland has held opposing TEs to a total of five catches in the past three weeks. This included guys like Alge Crumpler and Tony Gonzalez, so do not expect much from the likes of Kinney of Meier.

Josh Brown, K, Sea: If it wasn’t for Jerome Bettis’ pair of TDs in the fourth quarter last week, the Jets would have extended their run of holding opposing teams to just one score per game to four in a row. Still, the Jets are second in the league behind Pittsburgh in fewest points allowed, and will make it hard for Seattle to light up the scoreboard. Bench Brown; other kickers should see more opportunities.

Cleveland Defense: The Browns looked awful on the defensive side of the football in recent weeks, and were not able to stop anybody. They might be overwhelmed again by a San Diego offense lead by LaDainian Tomlinson and the solid passing of Drew Brees. The Chargers have turned over the ball only 14 times, the third-best mark in the league, so stay away from Cleveland this week.

 
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.