Week 7
Games through Oct. 25

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Once again, it was Daunte Culpepper who led all fantasy players in scoring in nearly every format, passing for five TDs for the third time this season and surpassing the 400-yard mark. Minnesota’s QB has been the undisputed fantasy MVP so far, but he and the Vikings might have to work a little bit harder this week if Randy Moss isn’t good to go. Yet even if Moss sits, Nate Burleson and Marcus Robinson should be able to fill the void.

What about the rest of the field? Jeff Garcia had a fine day, as did Curtis Martin. Even more importantly, however, Reuben Droughns followed up his week 5 outburst with a second straight stellar performance and has secured the starting tailback job at Denver, always a great source of fantasy production thanks to an excellent offensive line. With the Broncos playing the Bengals, once again dead last in the league versus the run, this week, Droughns should be able to make it three in a row.

So Culpepper, Martin and Droughns are locks for week 7 … but you knew that already. Let’s take a look at a few less obvious plays this week, as well as several players you might want to leave on the bench, in this week’s edition of Start & Sit.

START

QB:

Byron Leftwich, Jax: Quietly, Leftwich has become a viable option as a fantasy QB, averaging almost 326 yards per game during the last three weeks. Even better, he faces the Colts, who are dead last in the league in preventing the pass. This looks like a matchup worth exploiting.

Jake Delhomme, Car: Even Michael Vick, who has struggled against most defenses so far this year, looked good against San Diego. The Chargers stand tough against the run, but are very vulnerable through the air. The Panthers will turn to Delhomme’s arm frequently, and could be in for his best day yet against a struggling secondary.

Others to start:
Michael Vick, Atl
Joey Harrington, Det
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
Tom Brady, NE
Steve McNair, Ten
Jake Plummer, Den
Trent Green, KC

No-brainers:
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Peyton Manning, Ind
Brett Favre, GB
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Aaron Brooks, NO

RB:

Steven Jackson, StL: This may be a true long shot, but for those truly hurting at RB this week, he might not be the worst option. Before you wince and skip to the next entry, consider this: Miami has the toughest defense to pass egainst, but cannot stop anybody on the ground. Think St. Louis will occasionally run the ball? With Marshall Faulk probably not seeing much more than 20 carries, there should be enough carries left over for Jackson, who got 13 compared to Faulk’s 15 last week. That ratio might be repeated this Sunday, which could easily turn into a very nice day for the Rams’ backup.

Amos Zereoue, Oak: Zereoue is the unquestioned starter in Oakland right now with Fargas and Wheatley banged up, and has a nice opportunity this week to solidify that status. New Orleans is 31st in the league against the rush, allowing over 150 yards per game, so expect Oakland to use Zereoue early and often.

Others to start:
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Fred Taylor, Jax
Thomas Jones, Chi
Ahman Green, GB
Corey Dillon, NYJ

No-brainers:
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Priest Holmes, KC
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Edgerrin James, Ind
Marshall Faulk, StL
Deuce McAllister, NO
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Chris Brown, Ten
Reuben Droughns, Den
Tiki Barber, NYG

WR:

Drew Bennett, Ten: Despite his rib injury, Bennett has become a solid contributor for both the Titans and his fantasy owners. This week, he is a must start, as Tennessee will have to throw the ball a lot against the weak Vikings secondary. Will he succeed in finding the end zone for a second week in a row? It’s certainly not out of the question.

Muhsin Muhammad, Car: With Steve Smith still out, Muhammad is the #1 receiver on the Panthers squad, but has suffered from the ups and downs of this offense. This week, he is definitely worth a start, as the Panthers face a vulnerable San Diego pass defense.

Others to start:
Eric Moulds, Buf
Derrick Mason, Ten
Chad Johnson, Cin
Roy Williams, Det
Darrell Jackson, Sea
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Isaac Bruce, StL
Marcus Robinson, Min
Keary Colbert, Car

No-brainers:
Randy Moss, Min (if healthy!!!)
Torry Holt, StL
Terrell Owens, Phi
Joe Horn, NO
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Javon Walker, GB
Jimmy Smith, Jax

TE/K/D:

Doug Jolley, TE, Oak: Another long shot here, but if you are lacking a good TE this week, Jolley may be worth the risk. New Orleans has allowed an average of 50 yards and a TD to opposing TEs over the last three weeks, so this matchup is just about as good as it can get. Don’t bench Gates, Gonzalez or Crumpler in favor of Jolley, but when your options come down to guys like Campbell, Cooley or Smith, Jolley should be worth a look.

Jay Feely, K, Atl: Feely has been one of the biggest disappointments at kicker this season, but it isn’t his fault. He is still perfect this year, but has only gotten seven field goal chances in the first month and a half. This could change this week against Kansas City, as the Chiefs are 30th in the league in points allowed.

Green Bay Defense: The Packers may have finally found their game last week, blowing out the Lions in Detroit. But it wasn’t only the offense that delivered; the defense may have found its groove as well. They have a chance to prove it on Sunday when they face off against a struggling Dallas team. The Cowboys have not scored more then 21 points all the season, and the Packers will look to extend this streak.

 
BENCH

QB:

Marc Bulger, StL: It may sound familiar to frequent readers of this column, but we still feel it necessary to point it out again this week: Miami, despite their 0-6 record, is capable of shutting down the opposing passing game. In part, this is due to good play from the secondary, but another key factor is that with such a porous run defense, opponents are only rarely forced to take to the air. The Dolphins are allowing a league low 122 passing yards per contest, and this might not change much even against St.Louis’ powerful attack. If you decide to put Bulger in, be aware of the risk that his numbers will be sub-par.

Drew Brees, SD: The Chargers are one of the real surprises this season, standing at an even 3-3. One of the main reasons has been the solid play of Drew Brees, who has turned into a unexpectedly useful fantasy option. But while the Chargers certainly may be able to continue their solid run against Carolina, Brees will most likely take a back seat to LaDainian Tomlinson. The Panthers are vulnerable against the run, but have allowed only 174 yards/game through the air, so expect San Diego to ride Tomlinson all day. Brees’ numbers might suffer, so look elsewhere for a QB this weekend.

RB:

Rudi Johnson, Cin: Johnson had another disappointing game last week with just 57 yards against the Browns, and it might not get any better on Monday night. Denver plays very tough against the opposing run, allowing only 87 yards per game on the ground, and Johnson will have a hard time breaking loose.

Any Cleveland RB: Here we go again… It looks like nobody knows which back will get the majority of the carries for Cleveland in any given week. Last Sunday, William Green did most of the damage on the ground, but Lee Suggs still was a nice play because of his 100 yards receiving. Things will not be quite so easy for this duo against the Eagles, who lead the league in fewest points allowed.

WR:

Antonio Bryant, Cle, and Quincy Morgan, Dal: Swapped by their teams this week before the trading deadline, you should not expect either of these receivers to make much of an impact this week. Learning a new offense takes more than a few days; leave them on the bench for now, and look forward to starting them in the future if it looks like they profited from their change of scenery.

David Terrell: With Rex Grossman gone for the season, an already pathetic passing game in Chicago has suffered another hit. Especially against tougher defenses, expecting the Bears to throw for even 100 yards might be a reach. That of course lowers the value of any Bears receiver to somewhere close to zero, although nobody other than Terrell had much value to begin with. The Buccaneers have shut down more potent passing offenses, so they should not have any problems with the Bears.

TE/K/D:

Boo Williams, TE, NO: After showing signs of breaking out of his slump in weeks 4 and 5, Williams once again disappeared completely last week against Minnesota. His job doesn’t get any easier against the Raiders.

Martin Gramatica, K, TB: Gramatica missed both of his field goal attempts last week. Against a Chicago defense that has been the lone bright spot on a lackluster Bears team, he might be lucky to see even two chances behind a Tampa offense that still is not running smoothly.

Tennessee Defense: The way Daunte Culpepper and the Vikings are playing, it seems as if nobody can stop them. Not only he has passed for 18 TDs, but he also has been intercepted just three times. The Titans have struggled defensively so far, allowing 23 points per game, and over 234 passing yards per game, an even worse portent.

 
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.