Week 9
Games through Nov. 8

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The Steelers finally brought the Patriots’ winning streak to an end, and they now take on the last undefeated team, the Eagles, in one of the top battles on Sunday. However, from the fantasy viewpoint, this game might be a disappointment. The Steelers defense is playing very tough football right now, making any Eagles besides T.O. a risky start. The fantasy matchup of the week takes place on Monday night, with the #1 offense playing against the #32 defense and the #2 offense faces the #25 defense. It’s Indianapolis vs. Minnesota, a fantasy owner’s dream. We urge you to put every Colt and Viking into your lineup this week, as we might be in for some true fireworks. But what about the not-so-obvious matchups? Let’s take a look at a ferw other players in our weekly Start & Sit column.

START

QB:

Drew Brees, SD: Brees surprised everybody with his five touchdown passes last week, and is one of the main reasons the Chargers would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Chances are good that he’ll keep right on rolling this Sunday when San Diego hosts the Saints, who are allowing 275 yards per game through the air, the second-worst mark in the league. Brees might not throw for five scores again, but is still worth starting.

Brian Griese, TB: The Kansas City offense has been on a tear for the last two weeks, but unfortunately for the Chiefs, their defense hasn’t been as impressive. Tampa Bay may have to throw a lot to keep up with Priest Holmes and company, so expect Griese to do considerable damage against a defense that has allowed 14 passing TDs and 229 yards per game so far.

Others to start:
Jake Plummer, Den
Vinny Testaverde, Dal
Chad Pennington, NYJ
Jake Delhomme, Car
Ben Roethlisberger, Pit

No-brainers:
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Peyton Manning, Ind
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Aaron Brooks, NO
Marc Bulger, StL
Tom Brady, NE

RB:

Eddie George, Dal: George is not the fantasy player he once was, the kind you would start regardless of his matchup. But as the feature back in Dallas, he still has enough value to warrant a spot in your starting lineup when the Cowboys play teams like the Bengals. Cincinnati is last in the league against the run, so this should turn out well for Eddie.

Tyrone Wheatley, Oak: Wheatley might be the gamble of the week, but now that it looks like he has regained possession of the starting spot in Oakland, he has immediate value playing against the Panthers this week. Carolina allows 152 yards per game on the ground, 31st in the NFL, and has allowed five rushing TDs in the last three games. If you’re thin at RB this week, take a chance on Wheatley.

Others to start:
Thomas Jones, Chi (if healthy)
Corey Dillon, NE (if healthy)
Deuce McAllister, NO
Reuben Droughns, Den
Clinton Portis, Was
Duce Staley, Pit
Rudi Johnson, Cin

No-brainers:
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Priest Holmes, KC
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Edgerrin James, Ind
Marshall Faulk, StL
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Tiki Barber, NYG
Jamal Lewis, Bal

WR:

Nate Buleson, Min: Randy Moss will most likely be out for another week, so Burleson will get another chance to start. With Minnesota facing the Colts, whose defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone of late, this is about as good a matchup as you can get. Indianapolis has by far the worst defense against the pass, so be sure to have Burleson in your lineup.

Travis Taylor, Bal: Taylor has quickly regained his starting spot after his injury, and has proven that he is still the most reliable target in Baltimore. While that may sound like faint praise considering the Ravens’ struggles to develop a passing game in recent years, Kyle Boller is getting more and more comfortable, and Taylor should be the prime beneficiary. This could turn out to be a nice game against a Browns team that allows almost 240 yards per game through the air.

Others to start:
Eric Moulds, Buf
Chad Johnson, Cin
Darrell Jackson, Sea (if healthy)
Isaac Bruce, StL
Andre Johnson, Hou
Rod Smith, Den
Brandon Stokley, Ind
Marcus Robinson, Min
David Givens, NE
Keyshawn Johnson, Dal
Michael Clayton, TB

No-brainers:
Randy Moss, Min (if healthy)
Tory Holt, StL
Terrell Owens, Phi
Joe Horn, NO
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Reggie Wayne, Ind

TE/K/D:

Dallas Clark, TE, Ind: Clark finally lived up to preseason expectations, catching three passes for 88 yards in Kansas City. He should continue to produce good numbers this week, as another shootout is projected on Monday night when the Colts battle Minnesota. The Vikings have been burned by opposing TEs recently, who have caught nine passes for 117 yards in the last two games.

Nate Kaeding, K, SD: The Chargers’ kicker may still be available on your wire, since his name is not yet as familiar to fans as the Longwells, Vanderjagts and Vinatieris of the league. Yet the way San Diego is playing on offense right now, this may change soon. Kaeding is seeing a lot of scoring opportunities, and should get more chances to score against the Saints.

Seattle Defense: After a very strong start, the Seahawks defense has fallen apart in recent weeks, partially because of injuries to their linebacker corps. With Anthony Simmons and also Chad Brown back, this unit will be much improved, and will look to prove that point against a 49ers team whose offense doesn’t scare anyone.

 
BENCH

QB:

Kurt Warner, NYG: The Giants are a run-first team, and they can be expected to hand the ball off often against Chicago. The Bears defense been impressive so far (in stark contrast to Chicago’s hapless offense), so Warner’s stats should be average at best as he will be held in check by both the Bears’ defense and the Giants’ game plan.

Jeff Garcia, Cle: In his first meeting with Baltimore, Garcia finished with 180 passing yards and a TD pass, and also ran for another score. This game will have revenge written all over it, and the Ravens will be fired up to win this one against their division rivals. It should be a tough battle, and Garcia will face significant pressure, and therefore might not have enough time to do too much damage. Bench him; this is not the type of matchup you want to pin your hopes on.

RB:

Kevin Jones: Jones has locked the starting tailback job in Detroit for now, and possibly for the foreseeable future as well. However, he will struggle against the better defenses, and one of them is Washington. The Redskins are second in the league against the run, and should shut down the Lions’ running game for the whole afternoon.

Brian Westbrook/Dorsey Levens/Reno Mahe, Phi: No matter if Westbrook is healthy enough to play this week or not, and no matter who will get the majority of carries if he isn’t good to go, forget about starting any of the Eagles’ backs. The Steelers are very tough to run against, allowing just 89 yards per game on the ground. With the exception of Rudi Johnson’s 123-yard effort in week 4, Pittsburgh has not allowed a rusher to reach 100 yards, and has allowed just four rushing TDs all season.

WR:

Anquan Boldin, Ari: Boldin had a nice comeback last week, and quickly regained the #1 WR spot in Arizona. However, you might want to wait one more game before putting him back into the lineup. Why? Look no further than the Miami defense. The Dolphins are second in the league against the pass, and will likely shut down Josh McCown and his receivers completely.

Eddie Kennison, KC: The Chiefs’ offense is running at full speed right now, but the main benefactor has, as per usual, been Priest Holmes. Kansas City’s WRs remain unpredictable, and Kennison in particular is plagued by lots of ups and downs. This week could be another down game, as the main focus of the Chiefs’ game plan should once again be Holmes, possibly to an even greater extent than usual, as the Buccaneers are the best team in the league against the pass, allowing just 148 yards per game.

TE/K/D:

Chad Lewis/LJ Smith, TE, Phi: Not only is the fantasy value of both tight ends lowered because of the difficulty of predicting which one will get the majority of the looks in any given week, but the Eagles face a Steelers team that did not allow a single pass to opposing TEs last week against New England. Pittsburgh’s defense is playing very effectively right now, making the prposition of starting either Eagles TE this week a weak one.

Phil Dawson, K, Cle: The Ravens are look for revenge against the Browns and will make it a tough battle on Sunday night. As Baltimore is leading the NFL in fewest points allowed, you should not expect too much from Dawson this week.

Tampa Bay Defense: It could be a see-saw game this week, with one of the hottest offensive teams right now, Kansas City, taking the field against one of the better defense units in the league. However, Tampa Bay has struggled this season against the run, and with Priest Holmes on the opposite team, this might not bode well for the team from Florida. This time, offense could beat defense, and benching the Bucs seems like a good idea.

 
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.