Week 11

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Finally the bye weeks are over, and you can set your lineups without any players missing by default. This, of course, also marks the time of the year in fantasy football when the stretch run for the fantasy playoffs begins. In most leagues, we have three weeks to go, with leagues that play through week 17 still having four weeks left. If you’re trailing in the standings, it is also time to make a final attempt to reshuffle your roster and change the fortunes of your team. One factor that will make things very interesting in the coming weeks is the spate of injuries at the RB position.

Many fantasy owners will wind up playing a weekly guessing game. Will their banged-up back start or not? Or will he, like Corey Dillon last week, leave the game with a new injury before ever touching the ball? To make matters worse, we have to deal with murky backfield situations such as the one in Pittsburgh, where owners might find themselves making a tough decision between Willie Parker and Duce Staley, only to see Jerome Bettis (or possibly even Verron Haynes) jump in and grab those valuable TDs.

As if that wasn’t enough, several players who have missed time with injuries are likely to come back soon, which will change the strength of a lot teams, especially at WR. Andre Johnson should be at full strength this week in Houston; in Seattle, Bobby Engram is already back, and Darrell Jackson may return soon, which of course hurts all owners who have enjoyed having Joe Jurevicius in their lineups. In St. Louis, Isaac Bruce is back, and should steal more and more of Kevin Curtis’ time, while in Detroit, Roy Williams celebrated his return by blasting through the Cardinals secondary.

Things certainly won’t be easy for fantasy owners down the stretch, but that’s part of the fun of the game. To help make setting your lineup a bit easier this week, we take a look at several players worth having in your lineup, and a few others you may wish to avoid, in our weekly Start & Sit column.

START

QB:

David Carr, Hou: After starting the season rather badly, Carr has been solid over the past weeks. Now that he has a healthy Andre Johnson to throw to again, his numbers should be even better. This week, Carr will be playing against a Chiefs secondary ranked among the worst pass defense units in the league.

Brett Favre, GB: Now that Favre finally has a rushing game again in Sam Gado, his numbers are on the rise, as could be seen in last week’s victory over the Falcons. The Packers are at home this week and host the Vikings, who rank 26th in the league against the pass.

Others to start:
Byron Leftwich, Jax
Trent Green, KC
Kurt Warner, Ari
Aaron Brooks, NO
Eli Manning, NYG
Drew Brees, SD
Brad Johnson, Min

No-brainers:
Peyton Manning, Ind
Carson Palmer, Cin
Tom Brady, NE
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
Marc Bulger, StL
Kerry Collins, Oak
Drew Bledsoe, Dal

RB:

Ronnie Brown, Mia: Brown is still the main guy in Miami’s rushing attack, as he almost averages five yards per carry. After seeing his team lose two games in a row when he didn’t trust the rushing attack near the goal line, there is hope that coach Saban will change that approach this week, which increase the chances for a rushing TD from Brown against one of the league’s weaker defenses, the Cleveland Browns.

Heath Evans and Corey Dillon, NE: This is one of the most important injury watches of the week. Whoever starts for the Patriots should be in line for a huge day against a New Orleans defense that is 30th in the league against the rush. We believe Evans will get the bulk of the action, but be sure to check the latest news on Sunday.

Others to start:
Antowain Smith, NO
LaMont Jordan, Oak
Thomas Jones, Chi (if healthy)
Kevin Jones, Det
Chris Brown, Ten
Mike Anderson, Den
Willis McGahee, Buf
Tatum Bell, Den
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Cadillac Williams, TB
Rudi Johnson, Cin
Julius Jones, Dal

No-brainers:
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Larry Johnson, KC
LaDainan Tomlison, SD
Clinton Portis, Was
Tiki Barber, NYG
Edgerrin James, Ind
Sam Gado, GB
Steven Jackson, StL

WR:

Joe Horn, NO: Since returning from injury, Horn has had one good game and one disappointing effort. This week, the time should be right again for a solid performance. The banged-up Patriots secondary is second-worst in the league against the pass, and there should be plenty of room for Horn to maneuver.

Lee Evans, Buf: After letting his fantasy owners down in the first half of the season, Evans bounced back last week to score two TDs. (Kudos to those of you who trusted him and had him in your lineups!) I guess a lot more Evans owners will have him in their starting formations this week, and they are right to do so. The Bills play the Chargers, who are 30th in the NFL against the pass, and Evans displayed excellent chemistry with quarterback JP Losman last week. With this matchup, he is worth the risk, so get him into your lineup.

Others to start:
Eddie Kennison, KC
Jerry Porter, Oak
Chris Chambers, Mia
Derrick Mason, Bal
Bobby Engram, Sea
Joe Jurevicius, Sea
Eric Moulds, Buf
Laveranues Coles, NYJ
Steve Smith, Car
Keyshawn Johnson, Dal
Rod Smith, Den

No-brainers:
Randy Moss, Oak
Joey Galloway, TB
Hines Ward, Pit
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Larry Fitzgerald, Ari
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Santana Moss, Was
Andre Johnson, Hou
Torry Holt, StL
Plaxico Burress, NYG
Donald Driver, GB

TE/K/D:

Bubba Franks, TE, GB: With the resurgence of the Green Bay passing game, a finally healthy Bubba Franks should also be inserted into your lineup. Franks already received the second-highest number of looks from Brett Favre last week (trailing only Donald Driver), and should play an important role again this Monday night against a shaky Vikings defense.

Sebastian Janikowski, K, Oak: The Redskins surrendered 36 points to Tampa last week, so a more potent offense like the Raiders should be able to move the ball quite well and get Janikowski a lot of chances. Kickers are always difficult to forecast, but this matchup looks very good.

Seattle Defense: The Seattle defense is still flying under the radar, but it has been a steady fantasy producer this year. On Sunday, the Seahawks face the lowly 49ers, and should continue to provide their owners with solid numbers.

 
BENCH

QB:

Jake Delhomme, Car: Last Sunday, we saw what cold windy November weather combined with the stingy Bears defense can do. Yes, the Bears were facing the hapless 49ers offense – but the bottom line was still just one completed pass. Expect Delhomme to complete a few more than that, but his numbers may still suffer.

Jake Plummer, Den: If there has been one bright spot on the Jets this season, then it is their pass defense. They are allowing opposing passers to throw for just under 170 yards per game, and have only surrendered seven scores so far through the air. On the other hand, Plummer has a history of underachieving against stronger passing defenses, so you might wish to stay away from him this week. The Broncos’ focus may well be on the running game once again.

RB:

Curtis Martin, NYJ: Martin’s numbers have gone up in recent weeks, but they are still far from last year’s stats. He once again faces one of the league’s top rushing defenses, the Denver Broncos, who have allowed just 85 yards on the ground per game. Plug someone else into your lineup if you have that option.

Brian Westbrook, Phi: After not topping the 50-yard rushing mark in weeks 4 through 9, Westbrook finally turned in a solid game on the ground last week. But with Donovan McNabb likely out for Sunday, the Giants can be expected to stack the line against Westbrook, which will make it even tougher to run against a unit that is sixth in the league with just 88 yards per game allowed on the ground. Westbrook should once again be a factor in the passing game, but might have trouble running the ball.

WR:

Roy Williams, Det: Williams came back from his injury in a big way last week and showed us that he is the future of the Lions’ air attack. Still, we do not think he will come close to last week’s numbers, as the Cowboys have stopped practically everyone of late. It’s hard to believe that Joey Harrington can duplicate his week 10 performance against such a good defense. Don’t expect too much from Williams.

Brandon Jones and Drew Bennett, Ten: Jones will be back at almost 100%, and Bennett will also most likely play again this week. However, no matter who eventually winds up starting, Tennessee’s receivers may only have limited success against a Jacksonville defense that quietly has climbed up to the top spot in the league against the pass. Play it safe, and start someone else.

TE/K/D:

Jerramy Stevens, TE, Sea: With the Seahawks’ WR corps getting healthier, and Shaun Alexander being virtually unstoppable, the Stevens’ value has gone down. Right now, it’s difficult to recommend him even against the weak 49ers defense. For now, Stevens is only the fourth option in Seattle’s passing game.

John Kasay, K, Car: Behind a strong Panthers offense, Kasay has been a nice player to have in your fantasy lineup. This week, however, you will probably fare better with someone else. The cold Chicago winds make it difficult for any kicker, so let somebody else handle your kicking duties on Sunday.

Cincinnati Defense: The Bengals defense surprised everyone this year, as they are a big reason for the team’s 7-2 record. Unfortunately, they will be facing a challenge they might not be able to handle this week: the Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals are a very risky start.

 
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.