Week 6

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Now everybody remembers why it is necessary to have those backups on your roster. With Deuce McAllister out for the season, there goes one of your top picks. Did you have Antowain Smith on your bench as insurance? Probably not, as he was not viewed to be one of the backups worth owning by most owners. A week earlier, Darrell Jackson, one of the premier fantasy wideouts, went down, and he is probably out another six weeks. His backup, Joe Jurevicius, was marvelous last week, with 137 yards and a TD. Additionally, Ben Roethlisberger is doubtful for this week, leaving you guessing if you should play Tommy Maddox instead. And what about Cadillac Williams? The rookie who rushed for 434 yards in the first three weeks is listed as questionable for Sunday right now. Is he worth a gamble? We talk about that and more to help you set your lineup in this week’s Start & Sit.

START

QB:

Matt Schaub/Michael Vick, Atl: Right now, it is not clear whether Vick will play or if Schaub will start for the Falcons once again. Follow this one closely, as you could find one of the top quarterbacks for this week here. That might be especially true if Vick sits, because fantasy-wise, Schaub should even do better than Vick against a Saints defense that was torn apart by Brett Favre last week. Start whoever gets the nod here.

Jake Plummer, Den: Surprisingly, the Broncos are back at 4-1 after their blowout loss to Miami in week 1. Still, Plummer has not done much to warrant fantasy consideration so far, averaging 175 yards and a TD per game. Going against an injury-depleted Patriots secondary should help here. The Patriots have allowed five passing TDs in the past two weeks, and are third-worst in the leagues in total passing TDs allowed. It may not get much better than this Sunday for the Snake, so put him in your lineup.

Others to start:
Tom Brady, NE
Steve McNair, Ten
Jake Delhomme, Car
Eli Manning, NYG
Marc Bulger, StL
Trent Green, KC

No-brainers:
Peyton Manning, Ind
Drew Bledsoe, Dal
Carson Palmer, Cin
Drew Brees, SD
Kerry Collins, Oak
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea

RB:

Jamal Lewis, Bal: The Ravens offense is on life support, at best. And Lewis has not done much to make things better so far. Still, he is worth starting this week against a Browns squad that features the third-worst rushing defense of the league. Get Lewis into you rlineup; he could reward you with nice fantasy production.

Cedric Benson/Thomas Jones, Chi: We hate to make recommendations when we can’t be sure which of two players will be starting, but as was the case with Atlanta’s QBs, this matchup is simply too good to pass up. It’s therefore worth monitoring Jones’ progress closely, and putting Benson into your lineup if Jones is ruled out. Why? The Vikings are dead last in the league against the rush, allowing 178 yards per game. With the Bears passing game in trouble, they will try to move the ball on the ground as much as possible.

Others to start:
Corey Dillon, NE
Domanick Davis, Hou
Stephen Davis, Car
Julius Jones, Dal
TJ Duckett, Atl
Jerome Bettis, Pit
Chris Brown, Ten
Curtis Martin, NYJ

No-brainers:
LaDainan Tomlinson, SD
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Edgerrin James, Ind
Tiki Barber, NYG
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Willis McGahee, Buf
Rudi Johnson, Cin
Clinton Portis, Was

WR:

Keenan McCardell, SD: After being a nice fantasy surprise in the first weeks, McCardell was quiet last week with just one catch for five yards. Thank goodness McCardell doesn’t not play the Steelers each week. With the Chargers traveling to Oakland, things should get a lot better for him, as the Raiders allow a whopping 271 yards per game through the air.

Joe Jurevicius, Sea: Are there any doubts left that Jurevicius can replace Darrell Jackson? Well, he might not have the speed, but his size – which helps make him an excellent red zone target – made him worth considering even with Jackson and Bobby Engram in the Seahawks’ lineup. But for now Jurevicius is Seattle’s #1 receiver, and should do well against the Texans’ so-so secondary.

Others to start:
Joey Galloway, TB
Jimmy Smith, Jax
Rod Smith, Den
Drew Bennett, Ten
Plaxico Burress, NYG
Eddie Kennison, KC
Joe Horn, NO (if healthy!)
Hines Ward, Pit (if healthy!)

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Steve Smith, Car
Randy Moss, Oak
Chad Johnson, Cin
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Terry Glenn, Dal
Santana Moss, Was

TE/K/D:

Ben Troupe, TE, Ten: Troupe already has three TDs this season, and finished with eight catches for 67 yards last week. He is trusted by Steve McNair as a target right now, and should be a safety blanket for him again this week against the tough, aggressive Bengals defense.

Todd Peterson, K, Atl: If you need a bye-week replacement this week, Peterson might just be your man. The Falcons face a weak Saints defense and should be in scoring territory a lot.

Seattle Defense: With Houston’s offense still not running well at all, the Seahawks are a nice start this week. They should hurry David Carr all night, and will be a nice fill-in if you need one.

 
BENCH

QB:

Tommy Maddox, Pit: With Ben Roethlisberger almost certainly out, Maddox might get the call on Sunday. Still, he is probably not worth considering, as the Steelers face the second-best pass defense unit of the league, the Jaguars. Allowing only 155 yards per game so far, they could shut down the Steelers passing game, too.

Kelly Holcomb, Buf: Owners of Lee Evans and Eric Moulds should keep routing for this guy, as Holcomb should make them both worth starting – and of course, he himself is a viable fantasy starter if the matchup is right. Unfortunately, this week the Bills face the tough Jets defense, who are currently fifth in the league against the pass. Sit him; there are better options this week.

RB:

Michael Pittman/Cadillac Williams, TB: Regardless of Williams’ health, neither Tampa Bay back is recommended as a start this week against one of the league’s premier rushing defenses, the Dolphins. With Tampa’s offense not running well recently, anyway, it’s safer to keep both of them on the bench this week.

Mewelde Moore, Min: Moore has locked up the starting job for the Vikings for now, but he will have a tough time running this week. The Bears allow just 88 yards on the ground and have not given up a rushing TD so far this season. Bench him.

WR:

Az-Zahir Hakim, NO: With Joe Horn out last week, Hakim got the starting nod, and responded with a fine game, finishing with 108 yards despite a sore knee. With Horn expected back on Sunday, Hakim will be the #3 receiver again and is not worth starting.

Kevin Curtis, StL: Curtis has done fine replacing Isaac Bruce so far, but he faces a tough secondary this week. The Colts have allowed just two passing TDs so far, and they will be able to slow down even the Rams offense. Sit him; he just is too risky this week.

TE/K/D:

Daniel Graham/Ben Watson, TE, NE: Here we go again. After finishing for a combined one catch for 10 yards game three weeks ago, and a combined one catch for 23 yards in week 4, Tom Brady finally discovered his TEs last Sunday to the tune of 152 yards and two TDs (with Graham getting 119 yards and one score). Is this finally the time to trust either of them? Probably not. Brady spreads the ball so well that you never can predict who will be his primary target. As chances are high that neither of these two will be targeted a lot this week, better avoid both of them.

Jeff Wilkins, K, StL: Benching a kicker from one of the league’s best offenses is always tough, but the Rams play the #1 defense in the NFL. While it might be the Indianapolis defense’s biggest test so far, this unit has allowed just 5.8 points per game – not numbers that encourage you to start a kicker against them. Play it safe and find someone else for this week.

Houston Defense: The Seahawks offense is playing very well right now, and the way Houston has played recently, it’s hard to imagine this defense stopping Shaun Alexander from running wild and Matt Hasselbeck from doing considerable damage by air. With Seattle and Hasselbeck making far less mistakes at home than in opponents’ stadiums, do not count on many points from this unit.

 
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.