Week 7

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With six weeks already in the books, a lot of leagues are approaching midseason. For all those who are 1-5 or 0-6, it may be the last chance to make some moves and get your team back on track. If you are cruising with a 6-0 or a 5-1 record, you probably do not have to worry at all, but there might still be positions where you could upgrade. And there are those in-between teams at 4-2, 3-3 or 2-4, all within reach of a playoff spot, but without any guarantees. Yes, the next few weeks will decide in which direction your team heads. To help you set your lineup for this week and get your squad headed in the right direction, we take a look at which players should be in your lineup and which you should avoid in this week’s edition of Start & Sit.

START

QB:

Aaron Brooks, NO: Brooks has been like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde so far, and you’re probably good and tired of him already as the bad performances have dominated so far. Still, he showed improvement last week against the Falcons, and this week’s matchup against the Rams is a good one. St.Louis has the fourth-worst passing defense of the league and has not been able to stop anyone. Play him.

Mark Brunell, Was: Brunell has been a nice surprise for his owners so far, and the matchup this week is as good as it can get. The 49ers have by far the worst passing defense in the league, so be sure to have Brunell in your lineup for Sunday.

Others to start:
Steve McNair, Ten
Eli Manning, NYG
Marc Bulger, StL (if healthy)
Trent Green, KC
Carson Palmer, Cin
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Jake Plummer, Den
Kelly Holcomb, Buf

No-brainers:
Peyton Manning, Ind
Drew Bledsoe, Dal
Drew Brees, SD
Brett Favre, GB
Donovan McNabb, Phi

RB:

Ahman Green, GB: Green has failed to score so far this season, and even missed the last game with a knee injury, but he should be back right in time for this Sunday’s great matchup against the Vikings. Minnesota has by far the worst rushing defense of the league, so be sure to have Green active.

Kevin Jones, Det: Jones has been a major disappointment this season, as he has failed to break the 100-yard rushing mark in any game, and has failed to reach 60 yards in all but one outing. But this week, this might change, as the Cleveland Browns allow over 140 yards on the ground per contest. He should be good to go despite a nagging shoulder injury, but be sure to check back on his status later this week – if he can go, he could be headed for his best game of the season.

Others to start:
Domanick Davis, Hou
Julius Jones, Dal
TJ Duckett, Atl
Willie Parker, Pit
Chris Brown, Ten
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Antowain Smith, NO
Clinton Portis, Was
Rudi Johnson, Cin
Tatum Bell, Den
LaMont Jordan, Oak

No-brainers:
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Edgerrin James, Ind
Tiki Barber, NYG
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Willis McGahee, Buf
Priest Holmes, KC

WR:

Brandon Jones, Ten: With Drew Bennett out for this week, Jones probably becomes the #1 option for Steve McNair. So far, Jones has already been the most productive wide receiver besides Bennett, and he could be good for a productive game against a mediocre Cardinals defense.

Derrick Mason, Bal: Yes, Mason is playing on a bad Ravens offense, and the matchup is not a good one against the Bears on Sunday. But Mason is simply too good a receiver to sit, and as the prime option in Baltimore’s passing game, he still should get enough looks to make a fantasy impact.

Others to start:
Rod Smith, Den
Plaxico Burress, NYG
Eddie Kennison, KC
Jerry Porter, Oak
Hines Ward, Pit (if healthy)
Chris Chambers, Mia
Robert Ferguson, GB
Larry Fitzgerald, Ari
Anquan Boldin, Ari
Laveranues Coles, NYJ

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Terrell Owens, Phi
Chad Johnson, Cin
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Terry Glenn, Dal
Santana Moss, Was
Donald Driver, GB

TE/K/D:

Ernie Conwell, TE, NO: Conwell had a couple of productive games at the beginning of the season, but has been invisible since. That might change this week, as the Rams have allowed a total of 10 catches for 153 yards and two TDs to the TE position in the last three weeks.

Mike Nugent, K, NYJ: Need a one-week starter? Well, here you go. Behind a weak Jets offense, Nugent has not gotten too many chances so far, but he may see more action this week against the Falcons, who even let an anemic Saints offense come to life. The Georgia Dome might help as well, of course, so keep him in mind when searching the wire.

Detroit Defense: The Lions’ defenders have kept their team in the game recently, and could have another solid week against the Browns. The Lions have forced four turnovers in each of the last two weeks, and could again approach that number.

 
BENCH

QB:

Kerry Collins, Oak: There’s lots of bad news for Collins owners this week. On the one hand, Randy Moss is doubtful, which would mean that his primary target is most likely out. On the other hand, the Raiders face the best passing defense of the league, the Bills. Take this together, and you had better start someone else this week.

Matt Hasselbeck, Sea: Tough call here: Hasselbeck and the Seahawks have been on a nice run lately, but the Cowboys defense shut down Collins, Donovan McNabb, and Eli Manning in the last three weeks. Expect the Seahawks to use a heavy dose of Shaun Alexander, so avoid Hasselbeck this week if you have other options.

RB:

Jamal Lewis, Bal: Lewis failed to get over the 100-yard mark so far, and we doubt he can make it there this weekend against the tough Chicago defense. The Bears allow an average of just 84 yards on the ground every time they take the field, so you may be better off looking somewhere else.

Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams, Mia: Here we go again, another RB-by-committee approach … and according to coach Saban, he will likely go with the hot hand whenever possible. So for now, better sit both of them and view the situation closely. Anyhow, neither of them might do much damage against a Chiefs defense allowing just 95 yards per game on the ground.

WR:

Brandon Stokley, Ind: The way the Colts are playing right now, sitting Stokley for now is probably a wise move, not because this team is playing badly, but because they are playing so well. With the defense playing fantastic football, the Colts have opted to play a more controlled style on offense compared to the last years, and this simply hurts everyone fantasywise. For Stokley, who is essentially the fourth option on the team, this means too little production to warrant fantasy consideration, especially when the Colts are expected to blow out their opponents like this weak against the lowly Texans.

Any Falcons receiver: With a five-catch, 103 yards game, Brian Finneran got a lot of attention from fantasy owners two weeks ago, but responded with a zero-catch outing last Sunday. He still leads the Falcons in receiving yards, as no other WR has been productive so far. This probably will not change this week, as the Jets have one of the better passing defenses in the league. Expect Atlanta to move the ball mostly on the ground.

TE/K/D:

Tony Gonzalez, TE, KC: Gonzalez has been a major disappointment for his owners so far this season, and it may be time to admit he is not a top option at TE any more – at least until he shows differently. Miami has allowed an average of 12 yards per game to opposing TEs over their last four contests, so temper your expectations of Gonzalez.

Matt Stover, K, Bal: After a 10-point game last week, Stover could quickly revert back to mediocrity. Baltimore’s offense may not get him too many chances against a Bears defense who allows a mere 12.4 points per game.

Houston Defense: For a second straight time, the Texans defense makes this list, but the matchup simply is too bad to consider starting this unit. The Colts are playing extremely well right now, and won’t give the Houston defense many opportunities to earn points for your fantasy team.

 
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.