START
QB
Jon Kitna, QB, Detroit – Who would have thought that Kitna would be 5th on the passing list at 1800+ yards halfway through the season? Kitna is a reliable starter and is a safe bet for two TDs, however, his consistent fourth quarter blow ups usually net him an INT. In Martz’ offense, 300 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT is an everyday expectation.
Michael Vick, Atlanta – It’s too easy to start Vick against Detroit. Detroit has allowed more passing TDs than any other team in the league. With Shaun Rogers out, Vick will not only have more time to throw the ball; he should have larger lanes up the middle to run. Vick should keep up his streak of big games, both in the air and on the ground.
Eli Manning, NY Giants – Manning is a solid start this week against a Houston defense who has allowed 12 passing TDs on the season with only one INT. Houston’s defense is in terrible shape all around and the Giants have far too many inexperienced weapons to falter against Houston.
Rex Grossman, Chicago – Grossman has been great in every game but one this season (Arizona). He’s poised in the pocket, has a lot of time to throw, and looks extremely familiar with the offense. Grossman is a must start until he shows that he can’t consistently throw 250 yards and 3 TDs.
RB
Steven Jackson, St. Louis – Jackson is extremely talented and is better than his numbers indicate. Kansas City has a decent run defense, but they’re nothing special. Jackson is a good start this week and has a good chance to break out a 100 yard day.
Chester Taylor, Minnesota – Taylor is the prime example of a workhorse back this season. Taylor has been plugging away on the ground AND through the air all season, despite only scoring twice. Taylor is the main part of the Minnesota offense, with 171 touches through seven games. Couple that with the fact that the Niners have been owned on the ground, giving up 11 TDs.
Ahman Green, Green Bay – Vernand Morency is out, so Green will see more touches and will split less time running the ball. Green is good out of the backfield and could see more catches with Greg Jennings still hurt. Green is returning to form from his hamstring and ankle injuries, so a 100 yard day should be in order.
Fred Taylor, Jacksonville – Taylor is the main back in Jacksonville and is averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Despite the fact he only has 3 TDs on the season, he should be able to run all over a Tennessee defense that is giving up 162 yards per game on the ground and has given up a whopping 10 TDs on the ground so far this season.
W/R (flex)
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta – I sure do have a lot of Falcons starting, right? No doubt, this game is going to be an offensive shootout. Dunn is still producing, despite slipping numbers due to Vick’s “improved passing.” The Lions are giving up big numbers to both receiving backs and TEs, so look for Dunn’s numbers to increase out of the backfield, making him an excellent flex start.
Travis Henry, Tennessee – Who knows what happened to Henry last week? Henry needs to be the main back in Tennessee and not split time. Henry is a good start, despite playing against the Jacksonville defense.
WR
Marques Colston, New Orleans – The rookie has been a huge waiver pickup for many people, including myself. You just can’t bench him under any circumstance at this point. 577 yards and 6 TDs in seven games are stats you just can’t ignore.
Isaac Bruce, St. Louis – Bruce is a good start as your #3 this week. He’s been inconsistent this season, averaging only 58 yards on four catches in the past three games. Against Kansas City, receivers are averaging 11 receptions, 173 yards and 1.5 touchdowns since week 5 and the Chiefs will be double covering Torry Holt, who has been unstoppable once again this season.
Roy Williams, Detroit – Roy is matching up on a stud in DeAngelo Hall. It will be a tough matchup, but Roy should come out on top as he is a very fluid and has the knack for making the most improbable catch. Roy has been unstoppable before the bye week, posting 3 games with at least 138 yards. Considering the fact that Atlanta has been torched the past couple weeks to good WRs, Roy’s a safe bet.
Terrell Owens, Dallas – Owens is a great athlete is a phenomenal WR. As long as Dallas QBs are getting time to throw the ball, Owens will get open and will get looks, especially in the redzone. Romo seems to love his new redzone target as well. Hopefully his 3 TD week will be a perennial accomplishment, so his draft status will pay off.
TE
Jason Witten, Dallas – Romo seems to like Witten more than Bledsoe did. Jason Witten is an extremely talented player who has been sort of neglected thus far this season. Witten caught 6 balls last week for 80 yards and one TD, netting season highs in receptions and yards. As a bonus, Witten is still on waivers in a few leagues.
Alge Crumpler, Atlanta – Crumpler is in for another huge week. Detroit’s sketchy linebacking corps has been torched by big, fast TEs this season. Look for this streak to continue as Crump owns an inexperienced group of linebackers that are sure to have some rust (Teddy Lehman).
K
Jason Hanson, Detroit – Jason Hanson is still a good kicker, though losing a bit of power on kickoffs. Playing in Detroit, he’ll have an easy time putting the ball through the uprights, and in what is sure to be an offensive shootout, Hanson is a strong play.
DEF
Denver Broncos (vs Pittsburgh) – This is going to be a good defensive battle, as both teams have excellent defenses and stumbling offenses. The Broncos should get the better of the this battle having a defense that is ranked 7th against the rush and 2nd against the pass. Combined with Roelisberger’s struggles, this is a good chance for the Broncos to emerge as a top three team in the league.
BENCH
QB
Seneca Wallace, Seattle – Darrell Jackson is questionable and Seneca Wallace just can’t cut it. Throw in the fact that Shaun Alexander is still out and you have an offense who is now thin at all offensive skill positions. Sure Oakland isn’t great, but they sure did a number on Big Ben and the Steelers last week. Oakland’s secondary is still underrated and this could be a big week for them. Count Deion Branch as a big play this week if Jackson is limited in action.
Charlie Frye, Cleveland – Frye has been solid so far this season, considering what he’s been working with and the fact he only has about a year of experience. San Diego has given up 9 TDs on the season with an average of 180 yards per game. San Diego is going to give up a nice chunk of yardage to Frye and possibly two TDs, but should also nab a couple INTs since Frye will be throwing for the bulk of three quarters.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh – Inconsistency is the key word. Big Ben was owned by the Raiders…the RAIDERS! Until Ben can show he can get his head in the game and play better than he did last week, he’s definitely on the bench against the league best pass defense (Denver Broncos).
Philip Rivers, San Diego – Rivers is an efficient QB, who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but he’s still raw and his attempts will be limited. Expect LDT and Turner to see a lot of action as the Chargers dominant the Browns early on.
RB
Ronnie Brown, Miami – It’s not smart to start any RB against the Bears defense. Chicago has been dominant against the run and the pass, but have been allowing a mere 82 yards per game on the ground with one TD on the season. Combine that with the fact that many teams are getting those yards in the fourth quarter of blowouts, Brown is a terrible start at Soldier field this week.
Tatum Bell, Denver – When Tatum was hurt last week, Mike took on the job and performed extremely well. It’s a game time decision as to who is starting, but Shanahan generally doesn’t use a RBBC as some other teams do. The Steelers have been good against the run so far this season, shutting down studs like Larry Johnson, so don’t expect Bell to run wild as usual. The Steelers defense will keep the Bell combo in check.
Willie Parker, Pittsburgh – Parker is tough to bench. However, one must take into account the fact that Denver has held opposing RBs out of the endzone all season. Parker will be relied upon if the pass game starts to fail with Big Ben being as inconsistent as he has been this season. If Big Ben is on, the run game should be more active, otherwise, Parker is in for a long day.
Wali Lundy, Houston – Lundy has gotten his shot the past two weeks, averaging 129 total yards per game and has found the endzone once in that span. However, Lundy will get his one of his toughest tests of the season against the Giants this week. Since Week 5, the Giants are giving up a mere 79 rushing yards and 0.3 touchdowns per game to opposing backs.
WR
Javon Walker, Denver – Jake Plummer is not a WR’s QB. Plummer could easily see the bench after this week against Pittsburgh. Walker’s having a great year considering Plummer is his QB (33 catches for 535 yards and 3 TDs). Denver is going to run the ball no matter what, so Walker’s TDs are going to be few and far between.
Hines Ward, Pittsburgh – The best thing for Ward would be for Roethlisberger to be out this week and Batch to start. Roethlisberger’s play has hurt this team tremendously this season and the run game has done all it could to bail him out. Ward is matching up on Champ Bailey, which is a touch challenge for any WR in the league. Denver’s only allowed 5 TDs on the season, so Ward going scoreless would be no surprise.
Drew Bennett, Tennessee – Rashean Mathis is having a career year and is a shut down CB. Don’t expect much from Bennett as he’s going to be blanketed all day. The only receiver who has done well against Mathis has been Andre Johnson, but he’s done well on every CB he’s matched up against. Bennett’s not in that league, so keep him on the bench.
Reggie Williams, Jacksonville – Most had pegged Williams to have a breakout candidate for FF drafts; and yet, he’s practically laid an egg. He’s got 25 catches on the year for 310 yards and 4 TDs. With a healthier Matt Jones returning to the lineup, Williams reception should decrease.
TE
Randy McMichael, Miami – McMichael’s stock has shot up with Harrington under center, which is not surprising. However, McMichael is still seeing very few looks in the redzone, which is surprising. Don’t expect much this week from McMichael as the Bears have shut down TEs so far this season and have been excellent against the pass as well. He will face a Bears' defense that has allowed an average of just 1.33 catches, 16 yards and no touchdowns per game to tight ends during the last four weeks.
K
Jay Feeley, NY Giants – Feeley is 11/13 on FGs this season, so he hasn’t exactly had a ton of opportunities. Feeley won’t get many more this week either, as the Giants will easily dissect the Texans and will score, rather than settling for chip shot FGs
Matt Stover, Baltimore – Since Billick has taken over play calling, he has averaged just 3.67 kicking points per game while converting an average of 2.67 extra points and an average of 0.33 field goals per contest.
DEF
Baltimore Ravens (vs Cincinnati) – Everyone expects Baltimore to shut down the Bengals, but I think this is when Carson, Rudi, and Ocho Cinco break out of their respective funks and start putting up last year type numbers. The Bengals are better than they’ve been playing, not converting third downs and such, but Baltimore’s secondary has been very suspect lately, allowing big days in the past couple weeks.
SLEEPERS
QB
Andrew Walter, Oakland – Walter is facing a Seattle defense that has been below average year. Losing Andre Dyson hurt more than it seemed. Seattle’s giving up over 230 yards per game through the air and have allowed 12 TDs with 5 INTs so far this season. Walter is getting better and better each week and could have a solid game, especially if Randy Moss returns to his old form.
RB
Marion Barber III, Dallas – Tony Romo isn’t a reliable QB to have throwing the ball 30+ times a game. Dallas has a good running game, but they need to keep at it and stop abandoning it. Barber has 6 TDs in the last 6 games and could be a nice sleeper.
Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants – With the Giants facing a Houston squad in terrible shape, Jacobs could easily see the endzone at least once. Jacobs is a goal line back, having scored in three straight games, and is a safe bet against Houston’s 26th ranked run defense.
Cedric Benson, Chicago – Miami may have a good shot at stopping Chicago’s run game. Thomas Jones is good at dancing around in the backfield and should help Miami to a good number of tackles for losses. Benson hits the hole hard and should be a factor in Chicago controlling the clock.
WR
Mike Furrey, Detroit – Furrey has 37 receptions on the season, the same as stud RB Kevin Jones. Furrey is a reliable WR and sees a lot of catches, though not a ton of yards. Being a starting WR in a Mike Martz offense makes Furrey a nice start this week, especially considering the Lions will be throwing quite a bit.
Michael Jenkins, Atlanta – Yes, another Atlanta starter. It seems any WR going up against Detroit’s secondary is worthy of at least a #3 wideout spot. Jenkins has the speed and size to show up Dre Bly and Fernando Bryant.
Joey Galloway, Tampa Bay – New Orleans has a solid defense this season, but Galloway can turn it on and off whenever he feels like it seems. Galloway is one of the most inconsistent WRs in the league, posting 120 yards one week and a goose egg the next. He’s already got 4 catches for 110 yards and 1 TD against the Saints this season.
Josh Reed, Buffalo – Al Harris has done a good job of shutting down top WRs, so Lee Evans probably shouldn’t be in for a big week this week. Reed is seeing a decent amount of action for a #3 WR and could be a nice depth start this week.
TE
Tony Scheffler, Denver – Scheffler had 4 of his 6 catches on the season last week for the team-high receiving yards for the Broncos. Scheffler had a good day for his first real emergence and when Pittsburgh starts attacking Plummer and getting him to throw on the run, Scheffler should see a number of looks.
K
There’s not really a sleeper at the kicker position…so we’ll just say that both Lawrence Tynes and Jeff Wilkins will have solid days. Robbie Gould, Matt Stover, Shayne Graham, and even Dave Rayner should have solid days as well.
DEF
Green Bay Packers (vs Buffalo) – Green Bay’s defense is actually decent. Willis McGahee is bound to make up for his lack of productions so far this season, but JP Losman leaves much to be desired. The Packers pass defense is ranked dead last, but are better than they show, they’re very solid against the run, averaging less than 100 yards per game. They’ve played some good passing offenses, so don’t let the rank scare you. Buffalo’s best hope is that the bye week helped JP Losman get his act together. Al Harris has shut down good WRs all season and it will be up Josh Reed, Peerless Price, and Roscoe Parrish to make plays…I don’t think they can
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