Start or Sit Week 11

Start or Sit Week 11

As you start to put your final team together for the playoff push, our own Eric Cunningham is here once again to let you know who you should start, and who you should stay away from in week 11.

QUARTERBACK

Start ‘Em

Ben Roethlisberger, PIT

Big Ben is certainly having himself a big year. Despite the fact that the Jets were finally able to stop a QB from throwing a TD for the first time in week 9 (Jason Campbell… I know… who hasn’t stopped Jason Campbell from throwing TDs?) Roethlisberger should put up some spectacular numbers. He’s thrown for multiple TDs every week since coming out of the bye in week 6 averaging 3.3 per game. The Jets aren’t going to be the one that breaks the streak.

Carson Palmer, CIN

Is he a disappointment this season? Sure. But it’s only because of the high expectations of being compared to Peyton Manning before fantasy drafts. Palmer is actually on pace to throw for more TDs than he ever has despite throwing up a doughnut last week. This week, expect an aerial showdown between the Cardinals and Bengals. Plus, with Chris Henry back in the fold, the Bengals can finally run the offense the way it was designed. The three headed WR monster will get a lot of attention, and Palmer will be running the show.

Matt Hasselbeck, SEA

That was the Matt Hasselbeck that Seattle fans have known and loved. Or, maybe that’s what happens when you give the guy a respectable target. Make no mistake, D.J. Hackett made that team much better. Hasselbeck has now thrown 2 TDs in each of his last 4 games while eclipsing 275 yards in 3 of 4. This is why I wait on a QB on draft day. He’s a solid play every week, yet he never seems to get the national credit. This week, against Chicago, he’ll be fine. The Bears defense is a shadow of what it used to be.

Deep Start ‘Em

Kurt Warner, ARZ

You can’t get a better passing match up than the Bengals. Warner looked good against Detroit and should have just as good of a game this weekend. In 9 games this year the Bengals have allowed 19 passing TDs. You could even make it 7 games if you want to discount the two games against Baltimore where Steve McNair and Kyle Boller failed to throw for one. Taking that into account, they are allowing 2.7 TDs per game. There are sexier and safer options in shallow leagues, but there isn’t a valid reason to avoid playing Warner in deep leagues.

Brodie Croyle, KC & John Beck, MIA

Rookies unite! We’ve got two rookie QBs making their debuts this week and when you’re digging down deep for a QB sometimes you need to be lucky better than good. There are plenty of QBs with more experience, that we’ve seen fail to produce countless times but continue to hold their jobs. In fantasy why not grab one of the young guns with limitless potential and cross your fingers? Tons of potential outweighs proven mediocrity.

Croyle will take over for Damon Huard after a tough going for the Chiefs. Last week I thought they would have to throw a lot more often and they did. Unfortunately for Huard, he’s not very good at that and he was yanked for Croyle. The newbie went 17-30 for 162 yards. He didn’t score, and he did have an INT, but it was still an improvement. This week, he gets to go on the road to face the Indianapolis Colts (sans Dwight Freeney).

Beck has a much tougher journey. He gets to take over a lost season for the Dolphins and will have everyone pressuring him to be better than what-could-have-been draft pick Brady Quinn. Fortunately, Quinn still hasn’t played so he can’t officially be a bust. Beck will have to go on the road to very hostile Philadelphia, but he’ll have one leg up on Brodie Croyle: a running game. More on that later.

Sit ‘Em

Philip Rivers, SD

So New Orleans, can we get Drew Brees back? Philip Rivers might be the luckiest Charger following the 23-21 win against Indianapolis. No scratch that, he’s the luckiest QB ever. He went head-to-head with Peyton Manning, gave up 2 INTs, failed to throw a TD, and passed for 104 yards, and won? Yeah, that’s lucky. He’s also lucky that Adam Vinatieri missed that field goal or the national media would have been ripping him apart this week. This week, he gets a strong Jacksonville defense. Good luck.

Kyle Boller, BAL

The Baltimore offense is brutal and Kyle Boller hasn’t been the reason, yet. Steve McNair has been just awful, but when Boller is taking over at QB your team can’t be improving all that much. Boller has seemingly been trying out for the Ravens starting gig for years, but he’ll never be that guy. Cincinnati has one of the worst pass defenses in the league, and Boller has already thrown 2 INTs to them on separate occasions. The other Ohio based team will get its first crack at Boller on Sunday, and I don’t think it will be much better. He’s averaged 194.5 yards passing against Cleveland in his last two games while throwing 3 INTs.

J.P. Losman, BUF

He’s playing the New England Patriots. That should really be all you need. I like him as a part time player down the stretch for match ups, but this week won’t be pretty. In 5 career games against the Patriots Losman has yet to throw for 200 yards, while he has thrown 1 TD to 5 INTs. He’s probably the last QB I would consider using this week.

RUNNING BACK

Start ‘Em

Steven Jackson, STL

You know, I never thought I would be writing that Steven Jackson is a player to start at this point in the season. I thought for sure it would be obvious, but with the way his season has gone it needs to be said. Jackson came back last week and played with no set backs for the first time this season. He rushed and threw for a TD and contributed 100 total yards. This will be a sign of things to come with San Francisco, Atlanta, and Cincinnati on the horizon. Jackson has averaged 137.3 total yards against the 49ers over his past three match ups but only managed to score once. Expect a big day from him this week.

LenDale White, TEN

White exited last week’s game against Jacksonville with a sore right knee, but it doesn’t seem to be much of an issue. Keep an eye on how he practices going into the weekend, but all signs at this time are still pointing to a start on Sunday which is great news for his owners. Before last week he had posted 3 straight 100-yard rushing efforts and has clearly broken out of the split back system to be one of the few true primary ball carriers in the league. His upcoming schedule is a running back’s dream (Denver, Cincinnati, and Houston) so get him in your lineup and keep him there.

Jesse Chatman, MIA

It seems like forever ago, but there was a time Chatman was the hot commodity on the waiver wire. He got half of the carries against New England, traveled to London to play a bloody good Giants run defense, and had a bye week. Those were three easily forgettable weeks, but he still managed to average a ridiculous 6.6 yards per carry. Last week, he broke back onto the scene with a 124-yard rushing effort against Buffalo. If you give him a chance this week you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The Eagles have allowed 151.7 total yards to RBs over the past three weeks. Chatman will have a field day.

Deep Start ‘Em

Chester Taylor, MIN

While the long term status on rookie sensation Adrian Peterson still hangs in the balance one thing remains clear: Chester Taylor will get the majority of the work on Sunday. This isn’t the same “pick up the back up running back and hope for the best” situation, as say, Priest Holmes was last week. This is much better. Taylor is averaging 5.0 YPC for the season with 13.3 yards per reception. Last season, Taylor rushed for over 1200 yards in his first season as a full-time starter. Oh, and by the way, Oakland is bad. They had given up 4 straight 100-yard rushers before the Bears anemic rushing attack came to town. He’s worth considering in shallow leagues, but is a must start in deep ones.

Maurice Morris, SEA

It wasn’t the prettiest 87 yards Morris put up last week against San Francisco (3.1 YPC), but he is putting himself in position to take over the primary ball carrier duties in Seattle. Shawn Alexander has really struggled this season causing a bit of disruption amongst the Seattle faithful. Alexander is likely to start against Chicago, but don’t be surprised if Morris takes away enough carries to make a difference. Chicago has allowed an average of 142.8 rushing yards over the past 5 games including solid efforts by DeShawn Wynn and Justin Fargas. Morris should do well.

Greg Jones, JAX

Hi. I’m Greg Jones. Some of you might not know me because I’ve been buried on the Jacksonville depth chart for years, but I like to mess around with my teammates’ fantasy value. For years, people had to own me because you never knew if Fred Taylor was going to get hurt, but now I’m back as a TD vulture. Maurice Jones-Drew owners are going to hate me by the end of the year because you never know when I’m going to strike! HA HA HA!

Ok, seriously, Jones may end up being the goal line back for Jacksonville, but we just don’t know. Last week, he took 2 away on plays that Jones-Drew would have had his number called last season. It’d be nice to wait and see but if you need a back he’s better than most, especially in TD heavy scoring systems.

Sit ‘Em

Jamal Lewis, CLE

Not last week, not this week, not again… for a while. I’d like to say not ever, but at the beginning of this season Lewis burned me bad. In the paraphrased words of Dennis Green, he is who we thought he was. Jamal Lewis is old, timid, and banged up. If you take away his 216-yard explosion in week 2 he’s averaging 42.7 yards per game and 2.9 YPC. Cleveland is much better, and they have a weak schedule on the horizon, but it’s all going to be aerial. Don’t waste your time with Lewis.

Thomas Jones, NYJ

So, here are your weekly reminders.  There are two: first, unless you’re in the rare league that doesn’t give points for touchdowns Jones isn’t worth all that much. Secondly, don’t play RBs against the Pittsburgh defense. It all adds up to a bad week for Jones, who really shouldn’t be getting as much consideration on a week to week basis as he has gotten. His carries have gone downhill steadily since week 6 and there’s really not much reason to see an improvement. Leon Washington is starting to take some carries away, but it’s the worst amount. It’s not enough to make him a sturdy fantasy back, but it’s enough to cut into what little Jones does give us. Stay away.

Selvin Young, DEN

Young should be a nice value down the stretch for the rest of the season, but don’t use him this week. With Travis Henry coming back from injury, Young will likely see half of the workload from last week. He’ll also be facing a tough run defense in Tennessee (albeit one that may be missing Albert Haynesworth) who has been fantastic against the run this season aside from last week’s hiccup. If by some chance he’s still available in your league he is a must add, but there are much better options this week.

WIDE RECEIVER

Start ‘Em

D.J. Hackett, SEA

Finally! This is the “sleeper” WR that fantasy owners expected when they drafted Hackett at the end of summer. He’s been targeted 18 times in the past two games (second most to Bobby Engram) and had better production than Engram and Nate Burleson combined on Monday Night Football. Obviously, Hackett won’t have the luxury of playing against the 49ers every week, but he does have a QB who looks his way and isn’t hesitant to throw the ball to him. Against Chicago’s banged up defense, he could have another solid game. He’ll score at least once.

Santonio Holmes & Hines Ward, PIT

Playing the Jets is almost a lock for solid fantasy production for WRs. They have allowed 6 100+ yard receivers already, and while the Steelers will punish their equally weak run defense, the Jets defensive backs are going to have a long day. Ward has proven to be Ben Roethlisberger’s go-to guy since returning from injury, but Holmes has been the perfect counterpart as a deep threat. Since deep threats (Randy Moss, Lee Evans, Chad Johnson) have had more success against the Jets then possession receivers (TJ Houshmandzadeh, Wes Welker, Derrick Mason), Holmes will likely be targeted quite a few times. Start Holmes if you have to pick one, but both are solid options this week.

Anquan Boldin, ARZ

Anquan has had a rough go of it recently, mustering only 94 receiving yards over the past three games… combined. Have no fear, the Bengals are here. They’ve allowed 15 TDs to WRs on the season and have allowed 75 yards to 11 different receivers. Boldin and running buddy Larry Fitzgerald should each provide solid fantasy contributions, but this could be the breakout game that Boldin has needed. I expect him to surpass 80 yards receiving with a score.

Deep Start ‘Em

Reggie Brown & Kevin Curtis, PHI

Play your Eagles this week. These days, whenever you see MIA on the schedule it should be interpreted as a defense that’s “Missing in Action” before you think of the dominant defensive units from years past in southern Florida. 12 TDs to WRs on the season speaks volumes, and after playing a strong Washington pass defense, the Eagles and Donovan McNabb will welcome the sight. Shallow league might have safer options, but both should have solid enough outputs for deeper leagues.

Aaron Moorehead, IND

With Marvin Harrison still suffering from a “knee bruise,” Moorehead has stepped into the spotlight as Peyton Manning’s second favorite receiver. Last week, Moorehead was targeted 10 times leading to a season high 4 receptions and 39 yards. His output might not have been flashy, but he tied for 9th in the league in targets last week. At least they’re throwing him “the damn ball”. With the Colts seemingly running the M.A.S.H. unit out onto the field, you can bet that Manning is working extra closely with his new receivers to get the timing just right. This week, they play a much friendlier pass defense in Kansas City. This makes Moorehead worth a look.

Sit ‘Em

Roddy White, ATL

White has had over 50 yards receiving every week since week one. While it may be unspectacular, it’s far more consistent than some of the position’s elite. This week, against Tampa Bay, don’t expect him to have one of his random big games. The Buccaneers defense has been surprisingly effective against the pass keeping them in games. In the first divisional match up between these two teams this season, the Falcons could struggle. Tampa Bay had a bye last week with plenty of time to prepare for Joey Harrington, and, let’s face it; Harrington doesn’t need teams taking extra time to prepare for him.

Amani Toomer, NYG

Typically, I’d start almost any WR against the Lions defense, but Toomer is a different case. First, he’s never seemed to be that consistent finishing many games below 50 yards receiving (5 of 9 this season) and that’s never good. However, the reason he falls here against the Lions is because Jeremy Shockey was back in full effect last week catching 12 passes from Eli Manning for 129 yards and a score. Those are numbers that could have gone Toomer’s way, but all of the sudden, Shockey’s back. Toomer is going to take a big hit in value because of this.

TIGHT END

Start ‘Em

Jeremy Shockey, NYG

Well, since we’re on the topic, I might as well finish up by saying that Shockey is a must play this week. He caught 12 passes on 14 targets and was the most targeted TE last week (or as many times as Heath Miller and Antonio Gates combined). Detroit doesn’t have much to match up against Shockey so it seems like an easy play.

L.J. Smith, PHI

McNabb couldn’t be happier to have his favorite TE back in the fold. Smith battled a groin strain all season long but came up with 4 catches including his first TD of the season in week 10. The Miami Dolphins aren’t a big threat to TEs as they’ve allowed 2 90+ yard performances this season already.

Deep Start ‘Em

Leonard Pope, ARZ

In the expected shootout between Arizona and Cincinnati don’t be surprised if Pope ends up with a TD. Warner certainly looked to him last week when he grabbed 2 TDs to the dismay of Fitzgerald, Boldin, and James owners. If he’s open, Warner will find him.

Quinn Sypniewski, BAL

Pardon me if I don’t believe that Todd Heap is fully healthy. Every time he steps into a game he seems to hobble his way back to the bench. In his absence Sypniewski has proven to be a better than decent replacement. He’s been looked to as often as Heap has (34 targets apiece). In deep leagues, he’s a TE that is getting attention from his QB(s), and that’s all you can ask for sometimes.

Sit ‘Em

Greg Olsen, CHI

Olsen really started to blossom when Brian Griese took over at QB for Chicago. Now, he’s back on the bench and Rex Grossman is at the helm again. This is the same Grossman that ignored Olsen over the first half of the season, and the same Grossman that ignored him last week. Olsen averaged 3.8 receptions under Griese and 0.5 under Grossman. You can write him off until Grossman realizes they wear the same jersey.

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