Start'em or Sit'em - Week 13

Byes: No byes for the rest of the season!

Start’em

Trent Edwards, Bills. Early in the year, Edwards was being mentioned as the next great NFL quarterback. Now, after a couple of bad games and a concussion against the Cardinals, people have forgotten how good he can be. The Bills exploded for over 50 points last week and I expect them to have another huge game at home against the Niners.

Larry Johnson, Chiefs. It is hard to believe that the Raiders are favored to win this game. The Chiefs have been throwing the football more in the past few weeks, but the strength of the Raiders defense is in their secondary. LJ still has some life in his legs. The Chiefs throw the football enough this week to open up running lanes for Johnson. This game looks like an upset win for the Chiefs.

Steve Slaton, Texans. Without much fan fare, the Texans’ offense has been putting up points every week. Slaton has been their best running back all year, and his opportunities should increase even more with the Ahman Green injury. Slaton now should get any short yardage goal line carries. He is also one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL at catching the ball out of the backfield.

Ricky Williams, Dolphins. Any player on the Dolphins’ offense is a great start this week. The Rams have not been able to stop any opponents in the last few weeks. Williams’ had an amazing, diving touchdown catch last week. With Ronnie Brown’s injury history, look for Williams to have the bulk of the carries in the 2nd half of this game.

Antonio Gates, Chargers. The Chargers are a desperate team. They have had a bunch of close losses which include one of the worst officiating blunders in recent memory. At home, this team still is tough to beat. Gates is one of these players that play the best when his team needs him to come up big. The prediction here is a 100 yard game for Gates and at least one touchdown.

Sit’em

Matt Ryan, Falcons. In 2008, rookies have played important roles for a number of teams. The NFL Rookie of the Year is going to be a close vote. Ryan should be near the top of that list. He has provided a steadying influence for the Falcons’ offense. He is due to have a rocky road start. With recently promoted Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera, the Chargers have been blitzing more. Look for a tough late afternoon game for Ryan.

Joe Flacco, Ravens. The conventional wisdom would say to start Flacco this week against the Bengals. This week is the one where these rookie quarterbacks are going to hit a wall physically. The NFL season is a brutal grind and these guys are just not used to the length of the season. In their last home game against Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, the Bengals gave up just 13 total points with 3 interceptions, a fumble recovery, and 2 sacks. This game sets up as a low scoring contest.

Ryan Grant, Packers. Grant is facing a group of wounded cats this week. The Panthers defense has been tough all year and has not given up many Fantasy points, but the Falcons embarrassed them last week. Running back Michael Turner had a huge game. But, I think that was an aberration. Against the Packers this week, the Panthers’ dominant defense returns. Do not start Ryan Grant this week.

Brandon Marshall, Broncos. In his last seven games, Marshall has only score one touchdown. His production has really fallen off as the Broncos’ have been decimated at the running back position. Teams can key on Marshall because they do not have to worry about any running game. Marshall owners also have to realize how tough the Jets have been against their opponent’s top receiver.

Lance Moore, Saints. Moore has been steadily climbing up the wide receiver rankings. He is now a top 10 Fantasy receiver, but this week he runs into an underrated Buccaneers’ defense. Moore’s rise has coincided with a week schedule for the Saints. When these teams played in Week 1, Moore had 2 catches for 17 yards. My take is that the Buccaneers control the clock, pressure QB Drew Brees, and take away Moore’s yards after the catch. If you have any other options, give Moore a one week rest.

My Picks

Titans -10.5 @Lions - Lions
@Cowboys -13 Seahawks - Cowboys
@Eagles -3 Cardinals - Eagles
@Bills -6 Niners - Bills
Ravens -7 @Bengals - Bengals
Colts -5 @Browns - Browns
@Packers -3 Panthers - Panthers
@Jets -8 Broncos - Jets
Dolphins -8.5 @Rams - Dolphins
@Buccaneers -3.5 Saints - Buccaneers
Giants -3.5@Redskins - Giants
@Chargers -5 Falcons - Chargers
@Patriots -1 Steelers - Steelers
@Raiders -3 Chiefs - Chiefs
@Vikings -3 Bears - Vikings
@Texans -3 Jaguars - Texans