Start'em or Sit'em - Week 10

Byes: Cowboys, Redskins, Bengals, Buccaneers

Start’em

Joe Flacco, Ravens. Baltimore fans are wacko for quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco has been a surprisingly steady hand for the Ravens’ offense. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Browns. If the Ravens can protect him against the Texans, look for Flacco to have at least 225 yards and a touchdown. Flacco only is owned in about 40% of Fantasy leagues, so he is worth a waiver wire pick up for the stretch run.

Chad Pennington, Dolphins. A couple of weeks ago the Seahawks traveled to Florida and played Tampa Bay. Tampa’s quarterback Jeff Garcia had the best Fantasy game of anyone that week. In Week 10, the Seahawks make the long trip across the country to visit play the Dolphins. Pennington has been consistently playing well, but this week he is even better. Pennington also should benefit, because the Dolphins’ receivers are improving each week.

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs. Believe it or not the Chiefs’ offense is playing well right now. Charles will start at running back this week. Last week, he amassed over 100 yards rushing and receiving. Look for him to have between 20-25 touches this week. Charles has a great match up going against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers’ defense is 29th in the NFL in Fantasy points allowed.

Ryan Grant, Packers. I know Grant has been a bust so far this year. He was a top 20 pick in most drafts, but he is not even averaging 5 Fantasy points per week. The Packers are even grumbling to the media that they gave him too much money. But this week against the Minnesota Vikings, Grant finally will have a break out game. I saw the Packers’ game last week and Grant looked like he was running hard and making quick cuts. Stay with him for one more week.

Lee Evans, Bills. Evans had his worst game of the year last week against the Jets. He definitely will bounce back against New England. The Patriots’ defense is getting better, but their secondary is still the weakest link. The Bills versus the Patriots is a huge game this week and Evans should be one of the stars of the game.

*Bonus Pick – Start any Carolina Panthers that you have on your roster against the Oakland Raiders. If you have both Carolina running backs on your team, I might even consider playing both of them. The Raiders already are making vacation plans.

Sit’em

Marc Bulger, Rams. The former Fantasy stalwart has been trending upward for the past three weeks, but Bulger goes on the road to play the New York Jets. Without much acclaim, the Jets’ defense has emerged as a force in the AFC. Defensive tackle Chris Jenkins and cornerback Darelle Revis are playing at a Pro Bowl level. New Coach Jim Haslett has made the Rams into a more competitive team, but the injury to Steven Jackson has hurt the Rams’ offense and has put more pressure on Bulger.

Eli Manning, Giants. These NFC rivalry games are always wars of attrition. The Eagles defense will blitz Manning all game long. The Giants should counter by running the football with their three-headed monster at running back. Look for a low scoring contest with Manning throwing for about 150 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Deuce McCallister, Saints. With Reggie Bush likely to miss the game with his knee injury, Deuce should have some opportunities against the Atlanta Falcons’ defense. However, the Falcons’ defense is underrated against the run. I have watched every game this year and the defense is able to shut down bigger, power running backs. It is the quick guys that have given them trouble. McCallister has only scored two touchdowns this season and he is not used to carrying a heavy workload. Look for the Falcons’ defense to shut down McCallister this week in a big Falcons’ win.

Matt Forte, Bears. You probably have to start Forte against the Titans, because he has been a solid Fantasy option this year. However, the odds are stacked against him. The Titans’ defense is great against the run. They hit hard and tackle very well. The Bears are starting Rex “Wrecks” Grossman at quarterback. The Titans will not be impressed. Look for the Titans to play man coverage on the wide receivers and stack about 8 players in the box to stop Forte and the Bears’ running attack.

DeSean Jackson, Eagles. Since the Eagles’ Week 7 bye, Jackson’s targets and opportunities have diminished. He still has big play capabilities, but wide receivers Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown are starting to play like they were projected to in the preseason. These guys are seeing more passes form Donovan McNabb. Jackson should be ranked in the third tier of Fantasy receivers at this point in the season.

My Picks

@Browns -3 Broncos - Browns
Jaguars -6.5 @Lions - Lions
@Jets -8.5 Rams - Jets
Titans -3 @Bears - Bears
@Vikings -2.5 Packers - Vikings
@Dolphins -8 Seahawks - Dolphins
Ravens -1 @Texans - Texans
@Patriots -3.5 Bills - Bills
@Falcons -1 Saints - Saints
Panthers -9.5 @Raiders - Panthers
@Steelers -1 Colts - Steelers
@Chargers -14.5 Chiefs - Chiefs
@Eagles -3 Giants - Eagles
@Cardinals -9 Niners - Cardinals

State of the Fantasy Season. Fantasy football has changed over the past two seasons. Quarterbacks have taken over as the main Fantasy point scorers in most cases. Running backs are important, but the tendency to specialize at the running back position and to split carries has hurt their impact in Fantasy Football. Quarterbacks are great until you come to a week like this week. Fantasy owners are scrambling. QBs are hurt. QBs are getting benched. Brady Quinn is actually a solid Fantasy option. I mean Daunte Culpepper may start for the Lions this week! C’mon man.