Well, here we are. One week left in the regular season, folks. This may very well be the last week you read our advice column until next season. But if you have been following along and taking our advice, you should be playoff bound and back for more next week!
A quick recap of last week: you probably lost yet another fantasy starter down the playoff run in this Year of the Injury. No one has a healthy team, so stop whining. I have three fantasy teams as a matter of fact and last week I started one running back that I drafted. ONE! Why? All the rest are broken.
As always, let’s take a look at our calls from last week:
STARTS THAT MADE US LOOK SMART:
- Blake Bortles: 329 passing, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 33 yards rushing
- Kamar Aiken: 6 receptions, 80 yards and a TD
- Stevie Johnson: 7 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD
- Gary Barnidge: 7 receptions, 91 yards
- Kirk Cousins: 302 yards passing, 1 TD passing, 1 TD rushing
- Vincent Jackson: 4 receptions, 76 yards
- Delanie Walker: 6 receptions for 91 yards
- Both the Jets and Vikings defenses scored nice points
STARTS THAT MADE US LOOK STUPID:
- Chris Johnson: left injured, out for the fantasy season (although you can never project injury)
- Danny Woodhead: 8 yards rushing, 6 receptions for 39 yards
- Latavius Murray: 59 yards rushing, 1 reception for 23 yards
- James Jones: Nothing. Nope, not one single stat
SITS YOU HOPEFULLY LISTENED TO:
- Lamar Miller: 2 yards rushing, 3 receptions for 11 yards
- Jay Cutler: 200 yards, one TD, 9 yards rushing
- Frank Gore: 24 yards rushing, 2 receptions for 13 yards
- Demaryius Thomas: 1 reception for 36 yards
- Eric Ebron: 2 receptions for 28 yards
- Jeremy Hill: 86 yards rushing, 1 reception for 13 yards
- Giovani Bernard: 16 yards rushing, 2 receptions for 15 yards
PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STARTED THESE GUYS
- Alshon Jeffery: 7 receptions for 90 yards
- Tyrod Taylor: 291 yards passing, three TDs, 46 yards rushing
- Sammy Watkins: 6 receptions, 158 yards, 2 TDs
YOU DECIDE:
Fee told you to start him, I told you to sit him. Here’s what I said: Rawls will have a good day because he will get tons of touches in that Seahawks run first offense, but you should expect closer to 15 points as opposed to 35. Rawls got 14 points. So if that helped you, then Fee was correct, but if my dead on projection wasn’t what you needed, then I was. Take it for what you will.
Let’s get right to it then, folks:
WEEK 13 START EM AND SIT EM
(Note to the reader: These picks are made by a collection of experts (I have put the name of each expert ahead of their respective picks). I don’t necessarily agree with all of theirs, and they certainly don’t agree with all of mine. It is the same order every week: Dunton, Fee, Teddy Ballgame, JD, Saucy T, The Wifeyiac, and myself (The Wayniac) closing it out. Keep in mind as you read, that these are not always consensus picks, and should you find as the season goes on that you feel more comfortable with one of our experts starts, by all means, make he or she your go-to expert.)
Dunton:
Starts of the Week:
You probably drafted RB CJ Anderson in the first or second round. You waited all year for him to have a breakout game and then you finally benched him last week. Well if you did (like me) you now need to get him back into your lineup. This Broncos offense seems to be clicking the last two weeks and you don’t have to look any further than the run game. Get CJ in your lineup. He torched the Patriots defense and now gets to go against the Chargers run defense that is ranked 26th in the league.
At the beginning of the year I picked QB Jay Cutler for my comeback player of the year. Not a fantastic pick but also not a horrible one. This week Cutler plays a week 49ers team and he may be auditioning for a job, whether it’s in Chicago or elsewhere next year. Look for 250+ yards and 2 TD’s from Cutler.
Sits of the Week:
If you have QB Eli Manning still in your starting lineup you must have given up on your season. He is up against a tough Jets defense and although this game is important to both teams it seems the Jets are just in a better place right now compared to the Giants. Eli needs to be out of your lineup regardless of the fact that he can (over)throw it to Odell.
QB Drew Brees is another QB who probably has to enjoy the game from your bench. He is facing a Carolina defense that is out to prove they are as good as advertised. Brees had a good run a few weeks back but that seems to have come and gone and now the one dimension of the Saints will be easy for the Panthers to defend. Don’t expect fantastic fantasy numbers from Brees.
Fee
Starts of the Week: WR Jarvis Landry against Baltimore’s D which has given up the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing WRs. WR Ted Ginn against a Saints team that is in flux and Carolina puts up points every week. Everyone knows they run the ball, but New Orleans gives up a ton of points to opposing WRs. Which also means start QB Cam Newton obviously.
QB Jay Cutler is solid against the hapless niners. RB Buck Allen is a nice fill in for a Ravens offense that has a ton of injuries. He should see a volume, volume, volume. RB LeGarrette Blount against a Philly team that has quickly gone from a good defense to a horrible one, especially against the run. The Eagles have quit on Kelly and you should, too. TE Travis Kelce – tight end + Oak D = enough said.
Sits of the Week: WR Stevie Johnson — San Diego looks lost and going against Denver’s D makes it a double whammy. QB Derek Carr in KC – I’m still a Chiefs Defense believer. QB Russell Wilson against Minnesota – I just think the Vikings will be able to handle the Seattle offense. RB Frank Gore against Pittsburgh – After the “beat to crap” comment, I don’t think they give him the volume he needs to get you the points you need.
Teddy Ballgame:
Starts of the Week: The Miami Dolphins have been up and down all year — a lot more down I admit. That being said I really like QB Ryan Tannehill to light it up at home against the Ravens defense. I also really like the new improved Denver running game at San Diego. I think RB CJ Anderson and RB Ronnie Hillman both have good games.
Sits of the Week: WR Stevie Johnson had a great game last week in Jacksonville, but I think he will definitely struggle against a tough Denver defense this week. I would also sit RB DeMarco Murray on the road against New England. Darren Sproles will probably see the field more in another possible blowout loss for the Eagles.
J.D.:
Starts of the Week: QB Matt Hasselbeck– He’s a man! He’s 40! The Colts have no running game and are facing a very week pass defense at Pittsburgh. I’d Start Hasselbeck over Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers. Also, QB Alex Smith has a nice road for a playoff run for your fantasy team if you can grab him.
RB Javorius “Buck” Allen– He’s all that’s left of a Ravens offense that has been decimated with injuries. Miami has allowed the most rushing yards this season and second most RB fantasy points. He will get enough touches to be worth the start.
Sits of the Week: QB Drew Brees– Obviously Ryan is in the sit category as he is in the worst slump of his 8-year career with 5 picks in his last 2 games. Even the Falcons execs had to answer questions about benching him… Problem is, his backup is unproven and untalented Sean Renfree and the Falcons are in the playoff hunt. I expected this out of Matty Ice this season as I listed him as my biggest bust in the preseason. Brees is the tougher bench since he lit it up for 12 TD’s in weeks 8-10. I expect similar numbers from Brees that are more similar to last week against a tough Panthers defense with Josh Norman blanketing Brandin Cooks.
WR Mike Evans– I unsuccessfully tried to trade him to Wayniac this week as I am tired of watching him play. I am tired of rooting for his performance. And I am tired of seeing him drop passes, especially TD passes. At some point, these drops will lead to less targets. Combined with the return or Vincent Jackson and the potential return of ASJ, I think this is the week Evans becomes bench-worthy.
The Wayniac:
Starts of the Week:
QB: The Cleveland Browns have allowed 3,013 yards, 23 TDs and only 8 INTs this season. Even Andy Dalton can’t mess that up. I also like Ryan Fitzpatrick as a sneaky play against a porous Giants defense.
RB: Jonathan Stewart is a good start this week. I know, I know, Cam is going to light it up against that pass defense. The Panthers may be up by 35 at the half, at which point, Stewart will take control in the second half. This is a defense that allowed a rushing TD to Alfred Blue people.
WR: Either Michael Crabtree or Amari Cooper are going to have themselves a day. The Chiefs defense has been weak against opposing WRs this year and no matter what, Derek Carr still has a cannon. Martavis Bryant missed practice yesterday, but if he is back by Friday, you got to love the fact that they just bomb it his way five times a game.
TE: I have a weird hunch on this one. I have always liked Kyle Rudolph especially with tight end machine Norv Turner there. He finally has begun to look the part. The past two weeks have been solid, and despite an unfavorable matchup with Seattle, I’m starting to question just how far Teddy Bridgewater can throw the ball. That makes Rudolph a solid underneath option.
Def: Bengals. The Browns have actually put up fantasy points this season behind breakout years of Barnidge and Benjamin, but I don’t know that Austin Davis can keep up.
Sits of the Week:
QB: Matt Ryan may be a sit for the remainder of the season. He has been playing that badly. I am going against the norm here, but I also think Carson Palmer is in for a tougher week than people expect. St. Louis has always played division opponents tougher at home, and Palmer lost his run game. Having to throw more against a defense that has only allowed 12 TDs to 9 INTs isn’t always a good thing.
RB: TJ Yeldon has a tough matchup against a Titans defense that has allowed only 13.85 points to RBs all season. Bortles has a better matchup, so Yeldon could steal some points in the passing game, but there are better options.
WR: The Eagles top WR… so I guess that’s Jordan Matthews? I mean, do thay have a top anything right now? Anyway, after what they were able to do to Demaryius Thomas last week and Sammy Watkins the week before, there is no reason to expect the Pats defense to let Matthews have a day.
TE: I told you my sits for the rest of the season were Jimmy Graham and Eric Ebron. Well, Graham is out for the year, so congratulations Eric, the show is all yours.
Def: I need one homer pick here, so I am going to say the Bills. The only reason is that I hope Nuk torches them, and without the Williams expected to play, Alfred Blue could have one of those games where he actually looks like a RB.
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Just an update here, it looks like Jarvis Landry is injured and questionable….don’t start him anymore…haha.