Start 'Em - Sit 'Em: Week 9
QB
Matt Hasselbeck – Quarterbacks are averaging 27.61 fantasy points per game against the Lions pass defense, and no one gives up real points quite like the Lions at 29.3 per game (except for the Titans, 30.1). The Seahawks should score a bunch of points on Sunday, and most of 'em should come via Hasselbeck’s arm... cuz Julius Jones is inept. Hasselbeck likes soft matchups - vs. St. Louis and Jacksonville, he combined for 7 TDs and 54 fantasy points. The Seahawks won those two games by a combined score of 69-0, while only 7 of those 69 points came on the ground. Unless you have an elite QB like Manning or Brady or Brees, you really have to choose Hasselbeck. If you have the option of Matt Schaub playing at Indianapolis or Hasselbeck against the Lions, Hasselbeck is the play this week. In my opinion, it’s a no-brainer.
Alex Smith – This guy could be the Tommy Maddox of 2002. A first round pick that was counted out, only to replace an ineffective QB mid-season and end up having a terrific fantasy year. With all the free agency and coaching changes, there is so much pressure to sacrifice the future instead of letting a QB grow in the system. Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, threw 31 TDs and 46 interceptions the first three seasons of his career. Steve Young threw 11 TDs and 21 interceptions his first two years in the league. Pick Smith up and start him this week as he has a great match-up against the porous Tennessee Titans. The Titans are giving up 282 yards per game thru the air, which is 26 more yards per game than anyone else. They have also given up a league high 19 passing TDs. Smith put up 24 fantasy points in one half against the Houston Texans two weeks ago, and last week he threw a TD pass at Indianapolis, only the third passing TD the Colts have given up in their last 12 home games. He was a dark-horse sleeper for us.
RB
Ryan Grant – He has certainly been a disappointment this season, but has performed well against the bad rush defenses. Grant is averaging 120 total yards per game in his 3 games against the Rams, Lions, and Browns this season, and Tampa Bay is giving up over 162 yards per game on the ground. With Aaron Rodgers taking constant punishment, expect Grant to get at least 25 carries this week. This one could be over early going up against rookie QB Josh Freeman, as we all know rookies tend to make a lot of mistakes. With the lead, I expect the Packers to play it safe and run the hell out of Grant. Aaron Rodgers has problems with both feet now, so there's no need to take chances in a game you are winning comfortably. Expect a big game from Grant this week.
Joesph Addai – If Donald Brown is still out, Addai is worth a start. He doesn’t get many rushing yards (he only has 336 on the season), or make the most of his opportunities (he is only averaging 3.3 yards per carry), but he scores, as he has six combined TDs on the season. Being the lone back on a team that is averaging 28 points per game makes him worth a start. The Colts move the ball so easily, which gives Addai plenty of opportunities to score.
TE
Vernon Davis – If you have not figured this out, Davis has become a must-play every single week. The fact that he goes up against the worst pass defense in football this week is just icing on the cake. Davis has accounted for all four of Alex Smith TDs, and that’s in just six quarters of play. You need to get him in your lineup no matter what. The only TE I would play over Davis is Dallas Clark, but even that is debatable now considering Davis has 4 TDs in his last six quarters and Clark only has 3 TD’s the entire season. If you have Davis as a backup to Witten, Gates, or Gonzalez, it’s time to make the switch (or a trade) now.
WR
Donald Driver – It’s funny how things work. Donald Driver did not get the contract extension he wanted and yet is exceeding expectations. Greg Jennings got the big extension and has been a disappointment up to now. Tampa Bay's defense has given up 16 TDs through the air in 7 games, which means at their current pace, the Bucs will give up 37 passing touchdowns on the season. Only one team gave up more than 27 passing TDs last season. If your league rewards points for long touchdowns, it gets even better. Tampa has given up 10 touchdowns of 30 yards or more and eight of 40 yards or more. Make sure to check on Driver's health, though, as he suffered a stinger during last week's game but should be ready to go. If healthy, he makes for a really good start as even Terrell Owens was able to score his lone touchdown of the season against the lowly Buccaneers.
Mike Sims-Walker – The Jags have looked as bad as any team in the league over the last three weeks. Losing 41-0 to Seattle, winning in overtime by 3 points at home against the Rams, then giving the Titans their first win of the season. With that said, I look for the Jags to perform well on Sunday and Mike Sims–Walker to bounce back from his 2 for 9 performance last week. Going into last week's contest, Walker had gone for over 80 yards four straight weeks, and teams No. 1 receivers have picked apart the Chiefs all season long (DeSean Jackson - 21 fantasy points, Steve Smith (NYG) - 25 fantasy points, Miles Austin - 37 fantasy points, Vincent Jackson - 20 fantasy points). Look for Walker and the Jacksonville team to bounce back against the Chiefs.
T.J Houshmandzadeh – T.J. has been awful up til now, but should have a good game against the Lions defense. Last time we recommended Housh was in Week 5 against the Jaguars, to which he responded with 77 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Hasselbeck should throw for a minimum of three TDs this week and I expect Houshmandzadeh to get at least one of them.
Nate Burleson – The number one receiver on Seattle right now is Nate Burleson… at least until he gets injured. He has scored 13 TDs in his last 21 games with Hasselbeck starting, and he was targeted 12 times last week against Dallas. He should be in for a huge game this week against the Lions.
Michael Crabtree - He looks like the real deal and will only get better each week. He went for 81 yards in his second career start last week on the road at Indianapolis. To put that in perspective, only one receiver (Calvin Johnson) has gone over 100 yards at Indianapolis since the start of last year. Andre Johnson has played 6 times in Indianapolis and has yet to go over 74 yards (Andre Johnson 6 games at Indi - 29, 59, 42, 56, 74, 55 yards). This week he goes from having the toughest match-up in the Colts on the road, to the easiest in the Titans at home. He should be in line for both his first career 100-yard game and first career touchdown this week.
Defense/Sp Teams
New Orleans D - This defense is a must-start every week unless they are going up against Peyton Manning. The Saints D has already scored 5 TDs this season, as the Saints offense isn’t just putting pressure on opposing defenses, but putting it on opposing offenses as well. With the Saints scoring so many points, it makes opposing offenses one-dimensional. How are you going to keep up with the Saints by rushing the football? When defenses know your going to pass, it leads to sacks and turnovers.
Green Bay D – Josh Freeman will be making his first start. Tampa Bay will try and have a balanced offense which is hard to do when your defense is giving up 29 points per game. This week Tampa Bay will once again be trailing against an explosive Packers offense. Let's see here... Matthew Stafford - 3 TDs and 7 INTs, Matt Sanchez - 8 TDs and 10 INTs, Josh Johnson - 4 TDs and 8 INTs. Most QBs getting their first opportunity tend to struggle. Even someone as great as Peyton Manning threw 28 INTs his rookie season. Josh Freeman will be no exception. Turnovers lead to opportunities for defenses to score, so there is a good chance Green Bay's defense scores this weekend.
QB
Matt Schaub - I won’t advice benching Matt Schaub, but if you have another option, you may want to look into it. He has played as well as any QB so far this season. There are a few things that concern me about Schaub this week: He is coming off a game in which he threw 0 TDs and 2 INTs; he lost Owen Daniels for the season; and if Slaton is benched, Ryan Moats is not nearly as explosive as Slaton isout of the backfield. The Colts pass defense also does not give up passing TDs. They have only given up 3 passing TDs in their last 12 games at home and you'd have to go back to October 24th 2004 to find the last time the Colts defense has given up a 300-yard passing game in the regular season at home. Drew Brees could not accomplish the feat in his three appearances in Indianapolis, nor could 2007 record-setting Tom Brady. See our weekly rankings to determine who you should start ahead of Schaub.
RB
Ronnie Brown – I have not forgotten the last time Brown went into New England and had 4 rushing TDs and one passing TD. It was the first time the Wildcat was introduced to the NFL. Here are the more important stats to look at: Ronnie Brown has rushed for over 70 yards on the road only twice in his last 9 games, with 75 being the high; he only has two touchdowns over those 9 road games; and this year on the road, he is averaging 6.5 fantasy points per game and has not gotten into the end zone. As a final point, if I haven’t forgotten the last time Brown played in Foxboro, do you think the Patriots have? Bench this loser if you have a better option.
Brian Westbrook – Don’t fall for the bait that he is starting. Even if he does, the team will be cautious with him this week. Unless your running backs are limited, I would advice benching Westbrook until he shows something this season. So far this year, Westbrook is averaging just 11.6 touches per game and has not shown the explosiveness he showed in prior seasons. His longest run of the season has been 25 yards with his longest reception of the year being just 34 yards. Unless your best option is Jamaal Charles or Jamal Lewis, keep Westbrook on the bench.
Steve Slaton/Ryan Moats - Both are worth starting as the team's primary back. As of now, the plan is for them to split carries, and no one knows how the carries will be divided. It’s too risky to play either of them, even if the match-up is good against the Colts defense. The problem is you could get stuck starting a running back that gets 10 touches or less.
Knowshon Moreno – Is going up against the top rush defense in the league in Pittsburgh. In seven games, Pittsburgh has only given up two rushing TDs and are only giving up 76 YPG on the ground... and that’s with them going up against the 3 leading rushers in football. Chris Johnson rushed for 57 yards, Adrian Peterson 69 yards, and Cedric Benson 76 yards against the Steelers defense. If the Steelers were able to keep those three backs down, they certainly should be able to keep Moreno in check.
TE
Jason Witten – He was the first TE drafted in many leagues. Most thought he would pick up some of the yards that Terrell Owens gained last season, but it’s been the complete opposite. With teams no longer having to focus on Owens, Witten is no longer getting open. With the emergence of Miles Austin, however, that could change. Right now, if you have a better option, leave Witten on the bench. He is averaging under 6 points per game.
WR
Antonio Bryant – Josh Freeman will be his 5th different starter in his last 9 games, with Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Byron Leftwich, and Josh Johnson being the other four. Green Bay's defense ranks 9th against the pass. Bryant has yet to go over 62 yards in a game and 4 of his 6 games have been for under 45 yards. If Bryant is one of your starters, it’s time to try and find a replacement. Unless Josh Freeman shows something, keep Bryant on the bench.
Anquan Boldin – The injury bug has hit him once again, as after missing 4 games in each of his last two seasons, Boldin is once again banged up. This time he is trying to play thru it... he wants a new contract. He is currently averaging under 7 fantasy points per game and has only scored one TD this year after scoring a career high 11 TDs last season.
