Week 14 Player Recommendations (Thu 12/8/11)
Thursday, December 8th, 2011Cleveland at Pittsburgh (Thursday night) – One of these teams is headed to the playoffs; the other isn’t. If you need me to tell you which is which, chances are you’re not involved in your fantasy league’s playoffs, in which case you probably wouldn’t be reading this. Fair enough? Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 10.
- Cleveland
- Start: TE Ben Watson
- Neutral: WRs Greg Little & Joshua Cribbs, DEF
- Sit: QB Colt McCoy (Probable-knee), RBs Peyton Hillis (Questionable-hip), Montario Hardesty (Probable-calf), & Chris Ogbannaya; WR Mohamed Massaquoi, TE Evan Moore, K Phil Dawson
- Pittsburgh
- Start: RB Rashard Mendenhall (Probable-back), WR Mike Wallace, TE Heath Miller (Probable-ankle), DEF
- Neutral: Ben Roethlisberger (Probable-thumb), RB Isaac Redman (Probable-ankle), WR Antonio Brown, K Shaun Suisham
- Sit: WRs Hines Ward, Emmanuel Sanders (Out-foot), & Jerricho Cotchery (Probable-knee)
Indianapolis at Baltimore (Sunday early) – Lost in the attention this week being paid to Indy quarterbacks of the past (Peyton Manning) and future (Andrew Luck) is the fact that the Colts’ quarterback of the present (aka Dan Orlovsky) played a respectable game (at least fantasy-wise) in the team’s closer-than-expected loss to New England last weekend. However, you must remember this: a loss is still a loss, a bye is still a bye; and the fundamental things apply as time goes by. Baltimore 28, Indianapolis 13.
- Indianapolis
- Start: N/A
- Neutral: RB Donald Brown, WR Reggie Wayne, TE Jacob Tamme, DEF
- Sit: Dan Orlovsky, RBs Delone Carter & Joseph Addai, WRs Pierre Garcon & Austin Collie, TE Dallas Clark (Questionable-fibula), K Adam Vinatieri
- Baltimore
- Start: QB Joe Flacco, RB Ray Rice, WR Anquan Boldin, DEF
- Neutral: RB Ricky Williams, WR Torrey Smith, TE Ed Dickson & Dennis Pitta, K Billy Cundiff (Questionable-calf)
- Sit: WR Lee Evans
New England at Washington – Anybody expecting this game to be a cakewalk for the Patriots will be pleasantly surprised (unless you’re a Patriots’ fan, of course). Tom Brady’s season may not be receiving quite the attention that Drew Brees’ and Aaron Rodgers’ are, but if he’s been anchoring your fantasy team, you undoubtedly know how good he’s been. The Redskins will miss the suspended Fred Davis, but Santana Moss looked good in his return last week and should be in for a huge game against New England’s woeful secondary. New England 27, Washington 24.
- New England
- Start: QB Tom Brady, WRs Wes Welker (Probable-knee) & Deion Branch, TEs Rob Gronkowski & Aaron Hernandez
- Neutral: RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, DEF, K Stephen Gostkowski
- Sit: RBs Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen (Questionable-hamstring) & Danny Woodhead (Questionable-abdomen)
- Washington
- Start: QB Rex Grossman (Probable-shoulder), RB Roy Helu, WRs Santana Moss & Jabar Gaffney
- Neutral: WR Anthony Armstrong, DEF, K Graham Gano
- Sit: WR Terrence Armstrong (Probable-hamstring), TE Logan Paulsen
New Orleans at Tennessee – Green Bay may be undefeated, but with the Packers’ pass defense being so lousy, the Saints should be considered the favorites to represent the NFC in Indianapolis in February. Don’t pin your playoff hopes on any of the Saints’ wide receivers other than Marques Colston - the others are too hit-or-miss. Chris Johnson’s resurgence will continue this week, but it won’t be enough to prevent the inevitable. New Orleans 34, Tennessee 21.
- New Orleans
- Start: QB Drew Brees, WR Marques Colston, TE Jimmy Graham, DEF, K John Kasasy
- Neutral: RB Pierre Thomas, & Darren Sproles; WR Lance Moore
- Sit: RB Mark Ingram (Out-toe), WRs Devery Henderson & Robert Meachem
- Tennessee
- Start: QB Matt Hasselbeck, RB Chris Johnson, WR Damian Williams, TE Jared Cook
- Neutral: WR Lavelle Hawkins
- Sit: RB Javon Ringer, WR Nate Washington (Questionable-ankle), DEF, K Rob Bironas
Kansas City at New York Jets – The Chiefs, my preseason pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, showed some signs of life in last weekend’s upset in Chicago, but it will take more than a deflected Hail Mary pass caught by Dexter McCluster to beat the Jets. Jackie Battle has returned to fantasy irrelevance, but Dexter McCluster has shown signs the last few games of becoming fantasy-relevant (or at least Darren Sproles-lite, if that’s possible). Don’t expect much from Shonn Greene, Mark Sanchez, et. al. - as usual, the Jets will do just enough to eke out the victory. New York 24, Kansas City 20.
- Kansas City
- Start: RB Dexter McCluster
- Neutral: RB Thomas Jones, WRs Dwayne Bowe & Steve Breaston, DEF
- Sit: QB Tyler Palko & QB Kyle Orton (Doutbful-finger) (whoever starts), RB Jackie Battle, WR Jonathan Baldwin, TE Leonard Pope, K Ryan Succop
- New York
- Start: RB Shonn Greene (Probable-rib), WR Santonio Holmes, TE Dustin Keller, DEF
- Neutral: QB Mark Sanchez, WRs POlaxico Burress & Jeremy Kerley (Probable-knee), K Nick Folk
- Sit: RBs Joe McKnight (Questionable-elbow) & LaDainian Tomlinson (Probable-knee), WR Patrick Turner
Philadelphia at Miami - Yes, Philadelphia’s season has been a yo-yo, and Miami has played a lot better its last five games. Still, the Eagles have the superior talent, and with Michael Vick returning, there’s a greater chance that will be evident on the field too this week, not just on paper. Matt Moore and Reggie Bush have been quietly effective for the Dolphins lately, but don’t bet on the latter to have a big game against Philadelphia’s secondary. Philadelphia 24, Miami 21.
- Philadelphia
- Start: QB Michael Vick (Probable-ribs), RB LeSean McCoy, WRs DeSean Jackson & Riley Cooper, TE Brent Celek, DEF
- Neutral: WRs Jason Avant & Jeremy Maclin (Probable-hamstring), K Alex Henery
- Sit: QB Vince Young, RB Ronnie Brown
- Miami
- Start: RB Reggie Bush, WR Brandon Marshall, TE Anthony Fasano
- Neutral: QB Matt Moore, WR Davone Bess, DEF
- Sit: RB Daniel Thomas, WR Brian Hartline, K Dan Carpenter
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville – The battle of the misfit Florida teams will feature two running backs who can both carry a team. Unfortunately, LeGarrette Blount tends to disappear for long stretches when his team gets behind and is forced to rely heavily on the passing game, but that shouldn’t be the case this weekend. Still, Jacksonville’s defense is much stronger than Tampa’s, and that should be reflected in the final score. Jacksonville 24, Tampa Bay 17.
- Tampa Bay
- Start: RB LeGarrette Blount, WR Mike Williams, TE Kellen Winslow
- Neutral: DEF
- Sit: QB Josh Freeman (Questionable-shoulder) or QB Josh Johnson (whoever starts), WRs Arrelious Benn, Preston Parker, & Dez Briscoe; K Connor Barth
- Jacksonville
- Start: RB Maurice Jones-Drew, WRs Mike Thomas & Jason Hill, TE Marcedes Lewis (Probable-ankle), DEF
- Neutral: QB Blaine Gabbert, K Josh Scobee
- Sit: RB Deji Karim
Atlanta at Carolina – At first glance you’d think Atlanta would be a prohibitive favorite in this game, but with so many Falcon offensive players hurt, Carolina will keep this game close. Stay away from both of the Carolina running backs if you can help it - they’re too unpredictable, and they’re going against a very good run defense. Atlanta 27, Carolina 24.
- Atlanta
- Start: QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner (Probable-groin), WR Roddy White (Probable-shoulder), TE Tony Gonzalez
- Neutral: WRs Julio Jones (Probable-hamstring), & Harry Douglas (Probable-groin), DEF, K Matt Bryant
- Sit: RBs Jason Snelling & Jacquizz Rodgers
- Carolina
- Start: QB Cam Newton, WR Steve Smith
- Neutral: WRs Legedu Naanee & Brandon LaFell, TE Greg Olsen (Probable-knee), DEF, K Olindo Mare
- Sit: RBs DeAngelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart, TE Jeremy Shockey
Houston at Cincinnati – Even down to their third-string quarterback it will be almost impossible for the Texans to blow the chance to make the playoffs for the first time in their existence. They may not last long once they get there, but that’s another story for another day. The Andy Dalton-A.J. Green show should supply its requisite amount of excitement, but the Texans’ defense will be slightly too much for the Bengals to overcome. Houston 21, Cincinnati 17.
- Houston
- Start: RB Arian Foster, TE Owen Daniels, DEF
- Neutral: WRs Jacoby Ford & Kevin Walter (Questionable-illness), TE Joel Dreessen (Probable-groin)
- Sit: QB T.J. Yates, RB Ben Tate, WR Andre Johnson (Out-hamstring), K Neil Rackers
- Cincinnati
- Start: WR A.J. Green, TE Jermaine Gresham, DEF
- Neutral: QB Andy Dalton, RB Cedric Benson (Probable-foot), WR Jerome Simpson
- Sit: RB Bernard Scott, WRs Andre Caldwell & Andrew Hawkins, K Mike Nugent
Minnesota at Detroit – Minnesota is too banged up to have much of a chance to win. Matthew Stafford (knock on turf) and the Lions are relatively healthy, and they should be able to run or pass to their hearts content against what will be a tired Viking defense. Detroit 31, Minnesota 21.
- Minnesota
- Start: RB Toby Gerhart, WR Percy Harvin (Probable-finger), TE Visanthe Shiancoe (Probable-hand)
- Neutral: QB Christian Ponder (Questionable-hip), WR Devin Aromashodu
- Sit: RB Adrian Peterson (Questionable-ankle), WR Greg Camarillo, TE Kyle Rudolph, DEF, K Ryan Longwell
- Detroit
- Start: QB Matthew Stafford, WRs Calvin Johnson & Nate Burleson, TE Brandon Pettigrew, DEF, K Jason Hanson
- Neutral: RBs Kevin Smith (Questionable-ankle) & Maurice Morris, WR Titus Young
- Sit: RB Keiland Williams
Chicago at Denver (Sunday late) – Chicago’s offense has been decimated by the loss of Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, but Marion Barber has taken advantage of his opportunity to shine. Tim Tebow’s run of good fortune will continue, regardless of whether injured backfield mate Willis McGahee plays or not. Denver 24, Chicago 20.
- Chicago
- Start: RB Marion Barber
- Neutral: QB Caleb Hanie, WRs Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Roy Williams, & Earl Bennett; DEF
- Sit: RB Matt Forte (Out-knee), TE Kellen Davis, K Robbie Gould
- Start: RB Marion Barber
- Denver
- Start: QB Tim Tebow, WRs Eric Decker & Demaryius Thomas, DEF
- Neutral: RB Willis McGahee (Questionable-knee), K Matt Prater
- Sit: RB Lance Ball, WR Eddie Royal (Questionable-concussion), TE Daniel Fells
San Francisco at Arizona – Don’t worry about the 49ers resting their starters just because they’ve clinched the NFC West; as long as there’s still a chance for them to win homefield advantage (no matter how remote), they’ll continue to play their starters until a game is out of hand. Aside from the Kevin Kolb-Larry Fitzgerald combo Cardinal fans won’t have much to cheer for this weekend. San Francisco 24, Arizona 21.
- San Francisco
- Start: RB Frank Gore, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, DEF
- Neutral: QB Alex Smith, K David Akers
- Sit: RB Kendall Hunter, WR Braylon Edwards (Questionable-knee)
- Arizona
- Start: QB Kevin Kolb, WR Larry Fitzgerald
- Neutral: WRs Early Doucet & Andre Roberts, DEF
- Sit: RBs Beanie Wells (Probable-knee) & LaRod Stephens-Howling, TEs Todd Heap (Questionable-hamstring), Jeff King, & Rob Housler; K Jay Feely
Oakland at Green Bay – The Packers’ backfield and secondary are both a mess, but as long as Aaron Rodgers shows up to throw the ball, and Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Jermichael Finley are there to catch the ball, Green Bay will remain undefeated. Carson Palmer has done well for the Raiders, but the team needs to hire some additional security to stop people from stepping on their backs’ and receivers’ feet. Green Bay 37, Oakland 24.
- Oakland
- Start: QB Carson Palmer, RB Michael Bush, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey & Chaz Schilens (Probable-foot)
- Neutral: TEs Kevin Boss (Probable-hip) & Brandon Myers; K Sebastian Janikowski
- Sit: RBs Darren McFadden (Out-foot), Taiwan Jones (Out-hamstring) & Marcel Reece; WRs Louis Murphy, Denarius Moore (Out-foot), Jacoby Ford (Out-foot), & T.J. Houshmandzadeh; DEF
- Green Bay
- Start: QB Aaron Rodgers, WRs Greg Jennings & Jordy Nelson, TE Jermichael Finley, K Mason Crosby
- Neutral: DEF
- Sit: RBs James Starks (Questionable-knee), Ryan Grant, & Brandon Saine; WRs Donald Driver & James Jones
- Start: QB Aaron Rodgers, WRs Greg Jennings & Jordy Nelson, TE Jermichael Finley, K Mason Crosby
Buffalo at San Diego – San Diego teased its fans by starting off 4-1, but the ensuing swoon has made its customary late-season mad dash to the playoffs necessary. Fortunately, the other teams in the division have all stumbled too, so the division title is still within reach. Buffalo’s free-fall continues, and the injuries continue to mount. San Diego 31, Buffalo 21.
- Buffalo
- Start: RB C.J. Spiller, WR Steve Johnson
- Neutral: WRs David Nelson & Brad Smith
- Sit: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RBs Tashard Choice & Johnny White, WR Naaman Roosevelt, TE Scott Chandler (Out-ankle), DEF, K David Rayner or K Rian Lindell (whoever starts)
- San Diego
- Start: QB Philip Rivers, WRs Vincent Jackson & Malcom Floyd, TE Antonio Gates, DEF, K Nick Novak
- Neutral: RBs Ryan Mathews & Mike Tolbert
- Sit: WR Vincent Brown
New York Giants at Dallas (Sunday night) – Both teams have been maddeningly inconsistent this season, but with the other teams in the division stumbling or worse, this game could well decide who wins the NFC East. Still, it’s a bizarre schedule that doesn’t have two division rivals play each other until Week 14 of the season. Expect Dallas to exploit the Giants’ secondary early and often on their way to a convincing win. Dallas 34, New York 24.
- New York
- Start: QB Eli Manning, WRs Hakeem Nicks & Victor Cruz
- Neutral: RBs Ahmad Bradshaw (Probable-foot) & Brandon Jacobs (Probable-hamstring), WR Mario Manningham (Probable-knee), K Lawrence Tynes
- Sit: RBs Ahmad Bradshaw, D.J. Ware, & Da’Rel Scott; WR Ramses Barden, DEF
- Dallas
- Start: QB Tony Romo, RB DeMarco Murray, WR Dez Bryant, TE Jason Witten, K Dan Bailey
- Neutral: WRs Laurent Robinson (Questionable-shoulder) & Miles Austin (Questionable-hamstring), DEF
- Sit: RB Felix Jones, TE John Phillips
St. Louis at Seattle (Monday night) – Does anybody really care about this game? Unless, of course, you live in Seattle, live in St. Louis, or have players from either team on your fantasy squad . . . Seattle 20, St. Louis 17.
- St. Louis
- Start: WR Brandon Lloyd, DEF
- Neutral: QB Sam Bradford (Questionable-ankle), WRs Austin Pettis & Brandon Gibson, TE Lance Kendricks
- Sit: QB A.J. Feeley (Out-thumb), RB Steven Jackson, K Josh Brown
- Seattle
- Start: RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Doug Baldwin, TE Zach Miller, DEF
- Neutral: QB Tarvaris Jackson (Probable-pectoral), WRs Ben Obomanu & Golden Tate
- Sit: WR Mike Williams, K Steven Hauschka
Good luck this weekend!
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