All is right in the world again….

….except for the fact that the NBA is still on lockout  indefinitely, the U.S. Government is about to default on its loans, children are being slaughtered in Norway, and the Kardashi-SKANKS are still relevant for some unknown reason. BUT WE GOT FOOTBALL BACK!!! And as a true-blooded American, I have to admit that that is ALL we need to make everything right!!!!!!! I mean we needed SOMETHING to pick us up lately. This could NOT come at a better time. I’m as happy as  a nerd left home alone for the evening with a bottle of lube and an internet connection.

For the next few weeks fantasy football degenerates like myself will be burning the midnight oil preparing for their fantasy football drafts. They will be wetting themselves about the free agency frenzy that is now upon us. Nnamdi Asomugha…Plaxico Burress…Donovan McNabb…Kevin Kolb…Cedric Benson…DeAngelo Williams…and the list goes on! Peter King, Adam Schefter, Chris Mortenson, Jay Glazer, and John Clayton will be in a proverbial constant wet dream with all the drama that will surround this feeding frenzy of a free agency period. These next 2 weeks promises to be arguably for some, more entertaining than the season itself. I’m almost glad that they waited this long to end the lockout because we get to watch what would normally happen in several months unfold in ludicrous speed. This is gonna be a trainwreck of bad predictions, wrong information, and grabbing at straws not seen since the Klitschko vs Haye fight a few weeks ago. But there is nothing more American than enjoying a good trainwreck every now and again.

Although I will miss the everyday war DeMaurice Smith’s abnormally-awkard-looking-bottom-lip would have with Roger Goddell’s uncomfortably-placed-rosacea-spots for airtime on ESPN. That battle was as epic as the one Nell Carter had with Deacon Frye on that old episode of Amen!!!

In a few weeks though this will all be behind us and we will have OUR sport as we have always done. ESPN won’t being trying to shove freakin women’s soccer down our throats. We can have everything right in the world again….at least until 2021.

Enough is enough!!!

Wassup people! I know I haven’t blogged in like SEVEN-DAMN-MONTHS, but whatever…..I’m here now! Anyway, we know the NFL is locked out, the NBA is locked out, didn’t the State of Minnesota lockout their government employees too? EVERYBODY is locking people out. But that’s not why I’m here.

So, you boy Cedric Benson got arrested again…..yes, AGAIN. Let me give you a few moments to let that sink in………

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Now, let me be clear and emphatic when I say that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! I’ve been on this giant rock 3+ decades and have been watching football most of that time and I am fed up with this crap. Yes, we love our NFL. Yes, we are salivating at the thought that the lockout could be over within the weekend. Yes, we damn near orgasm at the notion that football season could REALLY be around the corner and we can start to prepare for our fantasy football drafts. But, what I for one am tired of is the endless carrousel of players ending up on the wrong end of the law. I work everyday and will probably not make in my lifetime what these cats will make in 5 years, but I manage to keep my self from wearing those silver Chanel bangles and from being chauffeured to the County jail. And don’t get me wrong, I know that maybe one night you go a little too far and things get outta hand with your friends and a mistake happens. Ok….I’ll give you that one, but shouldn’t that scare you straight?! Wouldn’t that be enough for a rational-thinking person to say, “hey, lemme get my life back on track before I get arrested again and JEOPARDIZE MY MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SALARY!!!” But no, not these cats. They get arrested again and again, almost as if they are trying to “one up” the last charge.

Allow me if you would to take this argument just a bit further.

White people, this is the part where you may just want to shut up and listen because black folk are about to have a discussion about their own race and if you say the wrong thing you may end up on the wrong end of an LA riot beatdown circa 1992 (google Reginald Denny).

Now, we as black people tend to be very forgiving of our own when we shouldn’t be. Let’s think about all the degradation, segregation, oppression, slavery, abuse, and anything else in between black folks went through during the last few centuries just so Joe-athlete could make his millions, only for him to act a fool every chance he gets. Some of these assholes go out with the intention of drawing attention to themselves and getting in trouble. And they do it over and over and over again. There is something wrong here…..MENTALLY! Then they get defensive and act surprised that the media puts it out there. Trying to deflect the attention from the fact that they committed a crime to the “unfair” and “unbalanced” “media” “coverage” of “black” “athletes” “getting” in “trouble”…..NEGRO PLEASE! (Forgive me for the overuse of quotes, but I just watched and old SNL sketch from the 90s with Chris Farley on Weekend Update doing the quotation fingers thing….CLASSIC!) Negro, you sound like that chick on Maury Povich who’s on there with the SAME child for the 23rd time saying, “Maury I’m 3000% sure he’s the father!” The show REALLY needs to be about why this chick has been with 23 men all around the same time who could all be the father of the same child. And we as blacks are like the mom sitting next to her falling for it, trying to blame this dude, who you KNOW isn’t the father! We are just as guilty…..we hold these athletes up on a pedestal, buying their jerseys, wearing their shoes, mentioning them in our rap songs, drafting them on our fantasy teams (well maybe that’s going a little too far)….and etc. But we are just as guilty. We for years have been more than ready to blame the WHITE MEDIA for their unfair coverage of black athletes and the vilification of their crimes, while overlooking the same and in cases even more heinous crimes by white athletes. Let’s think about it, we know that we as black people only get concerned when “our boys” think it’s wrong. If they think you ain’t done nothing wrong, then you could give a DAMN what anybody else says. That means that as black people we need to start calling out “our boys” and letting them know that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

 

Case in point, FREAKING CEDRIC BENSON! This cat is NOT worth the energy. He’s a running back. We know you can find a quality running back on the side of the street. It’s easier to find a good running back than it is to find a groupie backstage at a Lil Wayne concert or a gay man in the audience at a Lady Gaga concert. They are spending MILLIONS of dollars on this fool, who was cut by the Bears, and he lands himself in trouble yet again. Now Adolf Gooddell……….errrrrrrrr………..Fidel Gooddell………errrrrrrrrrr…………Roger Gooddell IS gonna drop the hammer on his ass, but before he does, we should be publically crucifying him for being so DAMN STUPID. Yes, there will be the “Jay Mariottis” and “Bob Ryans” of the world who will burn him at the stake in the media, but so should the “Bomani Joneses” and the “Jemele Hills” and the “Michael Smiths” of the world too!!!

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 17

Well in case you were wondering, I did win the Championship game last week in one league and am in another Championship game this week. That’s how we roll over here…picking up rings like a skank picks up STDs! For those who have games this week, look out for players on teams who may have already clinched and may NOT play an entire game (i.e. players on the Patriots, Eagles, or Bears). Now just as I promised I will give you players that you can look to do big things for you as you begin to look forward to your fantasy drafts in a few months. These are players on the rise. As usual, I’ll only go through QBs, RBs, and WRs because honestly, those other positions fluctuate so much and don’t account for as many points as the 3 important positions. So here you go:

QUARTERBACKS:

• Josh Freeman (TB)
• Sam Bradford (STL)
• Matt Stafford (DET)

RUNNING BACKS:

• LaGarrette Bount (TB)
• Darren McFadden (NO)
• Ryan Torain (WAS)

WIDE RECEIVERS:

• Steve Johnson (BUF)
• Mike Wallace (PIT)
• Mike Sims-Walker (JAC)

Of course you know I will have a full breakdown of each position in August for those who need help. It’s been GREAT giving you all tips this season and look forward to much more next season. My attention now will be centered around the NBA and other sports news. Keep reading. Trust me when I say I have BIG THINGS in store for 2011.

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 16

I know I missed last week. I was out of town again watching my high school (Miami Central Senior High) win the State 6A Football Championship here in Florida! SORRY!!! If things work in my favor I could be hoisting up a championship trophy this week in one of my leagues and another next week in another league. Now at this point you are either in your Fantasy league’s Championship game or in the semifinals. So you know what you’re doing. I made the fantasy playoffs in 2 of 3 leagues I was in this year. So I must be doing something right. I won’t be telling you who to start and sit this week because clearly you know what works for you if you’ve made it THIS far, but here are a few Championship game pointers:

• Don’t get cute: Go with what got you here! If Arian Foster is your horse, don’t go starting Cedric Benson because you like his matchup better this week.
• Don’t let Mother Nature coach YOUR team: Most QBs and receivers have gotten their numbers in any weather, be it sunny, rainy, or snowy on the field. If you got Jay Cutler, you start him because of what you know he can do for you, not because of the weather. HELL, he’s been BETTER in rough weather!
• Follow the trend: If a player has been on the decline over the last 4 weeks, then don’t be afraid to bench him, and vice versa.
• Beware of players on bad teams: Some teams that know they are out of the playoff hunt like to play younger players to see what they have going into next year. That means some of the usual starters may not play a full game.
• TALK SMACK: The whole point of fantasy football is bragging rights!!! You GOTTA talk SMACK win or lose. This should be fun, so make the most of it, even if it has to be at someone else’s expense.

See you next week, where I’ll tell you the players to watch for going into next season.

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 14

Ok people, it’s do or die time now. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably made the playoffs and have NO TIME for fluff and BS this week. SO, I will forgo all the rhetoric and just tell you who to start and who to sit….no analysis….no breakdown….NOTHING! Here’s my picks to start and sit this week:

QUARTERBACKS:

Start ’em

• Joe Flacco @ Texans
• Josh Freeman @ Redskins
• Kyle Orton @ Cardinals
• Drew Stanton v. Packers

Sit ’em

• Chad Henne @ Jets
• Sam Bradford @ Saints

RUNNING BACKS:

Start ’em

• Ray Rice @ Texans
• LeGarrette Blount @ Redskins
• LaDainian Tomlinson v. Dolphins
• Matt Forte @ Patriots

Sit ’em

• BenJarvus Green-Ellis @ Bears
• Cedric Benson v. Steelers

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Start ’em

• Anquan Boldin @ Texans
• Michael Crabtree v. Seahawks
• Jacoby Ford @ Jaguars
• Miles Austin v. Eagles

Sit ’em

• Roddy White @ Panthers
• Davone Bess @ Jets

There you have it people. Who to start and who to sit. Good luck this week for those of you in the playoffs AND those of you vying for one of those coveted playoffs spots! I’ll be here again next week.

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 13

This week is do or die for many fantasy owners because the playoffs begin next week for many leagues. With all the parody in the fantasy world, I’ve noticed that in most leagues almost the entire league in still in running for a playoff spot, so this week we CAN’T have any mishaps. I have studied long and hard this week to give you SOUND advice on who to start and sit. You will notice that I have some marquee players on the “Sit ’em” list this week. It’s a gut feeling, and I always say go with your gut. NO matter what I may say, if your gut tells you to do the opposite, then do that. Well anyway, here’s my picks to start and sit this week:

QUARTERBACKS:

Start ’em

• David Garrard @ Titans: Mr. Garrard has actually been putting up respectable numbers over the last few weeks. I am not yet a believer in the Titans defense and think these two teams are going in opposite directions. Mr Garrard will good for you this week.
• Sam Bradford @ Cardinals: Sammy-boy has come into his own and is becoming a viable fantasy starter. The Cards are ABYSMAL!!! Start Bradford or wish you did later.
• Jay Cutler @ Lions: I’m starting ANY Bears offensive player this week against the Lions. TRUST ME….they will be money in the bank this week. Cutler will dazzle and amaze like he did last week!

Sit ’em

• Matt Ryan @ Bucs: I know I told you to sit Matty-Ice last week against the Packers, but they were at home where they are always solid. Well they are on the road and they have yet to show that same sense of invincibility outside of the Georgia Dome. Stay away from the Falcons players this week!
• Donovan McNabb @ Giants: Expect the Giants to lay the SMACK down on the Redskins. It won’t be pretty…and people will continue to question the ability of one Mr. Donovan F. McNabb.

RUNNING BACKS:

Start ’em

• Felix Jones @ Colts: THEY’RE PLAYING THE COLTS……enough said.
• Jonathan Stewart @ Seahawks: J-Stew is healthy again and will be the primary back for the Panthers again. Mike Goodson will get some carries too, but Stewart is tried and true. He will be back to his old reliable ways.
• Matt Forte @ Lions: I told you already to start every offensive player you can on the Bears team today!

Sit ’em

• Michael Turner @ Bucs: I’m not putting ANY faith in the Falcons offense to be as great on the road as they are at home. Stay away from Turner today.
• Cedric Benson vs. Saints: Cedric Benson has been a BUST this year….that’s right….I SAID IT! I know because I have him on my fantasy team. He was supposed to be an “ALL-WORLD” fantasy stud this year and has been nothing but disappointment after disappointment.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Start ’em

• Brandon Lloyd @ Chiefs: The Broncos, but more especially Brandon Lloyd, seem to like playing against the Chiefs. Lloyd has put up stellar numbers against the Chiefs and that trend will continue this week.
• Johnny Knox @ Lions: I am actually excited about this start today. I have both Jay Cutler and Johnny Knox on my roster, and they will secure my DOMINANCE in my league this week! I expect a 20+ pt day from Mr. Knox.
• Ben Obomanu v. Panthers: Obo will be the sleeper of the week. If he is on the waiver wire and you need someone to start this week, go pick him up NOW! He is basically they only receiver Hassellbeck has this week. He will throw to him early and often.

Sit ’em

• Deion Branch v. Jets: Branch will probably be making his visit to Revis Island this week. This much needed vacation will allow him to escape the violence and hustle and bustle of the NFL and relax in a place of obscurity. Away from all the cares in the world.
• Calvin Johnson v.  Bears: Calvin is facing a formidable defense and has a third string QB at the helm. This won’t be pretty. Sit him now….and possibly for the rest of the season!

There you have it people. Who to start and who to sit. I’ll be here again next week.

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 12

I’m early this week because we got 3 games on Turkey Day tomorrow…..and yes, I know I missed last week…..yada, yada, yada…..here’s my picks to start and sit this week:

QUARTERBACKS:

Start ’em

• Mike Vick @ Bears: Look for Vick to carve up the Bears defense. He will continue to dazzle us with his athleticism and great play at the QB position. I know he’s a must-start and it doesn’t help some people for him to be on this list because if you have him, you’re starting him, but I haven’t talked about him in a while. Some fantasy experts are saying sit Vick this week, but I say go with who’s hot!
• Kyle Orton v. Rams: Kyle Orton coupled with the Rams secondary equals a fantasy dream. Start him or DIE!!!
• Mark Sanchez v. Bengals: This guy is growing into a real QB. I’ll admit that I was a “Sanchize” hater, but the numbers don’t lie! The kid is making it happen and fantasy owners AND one Mr. Rex Ryan are reaping the benefits.

Sit ’em

• Matt Ryan v. Packers: I know Matty-Ice is playing at home, where he seems to be a football demigod, but the Packers defense is better than they appear to be. He will descend back down to Earth this week.
• Matt Schaub v. Titans: Schaub is flirting with the term fantasy BUST as of late and he is spiraling out of control. Schaub is like Humpty-Dumpty after falling off of the wall. He and the lowly Texans will not get things back together this week.

RUNNING BACKS:

Start ’em

• Mike Tolbert @ Colts: If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, “you know the drill….Colts….opposing RBs….tons of points.”
• Frank Gore @ Cardinals: Mike Singletary’s job is on the line. If he DOESN’T put the ball in the hands of his best player, he deserves to be fired!
• Steven Jackson @ Broncos: Jackson is feeling healthier and will punish the Broncos defensive line. He is the only legitimate weapon the Rams have to thwart the offensive numbers that Kyle Orton will probably put up. Look for the Rams to go to him early and often.

Sit ’em

• Maurice Jones-Drew @ Giants: The Giants have been embarrassed and will look to use the Jags as their way to show the NFL that they are still one of the “teams to beat” in the NFC.
• LeSean McCoy @ Bears: This game will be won on the arm of either Mike Vick or Jay Cutler. The Bears defense will force Vick to win this game by limiting the running game.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Start ’em

• Sidney Rice @ Redskins: He’s BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!! I know some are saying it is too early to depend on Sidney Rice just yet, but I look for him to have a great comeback. He will give you a solid start this week and the weeks to come.
• Mike Wallace @ Bills: Every week the Bills have had NO ANSWER to any deep threat receiver they have faced. Mike Wallace will probably have a career day against the Bills this week!
• Santonio Holmes v. Bengals: The Bengals are HORRIBLE and Santonio is ballin’ right now….need I say more???

Sit ’em

• Mike Williams (TB) @ Ravens: No one has shown this kid more love than yours truly, but I can’t tell you to start him this week. He may still put up numbers, but if I have to choose between the Bucs offense and the Ravens defense AT HOME AFTER A STUNNING LOSS….I’m going with the purple birds!
• Vincent Jackson @ Colts: While I do think Sidney Rice’s comeback will be a good one, I don’t quite foresee the same situation with Jackson. Phillip Rivers has proven that he doesn’t need him and I know the Chargers front office would love to prove a point to Mr. Jackson (as if they already haven’t), by limiting his touches. It’s just a hunch….but you all know about my hunches…..they are NEVER wrong!

There you have it people. Who to start and who to sit. I’ll be here again next week.

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 10

This is clearly becoming a trend, where I start by apologizing for not handling MY business. Now I know I was supposed to post on Wednesday or early Thursday because there was a Thursday night game and because I dropped the ball on that I will give you all 4 players to start this week as a bonus. Hope that helps and makes up for my negligence. So let’s get to it…..here’s my picks to start and sit this week:

QUARTERBACKS:

Start ’em

• Shaun Hill @ Bills: Shaun Hill has played phenomenally every time he has been asked to start for the Lions. He is playing the lowly Bills this week and will definitely get off on their defense. He’ll be a stud this week, so if you have Calvin Johnson or Nate Burleson you may wanna be sure to start them as well.
• David Garrard v. Texans: The Texans give up tons of points…yada, yada, yada….just start this guy. Until the Texans prove they can stop ANYONE, start any offensive player on a team playing against the Texans defense.
• Troy Smith v. Rams: Smith played well last week against the Broncos. Look for him to get another confidence boost this week against a battered Rams secondary. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis should have big days statistically. Let’s not forget too that Smith can get you quality points running the ball as well.
• Kyle Orton v. Chiefs: The Broncos will play better at home. While the Chiefs may run the ball well on offense, their defense is clearly suspect against the pass. Kyle Orton has proven that he can put up numbers. I’d go with Orton this week.

Sit ’em

• Tom Brady @ Steelers: Even if Coach Belichick and Tom Beiber………..errrrrrr…………Brady manage to win this matchup, it won’t be because Brady threw for 3 touchdowns and 250+ yds. I look for Brady’s number to be very mediocre today.
• Donovan McNabb v. Eagles: McNabb has been putting up his worst numbers statistically since his rookie season. He has NO ONE to throw to, and teams still don’t respect the Redskins run game, so he will continue to struggle throughout the season.

RUNNING BACKS:

Start ’em

• Cedric Benson @ Colts: You know the drill….Colts….opposing RBs….tons of points.
• LaGarrette Blount v. Panthers: Mr. Blount has clearly stolen the starting job away from Cadillac Williams and he is playing against the Panthers, who last time I checked were the worst team in the NFL.
• Jahvid Best v. Bills:I look for Javid Best to get back to the numbers he was putting up at the start of the season. Look for that trend to begin this week against the Bills, who tend to be very benevolent when dealing with opposing running backs.
• Marshawn Lynch @ Cardinals: With the Seahawks possibly getting Matt Hasselbeck back this week, I’m sure that Pete Carrol will be looking to ease him back into the offense by running the ball early and often. Marshawn Lynch was picked up by them for games like this. Though he will share the load with Justin Forsett, he will be a quality bye week replacement this week.

Sit ’em

• Felix Jones @ Giants: The Steelers are always heralded as the best defense in the league along with the Ravens, but trust me, most teams in the league will tell that they want NO PARTS of the Giants defense. They will stifle any offense the Cowboys try to get going. Jones will struggle this week.
• LaDainian Tomlinson @ Browns: Tomlinson will put up some numbers, but he will struggle to put up enough numbers to be called a “must-start”. Look for Rex Ryan and the Jets to take advantage of the Browns’ secondary, which isn’t good at all.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Start ’em

• Terrell Owens @ Colts: T.O. is putting up stellar numbers. Clearly he and Ponce De Leon have located the mythical fountain of youth and Batman is feeling it! Let’s not scratch our brains on this. The Colts defense is battered and broken and will give up big plays to the Bengals offense.
• Brandon Lloyd v. Chiefs: Brandon Lloyd will be the beneficiary of a big day from Kyle Orton. He is the Broncos answer to the loss of one Mr. Brandon Marshall. Expect big things out of Lloyd today.
• Mike Wallace v. Patriots: We all know the Patriots have a young secondary. While at times that secondary shows flashes of greatness, they are still young and will be exposed by a well-coached and veteran Steelers offense.
• DeSean Jackson @ Redskins: The return of Mike Vick equates to big numbers for Jackson. These two are in sync and Jackson will flourish as long as Vick is at the helm.

Sit ’em

• Steve Smith (CAR) @ Bucs: If you haven’t already, either trade or drop Steve Smith altogether. He will do NOTHING for you for the remainder of the season. He has NO ONE to get the ball to him and is the ONLY offensive weapon that the Panthers have, which means teams will consistently give him triple coverage.
• Miles Austin @ Giants: Besides the fact that the Giants have a formidable defense, the Cowboys have made it a point to prove that they made the right decision in drafting Dez Bryant. They are tending to go away from Miles Austin and are almost forcing the ball to Bryant, when Austin is CLEARLY their best receiver. Look for Austin’s numbers to never be what they once were.

There you have it people. Who to start and who to sit. I’ll be here again next week.

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 9

I know…I know…I KNOW…and I apologize for last week! Some of you have come to depend on my post and I was out of town. PLEASE forgive me. I will hopefully make up for it this week by giving you some QUALITY choices to start this week. Also, even if for some unforeseen reason in the future I cannot post, you can always feel free to hit me up on twitter with your fantasy questions and I’ll respond immediately. I’m @drbingow on there and I check it just about with every breath I take. So let’s get to it…..here’s my picks to start and sit this week:

QUARTERBACKS:

Start ’em

• Josh Freeman @ Falcons: I’m going out on a limb and picking the Bucs to win this game, but starting Freeman is definitely NOT going out on a limb. He has become a must-start each week and puts up great numbers week in and week out. Those of you who were fortunate enough to pick him up (either in the later rounds of your draft or on the waiver wire) are probably calling him this year’s fantasy sleeper.
• Jay Cutler @ Bills: The Bills give up tons of points to opposing QBs, so Cutler should have a freaking field day today. Sure he may lose points with a couple INTs, but he will surely make up for it with the numbers he puts up today. I figure him to get you 25+ pts  this week.
• Eli Manning @ Seahawks: Eli is very quietly putting up a great season in terms of stats. He may not get the notoriety that his older brother gets, but he is putting up an average of nearly 20 fantasy pts each week. He should do well against the Seahawks today.

Sit ’em

• Mark Sanchez @ Lions: The Lions are far better than the Lions of the past few years and they actually have a pretty good defense. Look for them to force the Jets to go to their ground game by pressuring Sanchez early and often.
• Matt Cassel @ Raiders: The Raiders, as we all know, have a great secondary. Cassel technically only has one decent receiver and he is just a mediocre QB to begin with. Look for the Chiefs to be limited to their ground game as well this week.

RUNNING BACKS:

Start ’em

• Darren McFadden v. Chiefs: McFadden is finally doing what we thought he’d do when he first came into the league. He’s a top-5 RB this year and he will be sitting pretty on the stats sheets this week.
• LeSean McCoy v. Colts: The Colts score a lot of points, but they give up a lot of points too, especially to opposing RBs. McCoy will get off today….TRUST ME!
• Brandon Jackson v. Cowboys: I know most fantasy owners have stayed away from this guy like the plague, but with Donald Driver being out this week, he will see more carries and will probably be catching balls out of the back field as well. He’s our sleeper this week.

Sit ’em

• Felix Jones @ Packers: The Cowboys have somehow told themselves that the only way they can win is through the arm of their QB, meanwhile they have a VERY GOOD RB in the prime of his career wasting away. Jones should be putting up numbers like Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, but Wade Phillips and the Cowboys refuse to put the rock in his hands. Don’t expect that to change this week.
• Ronnie Brown @ Ravens: We know the drill….you do NOT start a RB who is up against the Ravens, especially when the Ravens are at home.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Start ’em

• Johnny Knox @ Bills: This favorite target of Jay Cutler could have a 150+ yds, 2 TD type of day. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
• Patrick Crayton @ Texans: We know the Texans give up tons of points to opposing fantasy WRs. Phillip Rivers only has Antonio Gates and Crayton to throw to because everyone else is hurt. Crayton will see tons of action because teams will try to lock up Ryan Matthews and Gates, so expect a BIG day from Patrick Crayton
• Anquan Boldin v. Dolphins: The Dolphins have made it a point to say they will stop the run against the Ravens and let their secondary play man-to-man. I figure Anquan to start slow, but he will get you quality points late in the game and during garbage time, as the Ravens will beat the Dolphins quite handily this week.

Sit ’em

• Brandon Marshall @ Ravens: Mr. Marshall has been a complete bust this year. Many drafted him as their first WR and he has just not put up the numbers to back up him being drafted as highly as he was. He will be locked down in double coverage and Chad Henne will be spending an lot of quality time today with the turf in the Ravens stadium.
• Dwayne Bowe @ Raiders: Matt Cassel will struggle today, which equates to a bad day for D-Bowe. Stay away from him this week.

There you have it people. Who to start and who to sit. I’ll be here again next week….same time, same place.

Start ’em/Sit ’em – Week 7

It’s week 7 people….the halfway point of the fantasy football season. This is the week that will either make or break your chances at the playoffs. I KNOW I sound like an alarmist, but even a 2-4 team can begin to turn their season around this week and make the playoffs. Because of up and down performances from past fantasy studs, there is much parody in most fantasy football leagues. So let’s get to it…..here’s my picks to start and sit this week:

QUARTERBACKS:

Start ’em

• Matt Cassel v. Jaguars: This is the week of the Chiefs. I will be telling you to start ANY and EVERYONE on your rosters that are on the Kansas City Chiefs offense….I mean the Jaguars are HORRIBLE on defense!
• Ben Roethlisberger @ Dolphins: Big Ben is back people!!! The Dolphins are RIPE for the picking this week. The Steelers defense will limit the time the Dolphins offense is on the field, which equals more time for the Big Ben to pick apart the Dolphins secondary.
• Joe Flacco v. Bills: Just like last week, Flacco will have another field day against an AFC East team. I was right about last week and this week is a “no-brainer!”

Sit ’em

• Chad Henne v. Steelers: Do I really need to tell you that you should NOT start a 2nd year QB against a defense like the Steelers??? If I do then you REALLY should reassess whether you should be a fantasy owner at all.
• Donovan McNabb @ Bears: “THE BEARS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!” Coach Dennis Green never said more true words. I expect Mike Shanahan to have a similar rant after this week.

RUNNING BACKS:

Start ’em

• Peyton Hillis @ Saints: Looking at the Saints run defense over the last few weeks, I know that Hillis can get off this week. Besides, he’s the only REAL option the Browns have on offense.
• Steven Jackson @ Bucs: Sam Bradford has not played well on the road, so I expect the coaches to give the Bucs a steady dosage of Mr. Jackson throughout this game.
• Mike Turner v. Bengals: The Bengals have a pretty good pass defense, but they give up double digit fantasy points to most opposing RBs. Look for a big day from Turner.

Sit ’em

• Chris Ivory v. Browns: The Browns may be a bad team, but they’ve been a very formidable defense against the run. While Brees may get off this week, I expect that to be because the Saints will be limited on the ground.
• Cedric Benson @ Falcons: Ced has been a MAJOR disappointment this year and I don’t look for him to turn his season around this week. The Falcons have limited the likes of Mendenhall and Gore, so I don’t expect them to have trouble stopping Benson, who seems to be stopping himself this year.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Start ’em

• Dwayne Bowe v. Jaguars: I’ve already told you…start any and everybody on the Chiefs offense this week. The Jaguars defensive players may as well dawn ski masks when they pick up their game checks each week because they are stealing money from the NFL!
• Mike Williams (TB) v. Rams: While the Rams secondary was pretty good early in the year, they have been crippled this week with injuries. Josh Freeman will certainly exploit that and that means quality fantasy points for Mike Williams. You may also want to start Josh Freeman at QB this week…..SLEEPER ALERT.
• Mike Wallace @ Dolphins: He has taken over the role that Santonio Holmes had on this offense as the deep threat WR. That means on any given Sunday he could get you 20+ fantasy points. Big Ben will get Hines Ward more receptions, but you don’t get fantasy points for receptions, you get them for yardage and TDs, which makes Wallace the more lucrative WR on this team.

Sit ’em

• Larry Fitzgerald @ Seahawks: If I had Larry Fitz I’d consider trading him. He will NEVER equal his past glory days until they get a decent QB out there in Arizona.
• Brandon Marshall v. Steelers: It’s the freaking Steelers people!!! It’s kinda hard for a QB to get the ball to his receiver if he’s on the ground. That’s what the Steelers do to opposing QBs. They will double team Marshall and force Henne to go to either Davone Bess or Anthony Fasano.

There you have it people. Who to start and who to sit. I’ll be here again next week….same time, same place.