By Steve DeAngelo
Week 3 is almost here and as we go along we are getting a better feel more and more of which guys should be in our lineups and which guys should not. However there are always tough decisions to be made each week and that is the purpose of this column. The point is to show you that FantasySavvy has the confidence to go with a particular player and you should to. Also it works the other way around as we won’t be so confident in particular guys in an upcoming matchup. In this weekly article we try to leave most of the players out that should be in or out of your lineup without question, but sometimes you need to be reminded just in case. We advise you trust FantasySavvy on our recommendations but at the end of the day it’s your team and your responsibility. Good Luck this weekend and make sure to check our radio show tonight at 11est at Blogtalkradio.com/FantasySavvy
Start Them
QB
Carson Palmer
He has the weapons, T.O, Ocho Cinco, Gresham, Shipley and this week he has a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Eli Manning put up a solid week 1 game against them and 2nd year QB Josh Freeman even had a fairly good game against last them last week. Palmer should enjoy a nice week and should be able to connect with his plethora of wideouts. Start him with confidence this week. I expect at least 250 yards and 2-3 TD’s.
Mike Vick
Yes, Andy Reid did a 360 on us earlier this week when he announced Vick to be the starter going forward instead of Kevin Kolb. It’s great news for Owners who picked up Vick and showed faith in him to retain the job. FantasySavvy thought he would eventually take the job just not this week. Well it’s good because if Vick hadn’t taken it this week it would have been harder to get it back the job because the Eagles play the weak Jacksonville secondary on Sunday and Kolb most likely would have had a fairly good game. Instead, Reid changed his mind maybe fearing that Kolb would have had a good game and then possibly thinking it would have been harder for him to replace Kolb so he went with Vick.
Vick enjoys a nice matchup this week and should be in your lineups unless you have Drew Brees or any other of those elite QB’s.
Donovan Mcnabb
This one is easy Mcnabb vs the St. Louis defense. Mcnabb enjoyed a breakout game last week throwing for 426 yards although just one TD. However this week, while he may not throw for 400 I think he gets at least 2-3 TD’s and about 300 yards passing. Get him in your lineups and get ready for a nice game from him as he continues to hook up with Santana Moss and Chris Cooley.
Brett Favre
Favre has been miserable threw two weeks thus far with 1 TD and 4 picks. Also to make matters worse the Vikings tried to pursue Vincent Jackson but Chargers GM blocked the deal as he wanted more from the Vikes. However, things improve for Farve and the 0-2 Vikings as they take on the Detroit Lions at home. Yes Favre has looked out of sync with his wideouts and his wideouts aren’t playing that well either but Detroit should solve these problems. After being questionable earlier in the Week Percy Harvin looks to be Ok for Sunday as well as Benard Berrian. I think Favre goes for about 250 through the air this week with 2-3 TD’s.
Sit These
Chad Henne
Darrelle Revis is out for the Jets but Henne still faces a tough matchup vs the Jets. They will still be blitzing him and this should still be a low scoring game. Henne might put up 200 yards but won’t throw more than 1 TD. Jets still have some talent in the secondary and Henne is still a young inexperienced QB.
Derek Anderson
The Raiders stink but Derek Anderson is worse. He shouldn’t sniff lineups, this guy is so inaccurate it makes me question Ken Whisenhunt’s judgement by just making him the starter this year and cutting Matt Leinart so easily.
Matt Hasselback
Good Week 1 terrible Week 2. Matt Hasselback is a shell of his former self. He really looks like Grandpa out there. His wideouts aren’t that good either and he has no running game to support him. Please don’t start him, you should just cut him.
RB’s
Start Them
Marion Barber
Barber has been disappointing dating back to last year. This year he has 19 carries for just 70 yards and 0 TDS. However this week against Houston I believe Dallas tries to get the run game going a little bit more. Houston’s secondary has been pretty bad (last week 426 yards to Mcnabb) so Dallas will attack through the air with success as well but that only works in Barber’s favor. He remains Dallas’ goaline back and he should have a lot of opportunities to punch it into the endzone this week. While Barber probably won’t get 100 yards rushing I think he gets into the endzone at least once and he could have a multiple TD game. Dallas will be moving the ball all game against Houston and Barber will get the looks inside the 10 yard line.
Jamal Charles
Charles was a high pick for many in drafts this year and to this point he has been disappointing. Well he hasn’t disappointed personally it’s just his coaches have yet to give him his deserving touches. Thomas Jones saw 22 carries last week but most of those carries came late when the Chiefs were trying to run the clock out. To date Charles YPC is 6.7 while Jones is only 3.7. Charles has as many rushing yards and more TD’s than Jones on 11 less carries. So it’s obvious by watching and statistically that Charles is the more talented back but for now Jones continues to see more time because he is the ol’ reliable veteran.
So what am I getting to? Charles does have a tough matchup vs a pretty good 49ers Defense this week led by Patrick Willis but Todd Haley recently stated that he will use Jones or Charles more based on how they match up against defenses. So for this week that Bodes well for Charles. He has the speed to get around the perimeter and the moves to make guys miss, Thomas Jones does not possess those skills. Look for Charles to be a factor in the receiving department and to get more looks on the ground this week. He is simply too lethal to be placed on your bench. Before it’s too late go and trade for Jamal Charles as well because before long he will be getting more and more carries and making a bigger impact as he is the best offensive player on his team.
Shonn Greene and L.T.
Look for the Jets to try to pound the rock more than ever this week against Miami on Sunday Night. Braylon Edwards won’t start and he probably won’t play that much this week against Miami. I expect Rex to make somewhat of an example out of him. With that said I believe Rex’s gameplan will be to run the rock. Look for Greene to have his best game as a Jet and for L.T. to also have a good game. I can see both of them getting into the endzone this week. Look for Greene to put up more yards on the ground it could very well be 80-100 with a couple of TD’s. L.T is a good play in PPR leagues especially and I believe he will have around 70-80 total yards with a TD as well. Both are solid Low End #2 backs this week and Great flex plays.
Mike Tolbert
Look for the Jerome Bettis clone to do some bruising against that Seahawks front seven this weekend. The Chargers will move the ball on this defense and Tolbert will get all the goal line carries. He isn’t an easy man to bring down. Ryan Matthews has a high ankle sprain so while he continues to be out Tolbert is a solid option. Get him in your lineups as Tolbert is going to see the endzone at least once this week and possibly twice.
Ahmad Bradshaw
Bradshaw, as we’ve known has been the most talented back in the Giants backfield for sometime but Jacobs was still eating into Bradshaw’s full potential. While Jacobs remains there, it’s obvious that Jacobs is disgruntled evidenced by his helmet throwing incident last Sunday Night. With this, Bradshaw should take on a slightly bigger role now and I like his matchup this week against Tennessee. The Titans did a fairly good job last week against Pittsburgh and Rashad Mendenhall but that is because they crowded the box and dared Charlie Batch to beat them. This week it will be different as they will have to account for Eli Manning and his talented wide receiver core. Bradshaw should see some success on the ground as well as a receiver out of the backfield. I expect him to have a Similar game to what Darren Mcfadden did in week 1 to the Titans when he had over 140 total yards rushing and receiving with a TD. Get Bradshaw in your lineups this week and start with confidence.
Sit These
Brandon Jackson
It was announced earlier this week by Packers head coach Mike Mcarthy that Brandon Jackson would not be a 3 down back going forward. We all expected him to take over Ryan Grant’s role and get the lion’s share of carries but in week 2 he only got 9 although he did get a TD. Still Jackson really hasn’t impressed throughout his career and didn’t impress last week so Mcarthy looks like he wants to give John Kuhn even reps with Jackson. To make matters worse Jackson goes up against a tough Bears Run defense and this is simply a terrible matchup for him. He should be on your benches and he doesn’t really look like an impressive option in the future as well.
Thomas Jones
As stated earlier this is not a good matchup for Thomas Jones against a tough 49ers defense. Running inside won’t come easy against Patrick Willis and Co. The Chiefs most likely will look to use Jamal Charles more to get to the outside and use his speed to create offense. Jones is not a safe option this week even as a flex play.
Ronnie Brown
Another tough matchup for Brown as last week he went against the stingy Minnesota run defense. It doesn’t get easier this week vs the Jets. Yes they are without Kris Jenkins but Mike Devito has filled in fairly nicely and the Jets still are geared to stop the run. This will most likely be a low scoring game and remember Brown is still splitting time with Ricky Williams. Keep Brown on the Bench unless you have no other options.
WR’s
Start Them
Terrell Owens
He was supposed to be Batman and Ocho was supposed to be Robin but so far T.O has been Catgirl. However this week he has a nice matchup against Carolina and I expect T.O. to finally see the endzone this week. I like T.O this year and think as he gets more on par with Palmer he will get better. Cedric Benson recently expressed his frustration with the Bengals supposedly being geared more towards the pass now but he should just be quiet. He still got 23 carries last week and T.O and Ocho have to get theirs. After all how in the world you gon stop Ocho Cinco? How in the world you gon Stop T.O? Getcha Popcorn Ready! Click the underlined!
Santana Moss
Santana is still talented even at the age of 31. He really just hasn’t had a QB to get him the ball. Now with Mcnabb that has changed. Moss’ talents aren’t being wasted any longer. He is one of the better route runners in the league and one of the quicker and speedier wideouts in the league. Him and Mcnabb have already shown solid chemistry through the first two weeks and it won’t stop this week against St. Louis. Moss could be in for a juicy game. Go and trade for Moss as well he will remain solid all season.
Mark Clayton
The Skins have been torched through the air through the first two weeks and even though they are facing the Rams and rookie Sam Bradford, the Rams should still be able to move it through the clouds. Mark Clayton has always been talented he just has never been able to put it all together. Now with Sam Bradford constantly targeting him he has 3 TD’s already this year and is starting to show that talent. He should be heavily targeted again this week and his a nice play. Put him in there this week.
Jeremy Maclin
Maclin possess good speed and has a nice matchup this week against Jacksonville. Vick will hit him on drags and deep crossing routes. Maclin will be open and he could even go for a TD this week. He serves as a fairly decent flex play this week because of the matchup. Go with Maclin while Vick remains hot.
Dez Bryant
Bryant is a bit banged up this week but he is on target to play Sunday and insists he will play as well. As you saw last week Donovan Mcnabb passed for 426 yards last week against Houston so there is no reason to expect Tony Romo and Co not to have similar success. Dez Bryant should have a nice game this week because of the matchup. Monitor the injury but he should be Ok. His matchup is just too good to leave him on the bench. Plus it helps that the guy is extremely talented.
Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon
While the Colts look to want to the run the ball more (43 times last week against the NYG) it makes sense this week to return back to the passing game. The reason being is Champ Bailey is most likely going to miss this matchup. Also the Broncos other corner Andre Goodman is also questionble.
Austin Collie is a must start but owners should also consider Pierre Garcon even though he has disappointed and Manning seems to have lost some faith in him. However, Pierre is still a very talented wideout and this is a good week with the Broncos secondary heavily depleted to get him back in your lineups. Again if you have safer options go with that but if Garcon makes sense this week for your lineup then go with him.
Legedu Naanee and Malcom Floyd
Simply put if Kyle Orton can throw all over Seattle then Phillip Rivers should have no problem. Malcolm Floyd was limited in practice on Wednesday ,but looked Ok Thursday and should be fine for Sunday. He had only 3 catches last week but they went for 95 yards and a score. He will remain Rivers big play threat through the air.
After a nice Week 1 Legedue Naanee disappointed with only 1 catch for 14 yards last week. However this week he should rebound as the Chargers will look to throw the ball early and often with the absence of Ryan Matthews. Naanee is a better play in PPR leagues but he should be Ok for standard leagues as well. Get both of these guys in your lineups this week as the Chargers should be very successful through the air.
Sit These
Mike Williams-TB
Mike Williams has enjoyed a fairly solid rookie season thus far with only 84 yards but with touchdowns in back to back weeks. This is the week to avoid him however as he and Josh Freeman face the extremely tough Pittsburgh Defense. Freeman will be under duress all game and he won’t have much time to hit Williams let alone think. You saw what Pittsburgh did to Matt Ryan in Week 1 and Vince Young in Week 2, steer clear of Williams.
Jabaar Gaffney
Now with Demaryius Thomas emerging and Orton constantly looking Eddie Royal’s way Jabar Gaffney is slowly being phased out. Gaffney finished with only 2 catches for 15 yards last week. Gaffney was being overrated as a solid sleeper coming into this year. When you’ve been in the league as long as he has and have never had over 60 catches I don’t see how you can be considered a sleeper. Nonetheless don’t start him this week and avoid this guy going forward. You can feel Ok just releasing him.
Steve Smith- Carolina
It’s not only the fact that Smith faces a tough Bengals Defense in week 3 but it’s also the fact that this will be his first start with Rookie Jimmy Claussen at the helm. Claussen takes over for Matt Moore and will take full reigns for now. It remains to be seen how the two will connect. Given Smith’s talent some good games should be expected upcoming but for this week you may want to explore other options as he tries to find a groove with the rookie as well as going against a solid defense in Cincy with two solid corners in Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall.
TE
Start Them
Aaron Hernandez
The highly talented Florida Gator product exploded onto the scene last week against the Jets for 100 yards receiving. If you picked him up this week than props to you. Or if you drafted this guy more props go to you. Hernandez runs like a wideout similar to the Jets Dustin Keller. Brady will look to him often this season so get him in your lineups.
Dustin Keller
Keller broke out last week with 100+ yards receiving and a TD. Sanchez will look to him even more this week against Miami with Braylon Edwards seeing a limited role this week after his DWI. Keller is talented and the young Sanchez will look Keller’s way often especially this week against Miami.
Tony Moeaki
Moeaki is another talented Tight End. Matt Cassell loves to throw short little dinky routes because of his lack of arm strength so look for Moeaki to be Cassell’s safety blanket. If you don’t have better options go with Tony this week.
Sit These
Kellen Winslow
As I stated earlier with Mike Williams, Tampa Bay’s QB has a tough matchup this week in Pittsburgh. They will be blitzing the hell out of the young Freeman and who knows what he will be able to do this week. Sit Winslow this week as his QB won’t be able to find him amongst the many Pittsburgh Blitzers.
Fantasy Savvy 