I’ll be posting start ‘em sit ‘em each week just like last year. I’ll try to stay away from the obvious and post some of the more questionable match-ups. I also like to include a “sleeper of the week” which is typically a player that isn’t owned in most leagues that I feel can have a big impact that week.
Start ‘Em
QB – Matt Stafford vs. Bucs
Stafford should have no problem lighting up the Bucs defense.
QB – Matt Schaub vs. Colts
The Colts secondary still has a lot of question marks and Schaub usually thrives in games against the Colts.
RB – DeAngelo Williams vs. Cardinals
The Cardinals defense is pretty bad and DeAngelo should have a ton of running room to work with. He’s a must start this week.
RB – Tim Hightower vs. Giants
Not a great match-up on paper but Hightower has been great in pre-season. Redskins will run the ball a lot and Hightower will get a lot of work.
RB – Beanie Wells vs. Panthers
He should have no problem running against the Panthers. He’s the main back and should get most of the touches.
RB – Willis McGahee vs. Raiders
People like Moreno in this match-up but I like McGahee. He’ll get the touches in the redzone and the Broncos should get a lot of opportunities down there against the Raiders.
RB – Mike Tolbert vs. Vikings
Same situation as McGahee. He should have a lot of opportunities to get a TD in the redzone.
WR – Mario Manningham vs. Redskins
Manningham will be a beast this year and the Redskins don’t have anyone that can cover him.
WR – Nate Burleson vs. Bucs
Burleson has been the favorite of Stafford this summer and their rapport should continue to build against the struggling Bucs.
WR – Lee Evans vs. Steelers
Steelers are still lacking some good CB’s and Evans should be utilized heavily in the Ravens offense. He’s the only deep threat they have.
WR – Santana Moss vs. Giants
Moss should be targeted early and often as he is the only dependable WR Grossman has. Giants have also suffered a lot of injuries on defense.
TE – Jimmy Graham vs. Packers
Lance Moore is not in the lineup and we all saw what Graham did when Moore wasn’t in the lineup against the Raiders in pre-season. He should see a ton of targets on Thursday.
TE – Owen Daniels vs. Colts
The Colts will struggle to contain the Texans offense and Daniels played a big part in pre-season.
D/ST – Cleveland vs. Bengals
Andy Dalton. That is all.
D/ST – New England vs. Dolphins
They should get after Chad Henne and force him into making bad decisions.
D/ST – Detroit vs. Bucs
The Bucs looked rusty in pre-season and wouldn’t be surprised if they get dominated by the Lions front 7.
Sit ‘Em
QB – Matt Ryan vs. Bears
Matt Ryan, and the Falcons offense, tends to struggle in outdoor games.
QB – Josh Freeman vs. Lions
Was rusty in pre-season and is going up against the best front 7 in football.
RB – Ryan Grant vs. Saints
Grant will share carries with Starks but Starks will also be the 3rd down back. Not a lot of upside here.
RB – Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Redskins
All off-season I’ve been hearing that Bradshaw will be used less while Jacobs will get used more. I’d think twice about starting him Week 1. Wait and see exactly how he is used.
WR – Brandon Lloyd vs. Raiders
Most will say this Lloyd is a must start against the Raders, but most also don’t know how good Stanford Routt is. He is more than capable of shutting Lloyd down so it’s a risky start.
WR – Sidney Rice vs. 49ers
I don’t even like him against the 49ers because of the QB situation in Seattle.
WR – Austin Collie vs. Texans
He won’t get as many looks with Peyton Manning out of the line-up.
WR – Jeremy Maclin vs. Rams
He says he is good to go but I’d still be cautious. Let’s wait to confirm that he is in fact in game shape before starting him.
TE – Tony Gonzalez vs. Bears
He’s like 57 years old. He’s not an automatic start anymore.
TE – Zach Miller vs. 49ers
Again, terrible QB situation. I would not trust him as a starter for my fantasy team.
D/ST – New York Giants vs. Redskins
Watch out for those Redskins. Ok, even if you don’t believe me, the Giants have had some terrible luck with injuries in pre-season and they are missing some key players on defense.
D/ST – Green Bay vs. Saints
The Saints are going to put up a lot of points in this one. They looked great in pre-season, meanwhile the Packers defense has been shaky.
Sleeper of the Week
QB – Rex Grossman vs. Giants
If you need a QB, Grossman should be an easy pick-up for the week. All you Peyton Manning owners, pick him up! I’m serious. He had a 300+ yard game against the Giants last year and the Giants are banged up.
