How many times have you wanted to strangle Malcom Floyd this year? My count is 4. But honestly, he was a steal in the 10th round for a reason. He’s an unnecessary piece in Phillip Rivers’ puzzle. Last year, Rivers leaned on Vincent Jackson but this year, he has new loyalties. He’ll throw to whoever is open and not injured. Rarely has that been Malcom Floyd. He has only four games over 15 points this season, the rest only amount to an average of 3.4 pts (and I’m not including the four-week stretch he was out for!)

Mike Goodson–Carolina Panthers

He’s got everything against him. His carries have been sliced in half since Stewart returned, he’s listed as probable from an illness, he’s got a short week and he’s facing the No. 1 run defense on Thursday. Best case scenario is that he doesn’t play at all this week and comes back to you feeling 100 percent playing in a garbage game in Week 17 against the Cardinals.

Dan Carpenter–Miami Dolphins

He’s no longer the Amazing Carpet-Installing Field Goal-Kicking Miami Dolphin. He’s just some dude who has a 50 percent field goal completion rating in the last five weeks. If you’re into negative points, D.C. is your new best friend.

LaDainian Tomlinson–New York Jets

I know he was on my list last week, but I don’t know how much more I can reiterate the declining fantasy value of LT. He has been losing goal line carries to Shonn Greene and has seen a slow decline in his yardage and attempts. The Bears are next on the list, boasting the third best run defense in the league. We know Rex Ryan has a thing for feet, let’s hope that he has a thing for watching LT’s fancy footwork in the redzone.

Sidney Rice–Minnesota Vikings

Can we agree that Week 13 was a fluke? We could just agree that his quarterback situation was better in Week 13. I don’t know, that’s kind of a stretch too. Now it looks like Joe Webb will get the start this week.  I don’t like the mix of his inexperience and the tough Philly pass defense. There’s always next year, Sid.

Chris Ivory–New Orleans Saints

For a while there, he had me thinking Rookie of the Year. Now after only getting 7 touches for 47 yards in Week 14 against St. Louis’s battering ram defense and getting blanked by a hamstring injury against Baltimore, Ivory isn’t looking like he’ll get many accolades. He certainly won’t get any accolades from fantasy owners who were counting on his performance in the playoffs. He’s questionable against Atlanta’s eighth ranked run defense, so I’d keep him sidelined.

Jacob Tamme–Indianapolis Colts

Tamme was an excellent pickup if you were lucky enough to get him. Unfortunately, that luck ran out in Week 12. As like most TEs, the value lies in TDs, but with the emergence of Donald Brown last week and the many weapons that Peyton has at his disposal, Tamme hasn’t had a TD in three games. What’s worse is that he is getting about the same amount of receptions, but he is only adding it up to 30 yards or so. Tamme might have a few more good games left in him, but right now he is “free…free falling.” You know, like that rock ballad.

This game has all the makings of being the game of the week. The Saints are on a 6 game win streak while the Ravens are fighting to get into the playoffs. The big thing that you need to know is that the Saints are going to put up points. The Ravens are probably going to face an uphill battle.

Start:

Marques Colston–It’s hard to bench Brees’ favorite redzone target. Colston has been on a huge tear that started in Week 7. Since then, he has averaged nearly 14 points.  The Ravens’ weakest point is their corner backs. Look at Andre Johnson last week–he put up 140 yards and 2 TDs on the secondary. You can’t pass near Ed Reed or apparently Chris Wilson, but surely Colston will get his looks.

Ray Rice–Insiders are all saying that if the Ravens are going to win this game, the key will be their run game. They need to control the pace of the game and Ray Rice can do it. He may not be performing at a Top 5 back this year but when the matchup is right, he can be an animal. He is fully healthy and should be able to put up 12+ on the Saints who allow an average of 16 points to opposing RBs.

Sit:

Anquan Boldin–Just look at his last game–he is a huge decoy except he actually can make plays. They don’t lean on him like they should. Let’s say that Darren Sharper and Boldin cancel each other out.

Chris Ivory–While he may be one of the best rookie RBs, he is a little banged up and Pierre Thomas might be ready to take his starting spot back. Don’t start any of this backfield against the No. 4 ranked Ravens defense against running backs.

ARI @ CAR

Start:

Tim Hightower–Hightower is an awkward runner, but he gets the job done. He probably won’t eclipse 1000 yards this season, but he is a good workhorse to have brought into the playoffs with you.

Cardinals Defense–They are the second highest scoring player on the Arizona Cardinals. If you stand back and look at them, they are explosive. A league leading 8 Defensive TDs, matched up against the worst offense in the NFL. I expect a scoreless Carolina team with the Cardinals on top with at least one defensive TD.

Sit:

Mike Goodson–I don’t know how he lost his starting job to the lowly Jonathan Stewart. Even though Goodson lost it, he still has 3 TDs in 3 games. If only he could stack up some yards to go with it. Until his carries go up, he’s got to stay on your bench.

Beanie Wells–Clearly this is Hightower’s team now. Beanie’s knee injury seems to have been dragging him down all season long. Plus, Beanie hasn’t had a 100 yard game yet.

CLE @ CIN

Start:

Terrell Owens–All you need to know is that last time he played the Browns, he put up 222 yards and a TD. The potential is too high to bench him.

Peyton Hillis–DUH

Sit:

Cedric Benson–Ceddy Benz will have a tough time against the Browns. Even when Benson gets 20 touches a game, he can be only mildly effective, but the Browns can hold a running back down pretty well. They only allow 14.5 points to opposing RBs, which is below the league average.

Colt McCoy and Jake Delhomme–Jake did terrible last week and McCoy is held back by an ankle injury. Both should be benched because they aren’t fantasy relevant in the first place, but the question of whom will be starting should cement them both on your bench.

WAS @ DAL

Start:

Jon Kitna–I imagine a Michael Vick-like performance 6 TDs and lots of scrambling. OK, not really, but Kitna is having a pretty decent season and up against a terrible defense like the Redskins, he should be able to score easily.

Miles Austin–He’s been pretty disappointing this season, but he’s got to have a 3 TD game eventually right?

Sit:

Rex Grossman--the Redskins are the stupidest team in the NFL for benching McNabb.

Santana Moss–Rex Grossman is starting.

JAC @ IND

Start:

Maurice Jones-Drew–Jones-Drew is on a late-season tear and the Colts are a poor run defense. Start Mojo even though Rashad Jennings is a king vulture.

Reggie Wayne–Wayne posted 196 yards on the Jags in Week 4. I’d like to think that history will repeat itself. But remember, nobody plays the Colts as hard as the Jaguars, except maybe the Patriots.

Sit:

Rashad Jennings–Don’t get too excited about last week. Jones-Drew is the workhorse of this offense. Jennings will get his touches, just don’t assume they will all be TDs.

Peyton Manning–I don’t know what’s wrong with Peyton Manning, but Tony Dungy chalked it up to forcing the ball. This is exactly what he will be doing in this very important game. I don’t like the Jacksonville secondary, but if Manning is playing like he was a few weeks ago in which he went on a three-game, 11-interception streak, it’ll make these Jaguars DBs look like geniuses.

BUF @ MIA

Start:

Dan Carpenter–This will probably be a game of field goals. Dan Carpenter can kick a football around the earth and through the uprights. Fact.

Devone Bess–Even though he was blanked last week, he has been a consistent target throughout the season. He won’t post huge numbers, but really nobody will in this matchup.

Sit:

Fred Jackson–The Dolphins have a tough D-line. I really dislike this matchup. In the last three weeks, they have only allowed an average of 6 fantasy points to opposing RBs.

Steve Johnson–He’s just ice cold.

PHI @ NYG

Start:

Everyone on the Eagles (Vick, McCoy, Maclin, Jackson).

Sit:

Sit both defenses and Eli Manning. You’re welcome.

KC @ STL

Start:

Matt Cassel–My good friend also got an appendectomy the same time as Matt Cassel and he told me that he would be able to play in an NFL game. So I’m going to assume that Cassel will start tomorrow.

Sam Bradford–Yes, Sam Bradford is the best thing to happen to St. Louis since Kurt Warner. He is having a very good year with very little weaponry around him. The Chiefs aren’t really successful at stopping the pass and Bradford has a good opportunity to put up some numbers at home this weekend.

Sit:

Dwayne Bowe–Though he is cold, I don’t think he’ll put up another zero point week. I definitely don’t think it’ll be a 35 point week, either.

Tony Moeaki–I really like this TE, but he is hardly a legitimate receiving threat.

DET @ TB

Start:

LeGarrette Blount–If he can rack up the carries, he will do some serious damage. Blount has been still doing well statistically, but he hasn’t had very easy matchups. Hopefully they don’t run too many times to Suh’s side.

Calvin Johnson–It doesn’t matter who is throwing to him, Megatron is matched up against a second string corner with Aqib Talib out for the Bucs. If he can get the ball, he will be dangerous with it.

Sit:

Jahvid Best–He hasn’t done anything since the beginning of the season.

Stanton, Stafford, and Hill–Apparently any of them might be starting this week. Stanton is healthy, but Stafford and Hill are seriously injured, yet aren’t ruled out. This is never a good situation.

HOU @ TEN

Start:

Chris Johnson–While he may not be playing like a No. 1 fantasy draft pick, Johnson showed his value last week. The Texans are a terrible defense all around and CJ2K will look a little more like CJ2K09.

Arian Foster–If you matched up against someone with Foster last week, consider yourself lucky that you walked away with only 12 points. This is a much more favorable matchup.

Sit:

Titan Defense–Early in the season, they looked pretty tough, but with all of the Texans’ weapons back, you should find another option.

Randy Moss–Why is Randy Moss down here when he has the 5th most receiving yards in NFL history?  It’s because nobody knows how to use him or manage him. Patriots, Vikings and Titans. Three strikes and you’re out.

Kyle Orton–Denver Broncos

Now we know that the Denver offense hinges on Orton. The way he’s been playing the last few weeks, you shouldn’t risk your fantasy league playoffs with Orton. Treat it as if he has died. To help the grieving process, we should say a few words. Dear Lloyd, Kyle Orton was a great man and a great quarterback. He played as if he was a man on a mission. His mission was to throw rockets through the thin mile high air. But like Icarus, he flew too close to the sun and his wings melted. He was no god, just a man. He’s a man that put up -3 points last week and lost thousands of first round playoff matchups. Kyle, you will be missed, kind of. In Lloyds name we pray. Amen.

Dwayne Bowe–Kansas City Chiefs

Some people have hot streaks and they gradually fade back into mediocrity, but sometimes the streaks just abruptly end, leaving a fantasy owner with a must-start player putting up zero points week in and week out. The latter is the story of Dwayne Bowe. Much like the next player on the list, he was red hot for a long streak of TDs, but fell flat for owners in playoff time. Will he be able to bounce back? It all depends on the health of Matt Cassel who underwent an emergency appendectomy last week and missed the game. Cassel is expected to start this week; he should be lighter and quicker with that appendix gone, right?

Roddy White–Atlanta Falcons

I can tell you first-hand that Roddy White is falling. I made a huge trade to get him and Philip Rivers in one of my leagues and White has struggled. Putting up 8 points in each of his last matchups isn’t what you expect out of a player that averaged 17 points a game earlier this season. The weird part is that he is getting about the same amount of receptions, but with way less yardage and no TDs. What can we blame this on? White’s injured hamstring? The Falcons’ O-Line?  Michael Turner? Matty Ice’s cold streak? The answer is all of the above. White is facing an uphill battle with the run game heating up. He should be able to bounce back, but so far, he’s not getting red zone looks and he hasn’t been coming up with big plays.

LaDainian Tomlinson–New York Jets

I can’t decide if it’s Tomlinson that’s cold or just the Jets in general. The Jets and LT started off so hot, but have cooled off the past few weeks in their back-to-back losses. I can’t even recommend using his backup, Shonn Greene. Greene has been a bust all season long. LT is falling hard right now. If you look at his production since the beginning of the season, you can see his peak was clearly Week 4 and owners have been watching him flounder in his seven-game TD drought. While he will probably make it to the Hall of Fame, he doesn’t look like that caliber of a back right now.

Ben Roethlisberger–Pittsburgh Steelers

When you see his name on this list, you may be confused. Let me clear it up a bit. When you draft one of the 32 starting quarterbacks in this league, what are you looking for? Are you looking for a player that has nagging injuries and averages just 11.2 points per game? If so, Big Ben is perfect for you. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an excellent player, but he isn’t on a very productive offense. In his last three games, he has had 10, 12, and 12 points. These are hardly numbers to write home about. There are a lot better options out there and you have to believe that The Jets are going to be looking to spoil their playoff birth this weekend.

Chicago Bears Defense

I don’t know what to account for last week’s loss. If you look at the Bears before Week 11, they were a Top 5 defense. They were limiting teams to around 17 points and then, all of a sudden, Philadelphia, Detroit and New England all put up huge numbers on them. But worst of all was losing to Tom Brady’s lion mane in the snow, which is traditionally “Bears weather.” Hollywood Tom made the secondary look foolish. But the big question is, is the Bears Defense worth holding on to? If you could stomach the 3 points in three weeks, I’ll say that it’s time to get rid of them. Even though they have favorable matchups against some stalled defenses, there are better defenses out there. Just pick up a defense that plays Carolina, Seattle or whatever lowly offense you can find.

Steve Johnson–Buffalo Bills

Here’s all you really need to know about Johnson: He was a great pickup during the tumultuous times of Randy Moss, but now he has scored just 15 points in three week’s time. Compare that to his 32 point game in Week 11. Now he’s more than cold, he’s “brick city.” (Which is a recent NY phrase that I learned meaning very cold.)

Start:

Peyton Hillis–He’s a given. Though the Dolphins figured out how to slow him down last week, the Bills really pose no defensive threat except Paul Posluszny.

Ryan Fitzpatrick–I also really like Ryan Fitzpatrick in this matchup. He has Lee Evans and Steve Johnson to throw to and he has hit Johnson 9 times for TDs this season. Surprisingly, Fitzpatrick is on pace for 3,000 yards this season.

Sit:

Colt McCoy and Jake Delhome–When your best receiver is your TE and he only has 3 TDs all season, you have a problem.

Atlanta at Carolina

Start:

Atlanta Defense–As a general rule, you always start the defense that is playing Carolina.

Roddy White–He’s been a little cold in past weeks, but he will rebound huge this week against the terrible Panthers.

Sit:

Anyone on the Panthers–Mike Goodson might be the only exception, but that’s a huge gamble with Jonathan Stewart back in the lineup.

Green Bay at Detroit

Start

Greg Jennings and Aaron Rodgers–Do I really need to let you know this? These two are the new Brandy Moss.

Sit

Jahvid Best–Best started off hot, but there is very little to like about this matchup.

Oakland at Jacksonville

Start:

Jacoby Ford–He’s coming on towards the end of the season for the Raiders and the injury-riddled secondary in Jacksonville is allowing anybody to pass by untouched. Not to mention that he has a great ability to score on punts and kickoffs. He’s a faster, more effective, Dez Bryant with some great matchups along the way.

Maurice Jones-Drew–He’s gotten his Mojo back after a few down weeks in the beginning of the season. He has an excellent playoff schedule, so you have to keep him in the lineup.

Sit:

Zach Millers–Don’t start either Zach Miller. Both Millers on each side of the ball are terrible fantasy options.

Michael Bush–Don’t expect another 15-point game like last week. They clearly split the carries in Darren McFadden’s favor.

New York Giants at Minnesota

Start:

Adrian Peterson–Duh.

Sidney Rice–If you held onto him until last week, it may have been worth it. Can he duplicate his success this week?

Sit:

Brett Favre–Remember when everybody was excited that Favre returned to the Vikings? I bet now they wished he was still in Alabama playing pickup games with his friends who ALL wear Wrangler jeans.

Mario Manningham–It looks like Steve Smith is returning back to the lineup. It’s not like Manningham filled in well anyway. 17 points in the last 3 weeks is hardly impressive.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

Start:

Rashard Mendenhall–He has been hit-or-miss all season long, but he can blow up given the right circumstances. You can definitely consider a matchup against Cincinnati the right circumstance. Last time they matched up in Week 9, he put up 18 points.

Terrell Owens–He’s a beast, especially against the Steelers.

Sit:

Ben Roethlisberger–The nose knows. Don’t start him, because he is rarely a good fantasy option. The Steelers don’t really lean as heavily as they have in the past. He only put up 9 points last time he played Cincy, and in the past two weeks, he has had games of 10 and 12 points.

Tampa Bay at Washington

Start:

LeGarrette Blount–Who hasn’t been able to run all over Washington this season? Washington boasts the worst run defense in the league, allowing 5 yards a carry. Blount has been getting a ton of carries lately and if he gets 20  carries like he did last week, you can expect him to eclipse the century mark again.

Sit:

Keiland Williams–It looks like Week 10 was a fluke. This backfield is cloudier than Wiz Khalifa’s tour bus.

Hot List

Greg Jennings–Green Bay Packers

If you held onto Greg Jennings all season, you must really be happy that he is really blowing up right now. Jennings has had a knack for scoring all season, but now Ole’ Greg has had 6 TDs in the past four games. With the Lions, Patriots and Giants up next, Jennings should continue to roll.

Wes Welker–New England Patriots

It’s been lonely out there in double coverage with Moss gone, but Brady and the Patriots are En Fuego right now. 4 TD hookups in the past three weeks should be enough to keep him in your roster, especially with that seven-game TD drought earlier in the season.

Anquan Boldin–Baltimore Ravens

He has had quite a few disappointing games this season, but after his game against Pittsburgh last week, he made a statement. Don’t leave him open or he will burn you. With a questionable Todd Heap and the fact that the Texans tend to leave people always open, Boldin will roll.

Jacoby Ford–Oakland Raiders

At first, I thought lightning couldn’t strike twice, but Jacoby Ford is emerging as the top wide out in Oakland. He has explosive play ability, plus he can rip the ball away from defenders. With two games over 20 points in the past four weeks, he can be a monster. The only problem is that his other two games were for just 2 pts and 6 pts. Those were up against some tougher opponents, but Jacksonville, Denver and Indianapolis are far less than tough. Though you will be rolling the dice, Ford might come up big for you in the playoffs.

Dwayne Bowe–Kansas City Chiefs

Dwayne Bowe is drowning in fantasy points. We can chalk up last week’s 0 point game to Champ Bailey living up to his first name. With St. Louis and Tennessee in Weeks 14 and 15, you might need to send him a thank you card for winning you your fantasy football championship.

Cold

He's hot and he's cold, he's yes and he's no. Either way, White is falling.

This guy has a ton of talent, but right now, his numbers have been slipping. The big worry is that he has a few nagging injuries, and even though he has been getting a lot of targets, he still hasn’t been performing well. I think that he has some real chances to improve over the next two weeks against Carolina and Seattle.

Terrell Owens–Cincinnati Bengals

He still is Carson Palmer’s right hand man, but the past four weeks are a far cry from his 7 TD streak. He still has Pittsburgh, Cleveland and San Diego left. If you have some better matchups, stray away from Owens.

Larry Fitzgerald–Arizona Cardinals

You may look at his stats and think he gets a lot of targets. Well yes he does, but most of those are garbage yards at the end of games. Now his team is too garbage to even give Fitzy some garbage yards.

Steve Johnson–Buffalo Bills

Why so serious about Steve Johnson? He is so unpredictable these days. Usually after a bad outing, he follows it up with a huge game. Cleveland, Miami and New England don’t really pose much of a threat, but I don’t think we can still count on Johnson to deliver.

Braylon Edwards–New York Jets

This is a guy that doesn’t really excel unless the Jets are excelling. He is as unpredictable as any WR out there, but he has some rough matchups on the way. Pittsburgh and Chicago all do a great job of pressuring the passer and stopping the pass. Edwards has only scored in two of his last six games. It’s time to close the fridge on this guy. He’s cold.

Andre Johnson

Am I the only one that loved watching Cortland Finnegan get uppercut Mortal Kombat style? Surely I wasn’t the only one watching. My guess is the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary watched it too. How closely do you think they will want to play Andre “The Giant” this week?

Jeremy Maclin

With DeSean complaining about coach Andy Reid, I expect that Maclin will continue to quietly become the best fantasy receiver on the Eagles. He already has DeSean beat in every statistic except yards per reception, but Maclin is only 5 yards behind Jackson’s 19-yard average. Start Maclin with confidence against the 31st ranked Houston pass defense.

LeSean McCoy

The lowest fantasy game that McCoy has had all season is 5 fantasy points. He boasts an average of just under 14 fantasy points.

Michael Vick

Duh.

Arian Foster

Duh.

Think the Eagles' secondary is worried about Andre Johnson? Well, if they weren't already, that fight last week will certainly make them quake. 'Dre-Dre will have a huge game.

Sit those dudes

Matt Schaub

It may seem strange that I say to start the Texans No. 1 WR, but I tell you to sit the man throwing the ball to him. There are a lot better fantasy QBs out there, and if you are choosing between Schaub and another QB, it deserves a second look. While Schaub has thrown 5 TDs with 0 INTs in the last three weeks, he may have a tough time against the Eagles’ pass defense. While  Jay Cutler had no problem on Sunday throwing 4 TDs against an Asante Samuel-less Philly Secondary, Samuel is looking like he may return this week. Keep an eye on the his situation. If he is in, think twice about Schaub.

DeSean Jackson

What have we learned from complaining diva WRs this year? We learned that they can be spectacular fantasy options, but they also can anger the offensive coordinators and QBs, leading to games with very few yards. Will DeSean Jackson’s comments lead him to fantasy exile? Two things you need to know:

1: Jeremy Maclin has more yards, receptions and TDs this season

2: LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant all have more receptions than DeSean Jackson

It’s hard to tell you not to start D-Jax against the 31st ranked pass defense, but Maclin has emerged as a safer bet.

Jerome Harrison

Think of how Willis McGahee is used in the Ravens redzone offense and you can kind of imagine Jerome Harrison’s value. Especially with LeSean McCoy’s bum shoulder, you might think about starting Harrison as a flex play. There are much better options available out there like Mike Goodson and Brian Westbrook.

Brent Celek

Why would you want a big slow TE in the redzone when you can sub in a big fast target named Riley Cooper. Vick hardly looks at Celek anyway. It’s time for another TE.

Start these guys

Wes Welker–New England Patriots

I was high on Welker after his 3 TDs in the first two weeks, but since then, he’s fizzled out quite a bit. If you think that his TD last week is the spark of a Welker explosion, you might be right. He has been getting into the groove with Brady lately with 13 receptions in the past two weeks. Detroit is ranked 11th versus opposing WR, but the 3 receiving TDs that they allowed last week shows their susceptibility to redzone scores. Welker should slice right through the defense like your uncle cutting through a freshly roasted turkey. Welker is a must start if you are in a PPR league.

Shaun Hill–Detroit Lions

The Patriots defense is one of the worst in the league against opposing QBs, allowing an average of 18.3 points per game. You might think that since Jahvid Best is out this week, you should worry about Hill being able to pass so much. So far this season, Hill has thrown over 40 passes in 5 games. Durability is not a problem; his arm is as sturdy as Plymouth Rock.

Dez Bryant–Dallas Cowboys

Dez will not disappoint in this matchup. Though last week Austin seemed to get a majority of the redzone looks, Bryant will pull down a few TDs. Both the Saints and the Cowboys have momentum coming off of their big wins last week, but Dallas hasn’t lost on Thanksgiving in four years. This year, they have Dez to be thankful for and you will be just as thankful if you have him on your team.

Jermaine Gresham–Cincinnati Bengals

In the last three weeks, the Jets have allowed an average of 11 points per game to opposing TEs. The last three teams were Detroit, Cleveland and Houston. None of those teams rely as heavily on their TEs as Cincinnati. Gresham has 42 receptions (highest among rookie TE) thus far this season and you can expect him to see quite a few looks on Sunday.

Santonio Holmes–New York Jets

If you tuned into last week’s game, it seemed like every five seconds, Santonio Holmes was breaking for a huge play. He was catching in traffic, toe tapping the sidelines and burning defenders. The Bengals’ secondary is a little banged up and they are as slow as brown gravy. And even if the Bengals DBs were all healthy, I’d still tell you to start him.

Sit these Dudes

Chris Ivory–New Orleans Saints

Yeah, he had a pretty nice week last week, but he’s a little banged up. Besides an ankle injury, Ivory has the other two worst nagging injuries that a RB can have: shoulder and knee. Even if he is cleared to play, you still have to worry about the return of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. If you really are this desperate, then keep an eye on the injury reports to see if he will start.

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez–New England Patriots

You never know who will be on Brady’s fantasy team each week. I think that Tom owns himself, of course, and he drafted Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez really late and he only throws to the one he decides to start each week. If you’re in Tom Brady’s fantasy league, please let me know. If you aren’t, then don’t start either of them.

Terrell Owens–Cincinnati Bengals

Yes, T.O. will love the Thanksgiving spotlight on him, but so will Darrelle Revis, who has already promised to be glued to Owens. His last two games have been lackluster and with only 7 receptions and a total of 18 fantasy points to show for it, he just might be in a little slump. I like Owens’ height advantage, but Revis has caused nightmares for extremely tall wide outs like Calvin and Andre Johnson. Happy Thanksgiving to the Johnson Family.

Dustin Keller–New York Jets

Wow, I really thought that Keller was going to be the feature of the Jets after his first four weeks. Other players accused Mark Sanchez of having Keller on his fantasy team. Well, those days are over. He must have traded him for Santonio Holmes.

Felix Jones–Dallas Cowboys

Currently listed as Questionable, Jones has yet to truly emerge as the leading back in Dallas. Jones has a sore hip and a sore ego from his fumble last week against Detroit. Usually, I would say that Jones is a better start than Barber, but this week might be the only time I say it. The Saints have only allowed 6 rushing TDs all year. Unless you think Jones is going to be an exception, then keep Jones benched.

New York Jets at Detroit Lions

The Sanchize was playing up to the level of his nickname on Sunday. He had 336 yards and a TD, plus he led a 4^th quarter comeback to tie and send the game into OT. They won in OT, but I don’t think they would have if Matt Stafford could have stayed healthy.  I don’t know how Stafford doesn’t get protected better. He is clearly the most important player on the Lions and is even fantasy valuable in a game where he doesn’t play the whole game. He had a pair of TDs to his favorite TE Brandon Pettigrew and the other to Nate Burleson, who stepped up huge in this game with 133 yards.

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens

Well, the news broke mid-week that Chad Pennington will now start for the Dolphins.  I don’t think it really matters. Pennington would have done the same, but the real star on this offense was Ronnie Brown. He had a nice 12-yard scamper into the endzone right after Ravens backup RB Willis McGahee had a 32 yard TD of his own. Even though McGahee had the TD, Ray Rice had a monster game with 180 total yards. The key to finding the Ravens’ fantasy values lies in Ray Rice. They are still a run-first team, but they can score any way they want to. They have a top-notch WR corps that will now have Donte’ Stallworth. If I know John Harbaugh, which I don’t, he will let Flacco show off his arm strength and he’ll bomb it to Stallworth at least once a game. If it works this week then I bet 20 dollars that ESPN’s fantasy page will say “Stall-Worth.” I guarantee it.

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns

This was a shocker to some, but the Patriots are on a downslide. First, Gisele will leave Tom Brady for Peyton Hillis, then Tom Brady’s long hair will leave him for Brown’s offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s head (he was the first bald coach for the Browns that I could find). Either way, I think it’s obvious that the loss of Randy Moss has been huge for the Patriots. The one bright spot is Aaron Hernandez, who had 5 receptions for 48 yards and 2 TDS. Also, if you were paying attention, Wes Welker may have become fantasy relevant again by kicking an extra point for the injured Stephen Gostkowski.

I have to talk about the phenomenal Peyton Hillis. I remember way back when he was terrible on the Broncos. Who would have guessed that he would be a must-start player in all leagues. Well he is, and this last week, he had 184 yards rushing and 36 receiving, not to mention his 2 TDs. He is easily the best fantasy pickup this year. Remember when everyone was drafting Jerome Harrison in the 3^rd round? Ouch.

San Diego Chargers at Houston Texans

This is the story of two players putting the team on their back.

Let me just list the receivers that Philip Rivers was throwing to this weekend: Patrick Crayton, Kris Wilson, Randy McMichael, Jacob Hester and Seyi Ajirotutu. Ever heard of these guys? What? You haven’t heard of Randy McMichael?  He had a “Classic McMichael” outing with 2 TDs and 23 yards. Although he may not be well known enough to have a catch phrase he will be a huge fantasy pick up while Antonio Gates is out. The big numbers came from Seyi Ajirotutu. While I have no idea how to pronounce it, I do know how to pronounce his stats: 111 yards and 2 TDs. These stats are almost good enough to make me learn his name, but Malcom Floyd will be back soon and that’s a name I can pronounce. Although that absent “L” could be trickly.

As far as the Texans go, Arian Foster is the only person that is consistent. He had the most rushing yards and receiving yards, a combined total of 197.  He’s putting the team on his back and that’s what I like about him.

Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills

Well, unfortunately there is very little fantasy value to come from this game, unless you really started Earl Bennett or Roscoe Parrish. If you did own Roscoe Parrish, then you probably already know that he will be on IR due to his broken wrist. Now it’s time for Lee Evans to step up and be one of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s go-to guys.

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings

I guess Brad Childress keeps his job for another week. All thanks to Brett Favre, who threw a career high 446 yards and 2 TDs and Adrian Peterson, who had 81 rush yards and TD. AP went all day with an additional 36 yards and TD in the receiving game.  Where has this been all season? I have no idea.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

This was a very exciting NFC matchup, and the Falcons came out victorious, but not after giving up a few TD passes. Mike Williams is clearly the best rookie WR at this point in the season, with 5 TDs and 559 yards. Here’s to hoping that he gets to that magical 1,000 yard mark.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers

There is absolutely nothing good to say about the Panthers. The most fantasy points you could have gotten this week from any Panthers player was 4. Terrible.

The Saints had a similar problem. The two most valuable players were Brees, who had 2 TDs and 253 yards, and the defense who had a pick 6 and only allowed 3 points.

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks

Wow, this game was a real nail-biter, huh? New York was a heavy favorite, but it was tough to see such dominance coming. The game was out of hand after a 21-point first quarter by the New York Football Giants. The contest had some interesting fantasy impact, too. First off, nobody on Seattle is really worth owning anymore. Especially if Matt Hasselbeck doesn’t play. That team is just bad, period. I don’t even like Mike Williams anymore. He’s had a couple of good games but a lot of just pure stinkers, too.

For the Giants, there were a lot of fantasy implications. First off, Eli Manning has found a new favorite target in Hakeem Nicks. Week in and week out, the younger Manning targets that dude, especially in the end zone. This is a bonafide stud connection a la Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. It’s no longer in the development stages—it’s here. Nicks’ 13 targets, 6 catches, 128 yards and TD Sunday prove that.

Ahmad Bradshaw got some goal line carries! Finally! But, he had the worst rushing total of the season with just 57 yards on 19 carries, a 3.0 average. Unfortunately, this was a mirage. He may get more goal-line touches, but that job still belongs to Brandon Jacobs on a regular basis. However, Bradshaw should be good for a much better yard-per-carry average and more total yards each week. So, he’s got that going for him.

Indianapolis Colts at Philadelphia Eagles

Welp, Indy’s kinda scuffling a little bit, eh? They normally are undefeated at this point in the season still. Philly is a good team, though, especially with Michael Vick under center. He elevates everybody around him, except of course for Brent Celek. Celek is a no-show every time Vick plays. But DeSean Jackson is awesome, as usual, and LeSean McCoy seems to have better games playing behind Vick.

The Colts are still the Colts. They pass the ball three times as much as they run it, and when they do run it, it’s ineffective, regardless of whether it’s Donald Brown, Joseph Addai, Mike Hart or Javarris James. But, the passing game, well you could just substitute anybody in there in any spot and they’d immediately be fantasy relevant. Just take Jacob Tamme’s game, subbing in for an injured Dallas Clark. 11 catches for 108 yards and a TD, sound like Clark’s typical game to anybody else?

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders

The big story of this game was Oakland receiver Jacoby Ford, who likely became one of the top pickups of the week, as my colleague Scott Rogers suggested. Ford exploded for 148 yards on six catches and tossed in a return TD as well. He looked finally like a legit receiving threat for Oakland. Don’t get too caught up in it, but it’s worth taking a flyer on, that’s for sure.

Here at RantSports Fantasy, we’ve been clamoring for the Chiefs to give Jamaal Charles more touches. Just itching for it to happen. But yet, it never does. Coming off a game in which he had more than 230 total yards, Charles was given just 10 rushes to Thomas Jones’ 19. But, in just over half the carries, JC had 53 yards while Jones had just 32 (a 1.7 average for the aging veteran). Disappointing.

In the passing game, while Matt Cassel still doesn’t look like much, Dwayne Bowe and Tony Moeaki are certainly great options for him, especially in the end zone, though Moeaki’s TD was called back.

Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers

Dez for Prez! Seriously, the Cowboys have become so hapless that the only player worth even owning on their team is Dez Bryant, who has 21 catches for 255 yards and 4 TDs in the past four games. Oh, and he has a return TD in that span as well. Nobody else is even worth a look on America’s team. Nope, not even Miles Austin.

On the other sideline, EVERYBODY on the Green Bay Packers were worth owning and starting, even if just for one game. Aaron Rodgers had his best overall game of the season with 3 pass TDs and 41 yards rushing. Brandon Jackson even found the endzone—twice. So did Greg Jennings. But the real story was James Jones, who filled in admirably for the injured Donald Driver, just as I predicted he would.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

Man, Terrell Owens is unstoppable! He is matchup-proof. This looks like the TO of old. I don’t know what else to say about him. Thank God I didn’t put him down as a guy to sit, like my other two colleagues did.

But where is Chad Ochocinco? And Cedric Benson has been largely absent all year. Yeah, he scored, but he had just 54 yards rushing on 18 carries and hasn’t had a big game all year. TO is the only one holding down the fort in Cincy.

Rashard Mendenhall is making quite a name for himself this year, rewarding all those owners who took a chance with him, even though he was pretty unproven coming into this year. He had another very solid game. Mike “3 catches a game max” finally caught some balls that weren’t deep bombs, turning in 5 total receptions for 110 yards and a TD.

While we could hurry to get all of this week’s starts and sits in before the Thursday night game, I would like to analyze this game and its fantasy implications. So, let’s get implicated.

Start these Guys

Michael Turner

Turner has recently been a very solid fantasy option, combining for 48 fantasy points in the past two weeks. I know that many doubted him after posting just 4 and 7 points in the first two weeks, but since then, he did post 4 and 7 again but every other time, it has been over 14 points and as high as 26. If Ronnie Brown can score on the Ravens (as he did last week) then see “what can Turner do for you.”

Joe Flacco

The Falcons’ defense can cause turnovers like it’s their job (which it is), but after that Week 2 disaster of 4 INTs, Flacco has kept it clean with only 1 INT in 6 weeks. “Joe Cool” bounced back in a big way with 7 TDs in the past three weeks, what else do you need to know?

Anquan Boldin

This may seem obvious, but Boldin has struggled to produce a few weeks this year. He has had four weeks of scoring just 6 points or less. Dunta Robinson, who will most likely be matched up with Boldin in this game, is still recovering from an injury and he is also recovering from the severe burns that he received from rookie Tampa Bay WR Mike Williams flying past him last week. Boldin might not be a burner, but he is a huge playmaker. Dunta better get some ointment.

Ravens Defense

Perhaps the most underrated injury was the preseason injury that kept Ed Reed out off the field until two weeks ago. Did you know that Ed Reed has had 3 interceptions in the last two games? Prior to his return, the combined total for the whole defense was just 3 INT in six weeks. Even though the Ravens defense has been lackluster for fantasy point this year they are on the way up. Ride them this week like Ray Lewis rode that raven in his Old Spice commercial. “It’s like a Fantasy, ONLY IT’S REAL.” Yes Ray, it is real.

“Sleeper”

Willis McGahee

It is hard to call him a vulture because they don’t let him play the role of a Mike Tolbert or Brandon Jacobs. He doesn’t pound the rock; he is a finesse redzone threat. Ray Rice still sees the majority of the carries, but McGahee has carved himself out a very good looking redzone resume. Not counting the game when he was blanked in the Week 6 loss to New England, he averages 11 points a game since Week 4. The downside is that there are a lot of ways to score for the Ravens, but for some reason, McGahee gets a lot of chances.

Sit these Dudes

Matt Ryan

Ryan is my No. 1 sit player for this next week and let me tell you why. Ryan has a weak receiving corps, save Roddy White, he has yet to go over 300 yards this year and his No. 1 WR White is recovering from an minor knee injury on a short week. You might say, “But Alex, Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers are playing great with their WR corps out with injuries.” To that, I pretentiously reply, “Matty-Ice is not Rivers nor Manning.” Ryan’s backup WRs Douglas, Finnernan and Jenkins only average 2.375 points per week each. Couple that with Tony Gonzalez’s mediocre 6.4 point average and you have no passing game if White is limited in any way.

Tony Gonzalez

Didn’t I just mention Tony Gonzalez’s mediocre 6.4 point average?

Todd Heap

He may look like a robot playing football, but he isn’t nearly as productive. He has only been targeted 5 times in the redzone this season. If you have a gut feeling that this is the week that Heap gets a TD, then go for it. His value really only lies in his TD potential because he doesn’t rack up yardage. He’s less like Megatron and more like Wall-E or a Roomba.

Jason Snelling

Remember when everyone was all “OMG I gotta get Snelling, he just had 35 points!” Well, since Week 2, he hasn’t even amassed 35 points total, it’s only been 16. That makes his average the EXACT same as Tony Gonzalez. This now makes the third time I’ve mentioned Tony Gonzalez’s mediocre 6.4 point average.

T.J Houshmandzadeh

If by some bizarre occurrence you have Housh in your lineup, you are probably better off picking up Donte’ Stallworth. He’s faster, he’s a huge vertical threat, plus he’s fresh off his vehicular manslaughter charges and a foot injury (I should note that they are unrelated).

Remember you MUST have the NFL network to watch this game, so I recommend going to either your closest sports bar or your richest friend’s house whichever is closer.

Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers

The usual studs remained studs, but the biggest disappointment of the season might be Knowshon Moreno. He was projected in the top 3 rounds in ESPN drafts, but you are better off leaving him on waivers. I know he had a 20 point game against Oakland two weeks ago, but that was due to his involvement in the passing game. That was against Oakland who has a very talented secondary. They were tied up in coverage and the checkdown passes came easy to Moreno. With receivers like Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney and Demaryius Thomas, who needs Knowshon Moreno? You don’t. He averages 3.3 yards a carry, so that is borderline acceptable, but if you have been watching the Broncos play, you have seen that Tim Tebow has been getting an increasing amount of carries. Just say Kno.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys

Don’t get me wrong, Jon Kitna is bad, but he has a big arm. In any game, he can throw 49 passes like he did this last weekend. Unfortunately, every 10-12 passes he throws will be an interception. Up until this week in his career, he had a TD for every interception. Kitna is the gold standard for a mediocre quarterback. Jay Cutler, take notes.

For every bad play that Kitna had, David Garrard gassed up on them to the tune of 4 TDs. It is no secret that Garrard is a very accurate QB, but only missing on four passes is incredible. It did help that Mike Sims-Walker (AKA: ‘Jacksonville’s best kept secret’), finally came to play. He has been keeping himself very secretive this season.

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals

It’s official–the best fantasy player on the Miami Dolphins is Dan Carpenter. Half Dan, half carpet. All leg. That is the tag line for a movie he should be in. And judging by everyone’s disrespect of him, that movie would never get produced. Even though he is averaging 17 fantasy points in the past three weeks, he is only owned in 40 percent of leagues. (If you were wondering, the movie is a lot like “The Garbage-Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon,” except he is in Miami and he installs carpets on yachts because of a mix-up with his last name, until one day he realizes he is a great kicker. Super bowl, love story, that’s a wrap.)

OK, Terrell Owens doesn’t have a movie, but he does have a really terrible TV show. He doesn’t need an acting career when he is reviving his football career this season with the Bengals. He has 5 TDs in the last four games, and since I own him in three leagues, I should probably start writing him a script too. It would probably be a Star Wars spin off about Uncle Owen. I owe him.

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

I feel so terrible for the Bills. As if they haven’t had enough sadness in the last 10 years. They are now 0-7 and almost all of them have been close. I cant feel bad for Steve Johnson, because he has 6 TDs in the past five games with at least one score in each game. That is consistent as it gets. He should have no trouble continuing his streak against the Bears this weekend. (I’m predicting the Bills getting their first win this week. They deserve it!)

Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions

Am I surprised that Matt Stafford had 4 TDs in his return to Detroit? Nope, he is destined for greatness. His return raises everyone’s stats, especially his two favorite targets–Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew.

If you like to speculate, which is only on my Top 10 list of favorite things to do, then let me bend your ear for a second. Though the Redskins are on Bye this week, Ryan Torain will be recovering from his hamstring injury, but if he is unable to start or carry the full load when they return to play the Eagles in Week 10, backup Keiland Williams is worth a look. He had a solid game last week with 25 yards and a TD and threw in 28 yards receiving too. Don’t worry, Rant Sports will keep you posted.

Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams

I think what we are witnessing is the explosion of Danny Amendola. Let me clarify, Danny Amendola is coming into his own as Sam Bradford’s favorite receiver. Though he isn’t Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Steve Johnson or Ex Johnson- Chad Ochocinco, he is going to get a good amount of looks especially in the redzone. I’d say expecting 8-12 points out of him is reasonable.

Green Bay Packers at New York Jets

What a snoozer. I wish that it was mandatory that a TD must be scored in every NFL game. Sorry fantasy owners.

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers

I will try to dig out the fantasy news of this game that was riddled with injuries and split carries. Vince Young and Kenny Britt were injured in this game, but at least Young had 2 TDs and decent yardage. The proof that the Titans are an excellent fantasy team to ride is that they are extremely balanced. You can count on Chris Johnson scoring every game and at least one receiver scoring a TD and around 100 yards. I usually have all the answers, but the addition of Randy Moss is still confusing to me. Either he becomes the feature of the passing game, or he will just draw defenders.

I know we have thoroughly covered our disappointment in Ryan Mathews this season, but there is still a tiny nugget of fantasy value left. He has seen a slight increase in carries–he got 15 carries and did a pretty nice job with a 7-yard TD and 43 yards. Still, Mike Tolbert outrushed him, but that was due to one 36-yard rush. The point is that Ryan Mathews will eventually become the man for San Diego. He just need a few big plays. With Houston, Denver, Indy and Oakland coming up, he should see a huge uptick in production now that his carries are increasing.

Minnesota Vikings at New England Patriots

In a loss where Randy Moss has just one catch against his former team while playing for his former team, things must not be right. And they weren’t, judging by him being waived from the Vikings and going to the Titans. The first thing that I think is that Brad Childress is an idiot, then I looked into the situation and Brad Childress is definitely an idiot. I am worried about anyone involved in the passing game in Minnesota.

On a good note, BenJarvus Green-Ellis (AKA: The Law Firm) built a case against Danny Woodhead who is allegedly a running back AND a wide receiver for the Patriots. While the jury is deliberating, “The Law Firm” prosecuted the Minnesota Vikings defense. They are suing for 2 TDs and 112 yards in damages, and even though there were 68,756 witnesses in attendance, the defense will not win the suit. I watch a lot of Law and Order, but I didn’t go to law school. Can you tell?

Just call it Blount-force trauma. Get it? Blount force?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals

Tampa Bay is quickly becoming one of my favorite teams to watch. What’s not to love? They have so much upside with ‘The Blount Trauma’ coming out of the back field hurdling fools, Mike Williams stretching the field like salt water taffy, and Josh Freeman rolling out, casually bombing the ball as if he was throwing a Vortex football at a 12-year-old’s birthday party. Now that their defense is racking up points, their fantasy value is skyrocketing. Don’t miss the bandwagon.

Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders

In a game where the Raiders pass for over 300 yards and rush for over 200 yards, there is a lot of fantasy points being spread around. In the last two weeks, the Raiders have been pouring on the points. With seven different people carrying the ball in this last game, they have a lot of things for defensive coordinators to plan for. What does this mean for Bush and McFadden? It means that they will still get the most carries, but don’t worry about McFadden. Bush’s TD came at the very end of the game with four minutes left. McFadden is still the man. Run with DMC.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints

You can blame the loss on Heath Miller, but the passing game never got started with Roethlisberger going 17-for-28. Someone should check him for a concussion–he was throwing bad passes and his receivers were blanketed by the Saints’ defense.

Brees owners had to be happy with the 300 yards and 2 TDs, but I guess you are used to the turnovers by now. He has 7 turnovers in the last two games. Let’s hope he can bounce back against the Panthers this week since they are nothing as fierce as their name makes them seem. If anything, they are the “Saints.”

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

With nearly everyone injured on the Colts offense, Peyton Manning proved that they are truly a “plug and play” offense. Now that the test has been taken, take notes that without Dallas Clark, Jacob Tamme can produce. And without Joseph Addai, Mike Hart can rack up the yards quickly. Addai should be worried about his job when he returns. Hart has a lot of heart.

The Texans are same ole, same ole: huge numbers from Andre Johnson and Arian Foster. They are really the only two people on this offense. If you add up everyone else’s numbers, it is a total of 36 yards as compared to Johnson and Foster’s 273. Basically, they are the only fantasy-worthy players on this team.