NFL Fantasy Football: Week Seven Start ‘Em and Sit ‘Em

Sorry about the late start folks, but here are this week’s picks. Players are starting to drop like flies. Sometimes literally, with injuries, or sometimes figuratively, as in getting pulled from line-ups. And the season isn’t even half way done. Looking at the schedule, here’s who I like this week and who I don’t like.

Start ‘Em!
QB
Tim Tebow: I heard Don Banks talking some smack about Tebow on the radio. I disagree with him on Tebow’s future prospects. Tebow may never be a Hall of Famer, but in a world where Rex Grossman and Jake Delhomme have taken teams to the Super Bowl and a QB like Trent Dilfer won one, I don’t discount the kid’s chances to have a fair degree  success in the NFL. I also seem to remember football writers predicting failure for Drew Brees because he was too short and Philip Rivers for having a sidearm throwing motion. Well, this week, even without Brandon Lloyd, I think Tebow generates a decent fantasy point total. Why? He’s playing the ‘Fins and they’re racing, intentionally or unintentionally, for the lead in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes!

Matt Cassel: He’s had a bye week to prepare for the Raiders who aren’t exactly shutting down opposing passers, giving up 12 passing TDs so far this season. Plus, Cassel’s on a three game streak of steadily increasing double digit fantasy performances.

Josh Freeman: This kid has had a crappy year overall, so far; at least compared to last year. But last week he started to turn the corner with a 2 TD outing against the Saints. This week Freeman faces the Bears who have been giving up 276 yards per game and a completion rate of 67% to opposing QBs.

Colt McCoy: This kid has been having a year like Josh Freeman had last year; solid, efficient and fantasy-relevant. He’s got a favorable  match-up against the Seahawks. Seattle hasn’t given up a lot of TDs to QBs, but they have been giving up a lot of yards.

RB
Maurice Morris: I’ll grant you that Maurice, I like to call him the Joker ‘cos he speaks of the pompitous of love, is old for a RB at 31, but he doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear. And with Best unlikely to play because of a concussion, his second in two months, Morris is a good receiver and that’s how Best has been doing most of his damage in the offense recently. And guess what, Atlanta’s pass defense isn’t that good.

Jackie Battle: Speaking of injuries, Battle has gotten healthy over the bye week and is now poised to do most of the damage as RB for the Chiefs. His legs are fresher than Jones and he’s much bigger, nowhere near as frail as McCluster.

Earnest Graham: It turns out that not only do the Bears have a less-than-stellar pass defense, they have a run defense to match, giving up 5.4 yards per carry. And Graham is a good receiver and runner so he can earn points both ways.

Demarco Murray: OK, I’m a Cowboys homer. But the opponent is the Rams who couldn’t stop Andy Rooney from running wild and Murray is the favorite to get most of the RB snaps for Dallas. You’ve got to like the kid’s chances.

WR
Johnny Knox: This one’s a little conditional, but I’m going with it. Regardless of whether he’s officially starter, he’ll still get his snaps. What matters is how healthy Aqib Talib really is. He’s been a little banged up with a knee issue. If Talib’s 100%, he may limit Knox. But I think he’s less than that, maybe 90% and that may be all that Knox and his speed need to score some points. I’m rolling those dice, especially since the Bucs pass defesne has been giving up 276 yards per game and 10 TDs so far this year.

Greg Little: The kid seems to be the starting WR2 on the Browns and while the Seattle pass defense he’s facing hasn’t been giving up a lot of TDs they have been giving up a lot of yards.

Eric Decker: Some folks are down on the Broncos receivers now that Tebow is the starter. First, Tebow will extend plays by moving around that should give him time to find a receiver and Decker is the main man so far this year. Second, c’mon they’re playing the ‘Fins and they make any QB/WR combo look really, really good.

Steve Breaston: I tell you, Cassel is on a roll and because of that so is Breaston. It doesn’t hurt that Oakland still hasn’t figured out how to replace Asomugha.

TE
Ed Dickson: I still think that Jacksonville leaves a lot of the short stuff over the middle open and that should be where Dickson makes an impact.

Visanthe Shiancoe: Ponder will be in trouble with Green bay on his plate and a young QB in trouble needs a safety valve. The best friend of such a troubled young man is almost always his TE.

Fred Davis: Well, it looks like Chris “Motor Mouth” Cooley is going to be cooling it on the sidelines for a while recovering from a busted finger. There are even rumors that between his finger and his lingering knee problems Cooley may wind up on IR. This just further solidifies the changing of the guard at TE with the younger, faster, more talented Fred Davis steeping it up. And like I said about Ponder, Beck will be starting for the first time this year and may see his fair share of trouble and that means he’ll be looking for his TE.

Sit ‘Em!
QB
Philip Rivers: Rivers has had a tough year so far and it’s not getting any better against the Jets pass defense.

Matt Ryan: Ryan has not played well on the road and it’ll be hard to start in the noise palace the Lions call the Ford Field.

Cam Newton: He came down to earth a little last week and even though he’ll be at home that trajectory should continue against a Redskins pass defense that has held opposing QBs to a combined average passer rating of 71.8.

Matt Schaub: Between his own injury and Andre Johnson’s, going up against the Titans defense I’m foreseeing a whole lot of running to keep Schaub  in one piece.

RB
Montario Hardesty: Despite what some fantasy pundits say about him being an attractive sleeper play, he’s not. Sure, Seattle started out the year a little shaky, but they’ve really improved their run defense. Three weeks ago they help the Cards to under 100 yards.  Two weeks ago they did give up 2 TDs to Michael Turner but they held him to 70 yards and a 2.9 yards per attempt. Last week, they held Ahmad Bradshaw to 58 yards. They’re not going to go easy on Hardesty.

Maurice Jones-Drew: And speaking of not going easy on someone, the Ravens won’t be doing that on Pocket Hercules, either.

Steven Jackson: Dallas has the best run defense in the league and between injuries and a tough schedule, S-Jax has yet to run wild this year.

Chris Johnson: Wade Philips has the Houston defense playing a lot better than last year and  Johnson has yet to shake off the rust from his holdout. He may break double digits but if he does, I’m thinking it won’t be by much.

WR
Sidney Rice: He had a little chemistry with Jackson, but now his former Vikes teammate is hurt and Cleveland has a pretty good pass defense.

Darrius Heyward-Bey: Before Campbell’s injury, the former bust was starting to come around. I’m sorry, but if it’s true that Palmer is starting, there’s no way Heyward-Bey has had the opportunity to develop any sort of timing with him.

Reggie Wayne: This year , he’s looking every bit of his 32 years of age as a WR. Plus it doesn’t help that his starting QB has more trust and rapport with his own former second string practice buddy, Garcon.

Santana Moss: I’m not doubting Moss because I think John Beck will hold a grudge against Moss for his Pro-Grossman comments.  I’m doubting Moss because I think Shanahan will be running even more than usual so that the decision to start Beck doesn’t blow up in his face.

TE
Marcedes Lewis: It’s the Ravens and Lewis will be blocking to keep his rookie QB alive.

Owen Daniels: It’s the Titans and Daniels will be blocking to keep his injured QB alive.

Jared Cook: It’s Wade Philips’ bring-the-heat-from-everywhere Texans defense and Cook will be blocking to keep his old QB alive.

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