Q: What do you think of the match-ups for Gus Frerotte and Kellen Clemens? Who has the best chance for good points and why. Who should I play?
A: Kellen Clemens faces Miami, who have a shockingly good defense against the pass. However, the greater issue is the injuries to his two starting wideouts, Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles. Expect running back Thomas Jones to be the weapon of choice for the Jets in this one.
St. Louis also face a respectable secondary with the Atlanta Falcons. The difference here is that Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Randy McMichael, and even Steven Jackson provide Gus Frerotte with weapons on offense.
Gus Frerotte is the better of the two.
Q: I have three positions that I am not sure of. Who should I start?
1. QB: Matt Hasselbeck or Carson Palmer.
2. RB: Clinton Portis or Kolby Smith.
3. WR: Dwayne Bowe or Calvin Johnson.
A: QB – Matt Hasselbeck. The Seahawks have been going to the air recently and Hasselbeck has been the beneficiary. He should be a good bet for 270 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles, even with D.J. Hackett out.
On the other hand, Carson Palmer has been inconsistent and this weekend faces a very good defense. It’s the fact that the Bengals face the Steelers that keeps Palmer on my bench this weekend.
RB – Clinton Portis. This has been an emotional weekend for Portis and his passion should bring out the best from him. In addition, he faces a Bills squad that allows 120 rushing yards per week.
Kolby Smith is a solid start, but not over Portis. He has enjoyed a great start, but we don’t know how he’ll respond against a better defense. I expect 85 yards from him this weekend.
WR – Calvin Johnson. The sheer athleticism that he offers has me making this pick. He has scored in each of the past two weeks and I expect another touchdown against a weak Vikings secondary. With his size, he is more like an athletic tight end for Kitna to target.
Dwayne Bowe is a very good receiver for a team that will keep the ball on the ground.
Q: I was a Cedric Benson owner and, for insurance purposes, picked up Chicago’s Adrian Peterson off the waiver wire several weeks ago. Should I start him the rest of the season based on his solid production the last few games? I don’t have many other options at running back.
A: Peterson is a definite start for you for the rest of your fantasy season, especially if you are lacking other options. Last week, filling in for Benson against Denver, he rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown and added five receptions for 41 yards. Peterson has found the end zone in two straight games. He’s a threat as a receiver on a club that lacks offense and is currently tied for second in receptions on the team with 33 for 253 yards (tight end Desmond Clark also has 33 receptions). Clearly, he will get a lot more touches with Benson done for the season. The slight downside is the Bears’ remaining schedule. It is not going to be easy for the Chicago rushing attack, currently ranked 30th in the NFL. Their remaining schedule pits them against the New York Giants (ranked 8th against the run), Washington Redskins, (11th against the run), Minnesota Vikings, (1st against the run), Green Bay Packers (13th against the run), and New Orleans Saints (9th against the run).
Q: I have Edgerrin James and Earnest Graham, but can only start one this week. Who should I put in my lineup?
A: James plays the Cleveland Browns, a team that allows 132 yards per game on the ground, 28th in the NFL. However, the Browns have allowed just one 100 yard rusher in the last five games. The team gave up 72 to Ron Dayne last week and 92 to Jamal Lewis in Week 11. Willie Parker ran for 105 yards against Cleveland in Week 10, Maurice Morris ran for 55 in Week 9 and Steven Jackson ran for 41 in Week 8. Granted, some of those performances were due to injuries to starting running backs, but teams have been able to exploit the Browns through the air. Moreover, Edge has seen goal line carries, which are extremely important in fantasy football, lost to Marcel Shipp. The Cardinals have also brought in quarterback Tim Rattay in goal line situations and typically thrown the ball, further limiting James’ fantasy value.
Earnest Graham has scored in three straight games and toped 100 yards twice over that span. Although his receptions have come down since his 13-catch performance in Week 7, he’s still a fine fantasy asset. No other running back for the Bucs touched the ball last week. Earnest Graham is your play against the New Orleans Saints.
Q: I have Denver and St. Louis and need to start one defense. What one should I pick?
A: This week, the Broncos play the Raiders, who should be able to pound the ball on the ground against Denver’s 29th ranked run defense, which is giving up 148 yards a game. Running the ball usually leads to fewer turnovers, as evidenced by the team’s one turnover against a porous Kansas City run defense last week. The only miscue was a fumble by tight end Zach Miller. Oakland running back Justin Fargas has turned the ball over just once this season. This may lead to a lower scoring game, but won’t get you any points for turnovers.
When you’re deciding between defenses in fantasy football, go after the one that can force more turnovers, which leads to more points for your fantasy team, and potentially even that coveted defensive touchdown. The pick-six may occur this week for the Rams defense against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have turned the ball over a whopping six times over the past two weeks against Indianapolis and Tampa Bay. Joey Harrington should once again get the starting nod this week according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Harrington doesn’t put up a lot of yardage through the air; he hasn’t topped 200 yards since Week 6 and turned the ball over twice last week. Also, the flux at quarterback has led to the Falcons scoring just 20 points over the last two weeks.
The Rams are your pick in Week 13.
Don’t make those tough lineup decisions on your own. Come ask the Fantasy Football Experts at Fantasyfanatics.com
