Cedric Benson vs. the Texans, Tom Brady vs. the Titans and Larry Fitzgerald vs. the Seahawks are all a perfect fit. It’s like lamb and tuna fish. Maybe you like spaghetti and meatballs, are you more comfortable with that analogy?
The point is, this week it’s all about the matchups. There are tons of fantasy-friendly games. Cleveland and Buffalo have tough matchups against Pittsburgh and the New York Jets, but, let’s be honest, you weren’t going to start any Browns or Bills this week anyway. Keep an eye on Detroit vs. Green Bay, Arizona vs. Seattle and Chicago vs. Atlanta as they could all be very high scoring affairs.
So, with a lamb and tuna fish sandwich in hand, let’s take a look at some players, other than the obvious guys, that are in for a big day.
Marc Bulger QB/STL – Bulger will draw the start against the Jaguars and their 30th ranked defense. I know it’s the Rams, but I honestly believe they are better than most give them credit for. Don’t forget that Bulger used to be a fantasy force, and against a horrid Jags defense, I think he’ll be okay.
Mark Sanchez QB/NYJ – Definitely the more appealing of the two Marks, Sanchez could be in for a big day. Two weeks ago he scored three touchdowns against the Titans, and now he draws the Buffalo fire-Jauron-now Bills. With such a favorable matchup, I’m expecting Rex Ryan will try and boost the Sanchize’s confidence after two quiet weeks.
Santana Moss WR/WAS – The Redskins are having a rough go of things lately, but Moss has had some great games lost amongst clamor of media and fans for Jim Zorn’s head. Line him up against the porous Kansas City Chiefs’ secondary this week, and he should be in for another big game.
Donnie Avery WR/STL – See: Bulger, Marc. Avery, a second-year receiver, finally had the big game people were expecting when he caught five passes for 87 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. Let me be the first to tell you: the Vikings, the Jaguars ain’t.
Rashard Mendenhall RB/PIT – Will I ever stop picking on Cleveland? Probably not. With Willie Parker out the last two weeks Mendenhall had two monster games and has laid claim to the starting spot. Parker’s health is still uncertain, so, at the very worst, Mendenhall will be in timeshare. Against the lowly Browns, that’s still enough for yet another big day.
Brian Westbrook RB/PHI – After being hurt for a few weeks, Westy was eased backed into the lineup against the Bucs. He did well with what he was given, and this week, against the black hole that is the Raiders, he will get more carries and look a heck of a lot more like the Brian Westbrook we’re used to seeing.
Did you know Mickey D’s stops serving breakfast at 10:30? I could have sworn it was 11. I guess you can’t have everything in life. The same holds true for this next group of players who I think will fall below the typical expectations.
Philip Rivers QB/SD – Tom Brady is the only quarterback who has had an anywhere near decent fantasy day against the Broncos, and even that performance wasn’t very “Tom Brady-ish.” The Broncos know the division rival Chargers well, and this improved defense will do everything it can to shut down the San Diego offense.
Joe Flacco QB/BAL – As you know, I’m typically quite wacko for Mr. Flacco, but not this week. He had a rough outing against the Bengals last week, throwing for 186 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Cincinnati has a very underrated defense, but they are still not on par with the Vikings defense that Flacco will face this week. I think Flacco will have a decent day, but he’s still the second quarterback I’d want on my team in this game.
Marshawn Lynch RB/BUF – Rex Ryan knows as well as you and I do that Terrell Owens is old. Trent Edwards can’t pass, and the Bills’ offensive line is in shambles. That means all you have to do is stop the running game, i.e. Lynch, and Ryan has the personnel on defense to do just that.
Adrian Peterson RB/MIN – Last week Cedric Benson was the first running back to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens in 40 games. You can bet the Ravens knew that streak and are madder than ever about losing it. Ray Lewis and company will make sure it doesn’t happen again, even if it is Adrian Peterson.
DeSean Jackson WR/PHI – I hate D-Jax this week for the same reason I love Westbrook. The key to beating the Raiders is running the ball, and the Bucs showed everyone the formula for stopping Jackson last week when they held him to one catch for one yard. This week he’ll be covered by Nnamdi Asomugha, the only good thing the Raiders have going for them.
Andre Johnson WR/HOU – Check out the comments about Joe Flacco to see what the Cincinnati defense can do to opposing quarterbacks. The Bengals have been shutting down No. 1 receivers all season long and are a bit weak against the run. All of this spells bad news for Andre 3000 this week.
A few more I think will do well: Deangelo Williams, Cadillac Williams, Jason Campbell, Greg Jennings, Daunte Culpepper, Matt Cassel, Carson Palmer, Steve Slaton, Bernard Berrian, Ahmad Bradshaw, Eli Manning, Mike Sims-Walker, Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Knowshon Moreno and Leon Washington.
Also, don’t forget the Colts, 49ers, Cowboys and Dolphins are on bye this week.