Week 10 Start 'Em / Sit 'Em

Welcome back to Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em, Week 10. I think you know the drill by now…

*Start of the Week – St Louis @ New Orleans – Start Em If Ya Got Em*
We haven’t seen this much offense and this little defense on the field in a long time. Expect a lot of points and not much slowing down. If you’ve got Drew Brees and Marc Bulger, better get them out there. Start a hot Marques Colston along with both Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. Reggie Bush and Steven Jackson should be good plays too catching passes out of the backfield. Just start anyone you can find… except the defenses.

*Sit of the Week – Jamal Lewis @ Pittsburgh*
What? Bench a guy coming off a week with four touchdowns? Yes, yes, and yes. Lewis got lucky last week with a bunch of short scores to go along with 20 carries for a whopping 37 yards. Outside of one huge turn-back-the-clocks performance against the Bengals, Lewis is averaging a paltry 3.03 yards per carry and this week gets the league’s hottest defense. Yikes.

Quarterbacks

Start 'Em – Brett Favre vs Minnesota
The Vikings are a familiar foe for Brett Favre and one of his favorite victims in his career. With this pass defense reeling as much as always, Favre should have his way yet again.

Start 'Em – Ben Roethlisberger vs Cleveland
Big Ben is never much of a yardage guy but as he showed us on MNF yet again, he can sure put up TDs in a hurry against a bad defense. Last time, Big Ben had four of them and that was in Cleveland.

Start 'Em – Kurt Warner vs Detroit
This just goes to show you how fickle of a world is this fantasy football one. Just a week ago all three of these QBs showed up on a sit list, and now each of them has a fantastic matchup and makes a great play.

Sit 'Em – Derek Anderson @ Pittsburgh
You didn’t listen last week, did you? Hope you enjoyed that big fat doughnut in the TDs column. Do I even bother trying to sell you this week, or you gonna go ahead and start him on the road against the best defense in the league?

Sit 'Em – Philip Rivers vs Indianapolis
Something just isn’t clicking for the Chargers yet this season, and it starts with Philip Rivers. Even with as many weapons as ever, Rivers couldn’t get the job done last week against a bad Minnesota pass defense. Now he gets a tough Indy defense that limited Tom Brady to just 3 TDs last week, so watch out!

Sit 'Em – Brian Griese @ Oakland
Griese’s numbers look a little better than they’ve been this year with a lot of garbage time padding. Don’t expect much garbage time in Oakland, unless you count the entire game.

Running Backs

Start 'Em – Priest Holmes vs Denver
If for no other reason, that last line just felt great to write. This could be the feel good story of the year with Priest Holmes coming back from that seemingly career ending knee injury to get the start in front of a roaring Arrowhead crowd against a hated rival. Better believe Priest gets himself into the endzone.

Start 'Em – DeShaun Foster vs Atlanta
In his 5-year career, Foster has rushed for 100 yards just seven times. Four of those games have come against the Falcons. Need further proof? In week three, Foster lit up Atlanta for 135 combined yards and 2 TDs in by far his best game of the season. Get him in that lineup.

Start 'Em – Cedric Benson, Justin Fargas – Chicago @ Oakland
This game features two of the worst run defenses in the league right now. Chicago’s struggles have been well documented, and Fargas was the hot waiver pickup this week, so you probably know to get him in your lineup. But Oakland’s run defense has been even worse of late, so Benson could also have a shot at 100 yards and a score.

Sit 'Em – Clinton Portis vs Philadelphia
Portis was my Start of the Week last Sunday, but this week is a different story. He’s no spring chicken anymore, and 36 carries was nice for you one week but will kill you the next. Portis is bound to be banged up and finds a tough matchup against a stout defense, so you may have better options available.

Sit 'Em – Maurice Jones-Drew / Fred Taylor @ Tennessee
First of all, if you are still starting Fred Taylor, you’re living in the past by about 3 or 4 years. But even MJD might not be the best start this week. Tennessee already shut him down once this season, and that was with David Garrard and a decent passing offense.

Sit 'Em – Ryan Grant vs Minnesota
Grant is a nice story, from undrafted rookie free agent to starter within a few plays. But Minnesota is still one of the best run defenses, and now Grant is dealing with a recent concussion on top of it. Yikes.

Wide Receivers

Start 'Em – Donald Driver / Greg Jennings vs Minnesota
This week should be yet another explosive offense week, with enough QBs and WRs to go around for everyone. Let’s start in Green Bay. Greg Jennings has quietly been dynamite, a top 10 WR when healthy this year, and he is a must start. But don’t give up on Donald Driver either. As a Vikings homer, let me tell you that Driver absolutely lights up the Vikes. For three years in a row, his best game of the season has come against Minnesota, so he must just be drooling.

Start 'Em – Santonio Holmes / Hines Ward vs Cleveland
Santonio Holmes has been scorching of late and is a must start against an awful Cleveland defense. Hines Ward is not the receiver he once was but should have a good shot at a score this week, so stick him in that lineup as well.

Start 'Em – Derrick Mason / Mark Clayton vs Cincinnati
Mason has quietly been one of the most consistent WRs this season, at least in terms of catches and yards each week. He’s averaging almost 8 catches a game for over 70 yards, and this week he gets the worst pass defense in the league. Clayton is admittedly a long shot but could be worth a play if you are desperate.

Bonus Stud Start ‘Em – Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh @ Baltimore… Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin vs Detroit… Plaxico Burress vs Dallas
There were just too many WRs to pick from this week to limit it to just 3, or even just 6 for that matter. Plax has been cold of late but better believe Eli will go to him early and often in a huge NFC East showdown. Arizona will pass plenty, and Boldin has a history of great numbers against the Lions. And if you have any questions about starting WRs against the Ravens defense, you must not have been watching MNF. Get/keep all these guys in your lineup.

Sit 'Em – Steve Smith vs Atlanta
Smith probably would’ve been my Sit of the Week if I wasn’t worried that he’d see it online and be pissed and put up 150 yards and 2 TDs. But if there’s one guy who has consistently shut him down, it’s DeAngelo Hall. Smith has just 1 catch for 10 yards in his last two games combined against the Dirty Birds, and he may be playing catch with rookie Matt Moore this week.

Sit 'Em – Dwayne Bowe vs Denver
Bowe finds the list again because of a tough matchup ahead with another physical corner who should be able to contain him. He’s just not talented and comfortable enough yet to beat the best.

Sit 'Em – Muhsin Muhammad / Bernard Berrian @ Oakland
Oakland has done a nice job against passing teams again this year, maybe again because their run defense is so bad that teams don’t need to pass much. Neither Muhammad or Berrian should have much of a game this weekend.

Tight Ends

Start 'Em – Todd Heap vs Cincinnati
Forgot about big Todd, didn’t you? Heap has had a sore hammy that has limited him most of the season, but it looks like he may finally play, and what a matchup to come back on. Get him in that lineup if he’s starting.

Start 'Em – Donald Lee vs Minnesota
Lee has quietly become a solid tight end play, nothing special but good for a few long catches over the middle each game, and this week should be no exception.

Sit 'Em – Kellen Winslow @ Pittsburgh
I’m not a big fan of the Cleveland offense this week, if you haven’t noticed yet. You probably don’t have enough other options to bench Winslow, but you might try nonetheless.

Sit 'Em – Jeremy Shockey vs Dallas
Paging Mr. Shockey… are you there? He really hasn’t been this season, and who would’ve guessed that the must start TE in this game would be Jason Witten? Shockey has been nothing more than average this season.

Kickers

Start 'Em – Jeff Reed vs Cleveland
There should be many points for the Steelers this week, and Reed will be one of the many beneficiaries. This team is roaring right now so Reed should be in your lineup.

Start 'Em – Rian Lindell @ Miami
Lindell gets a second visit in a row against another awful defense. Lindell has become a good play with Buffalo playing well on both sides of the ball.

Sit 'Em – Josh Scobee @ Tennessee
The Jaguars are going to struggle to score this week in what could be a pretty ugly game in Tennessee with a lot of the Jags ailing on both sides of the ball.

Sit 'Em – Neil Rackers vs Detroit
Believe it or not, the Lions have been the best team in the league against opposing kickers. For whatever reason, they just don’t score much against Detroit.

Defenses

Start 'Em – Kansas City vs Denver
It looks like Jay Culter might play after all… and that is a big part of why the Chiefs show up here. Arrowhead is as big a home field advantage as anywhere this time of the year and the Broncos are really struggling. The Chiefs are a great defensive play.

Start 'Em – Seattle vs San Francisco
This has the feel of one of those ugly MNF games that looked nice two months ago but now features a team that is usually dominant at home beating up on a really bad team. Seattle seems to have one huge MNF showing every single year, and this should be it.

Sit 'Em – Miami vs Buffalo
There’s really no reason for you to still be playing Miami’s once stellar defense, or even carrying them for that matter. Still Buffalo at home looks like a promising matchup on paper, but the Bills have been playing great and you should stay away from the temptation.

Sit 'Em – Tennessee vs Jacksonville
The Titans have been a great defense for most of the year, but the Jags will do what they can to protect the QB and limit mistakes, so this may not be a great fantasy play.