Week 15 Start 'Em / Sit 'Em

Welcome back to Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em, Week 14. If you're reading this, you're probably either in the final week of the regular season fighting for playoff seeding or else in the first round going for the gold. Congrats on making it this far, now let's get down to business...

*Start of the Week – New Orleans Saints vs Arizona*
The Saints are on fire of late and can smell the playoffs after that abysmal 0-4 start. No Deuce, no Bush, no matter. Expect Drew Brees to have another huge game, and Marques Colston should be a major player as well. The Saints defense too should be a very good play against an error-prone Cards team. Even Stecker and Patten are usable plays in a bind this week.

*Sit of the Week – Willie Parker vs Jacksonville*
Willie Parker had a big game against the Pats last week, the sole Steeler really to play well. But he has still struggled of late and now faces a tough defense that wants to make a statement on the road in Pittsburgh. Last time FWP faced these Jags he had just 11 carries for 20 yards, completely ineffective.

Quarterbacks

Start 'Em – Derek Anderson vs Buffalo
Anderson has been absolutely amazing this season but has really become a consistently good QB lately, with a string of 2-TD games coming just in time to lead you into the playoffs. This week he gets an easy matchup and should carry your team to victory.

Start 'Em – Jeff Garcia vs Atlanta
Atlanta has mailed this season in. Garcia is never a star but he can be a usable play and should get multiple TDs and a solid 250 yards for you.

Start 'Em – Matt Hasselbeck @ Carolina
Hasselbeck has been great of late and is coming off of a 4 TD game. The Seahawks are learning quickly that they have no real run game at all, and that means Hasselbeck should continue to see a lot of fantasy points each week.

Sit 'Em – Trent Edwards @ Cleveland
I know, you see Cleveland on the schedule, you see the 4 TDs by Edwards last week, and your eyes light up. But be careful here. Edwards is a decent play if you need a QB, but don’t go benching a star for him. Edwards only had 1 TD all season before the 4 last week and may not be as much of a lock as you think.

Sit 'Em – Jon Kitna @ San Diego
Kitna has set up some real estate in the QB Sit ‘Em as well as a few of the others. He simply can’t get consistent production, and this week on the road against a tenacious defense should be no different.

Sit 'Em – Brett Favre @ St Louis
I still don’t think Favre is a very safe play. He plays a defense that is terrible against the run so, like last week against Oakland, Green Bay can run the ball and play defense en route to an easy victory.

Running Backs

Start 'Em – Ryan Grant @ St Louis
If you’re reading this straight through, you should realize why Grant is a great start yet again. Keep riding this horse all the way to a fantasy title.

Start 'Em – Jamal Lewis vs Buffalo
I have to say I never saw this coming from Jamal Lewis, but Cleveland’s line has stepped it up and Lewis continues to reap the rewards, with a TD in four straight games now and nine in his last six. Expect the streak to continue with another solid game.

Start 'Em – Lendale White @ Kansas City
White is back on the Start ‘Em list after a big game last week proving he is healthy and ready to go after a month of injury. Just in time too with the Titans needing a win at frisky Arrowhead and sure pound the ball against a poor run D all game.

Sit 'Em – Marshawn Lynch @ Cleveland
Lynch looked good last week, but it was the Dolphins so don’t get too excited yet. The injury left Lynch without some of his usual burst, and that will cost him a good game against a very good run defense in Cleveland.

Sit 'Em – Fred Taylor / Maurice Jones-Drew @ Pittsburgh
Fred Taylor has been an anomaly the last three weeks. He keeps getting one long busted TD run each week to somehow turn him from a very average or poor game into a good fantasy start. The luck stops here. With MJD you’re just hoping for a TD chance, and there won’t be many in this game. Neither is a good play.

Sit 'Em – Clinton Portis @ NY Giants
The season is effectively over for the Redskins, and even with both the Giants safeties out, the front seven of the Giants should limit Portis to very little production this week.

Wide Receivers

Start 'Em – Joey Galloway vs Atlanta
Galloway continues to be an underrated play each week, as consistent as almost anyone out there. He should have a big day against Atlanta.

Start 'Em – Steve Smith vs Seattle
Smith has been a big disappointment this year ever since Jake Delhomme was injured, but he has been quietly improving lately with 20 catches over the last three weeks and should be a solid play again now.

Start 'Em – Lee Evans @ Cleveland
Evans is a lottery ticket every week, but against one of the worst pass defenses in the league, that’s a good reason to go out and buy that ticket and hope for a long one this week.

Sit 'Em – Calvin Johnson @ San Diego
Calvin Johnson is talented, but he just isn’t ready to have an offense run through him yet, especially against a guy in Antonio Cromartie who has been one of the biggest defensive players in the league this year.

Sit 'Em – Derrick Mason / Mark Clayton @ Miami
You never know what to expect with these guys, with a good game for one this week and a good game for the other the next. Against Miami and a tough secondary this Sunday it may likely be neither.

Sit 'Em – Justin Gage / Roydell Williams @ Kansas City
Probably neither of these guys is a normal start for you, but against a good pair of corners and for a mediocre passing offense, this is not a good week to try it.

Tight Ends

Start 'Em – LJ Smith @ Dallas
Dallas has been atrocious against TEs especially of late, and LJ Smith should be ready for a good game against them on Sunday.

Start 'Em – Heath Miller vs Jacksonville
It seems Heath Miller is the one guy I am consistently wrong on, so be prepared for a no catch game, but Jacksonville is not good against tight ends and Miller could catch a short TD.

Sit 'Em – Jason Witten vs Philadelphia
You probably aren’t going to just bench Witten, the closest thing out there to Gates this season. But Philly has done a great job of covering the opposing TE and will surely have Witten in their sights after his career game last week. If you have another good option, you may want to consider.

Sit 'Em – Randy McMichael vs Green Bay
McMichael is pretty hit or miss each week, and against a Packers team that covers the tight end well, this is a miss.

Kickers

Start 'Em – Stephen Gostkowski vs NY Jets
Let’s just say it looks like the Patriots could score some points in this one…

Start 'Em – Phil Dawson vs Rian Lindell
Both of these teams are desperate for a win to stay in the playoff hunt, and both of them have defenses just good enough to hold in the redzone. Expect FGs to fly.

Sit 'Em – Nick Folk vs Philadelphia
Oh sure, the Cowboys will score points this weekend, but the Eagles seem to give up more TDs than anything else.

Sit 'Em – Jason Hanson @ San Diego
If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m not a big fan of the Lions this weekend in San Diego. I could well have benched Jones and Detroit D as well and started Rivers, Chambers, Gates, and of course Tomlinson if they weren’t all so obvious.

Defenses

Start 'Em – Tampa Bay vs Atlanta
Atlanta is a sham of a team, and it’s hard to say whether they’re better off without Bobby Petrino or vice versa. Either way this team is done this year, and the Bucs will reap the reward.

Start 'Em – Miami vs Baltimore
The Ravens called the Pats game their Super Bowl, and last Sunday night it looked like they believed it’s already their offseason. This team has mailed it in, and Miami will make big defense and special teams plays this week and – you heard it here first – beat this Ravens team.

Sit 'Em – Pittsburgh vs Jacksonville
The Steelers are a great defense and shouldn’t allow many points to Jacksonville, but they also may not score you many fantasy points either against a careful, conservative offense.

Sit 'Em – Chicago @ Minnesota
The Vikings won’t be putting the ball in Devin Hester’s hands this time around, and the defense may struggle to stop a Vikings offense that has been no less than unstoppable over the last three or four weeks.