2014-2015 Start 'Em Sit 'Em (Week 10)

Start 'Em:

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons - Remember what happened last time Matt Ryan faced the Buccaneers defense - he threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns and had to be pulled in the second half before he could hand out even more of a beating. Sure, Ryan's looked increasingly worse after that game, but he still is yet to have less than ten fantasy points in a game. Also, the Buccaneers pass defense has actually continued to go downhill since that Thursday night game in week three. Start Ryan this week and your setting yourself up for a low risk high reward scenario. I like that.

Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos - Some may wonder why I have Hillman on this list considering he's been a top ten running back over the past few weeks. Others will remember that Montee Ball is supposed to return to the Broncos' offense this week, which would result in a decreased workload for Hillman. However, to those of you who are worried about the return of Ball, I urge you to ignore your instincts this week and start Hillman, who, in my opinion, has completely won over the Broncos' organization and will still see a huge role in the offense. Additionally, Hillman gets to go up against the putrid Raiders defense that has given up nine rushing touchdowns in just eight games this year.

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers - I like the way the Eagles' defense has played this year, especially up front, but they still have a huge weakness, and that's dealing with big athletic wide receivers. Kelvin Benjamin, is exactly that, a big athletic wide receiver, and should absolutely torch Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher on Monday night. Don't be thrown off by his poor showings the last two weeks - Benjamin is starting quality this week.

Sit 'Em:

Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions - Picking Stafford here is tough because he is getting back Megatron and Reggie Bush this week, but it's all about matchup. The Lions face the Dolphins, who have been the toughest fantasy matchup for quarterbacks and have been on an absolute roll recently, only allowing 14 total points against in the last three weeks. Love the situation, but hate the matchup, and ultimately I think the poor matchup will win out.

Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets - Ivory only got eight carries for a measly twenty two yards last week against the Chiefs, which is concerning for this week's game against the Steelers. It is very likely that the Jets will find themselves down early and will end up airing out the ball much more than Ivory fantasy owners would want. Honestly, another single digit carry game is a large possibility, and unless Ivory gets a touchdown, that's not going to get it done. Even though there are a lot of running back byes this week, I'd recommend you try to get Ivory out of your starting lineup for the time being.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals - Carson Palmer's return for the Cardinals has spelled disaster for Floyd, as he only has four catches for 36 yards in his last two games while John Brown and Larry Fitzgerald have flourished. Floyd does have an alright matchup against the Rams this week, but would be an incredibly risky start seeing as the only way he's going to score points is on the deep ball.

2014-2015 Start 'Em Sit 'Em (Week 8)

Start 'Em:

Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs - Smith's seemingly unshakeable label as a "game manager" tends to keep him out of most fantasy football lineups. However, he has a great matchup this week against the Rams' defense and has been a remarkably solid fantasy performer thus far this year. Smith rarely throws interceptions and has a reputable 9 touchdowns over 6 games to this point. There are certainly quarterbacks who would deserve to start over Smith, but if you're in a position where you have been rotating quarterbacks week to week, Smith may be your man.

Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints - Ingram won't have inspired confidence in fantasy owners with his very poor showing last week, but you have to understand that he likely wasn't yet 100 percent. With a likelihood for more touches, and more effective touches at that, as well as a favorable matchup against a Packers' defense that has been fairly porous against the run, you would expect Ingram to have a good fantasy performance this week.

Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks - Baldwin has already had his breakout week, with a monster performance last week against the Rams, so this may seem like an easy pick, but it's just too perfect a scenario for me to pass up. Baldwin is now the only qualified receiver on the Seahawks' depth chart, and he goes up against a Panthers' defense that has struggled to contain opposing wideouts. Additionally, you can be sure that Seattle will be playing angry after last week's loss at St. Louis, and will likely come out swinging. This week may prove to be the perfect storm for Baldwin, who should absolutely be in your starting lineup this week.

Sit 'Em:

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals - I hate to tell you to sit Dalton for the second time in the last few weeks, but I absolutely hate his matchup with the Ravens this week. Dalton proved last week how vulnerable he can be without his number one target, A.J. Green, and this week he'll be without Green again. He also goes up against a Ravens' defense that has been pretty impressive thus far, and did well against Dalton in week one with the exception of one long touchdown pass to the aforementioned A.J. Green. Sorry Bengals fans, but Dalton is a definite sit this week.

Anthony Dixon, RB, Buffalo Bills - There's lots that would point to Dixon having a good week this week, as both Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller are injured, making him the only serviceable back on the roster. However, he has a horrible matchup against a Jets run defense that is one of the best in the league. One would expect the Bills to keep the ball in the air on Sunday, so Dixon may not really get a chance to have an impact.

Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons - White blew up against the Ravens last week, but he has a much tougher matchup against the Lions' pass defense this week. Even though I believe White may be a good fantasy option by the end of the season, its unlikely that he'll be able to replicate his performance against the Ravens - there's just too much inconsistency right now with White. He may be worth flex consideration, but the reality is, there are other options at the position right now that will likely be better this week.

2014-2015 Start 'Em Sit 'Em (Week 5)

Start 'Em:

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers - This pick isn't about ability or form - it's purely based on matchup. The Steelers and Big Ben will go up against the Jaguars' abysmal pass defense this week, in a matchup that likely won't be very close for very long. Roethlisberger will have further motivation to punish the Jaguars this week on the back of a humiliating loss last week to the lowly Buccaneers. Unless you're flaunting someone like Peyton Manning or Drew Brees this week at quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger should be in your starting lineup.

Zac Stacy, RB, St. Louis Rams - The Eagles rush defense has been very poor so far this year, so you would expect that Stacy, coming off a bye weak, would have a fair amount of success. It also doesn't hurt that Stacy has been much more prominent in terms of both touches and fantasy points in his last two games. The Rams may not find themselves ahead for long portions of the game, but do expect them to stick with the run, as it should reap benefits.

Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers - Before last week's 10 catch, 135 yard performance, Allen looked like he was going to be somewhat of a fantasy bust this year. However, now that he has seemingly been reaffirmed into Philip Rivers' good graces, he probably deserves a spot in your starting lineup too. Additionally, the Chargers go up against the Jets this week, and, while the Jets have one of the best rush defenses in the league, their pass defense has been lacking this year. Keenan Allen should have another big week, and will hopefully had a touchdown to his stat sheet.

Sit 'Em:

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals - I'm actually one of few people who still thinks the Patriots are a playoff-worthy team, so I don't believe that the Bengals' Sunday night matchup against the Pats will be as easy as everyone expects. The Patriots have a good secondary (at least in terms of personnel) and one of the better linebacker cores in the NFL. Even if they can't stop the run and have trouble getting to the quarterback, with the exception of Chandler Jones, they probably won't give up another huge week like they did against the Chiefs. I still think the Bengals win this game, but It'll likely be more because of their running game and stingy defense than Andy Dalton.

Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos - Ball really struggled before the Broncos' bye week against the Seahawks run defense, and he has an even tougher matchup this week against the Cardinals. Additionally, you can expect Peyton Manning to take over this game for the Broncos, which could mean a light workload for Ball, another factor that would indicate that this will be a down week for him.

Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets - Decker has put up decent fantasy numbers so far this year, but his role in the Jets offense as a whole has to have fantasy owners concerned. Decker has not had a single game with more than five catches, and in general hasn't been targeted very often. So far, his fantasy season has been saved by a couple touchdowns, but if the targets continue to go elsewhere, his touchdowns will probably go elsewhere too. Factor in an uneasy starting quarterback situation, and we've got a recipe for a bad fantasy week.

2014-2015 Start 'Em Sit 'Em (Week 4)

Start 'Em:

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers - Any quarterback that's playing the Jacksonville Jaguars needs to be in your starting lineup - It's as simple as that. Rivers is probably even better than just "any quarterback," though, as he has been on fire this year, with a 6:1 touchdown to interception ratio and massive performance against the best defense in the NFL in week 2. Rivers should have a huge game on Sunday, and we wouldn't want you missing out on those fantasy points, so please put him in your starting lineup.

Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins - Miller has had an impressive start to the fantasy season when you take into consideration that he has had to share carries with one of the best fantasy running backs in the league last year, Knowshon Moreno. With Moreno out this week and the Dolphins going up against the lowly Raiders, Miller is primed for a big week.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles - Though this may not seem as if it's an extremely bold pick, seeing as Maclin is currently third in fantasy points for a wide receiver, there is still a general sense that Maclin is going to come crashing down to earth sometime soon. I'm not saying thats not going to happen, but I am saying that it's not going to happen this week. The 49ers demand a lot of respect as a defense, but the reality is that they haven't played well at all against the pass so far this year. They are second worst in the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers, allowing six wide receiver touchdowns thus far. With the Eagles offense still flying high, I'd recommend you start Maclin this week.

Sit 'Em:

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons - I'd understand if you have no backup quarterback that Matt Ryan may have to grace your starting lineup. However, if you have a serviceable backup, you should consider giving him the start. Ryan has been fantastic thus far, but I think he's destined for a down performance against a Vikings defense that has actually performed remarkably against the pass this year. After the Falcons dominated the Bucs last week, I see them coming out a bit sluggishly this week, and Ryan won't benefit from that.

Reggie Bush, RB, Detroit Lions - Bush had a really good week against Green Bay last week, but he still only saw 12 carries for just 61yards, which will worry Bush owners, especially because Joique Bell continues to get equal touches to Bush. This week, the duo will go up against a stout Jets run defense that has shut down Eddie Lacy and Matt Forte in the last two weeks. With limited touches and a tough matchup, Bush should probably see your bench this week.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts - Hilton hasn't experienced a fast start to the fantasy season like some expected. The biggest problem for Hilton is that he has seen hardly any targets in the red zone, and he hasn't been as explosive as a deep threat either. Hilton goes up against a dominant Titans pass defense that has allowed just one touchdown against Dez Bryant and A.J. Green in the last two weeks, so I wouldn't expect Hilton's poor fantasy start to change just yet.

2014-2015 Start 'Em Sit 'Em (Week 2)

Start 'Em:

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Miami Dolphins - Coming into the season, it would have been advised to stay away from the Dolphins' running backs, considering both Moreno and Lamar Miller are fairly talented players and seemed destined to share the running burden equally. However, against the Patriots, Moreno received 23 carries to Miller's 11 and the Dolphins in general seemed extremely dedicated to the run game. This situation may turn into the sort of situation that we have in Detroit, where Joique Bell and Reggie Bush have managed to coexist as good valuable options by taking up different roles. Similarly, while Knowshon will dominate total carries and probably red zone carries, Miller may manage to make enough of a fantasy impact on third downs and passes to warrant consideration. Against a mediocre Bills defense this week expect Moreno (and Miller) to put up an impressive performance.

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals - Dalton had an up-and-down week one, but one big play to A.J. Green completely redeemed him. You can expect that big play to rear its head again, as Dalton to Green may be the best deep ball combo in the league after Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson. Cincinnati's game against the Falcons this week should be a shootout, which plays directly into the hands of Dalton's fantasy owners as Dalton is likely to be airing the ball out early and often. Dalton may be your number one QB or he may be your number two, but either way you should seriously considering starting him this week.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals - Week 1 saw Michael Floyd gain nearly six times as many yards as fellow wideout Larry Fitzgerald, which is huge in that it shows the Cardinals' dedication to feeding Floyd the ball. Of course, this lopsided production is not to be expected most weeks, but Floyd should expect to be fairly equal to Fitzgerald in terms of targets by the end of the year. Some weeks, it would be wise to let Floyd stay on the bench for your fantasy team, but going up against the Giants' horrible pass defense will allow for both Floyd and Fitzgerald to prosper, and maybe even get in the end zone.

Sit 'Em:

Zac Stacy, RB, St. Louis Rams - I actually liked Stacy a lot coming into the season, but his performance in week 1 will have owners remarkably worried. Stacy actually didn't play poorly, but he was only granted with 11 rushes, while Benjamin Cunningham, the team's other running back, was somehow on the field for more plays than Stacy. The Rams' stunning desire to play an undrafted free agent over an established player has to have fantasy owners extremely confused. While I still think that Stacy will put together a half-decent campaign this year, his production is now much more questionable than it was a week ago and owners should proceed with caution. A tough matchup against the Buccaneers defense isn't going to aid Stacy in his return to stardom, so I'd suggest letting him stay on your bench this week and reconsidering his status the following week.

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers - It should be a given that any quarterback going up against the Seahawks defense needs to be out of your starting lineup, and Philip Rivers is no different. Rivers didn't look great against Arizona in week 1 and that probably won't improve much in week 2. The amount of viable fantasy football options at quarterback right now is incredible, so I'd scour the waiver wires for a better option because you can surely find one.

Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills - Watkins' ribs are now healthy and he remains the Bills only legitimate receiving option, but I am still not ready to call him a legitimate fantasy receiving option. I do expect him to break out at some point, but until he does, I'd recommend keeping him on your bench. The Bills go up against the Dolphins this week, who managed to swallow up the Patriots' potent passing game last week, so don't expect big things out of Watkins just yet.

2014-2015 Start 'Em Sit 'Em (Week 1)

Start 'Em:

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers - In many 8 or 10 team leagues, Kaepernick will have ended up as a high-end backup. However, this week he shouldn't be sitting on your bench, regardless of what quarterback you need to bench to make way for him in the starting lineup. Kaepernick is going up against a Cowboys defense that was one of the worst pass defenses in the entire NFL last season and did very little to improve that over the offseason.

Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints - The Saints' running back situation has been somewhat of a carousel over the last few years, with no one back able to cement himself as a reliable player at the position. This preseason, though, Mark Ingram has been dominant, and the 2011 first round draft pick is finally looking like he is going to live up to his potential. What's remarkable about this situation is that, despite the lack of premier running backs in the NFL, Ingram hasn't even been picked up in 100 percent of leagues. If he's still a free agent in your league, you need to pick him up NOW, and maybe even consider him for your RB2 or flex spot as he has a fairly easy matchup against the Falcons.

Marquise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars - Now that Cecil Shorts has been labeled as "out" for the game against the Eagles and Ace Sanders has been suspended for the first four games, Lee is the only half-respectable fantasy target for the Jags, and he's currently available in most ESPN leagues. You would have to be fairly desperate for a flex spot to pull this move, but he is going up against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL (that of the Philadelphia Eagles) and Chad Henne has to throw to someone, right? Right? RIGHT?

Sit 'Em:

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens - My honest pick for a "sit 'em" quarterback this week would have been Aaron Rodgers, but considering he already played and sorely underperformed, that would really be cheating. So, here I'll tell you to sit Joe Flacco, but only if you have a fairly strong backup. Flacco doesn't have a great matchup against the Bengals, but I doubt that he'll absolutely implode. Thus, proceed with caution when sitting Flacco, but, in many situations it would probably be the right move.

DeAngelo Williams, RB,  Carolina Panthers - Williams' yard totals should be decent enough this year, but with Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, and Cam Newton taking away from his red zone carries, he doesn't really hold much value unless one of the others gets injured or he has a great matchup. This week certainly isn't a good matchup, as Williams will go up against a Buccaneers' run defense that was one of the better run units in the entire league last year.

Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions - Tate was a legitimate WR2 last season, but that was in Seattle, where other wide receiver options were often scarce. In Detroit, other wide receiver options will be anything but scarce, as the best wide receiver in the NFL, Calvin Johnson, will demand most of the targets. In games against weak pass defenses Tate might be worth a look, but he goes up against the Giants this week, who were actually fairly impressive on pass defense last season. Tate may end up being a solid spot-start wide receiver, but this week is one of those weeks when you should keep him on your bench.

2014-2015 Fantasy Football Draft Do's and Don'ts

Football season is right around the corner, which means that Fantasy Football drafts are also right around the corner, which means that you are probably looking for an informed analyst to help with your draft strategy. Well... You've come to the right place. I'll be providing weekly fantasy football articles throughout the season and I guarantee that if you follow my advice you'll finish at the top of your league (disclaimer - fantasy football contains large amounts of luck and I have honestly no clue whether my insight will help your team or not). Before you can actually get to playing games, though, you need to have drafted a team, so here is my guide for your 2014-2015 Fantasy Football Draft.

Do - Draft a Running Back Very, Very High.

The running back position is extremely lacking in depth this year. After the first seven or eight there is a sharp drop, which is followed by another equally sharp drop around number 15. Simply put, if you don't pick up a running back in the first three rounds you are going to be living off of waiver-wire running backs, and that's not a very luxurious way to live. For those of you in two running back leagues, this advice is even more imperative - please pick a running back early.

Don't - Draft a Quarterback High (Unless His Name is Peyton Manning).

In my eight team league, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and Jay Cutler are all still on waivers following the draft. With that much depth at the quarterback position, there is no reason for you to be reaching for Russell Wilson with your third pick when you can pick up a statistically similar quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, with one of your last picks. Obviously, if you find yourself at the end of the first round, Peyton Manning might be an alright pick, considering he will be by far the best fantasy quarterback this year, but outside of him there is no need to go quarterback early. Be patient.

Do - Proceed With Caution When Drafting a Tight End.

There is absolutely no denying that the tight end position has top end talent, but there are questions about how much of that talent there is. Jimmy Graham should be a first round pick, which makes sense, Julius Thomas will probably go in the third or fourth, and Vernon Davis and Rob Gronkowski will probably be off the board by the fifth round. After that, unless you find Jason Witten or Jordan Cameron oddly dropping to the tenth or eleventh rounds, I would recommend passing on those 12 or 13 rounders including the likes of Martellus Bennett, Greg Olsen, and Dennis Pitta. Instead, wait until you can pick up a guy like Zach Ertz or Jordan Reed in the 15th or 16th. The best case scenario would be to draft a tight end high, but if that's not possible, don't panic and reach on a mid-level tight end.

Don't - Go on Autodraft.

This is certainly the case every year, but it is even more so this year. Seeing as ESPN doesn't update their player rankings to keep up with injuries and suspensions, you may end up drafting Josh Gordon, Le'Veon Bell, Ray Rice, and Sam Bradford if you're unlucky enough. Outside of the obvious desire to avoid players who are going to miss significant portions of time, your team is just going to be better if you're the one drafting it. For example, I'd much rather have Peyton Manning over Eddie Lacy, but ESPN's fantasy rankings have Lacy ranked higher - bummer.

Do - Pick For Value Over Need.

Most leagues nowadays have at least three flex spots per team, so, even if you feel like you need to fill up that running back slot, if there aren't any top-tier backs available, snatch up that star wide receiver who managed to slide down the board a bit. Flex spots are just as important as other spots and should be treated that way when drafting. Additionally, trades will allow you to acquire players in positions of need after the draft and the additional talent that you managed to nab will help you in your bargaining.

Don't - Pick a Defense Before Eighth or Ninth Round (Not Even the Seahawks).

Defenses are a fairly hard thing to predict considering how many variables they have, so why would you waste one of your first few picks on something so questionable. A large part of what makes a defense perform well or not is the opposition - searching the waiver wire for defenses who are coming up against dismal offenses (the Jets and Jaguars were great for this last year) will often yield you pretty solid results, and you may even end up finding a defense that you end up keeping for the rest of the year (see: last year's Chief's defense).

First Round Draft Picks Who Will and Won't Have a Fantasy Impact

Will - Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills
It will come as no surprise that I would expect Watkins to be a fantasy football stud this year, seeing as he was the top receiver drafted, and, in my opinion, the second best player overall. Watkins has top-notch speed and gets past defenders in the open field with ease. He will also benefit from the fact that, despite being the fourth overall pick, he was not drafted by a team with quarterback problems, as E.J. Manuel can be effective when healthy. Because Watkins is not a huge red zone target, you shouldn't expect him to be your number one fantasy wide receiver, but he has the potential and the physical skills to put up a lot of yards this season.

Won't - Any Quarterback Drafted In the First Round
Bortles, Manziel, and Bridgewater are all decent prospects, but none of them are ready to turn into productive day one starters, even though they may be forced to try. I'm least optimistic with Bortles, as he will be surrounded by a very poor Jaguars offense with very few weapons. In Manziel's case, the potential is there, but he needs to work on his fundamentals before he can make a significant impact. Bridgewater may be the most pro-ready of the three, and he will have Adrian Peterson to work with, but right now we aren't even sure if he's going to start this year.

Will - Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Much like Watkins, it won't surprise anybody that I'm predicting Evans to have a good fantasy football season, as he was the seventh overall pick and has incredible physical tools. What will be most beneficial to Mike Evans, though, is the fact that he will have Vincent Jackson lining up across from him. With Jackson and a decent quarterback, Mike Glennon, Evans will have countless opportunities to prove himself.

Won't - Odell Beckham Jr, WR, New York Giants
Beckham Jr. is a solid player, but the Giants didn't have an immediate need at wide receiver and Eli Manning tends to be inconsistent. He will need to beat out Jernigan and Randle just to become the Giants second option after Victor Cruz. Beckham Jr. may well become a fantastic player in the future but for the present, it would be best to temper your expectations.

Will - Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints
I think Cooks will have the most productive fantasy football season of anybody not named Sammy Watkins in this draft. Cooks has incredible speed and great open-field skills that will make him an immediate fantasy football producer, especially with Drew Brees as his quarterback. The only thing that could slow up Cooks is the fact that the Saints have so many options on offense, but I think he will sidestep this problem by stepping right into the void that Darren Sproles left.

Won't - Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers
There is no denying that Benjamin is a physical specimen, but what worries me is that his route running is subpar and his hands could use some work. Sure, he has a huge catch radius, which would seem to be helpful with a quarterback like Cam Newton who has a tendency to be inaccurate, but if Benjamin can't catch the ball or create separation by running a clean route, then that goes to waste. Fortunately for Panthers fans, the skills that Benjamin currently lacked are attainable, but don't expect him to produce huge numbers right away.