2013 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Winners:

Anybody on the Denver Broncos Offense

Before the season started, many fantasy football players questioned how productive any single player on the Denver Broncos offense would be; there are just too many weapons.  Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker, Julius Thomas, and Knowshon Moreno are all superstar-caliber players, and it seemed impossible for them all to provide consistent fantasy performances within the same offense. The remedy for the overcrowded nature of this offense was one we should have seen all along: Peyton Manning.  I guess 5211 yards and 51 touchdowns (plus any stats that he compiles in week 17) was enough to go around.

Defenses Going Against the Giants, Jets, or Jags

The quickest thing to go every week on the waiver wire this year was any defense facing up against the Giants, Jets, or Jags.  The Giant's Eli Manning threw a league high 26 interceptions, while the Jet's Geno Smith was right behind him with 21 interceptions and was also sacked 43 times (third in the league). The Jags dynamic quarterback combo of Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne also never failed to impress, racking up an impressive 20 total interceptions.  Don't be surprised if you find yourself constantly picking up defenses playing any of these three teams next year too.

Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns
Give me one person who thought that Josh Gordon would have more fantasy points than Calvin Johnson after week 16 and I'll give you a liar.  Megatron has had an incredible season, but Gordon's has been just as good if not better, despite playing in one fewer game.  Nine touchdowns and seven games with more than one hundred receiving yards (two with more than two hundred) make for a pretty damn impressive season.  Congrats if you jumped on the bandwagon early; I'm dearly sorry to those of you who passed on this gem of a player.

Top Tier Tight Ends
Receiving tight ends are making a comeback in the NFL, and it is largely thanks to an elite group of a few truly special tight ends.  Included in this remarkable group are the likes of Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Vernon Davis, Julius Thomas, Tony Gonzalez, and Jason Witten (fringe stars include James Cameron, Charles Clay, Greg Olsen, and Antonio Gates). Jimmy Graham has caught an incredible 15 touchdowns, while Vernon Davis has managed 12, Julius Thomas has recorded 11, and Gronk got 4 in just 6.5 games.  The immense consistency of Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten cannot be overlooked either. We may never see a group of tight ends as productive in fantasy terms, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Losers:
Running Backs outside of the Elite
By elite I mean AP, Jamaal Charles, Shady McCoy, and Marshawn Lynch.  Outside of them, this year's running back group has disappointing.  Sure, there have been a few bright spots, like the emergences of Matt Forte, Eddie Lacy, Knowshon Moreno, and DeMarco Murray as good fantasy producers.  However, first round running backs like C.J. Spiller, Doug Martin, Arian Foster, Ray Rice, Trent Richardson, and Steven Jackson have failed to perform.  Where did the projected breakout seasons of David Wilson and Lamar Miller go? Why are Chris Johnson, Frank Gore, and Reggie Bush so inconsistent? Why won't the Redskins give Alfred Morris the ball in the red zone? Where is MJD? Sorry to be cliché, but there are so many questions and really so few answers.

Injures
The NFL has a real problem, and it is the injury bug. Injured quarterbacks have included Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, and Tony Romo.  Meanwhile the injury list for running backs is much larger, including Adrian Peterson, C.J. Spiller, Arian Foster, Doug Martin, Steven Jackson, Stevan Ridley, MJD, David Wilson, Darren McFadden, Eddie Lacy, Reggie Bush, and pretty much anybody else that you can name outside of Ryan Mathews (how weird is that).  The list goes on and on for wide receivers and tight ends too, but I'm not going to make you read through another long list of injured players.  All I'll say is that something needs to change in the NFL.

Keeping the Same Defense for the Whole Season
It used to be common to draft a defense pretty high and use them consistently throughout the entire season.  To put it simply, there was a remarkable amount of scoring this year, and not even the best defenses were safe from a horrid performance.  The much more reliable technique has become to rotate defenses weekly based on matchups.  The reality is, not even the best defenses are a good start against a team like the Broncos.

Blair Walsh, K, Minnesota Vikings
Walsh was supposed to be the bee's knees this year, and through the first four games it looked like he was just that.  He had more than eight fantasy points in each of those four games, but it went sharply downhill after that, with consecutive fantasy performances of 4, 0, 7, and 5 points.  He has recovered to a certain extent, but still, we expected more out of Walsh.  The morale of the story is, kickers are about as unpredictable as they come, so don't go about drafting a kicker anywhere near the top/middle of the draft next year.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 17)

Start 'Em:
DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers
The major fantasy setback for Williams this year is that he has had to share carries with Cam Newton as well as two capable backups, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert.  With Stewart injured and Tolbert acting more as a fullback now, evidenced by his one carry last week, Williams is set up to prosper. Additionally, it can't hurt that he gets to go up against the 26th ranked fantasy run defense of the Atlanta Falcons.

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Early in the season Patterson put his athleticism on display in the return game, but now the Vikings have started to allow him to show off his skills in their normal offense.  He has more than ten fantasy points in each of the last three weeks, which is a product of the Vikings desire to get the ball in his hands in whatever way possible.  In a meaningless game against the Lions on Sunday, the Vikings will likely put the ball in Patterson's hands often to see what they truly have in their first round pick.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roethlisberger has had a sneakily good season, and going up against the 23rd ranked Browns fantasy defense, you would expect him to produce.  Averaging over two touchdowns per game over the past eight weeks, Roethlisberger looks primed for another successful week.

Sit 'Em:
Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Gore has had a good season, but he has been a bit inconsistent at times.  My guess is that this week is not one of his better weeks, in a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, who have allowed the fewest yards to opposing running backs.  This defense has allowed just four touchdowns to running backs all year in addition to just two weeks of allowing over one hundred rushing yards... That's pretty good.

Harry Douglas, WR, Atlanta Falcons
It was nice while it lasted, but it seems as if Douglas' time in the spotlight is over, with Roddy White finally returning to his old form with a huge game against the 49ers last week.  Even when White was not producing, Douglas' numbers were not entirely encouraging, as he has not scored more than seven fantasy points in the last five weeks.  To make matters worse, he has to go up against a Panthers defense that is second in allowing fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Tom Brady's number one target is a former quarterback at Kent State... That shouldn't be a recipe for success.  However it was worked out well for the 11-4 Patriots who currently sit comfortably atop the AFC East.  This week, though, the Patriots face up against the Bills, and I believe that the talented cornerback duo of Leodis McKelvin and Stephon Gilmore along with a talented front seven featuring Kiko Alonso, Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams, and Mario Williams, will be able to expose the Patriots lack of receiving options, making for a difficult fantasy week for Tom Brady.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 15)

Start 'Em:
Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots
It is always risky to start a Patriot's running back because coach Bill Belichick rotates through several ball carriers with no consistency.  Thus, it is completely a mystery whether Vereen will be the primary runner for the Patriots offense, with both LeGarrette Blount and Steven Ridley also in the mix. However, what is certain is that Vereen is the only running back trusted to be in the game during passing downs.  With Gronkowski injured, the Patriot's will be starved for players to throw the ball to, and Vereen should be able to put in a significant receiving performance.

Cecil Shorts, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars passing offense is absolutely horrendous, but I believe that Chad Henne, who has been playing well as of late, will toss at least on touchdown on Sunday.  The reality is, if the Jags do manage a passing touchdown, it will be to Cecil Shorts, as only one touchdown has been scored by any other wide receivers on the roster.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
Tannehill has been on a roll recently, and his production is not likely to end this week against a patriots defense that allowed 29 fantasy points to Jason Campbell last week (yes, Jason Campbell).  Surely, Tannehill will be able to utilize his speedy wide receiving core including Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline to put some points on the board against a notoriously slow-starting Patriots team.

Sit 'Em:
Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bell's only real redeeming value this season has been his consistent ability to get into the end zone.  He doesn't provide much upside in the yards department, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, and is only a decent factor in the passing game.  This week, Bell has to go up against a Bengal's defense that has not allowed a rushing touchdown since week 3.  If he can't get into the end zone, there is no reason for Bell to be a starter in your fantasy team.

Victor Cruz, WR, New York Giants
Truth be told, I don't expect you to sit Victor Cruz, one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL, and also probably one of your first few picks.  However, I simply don't believe that Cruz will have any effect in a game against the Seahawks where he will be guarded by one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, Richard Sherman, not to mention that Cruz has not gotten into the end zone since week 4.

Jason Campbell, QB, Cleveland Browns
If you are naive enough to put Campbell into your starting lineup after just one outstanding week, I pity you.  This is Jason Campbell that we are talking about, and based on past experiences, he should come crashing back to earth this Sunday against a very good Bear's defense.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 14)

Start 'Em:
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Last week against the Eagles, Mendenhall defiantly took the starting job back from Andre Ellington (who was hurt).  Mendenhall received a season-high eighteen carries for 76 yards against an improved Eagle's run defense.  This week he gets a Ram's defense that has allowed an average of one touchdown a game to opposing running backs.  If Mendenhall gets the same amount of carries as he did last Sunday, he should put in a big week.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
This Bears offense may be the second most difficult matchup in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos. Both Jeffery and Brandon Marshall command double teams, they are simply to big, fast, and strong for one defender to handle.  The problem is, if you double team them both, all the Bears have to do is hand the ball off to Matt Forte.  Thus, most teams choose to double just one of the wideouts and take their chances with the other.  Every week it is inevitable that one of them is going to have a huge game, and my guess for this week is Jeffery, who should dominate Morris Claiborne, the Cowboy's underperforming second cornerback.

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens
I don't believe Flacco is a top ten quarterback in the NFL, however, with the right matchup he could be a very productive fantasy play.  It is likely that Flacco will be able to shred a miserable Viking's secondary that is worst in the NFL in allowing fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Sit 'Em:
Zac Stacy, RB, St. Louis Rams
Stacy has been an absolute revelation this season for fantasy owners, however this week he should be sitting on your bench with a tough matchup against the Cardinal's defense that is first in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs.  Last week this same defense managed to slow down the Eagle's LeSean McCoy, so you should temper your expectations for Stacy.

Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints
Outside of one big week, Colston has been terrible this season, registering over ten fantasy points just twice all year.  Fantasy owners just have to accept that Colston is not longer a big part of the Saint's offense.  In the red zone Jimmy Graham receives all of the targets, while the Saint's versatile set of running backs gets the attention in the rest of the field.  Bottom line, there is no way Colston should be in your lineup any time soon.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Though Kaepernick has put together a couple successful weeks in a row now, he will run into a roadblock this weekend against the Seahawk's defense.  This outstanding unit has allowed over ten fantasy points to an opposing quarterback just six times this year and none of those performances passed eighteen points.  Kaepernick is a solid quarterback, but he won't look one against the Seahawks defense.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 13)

Start 'Em:
Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers
After seven straight weeks of ten or more fantasy points, Gore has failed to reach this mark in each of his last two games, registering a mere 79 yards and no touchdowns.  His week 11 output of just four points was understandable as Gore was going up against the tough Saints defense.  However, last week against the woeful redskins, Gore put up just three points.  Hopefully, for fantasy owners, week 12 was an outlier as opposed to the normal.  Gore will have a great opportunity to redeem himself in a matchup against the 31st ranked Rams defense.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Floyd has broken out in a huge way over the past two weeks, posting 297 yards and a touchdown. With Carson Palmer's resurgent season, the Cardinals finally have a solid quarterback to throw to their stud wide receivers.  Additionally, Fitzgerald will command a lot of the coverage, allowing Floyd to run one-on-one against the secondary cornerback.  That secondary cornerback will be a member of the feeble Eagle's secondary.  Chances are, the Cardinals will tear up the Eagle's defense, and Floyd will be a big part of that attack.

Josh McCown, QB, Chicago Bears
McCown has performed fantastically in replacing the injured Jay Cutler, and the fun shouldn't stop now with an easy matchup against a Viking's defense, which has allowed more than 12 points to opposing fantasy quarterbacks in every week so far this year.  This may be McCown's last week as a starter, but he will look to go out with a bang.

Sit 'Em
Bobby Rainey, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After his huge week 11 performance, Rainey failed to impress in week 12, only registering 35 yards. The reality is, his performance should be expected to be a middle ground between these two weeks. However with a tough matchup against the Panthers, I don't think that Rainey will put up a significant amount of points.  He is going to get fed the ball a lot, but if he only gets around 2 yards per carry (like last week), your fantasy team could be in trouble.

Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers
Allen is having a breakout season, recording four 100 plus yard games already.  However, his inability to be an effective red zone threat for the Chargers has reduced his fantasy value, and against a tough Cincinnati Bengal's defense, I wouldn't expect this disappointing theme to change.

Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Don't get me wrong, Andrew Luck is always a decent fantasy start.  But, this week, if you have a solid backup quarterback (see: Josh McCown) available, it may be worth it to start him over Luck.  He is going up against a Titans defense that has allowed just two passing touchdowns over the last seven weeks.  One of these games included a matchup against Luck, himself, where he didn't manage to register a passing touchdown.  It is always difficult to sit a guy with the credentials that Luck has, but there are simply better options out there this week.

Top 5 Fantasy Tight Ends

It's been a while since my last installment of this series, but I'm back, and so is the age of the receiving tight end.  This renaissance has largely been sparked by two of the best tight ends that the NFL has every seen: Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski.  Though these two are the centerpiece of what the NFL has to offer, there is certainly a solid supporting cast including Julius Thomas, Vernon Davis, Jason Witten, Jordan Cameron, Antonio Gates, Greg Olsen, and Tony Gonzalez.

1. Jimmy Graham, TE, New Orleans Saints
This former University of Miami basketball player has blossomed into a truly incredible tight end.  With enough speed to outrun linebackers and safeties, and the strength to overpower smaller cornerbacks, Graham is a mismatch for any defender.  With eleven touchdowns already this year, he is primed to rival, if not overtake Rob Gronkowski's record 17 touchdown catches in 2011.  In addition to averaging over a touchdown per game, Graham has also posted more than one hundred yards in already six of the ten games that he's played.  Simply put, Graham is undoubtedly the number one receiving tight end in the league right now.

2. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots
Despite being injured for the first six weeks of the season, Gronk is only 15th in terms of fantasy points for tight ends.  This is a testament to how incredibly he has played in the last three weeks, compiling 292 yards and three touchdowns.  Even in the two weeks before that, when he was still partially injured, Gronk managed and impressive 141 yards.  With Tom Brady at quarterback, Gronkowski's numbers should only improve with his health, especially with the lack of other options in the Patriot's passing game.

3. Julius Thomas, TE, Denver Broncos,
Thomas, another former basketball player, came out of nowhere this year and has established himself as Peyton Manning's favorite red zone target.  Averaging just under one touchdown per game, Thomas is a very consistent option, for even when he doesn't manage to compile a lot of yards, he usually manages to reward fantasy owners with a touchdown.  It is by no means a coincidence that the top three tight ends on this list belong to the top three quarterbacks in the NFL: Brees, Brady, and Manning.  In years to come, with Manning at the helm, Thomas could develop into a tight end that could challenge the currently untouchable combo of Graham and Gronkowski at the top of this list.

4. Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers
What has really hurt Davis this year is the inconsistent quarterback play from Colin Kaepernick.  When Kaepernick has performed, though, Davis has performed too.  Like Julius Thomas, Davis is averaging just under one touchdown per game.  Also like Thomas, more than once, touchdowns have concealed games that would otherwise be considered very poor for Davis.  This is not too take anything away from his great season, but it just outlines the fact that if his touchdown production stops, Davis could be in a fair bit of trouble, especially with the up-and-down quarterback play of Colin Kaepernick.

5. Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers
I know it, you're surprised, but you shouldn't be. I could have picked so many players for this final spot, and I chose Greg Olsen, but when you look at all the other players I could have picked, they all have obvious flaws, and Olsen doesn't.  For example, Jordan Cameron has to deal with the horrible quarterback play of Brandon Weeden, while Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten have to compete for targets among talented receiving cores, and Antonio Gates is simply not the player he was five years ago.  Greg Olsen has a talented quarterback, is the Panther's only real red zone threat, and is only 28 years old.  The results have showed too, as Olsen has four touchdowns in his last five games.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 12)

Start 'Em:
Rashad Jennings, RB, Oakland Raiders
In the three weeks that Darren McFadden has been injured, Jennings has dominated, posting two touchdowns and 340 rushing yards.  Additionally, with 19 carries per game during this spell, and a matchup against the Titan's 27th ranked run defense, all the pieces are in place for Jennings to have another fantastic week.

Aaron Dobson, WR, New England Patriots
Sunday night's blockbuster game between the Patriots and the Broncos is undoubtedly going to be a shootout, with two of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, going up against each other.  Despite his early-season drop difficulties, Dobson has managed to jump Julian Edelman and Kenbrell Thompkins on the depth chart, and now lays claim to the role of Tom Brady's number one wide receiver.  He will still receive fewer targets than Gronkowski and Shane Vereen, but he should get enough balls headed his way to put in a good performance.

Scott Tolzien, QB, Green Bay Packers
The way the Minnesota pass defense is playing right now, I'd start Uncle Rico in my fantasy league if he was playing against them.  Even if Tolzien is not Aaron Rodgers, he still has loads of offensive weapons, and looks a pretty good pick against a Minnesota defense that has allowed more than one passing touchdown against them in all but two games.

Sit 'Em:
Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins
Miller has not lived up to the lofty expectations we had for him at the start of the year, but he has managed to provide a decent amount of consistency in a year that has seen very poor running back production.  Thus, he continues to be played in a number of leagues despite his low upside.  In the past two weeks, though, he only has eleven rushes for nineteen yards, as Daniel Thomas has emerged as the Dolphin's number one back.  In addition, Miller goes up against a top 5 Panther's defense this week.  Lack of touches and a tough matchup are not a good recipe for success; keep Miller on your bench this Sunday.

Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers
Steve Smith always seems to have a positive impact on the Panthers, whether he's making a clutch catch or requiring double coverage.  However, the play of Smith that has been so important to the Panthers this year, has not quite translated well to fantasy football.  He only has three touchdowns on the year, and has yet to record more than 70 yards.  Thus, with a tough matchup against the Dolphin's defense this week, Smith should be taking a rest on your bench.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins
Though his fantasy production has been great  in the past two weeks, I think its if fair to asses these games as outliers for Griffin.  In particular, last week Griffin struggled mightily against a lousy Eagle's defense before recording two long touchdowns late in the fourth quarter (one of which was a bit fluky).  If you watched the game, its was obvious that Griffin is not that same quarterback that he was last year, when he won rookie of the year.  If the Eagles were able to stifle RGIII, surely the sturdy 49er's defense will be up to the task.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 11)

Start 'Em:

Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans

Perhaps the best backup running back in the NFL, Tate should be able to cash in on Arian Foster's injury.  The Texan's quarterback situation is less than favorable, with Case Keenum playing in only his forth career game, and Tate will go up against the mediocre Raider's run defense this week.  The Texan's running back is primed for a successful week 11 and chances are a productive remainder of the year.

Riley Cooper, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Cooper's stats have dramatically improved since Nick Foles took over the starting quarterback job for the Eagles and the trend shouldn't end this week.  Cooper will go against a very poor Redskins secondary that has allowed the third most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.  The Redskin's only decent cornerback, DeAngelo Hall, will surely be locked up on DeSean Jackson all game, which would allow Cooper to have a very big day.

Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Now, last week I projected Jake Locker to have a good week against the Jaguar's miserable defense.  That didn't turn out too well... However, this week I'm right back at it, picking the Jaguar's defense to return to their old ways against Carson Palmer.  Palmer does have more weapons than Locker, the most prominent being Larry Fitzgerald, but my faith in this pick still arrises from my opinion that the Jaguar's defensive performance last week was an outlier.

Sit 'Em:

Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills

Jackson has been the most consistent fantasy performer for the bills offense this year, but there are just too many things going against him this week for him to be a good fantasy start.  First off, he is going up against the third ranked Jets run defense that has only given up five rushing touchdowns all year.  Also, as C.J. Spiller gets healthier, Spiller's carries continue to cut into Jackson's, putting a major dent in his potential.  The five fantasy points that Jackson had last week may be more indicative of what his production will be for the rest of the year.

Denarius Moore, WR, Oakland Raiders

Moore is undoubtedly the Raider's number one wide receiver, but when he has Matt McGloin throwing to him (Pryor is out), that does not mean too much.  The tough Texans defense probably won't be the remedy for the Raiders faulty passing game; keep Moore on your bench this week.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Kaepernick is in the midst of a disappointing season, and a difficult matchup against the Saint's defense won't help.  The Saint's shut down Tony Romo last week, and should have no trouble containing Kaepernick, who only managed a measly two points last week.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 10)

Start 'Em:
Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints
Thomas continues to get consistent touches for the Saints, both in the passing and rushing game, making him a fairly low risk option. The adage goes "low risk, low reward," however, this week, with the Saints heading into a shootout against the Cowboys, Thomas could provide a quite high reward for fantasy owners.

Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers
Allen is in the middle of a breakout year, and his production does not seem likely to end any time soon. It is undeniable at this point that he is Phillip River's number one option, and he has a favorable matchup against the Denver Bronco's defense this week. Chances are, the Broncos will get up early and the Chargers will air the ball out the remainder of the game, which means big numbers for Keenan Allen.

Jake Locker, QB, Tennessee Titans
At this point in the season, you should have noticed a positive trend in terms of fantasy points when offensive players go up against the Jaguars. Locker is having a great season (despite being injured for two weeks) against some quality defenses, including an outstanding performance against the stout 49er's defense.  The jags, on the other hand, do not have a quality defense, and should be lit up by Locker.

Sit 'Em:
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
The "Law Firm" has put in another unremarkable, but at times productive, season. As the year has gone on, though, Giovani Bernard has been receiving a significantly larger workload than Green-Ellis. Additionally, the Bengals go up against the tough Raven's run defense that has allowed only one rushing touchdown all year.

Anquan Boldin, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Boldin looked as if he was going to have a great year after a huge week one performance, but since then he has looked quite underwhelming. Vernon Davis has emerged as the clear-cut number one option for the 49er's offense and Boldin has been forced to play second fiddle. To make matters worse, this week, Boldin goes up against the tough Panther's pass defense that ranks second in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers.

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens
After receiving a huge contract during the offseason, Flacco has failed to impress.  On sunday, the Ravens face a Bengal's defense that has had a great season so far. Flacco has struggled against lesser defenses such as the Dolphins, Texans, and Bills, so it seems likely that Flacco will have a difficult sunday against the Bengals.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em (Week 9)

Start 'Em:
Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers
Mathews is finally healthy and we're beginning to see what sort of numbers he can produce.  Before his bye last week, he had two straight performances of over 100 yards and also added in a touchdown in week 7.  This week has the potential to outshine both of those games, as he goes up against the last ranked fantasy run defense, the Washington Redskins.

Denarius Moore, WR, Oakland Raiders
Any wide receiver that is going up against the Eagles secondary has the opportunity to put up big numbers, and Moore is no different.  The speedy wideout has loads of big play ability, and is the Raider's only real receiving threat.  If Pryor can deliver Moore with just one good deep ball, he could provide owners with a great return.

Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
This pick is made out of a favorable matchup than anything else.  The Chiefs go up against the Buffalo Bills, who have a defense that is 27th in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.  Smith is not a flashy quarterback choice, but should be a good play this week against a week secondary.

Sit 'Em:
Steven Jackson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
I said it last week, and I'll say it again this week: Steven Jackson is a poor fantasy start.  He is just coming off an injury, and it showed last week as he only managed six yards on eleven carries.  Additionally, the Falcons are going up against the tough Panthers defense.  Leave Jackson on your bench this week, and maybe for weeks to come as well.

Torrey Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Smith has had only a mediocre fantasy season so far, and the reason for this is that he has only gotten into the end zone once.  On Sunday, he goes up against a Cleveland secondary that has managed to shut down the likes of Calvin Johnson and A.J. Green.  The man behind Cleveland's success has to be cornerback Joe Haden, who is having a tremendous year.  With Haden shadowing Smith all game long, it may be another "bust" day as opposed to a "boom" day for the wideout.

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Brady has had perhaps his most frustrating professional season so far, as he has only thrown two touchdowns in his last four games, and has broken 300 yards just once this year.  Part of this is due to his horrendous receiving core, and another part is due to the emergence of a very solid red zone running game.  Tom Brady simply cannot be expected to put up good fantasy numbers any more, and a date with a tough Steelers defense certainly won't help.