To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've
devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a
taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor
on a scale from 1-5 stars (with five stars suggesting can't-miss; a
player or unit without any stars suggests you probably shouldn't start
him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into
account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute. You
should be able to compare the ratings for the players on your team and
make an educated pick on who should start -- and sit -- in your lineup.
|
CBSSports.com Fantasy Football video
|
Looking for more Fantasy advice from our own Jamey Eisenberg and
Dave Richard? Our weekly Fantasy Football video shows are loaded
with timely analysis for Week 14.
 Start
'Em/Sit 'Em | Move Makers | Who's Hot/Who's Not
|
|
|
Chicago Bears at Washington Redskins
|
|
Thursday, 8:00 pm, FedEx Field
|
|
If there's any good news for the Redskins, it's that game planning
for the Bears won't be much of a chore. We should see a heavy dose
of Clinton Portis against a Chicago
run defense that has allowed seven straight 100-total-yard running
backs with five rushing TDs in their last three games. Portis should
do well, and the Redskins' offense should lean toward him. Adrian Peterson may not have as much success as Portis, but he
should continue to accumulate yards from scrimmage. I also like the
Bears' chances of connecting deep; Washington has allowed three
250-yard pass games in their last four with a pair of four-TD games
yielded through the air. This could turn into a moderately
high-scoring game.
|
|
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Reliant Stadium
|
|
Early signs point to Jeff Garcia
playing for the Bucs, and that's obviously a good thing. The Texans
have allowed two passing touchdowns in each of their last two games,
and that's a likely total for Garcia. The Bucs have received
excellent play from Joey Galloway and
have also seen Earnest Graham
develop into a versatile performer. Graham has a TD in four straight
games and should make it five against Houston, which has allowed 11
rush TDs this year. Sage Rosenfels
will likely start for the Texans, and he'll have trouble against
Tampa Bay's tough secondary. They'll roll coverage toward Andre Johnson and force Rosenfels to go elsewhere, and that's
been tough for Houston to do. Ron Dayne
is banged up, which stinks for him since he'd have a good game
against Tampa Bay's front seven. Then again, the Bucs laid the wood
to Clinton Portis and Reggie Bush in consecutive games and have done reasonably well
against bowling ball RBs like LenDale White
and Edgerrin James. The Bucs should
play fundamental football and roll to a win.
|
|
|
St. Louis Rams at Cincinnati Bengals
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Paul Brown Stadium
|
|
There's an obvious difference in the Rams' offense with Marc Bulger at QB and Brock Berlin
at QB, but either way, one thing is clear: St. Louis isn't a good
team outdoors. Case in point: Bulger has one touchdown and seven
interceptions outdoors this season with one game over 200 yards
passing. His last 300-yard game outdoors came last October at San
Diego. Gus Frerotte was not any
better, throwing five picks outdoors at Baltimore earlier this year.
So even with the patsy matchup in the Bengals, these stats are too
strong to ignore. Expect Steven Jackson
to get around 25 touches and be their catalyst. The Bengals run
defense has held opposing rushers to under 100 yards in each of
their last four, but I don't think it matters here. Do not be afraid
to start Bengals studs here after last week's disappointing game;
the turf will be better this week, and the defense is a lot softer. Rudi Johnson is also a quality play as the Rams run defense is
giving up 109.3 rush yards per game. Ultimately, this should be a
high-scoring game (at least for the Bengals).
|
|
|
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Ralph Wilson Stadium
|
|
No one on the Dolphins is worth riding other than Jesse Chatman, who notched 124 rush yards and 25 receiving yards
against the Bills earlier this year. He lost carries last week
because he aggravated an ankle injury and the Dolphins fell behind
and wanted to throw with John Beck,
but this week should be different if he is healthy enough to play.
If not, then Lorenzo Booker or Samkon Gado would be low-end desperation options at best. No one
else on Miami deserves your trust. For Buffalo, Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson is a
must-start, depending on which one plays. Lynch is ahead of schedule
on his rehab from his high-ankle sprain and isn't ruled out yet,
while Jackson proved that he's a capable replacement. Whoever
Buffalo's RB is, use him as a No. 2 RB option. And do my eyes
deceive me, or is my calendar showing that it's December in Western
New York? This is when Lee Evans
usually hits his stride, scoring four touchdowns in each of his last
two Decembers (and six in 2004). With the matchup what it is and Trent Edwards proving that he can move the ball through the air
to some degree, Evans isn't a bad pick as a No. 3 Fantasy WR. The
Bills DST is a sneaky one-week sleeper for the Fantasy playoff owner
playing the waiver wire.
|
|
|
Oakland Raiders at Green Bay Packers
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lambeau Field
|
|
Oakland's offense looked good against Denver last week, but they're
going up against a rested and ready squad in the Packers, and I
don't like their chances. Justin Fargas
is a guy I've been wrong on, so maybe you should start him. But I
see a Packers run defense that's allowed four rushing TDs all season
and haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher in eight games, and I wouldn't
want one of my RBs going up against that. I still say you should not
play Fargas. Any other Raiders worth a look? Maybe Jerry Porter as a No. 3 since he's seen an increased role in the
offense over the last three weeks. The real quandary is how involved Brett Favre will be. This is the perfect matchup for him to rest
his arm since the Raiders absolutely stink against the run. How hard
will it be for Favre to hand off to Ryan Grant
25 times? It's that thinking that makes me believe that Favre won't
have an impressive stat line, and that's without taking the Raiders'
pass defense (eight pass TDs allowed all year) into consideration.
Expect Favre to be gently used in Week 14 unless the Raiders put up
a fight (yeah, right), and that will mean low stats bleeding into
the Packers' WRs this week.
|
|
|
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lincoln Financial Field
|
|
A lot of history between these two teams, but you've got to throw a
lot of it out for this game. Example: Last time they met, the Giants
had 12 sacks. Winston Justice was a
spot starter for the Eagles and he was abused. Example: Plaxico Burress is playing hurt and I'd say at about 60 percent of
his normal game. Example: Brandon Jacobs
is coming off of a bad hamstring pull and won't give the Giants an
explosive run attack. The one constant we can count on is Brian Westbrook, who has at least 120 total yards in each of his
last five against the Giants with five total touchdowns. The Giants
will have trouble containing him, and he'll give Donovan McNabb a chance to put the ball in the air. Eli Manning responded well to playing from behind last week but
will still struggle. I actually like Amani Toomer more than Burress: he's healthier and won't see the
kind of coverage that Burress will. He's No. 2 material in my book,
and he's slightly outperformed Burress over their last four games.
|
|
|
Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
|
|
This is not a good matchup for the Panthers at all. Jacksonville's
defense should slam on DeShaun Foster
and blitz Vinny Testaverde, making it
hard for the Panthers to move the football. Jacksonville found a way
to limit LaDainian Tomlinson and Joseph Addai on the ground in two of their last three games, so
Foster is in all sorts of trouble. Steve Smith
continues to be a low-end No. 2-type of Fantasy option with the
Panthers' passing game shipwrecked. I've loved what I've seen from David Garrard since his return from injury, and he should
continue to get around 250 yards with two touchdowns here. The
Panthers are improving against the run; not one running back has
scored on the ground on Carolina in three games. It's not enough to
sit either Maurice Jones-Drew or Fred Taylor, but be aware that their respective streaks (two
100-yard games for Taylor, four straight with a touchdown for
Jones-Drew) might be in jeopardy.
|
|
|
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, Ford Field
|
|
The Lions' secondary doesn't have a prayer at slowing down Terrell Owens, who has 11 scores in his last seven games. Detroit's
given up 10 passing TDs in their last four games. Owens is going to
eat them up. Obviously, that makes Tony Romo
a must-start, but it also favors Patrick Crayton, who has been a touchdown magnet for the Cowboys
when he's been healthy. Jason Witten
has only scored twice in his last seven games but should be in line
for an easy score this week. Marion Barber's
receiving days have passed, but he's averaging nearly 16 carries per
game in his last five and is a good No. 2 Fantasy RB. Offensively,
the Lions are in trouble. Kevin Jones
is producing very little, partially because the club is opting to
throw more, and that's going to be the case here as Dallas' run
defense can stop anyone not named Ryan Grant.
Jon Kitna was back on the right track
until getting drubbed by the Vikings last week, but will have a hard
time without Roy Williams on the
field. Calvin Johnson looks like
he's hit the proverbial rookie wall, and Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey
won't be much of a challenge for the Cowboys to contain.
|
|
|
San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans
|
|
Sunday, 1:00 pm, LP Field
|
|
What a battle: LaDainian Tomlinson
vs. Albert Haynesworth. I've been
led to believe that Haynesworth is not playing at 100 percent, and
he wasn't an every-down player for Tennessee last week. Unless
Haynesworth practices in full all week, I'm expecting Tomlinson to
be a busy guy. For San Diego, the wild card is Antonio Gates; Tennessee will stick SS Michael Griffin on Gates, and he and Tennessee have fared well
against tight ends (Dallas Clark is the only prominent tight end to
score on the Titans this year). If the blitz bothers Philip Rivers, Gates will post another weak game. Tennessee
remains a running team, but the Chargers are beginning to find their
way again as a good run-stopping defense. LenDale White has been mostly awful over his last four games and
has seen an almost even split with Chris Brown
since Brown's been healthy. What a nightmare for his Fantasy owners.
For the Titans to win, Vince Young
is going to have to remain aggressive. There's an obvious comfort
level Young has reached with the passing game, so he'll have to
exploit a Chargers defense allowing over 220 yards per game through
the air. San Diego's secondary has looked great of late, but they've
played the Ravens and Chiefs in their last two.
|
|
|
Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers
|
|
Sunday, 4:05 pm, Monster Park
|
|
Minnesota will lean on its run game to carry them to a fourth
straight win. Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor should pound on a Niners run defense that is giving
up 124 rush yards per game on average with eight rushing touchdowns
allowed on the year. Not much else to chase from Minnesota's side of
the ball. The 49ers will have big trouble against Minnesota's
defense, which is still No. 1 vs. the run (70.5 ypg, 5 TDs allowed
on the year). Frank Gore should
continue to be good for close to 100 total yards, but expect nothing
more. The Niners will have to take to the air, and that doesn't bode
well for them. Not even Vernon Davis
or Arnaz Battle are worth a look
here. This should be a lopsided win for Minnesota.
|
|
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
|
|
Sunday, 4:05 pm, Qwest Field
|
|
You have to figure that with Anquan Boldin
(toe) out and Larry Fitzgerald
(groin) limited, the Cardinals will try to run the ball first, and
that seems to be where Seattle can be beaten. Steven Jackson and Brian Westbrook
tagged them for over 100 total yards and a touchdown over the last
two weeks, and Seattle has given up eight rush TDs in their last
five games (four to Jamal Lewis). Edgerrin James should get a healthy dose of playing time, and he's
posted two straight 110-yard, one TD rushing performances against
Seattle. While the Seahawks' defense tries to stop James, look for
their offense to try and strike against the Cardinals' battered
secondary. The Cardinals have given up two passing touchdowns in
each of their last four games, and Matt Hasselbeck has two passing TDs in six of his last seven
games. Looks like a match to me. What about Seattle's running game?
Arizona's been weaker against the run too, but Shaun Alexander couldn't maintain a high level of play last week
against Philadelphia. He's still a top-24 Fantasy RB -- figure him
to be a No. 2 choice -- but be aware that a 20-carry, 75-yard day is
not out of the realm of possibility.
|
|
|
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
|
|
Sunday, 4:15 pm, Invesco Field at Mile High
|
|
The Chiefs may end up starting Will Svitek
and Herb Taylor at their offensive tackle spots at Denver, and
that's a recipe for disaster for the Chiefs. Yes, the Broncos' run
defense was hideous last week, but the Chiefs' offensive line could
be in big trouble and make those Broncos look good up front. Kolby Smith slips into low-end No. 2/top-end No. 3 territory
unless the Chiefs get their regular offensive tackles back. By the
way, Tony Gonzalez's history against
the Broncos is awful thanks in part to tight coverage by Champ Bailey. Kansas City's run defense is in just as bad of
shape as its offensive line thanks to LB Derrick Johnson away from the team with a family emergency and LB Donnie Edwards hurting. Travis Henry
should burn the Chiefs, making life easy for the rest of the
Broncos. It might mean minimal passing for Jay Cutler, and thus limited numbers for Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley
and Javon Walker. Selvin Young, however, might be a sleeper for some garbage-time
numbers; think of him in deeper leagues as a No. 3.
|
|
|
Cleveland Browns at N.Y. Jets
|
|
Sunday, 4:15 pm, Giants Stadium
|
|
Call this the Belichick Defensive Coaching Tree Bowl. The Jets have
gotten better against the run, but they'll have their hands full
with Jamal Lewis, who continues to
exceed all expectations. Of course, if the Browns can't run,
throwing is just as good for them, and there isn't any reason to
think twice about their studs at QB, WR and TE. The Jets have a shot
if Kellen Clemens can rise to the
occasion, more so than he did last week. Thomas Jones is also a good No. 2 option; he's gotten his groove
back and faces another soft run defense in the Browns. This should
be a fun back-and-forth game with a moderately high score.
|
|
|
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
|
|
Sunday, 4:15 pm, Gillette Stadium
|
|
New England is known for taking out a team's best player, but the
Steelers have several quality guys, so picking one might be tough.
Pittsburgh has proven to be good on the ground and through the air.
But the Patriots' inability to slam on the run is going to be a
focus for them, so expect them to try and keep Willie Parker in check, a likely possibility even though Brian Westbrook and Willis McGahee
each have totaled plenty of yards against the Patriots in the last
two weeks. Parker has averaged well under 4.0 yards per carry over
his last three games and hasn't scored since Week 8. Not a great
matchup for him, but he's tough to sit. Ben Roethlisberger is going to have to be the chain-mover for
the Steelers, and based on A.J. Feeley
and Kyle Boller's recent success
against the Pats, I think Big Ben has a good game. If Santonio Holmes plays, you can be sure of Pittsburgh being
aggressive with the play-action pass. New England might try and see
what the Jets did to run so well on the Steelers back in Week 11,
but they'll ultimately ride their strength and throw the ball.
Pittsburgh might have played Cincinnati last week, but the turf
neutralized their passing game; the Steelers haven't seen a strong
passing unit in three games, so they might not be completely
prepared for New England's attack. Ultimately, this game comes down
to whether or not the Patriots defend against the Steelers' blitz.
If Pittsburgh can get to Tom Brady
enough times and force a turnover or two, they'll end the Pats' bid
for a perfect season.
|
|
|
Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
|
|
Sunday, 8:15 pm, M&T Bank Stadium
|
|
Peyton Manning has not fared well in his last four overall
against Baltimore, including the playoff game, totaling four scores
and three interceptions. In the Colts' most recent meeting, the
playoff game last season, Manning threw two interceptions with no
touchdowns, the Colts' running game was stuffed and the only way
Indy could score points was off the foot of Adam Vinatieri. With no Marvin Harrison
and the Ravens angry over last week's loss and their season in
general, they're going to give the Colts all they can handle. Keep
in mind what the Ravens did to Tom Brady
(257 yards, two TDs, one INT) and expect similar numbers for
Manning. Joseph Addai does not have
a very good matchup here, either, and that's in spite of Maroney's
totals from last week. The Ravens did not shy away from using Willis McGahee last week and will likely try to run with him this
week. Keep in mind, though, that they're playing on a short week and
McGahee had 34 touches. He might not have a full tank for this game,
and the Colts' run defense is good. Only Derrick Mason remains a halfway decent option as a No. 3 choice.
|
|
|
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
|
|
Monday, 8:30 pm, Georgia Dome
|
|
Drew Brees should be the key to victory here for the
Saints. In his last two vs. Atlanta, he's gunned for two TDs in each
with one 300-yard game and one interception. New Orleans must lean
on him and Marques Colston because
RB Reggie Bush looks bushed. He
hasn't scored in any of his last three games, not topping 15 carries
in any of those contests, and maxing out at three receptions in two
of those three games. He looks frustrated and unfocused, and I doubt
he'll go off here against a team he has one touchdown and no
100-total-yard games against in three tries. Chris Redman will start for Atlanta and appears to have the
knowledge of the offense to match his healthy body. The Saints don't
offer much bang up front, so Redman will have time to throw against
an awful Saints secondary. I like Roddy White
a lot this week, and even Michael Jenkins
and Alge Crumpler can be considered
useful sleeper options. Expect to see more of Jerious Norwood this week as well; coach Bobby Petrino has said
that it's time to get him involved (he started last week). If the
Falcons can make some plays against Brees, they have a shot to win.
|
