Quarterbacks

Start

Donovan McNabb has an unbelieveable matchup this week vs. the Rams.  He is coming off a 400+ passing outing from Week 3, and will look to keep the Redskins solid offense rolling.  The Redsking just released RB Larry Johnson and now have a backfield that is characterized by an aging and injured Clinton Portis and a young unknown prospect Keiland Williams.  While the Skins will likely dominate this matchup and the game could go to run in the second half to burn out the clock, McNabb is a must start in this matchup with the weak backfield.  Not gonna lie here, it still feels a bit weird when referencing McNabb as a Redskin. 

Kyle Orton is finally getting some love.  A pass happy Broncos offense matchup up vs. the Colts.  There is no question here this game will go to a shootout.  Orton is playing with a lot of motiviation and has a new Beastly weapon to work with Demaryius Thomas.  On a side note RIP WR Kenny McKinley.   

Mike Vick has another great matchup this week vs. the Jags.  There is no reason to think he cannot have a 2nd big game in a row.  Keep in mind that the pressure will start to mount for Vick now that he is the "guy", he has been sacked 9 times in a game and a half and career passing numbers just under 54%.  He helps the Eagles win now, and a big arm conducive to the DJax deep ball, but unless he has changed (which he very well may have) the future may not be so optimistic.  See Roddy White circa 2006.

Sit

There is no reason to trust Brett Favre at this point.  He looks old.  His receiving corps is kinda beat up.  He has a great matchup vs. the Lions this weekend, but we are saying go with another option here.  The Lions Front - 4 are legit and while their pass defense stinks, they won't have to worry about a mobile QB like they did last week and should put some legit pressure on gray beard while still dropping players into coverage.  

Guess who is coming off the most brutal beating of the past weekend.  The New York Giants that who.  They are going to look to put a severe beating on their next opponent, and that means bad things for Vince Young who himself is coming off a terrible week 2 where he was pulled for ex-Giant Kerry Collins.  We expect a big game from CJ2k, but not from Vince Young. 

Matt Ryan faces a Saints defense has forced 5 turnovers this season. Ryan is coming off a good game in Week 2, but it's tough to count on him against one of the leagues top pass defenses in a hostile environment.  Tony Gonzalez has not looked dominant and if the Saints manage to take Roddy White out of the game, its gonna be a tough day for Ryan.

Sneaky Picks

Bruce Gradkowski will be filling in this week for a benched Jason Campbell.  The Raiders looked terrible last week until Gradkowski entered the game and put up some decent numbers.  Gradkowski and his average skill set will face a Cardinals defese that has been entirely unimpressive this season.  While he won't wow you, Gradkowski has a firm grasp on the Raiders offense and could warrant a start in the most desperate of times.

Chad Henne hasn't been the fantasy machine most expected heading into 2010.  He faces the Jets this weekend, a matchup most will have him sitting on their fantasy benches, and normally rightly so.  Darelle Revis is sidelined this weekend, and we expect Brandon Marshall to dominate a game which he may have been otherwise limited to average numbers.  Henne can be started this weekend if needed.

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Running Backs

Start

We have seen Darren McFadden ranked higher this week than players like Cedric Benson, DeAngelo Williams and Matt Forte.  McFadden has been quite impressive and his matchup vs a weak Arizona offense is a solid one.  Look for McFadden to carry the hype into a 3rd straight week, especially with Michael Bush still nursing injury.  We are still not buying into a season long McFadden breakout.  

Mike Tolbert played well in relief of an injuried Ryan Mathews last week, rushing for 82 yards on 16 carries with 2 TD's and catching 1 pass for 13 yards. He's a third year fullback out of Coastal Carolina that should be the primary ball carrier with Mathews limited and likely out this weekend. Michael Turner tried to play with a high ankle sprain last year and it pretty much hampered him the entire season, so this situation bears watching. Darren Sproles will get some touches, but he is what he is. Expect Tolbert to be the lead back here and a startable RB2 this week.

Jamaal Charles is in a tough situation. He is behind the aging Thomas Jones on the depth chart and clearly part of a timeshare. He is not currently getting enough touches to produce to the level of his Average Draft Position. Owners of Charles are frustrated and rightfully so. It usually goes without saying that your 2nd or 3rd round pick is a must-start, but in Charles' situation it is not that cut and dry. Yes, you should start him this week, but that is because his talent will ultimately win out and if the Chiefs get down early, Charles will stay involved as a receiver out of the backfield. The 49ers have given up just 127 rushing yards in two weeks, so this is not an ideal matchup, but soon enough Haley is going to have to lean heavily on his top talent in order to win games. 

Sit
The Panthers offense is just out of sync right now and Jonathan Stewart has just 13 carries on the season so far. He came into the season as a high upside RB3 that was primed and ready for more of a workload. He is clearly behind DeAngelo Williams on the pecking order at the moment. Even though the Panthers should be running more with Jimmy Clausen under center, until both backs get going, J-Stew is best left on the bench.

Is Ladanian Tomlinson emerging as the lead back for the Jets? It sure looks that way so far and while Shonn Greene has the talent to emerge, his preseason status as an RB1 by some was clearly off the mark. He has a tough divisional matchup at the Dolphins on Sunday Night that is likely to be a grind it out type of game. But, much like Jonathan Stewart, Greene should grab some pine until he starts producing.

Don't be fooled by the gaudy receiving numbers, Matt Forte is still running like it's 2009. He's averaging 2.9 yards per carry and while he is definitely the lead back in Chicago, he is not playing like one. If you have other options, you can feel comfortable leaving Forte on the bench this weekend. He makes for a decent sell high candidate if you can blind someone with his fantasy points and ignore his terrible YPC.


Sneaky Picks

Donald Brown is in a great position to produce on Sunday vs. the Broncos.  The Colts found a solid gameplan vs. the Gaints last week and Brown managed to carry the rock at 4.3 a pop and also found the end zone.  Joseph Addai is nursing an injury this week, giving Brown high end RB2 should Addai be limited, or a solid flex spot no matter the situation.  Brown could be emerging more quickly than Addai would like.  

Maybe he was being showcased for a trade or maybe the Bills really thought Marshawn Lynch gave them the best opportunity to win, but either way he got his work. It would not be surprising at all if that trend continued in Week 3. It is still very much a full blown committee, but Lynch could be garner the most touches. The potential is there for the Bills to be down by 30 in the 2nd quarter, but double digit touches are likely nevertheless. Don't rely on him as your RB2, but as a FLEX play in deep leagues, you could do worse.

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Wide Receivers

Start
With the Running game and Ryan Matthew's  banged up this week, Malcolm Floyd becomes an even stronger play. will get a TD and possibly 100 yards. Rivers will be throwing against the mediocre Seattle defense and Floyd is should be the 2nd option behind Antonio Gates. He has had 3 catches in each of the first two games, including 95 yards and a TD last week. This could be a breakout game for Floyd, start him with confidence.

Greg Jennings is the clearcut #1 WR on the Packers, but Donald Driver is consistently getting looks from Aaron Rodgers. He also has a TD in each of the first two games this season. In a game that could be a high scoring affair on Monday Night, Driver is a must start as a WR3/FLEX option.


Sit
3 catches for 44 yards through two weeks is not exactly what we expected from Michael Crabtree this year. He has been almost invisible for the 49ers thus far, as Alex Smith has only targeted him 11 times in two games. Expect that number to rise as the season goes on, but he is a risky start right now until he gets on the same page with his QB and the rest of his teammates.

The QB situation and playcalling in Pittsburgh are holding back Mike Wallace's fantasy potential. That should all change once Big Ben comes back and brings the passing game with him in a few weeks. Charlie Batch probably won't loft the long pass to Wallace as much as Roethlisberger does, so Wallace is better to sit this week. While there is a chance he breaks one for a long TD, there is just as much of a chance that he lays a goose egg. If you do not own Wallace, you might want to try to go after him now, as his owner could be getting frustrated with the lack of production.

After a breakout season in 2009, Robert Meachem has been quiet this year through 2 weeks. That includes 0 catches last week and just one target in only 14 offensive snaps for the 25 year old. As good as the Saints offense is, Brees likes to spread the ball around and that leaves a deep threat like Meachem as more of a miss than a hit. Plus, he shares a similar skillset with Devery Henderson, who is clearly ahead of him on the depth chart at the moment.  Sit him untill he gets the ball consistently, which will probably take an injury.


Sneaky Pick
It's clear that Tony Romo is going to try and get the ball in Dez Bryant's hands as much as possible this year. He is a playmaker that adds another dynamic to the Cowboys offense. With the ground game unable to establish itself, Romo will continue to keep passing, especially against a Houston secondary that has been burned both weeks so far to the tune of 859 yards total. There will be plenty of yards to go around this week and Dez should get enough of a piece to be a FLEX option.

Yes, Hines Ward could have a big game. Even without his regular QB and catching 1 pass last week ( one less than Mike Wallace-Sit), he is a start this week. The reason why Hines could be a nice pick is that he has always been the Steelers consistent fantasy player, and with Charlie Batch throwing, Ward has found success. In 3 games wit Batch, Ward has racked up 14 receptions for 189 yards and 2 TD's. Don't be surprised if Hines has a stellar game.


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Tight Ends

Start

Dustin Keller matches up against a decent Dolphins defense this weekend in South Florida.  Keller lived up to his potential in week 2 having a huge game vs. the Jets all while establishing himself as Kellers most reliable target.  If Braylon Edwards misses a significant chunk of the game, Keller should be leaned on even more. As long as the Jets coaching staff allows Sanchez to air it out like they did in week 2, Keller is in for a huge season, and needs to be in your starting lineup. The return of Santonio Holmes will only benefit Keller.

Sit

Kellen Winslow's matchup up against a Steelers Defense that is on a mission.  They are 2-0 and will look to tack on another victory in Big Ben's absence.  Tampa is not a good team but they have moved the ball this season through the air (kind of).  The Steelers backup/starter situation is a disaster and they know they need to get mean on Defense to win this game.  Expect a very poor day from Bucs offensive players.  Not to mention lots of rushing on the Steelers side of the ball.

Sneaky Picks

Tony Gonzalez's play this season, and his tough matchup this weekend against a brutal Saints pass D, should land him as the second Falcons player on our Sit list this weekend.  While he has not been impressive and looks to have lost a step this year, this game is going to turn into a high scoring affair with the Saints having no problems moving the football.  The Saints are the 30th ranked team in the league this season giving up big time points to Visante Shiancoe and Vernon Davis in Weeks 1 and 2 respectively,  Take a chance here.