Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Start/Sit: Week 12

Quarterback:

Start- Matt Schaub- Anybody else think that Schaub is excited to have Andre Johnson back and healthy? Schaub recently got over his own injury woes and is poised to have an excellent second half. He gets the Cleveland Browns this week whose defensive backfield is hurting. Given the uncertainty of Houston's running game and the fact that this will most likely be a shootout, look for Matt to air it out early and often. Forecast- 300 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception

Sit- Brett Favre- In light of how he's been playing, how on earth can I suggest sitting Brett Favre? Well, I do so with a qualifier: Only sit him if you have another top ten option. I just don't think Brett will have an extraordinary game here. When you play the Lions at the Silverdome on Thanksgiving, they always seem to come up with that extra defensive effort that turns immortals back into mere men. Forecast- 225 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception


Running Back:

Start- Cedric Benson- I must remind people that the purpose of this column is point out players who may do better than expected, not just endorse everyone else's Top Ten list. This is why I'm truly going out on a limb with Benson, a disappointment if there ever was one. However, Benson has been such a bust this year that garnering anything over 25 yards would seem like he's overachieved his expectations. I say Ced puts things together against an atrocious Denver Run D and is a somewhat pleasant surprise this week. Forecast- 85 yards, 1 touchdown

Sit- Willis McGahee- McGahee made us look smart last week by producing when we called his name. This week, however, we see a different scenario unfolding. The Chargers play at home, they are desperate for a win and know that McGahee represents the Ravens' best (and probably only option) to put points on the board. I can see them putting 8 or 9 in the box and daring Kyle Boller to beat them with his arm. Forecast- 70 yards


Wide Receiver:

Start- D.J Hackett- As Marv Albert might intone, "Hackett is ON FIRE!". Since returning from his injury, Hackett has posted 6, 8 and 9 receptions in his last three games. The news out of Seattle is they plan to keep throwing the majority of the time and they face a St. Louis defense who has given up 322 yards per game though the air. As matchups go, your Aunt Hilda's giblet gravy couldn't possibly be any tastier. Forecast- 8 receptions, 120 yards, 2 touchdowns

Sit- Anquan Boldin- Boldin caught 22 passes in three weeks prior to his hip injury, then 18 passes in the four weeks since he returned. See where we're going with this? The time share between he and Larry Fitzgerald is in full effect and will limit the scoring opportunities for both of them. Besides, who really needs to throw on San Francisco anyway? Forecast- 4 receptions, 50 yards


Tight End:

Start- Ben Watson- Watson has been somewhat quiet this season, but a little known statistic about him is that he is scoring on 25% of his catches. Every now and then, some team gets it into their heads that if they can shut down Randy Moss, they can contain the Patriots. Sorry to disappoint people, but New England just finds new ways to kill you if you do that, including throwing red zone touchdowns to guys like Watson. I foresee a productive game for him against Philadelphia. Forecast- 4 receptions, 40 yards, 1 touchdown

Sit- Tony Gonzalez- I just don't like Tony with Brodie Croyle throwing the ball to him. He's still the same superstar player, but I don't see it doing him a lot of good until Croyle goes through his growing pains. Besides, if there's one thing the Oakland Raiders are halfway decent at, it's defending the pass. I'd resist the temptation. Forecast- 3 receptions, 35 yards


Defense:

Start- Jacksonville- Though they've been far from the automatic start they used to be, I like the Jaguars matchup this week. They're at home, they're facing a Buffalo team minus Marshawn Lynch and they're in the playoff race at 7-3. I can't see Jack Del Rio letting his squad lose a winnable game at this point. Forecast- 3 sacks, 2 interceptions

Sit- Baltimore- Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Remember when just the mention of the name "Ravens" brought fear to the hearts of opposing fantasy owners? Decimated by injury and ravaged by age, the Ravens are getting by mainly on reputation these days and that just won't be good enough against an on-the-ledge San Diego team. Forecast- 1 sack, 1 interception

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