 |
| Stephen Dunn/Getty Images |
| Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams is having the best fantasy season of his entire NFL career. |
Start of the Week
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Carolina Panthers |  DeAngelo Williams | Williams, who ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing yards, has become one of the most valuable running backs in fantasy football. He's rushed for 100-plus yards and scored at least one touchdown in four straight games, and now he'll face a Packers defense that ranks 26th against the run. The Pack have also allowed 12 rushing touchdowns. |
Quarterbacks -- Start 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Pittsburgh Steelers |  Ben Roethlisberger | Roethlisberger hasn't been the most consistent quarterback in fantasy land this season, but he's back in a groove after throwing for a combined 551 yards in games against the Chargers and Bengals. Now he'll head to New England to face the Patriots, whose leaky pass defense has allowed six touchdowns to quarterbacks since Week 11. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 San Diego Chargers |  Philip Rivers | Rivers ranks third in fantasy points among all players on NFL.com this season, and this week's game against the Falcons should be a nice holiday treat. The Falcons rank 23rd against the pass, allowing an average of over 230 yards per game. This inter-conference tilt could turn into a shootout, so look for Rivers to have a solid stat line. |
| More quarterbacks with favorable matchups |
| Jay Cutler at N.Y. Jets, Brett Favre vs. Denver, Jeff Garcia vs. New Orleans, Chad Pennington at St. Louis, Matt Ryan at San Diego. Sleeper alert: Trent Edwards vs. San Francisco. |
Quarterbacks -- Sit 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 New York Giants |  Eli Manning | Manning had a nice performance vs. the Cardinals, throwing for 240 yards and three touchdowns, but he'll probably struggle to reach those numbers in Washington. Not only do the Redskins rank fourth in pass defense, but Manning has averaged a mere 172.5 yards and thrown for just three touchdowns in four career starts in our nation's capital. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Kansas City Chiefs |  Tyler Thigpen | Thigpen has been the hottest player in fantasy football over the last five weeks, so he'll be seen as a starter in most leagues. But be warned that the Raiders, who now rank 10th in pass defense, have held quarterbacks to an average of just 150 passing yards with one touchdown and five interceptions in the last three weeks. |
| More quarterbacks with unfavorable matchups |
| Derek Anderson vs. Indianapolis, Jason Campbell at Washington, Jake Delhomme at Green Bay, Shaun Hill at Buffalo, Kyle Orton at Minnesota. Owners beware: Matt Cassel vs. Pittsburgh. |
Running backs -- Start 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Miami Dolphins |  Ronnie Brown | Fantasy owners who have Brown will be extra thankful this week. Over their last four games, Brown's opponent, the Rams, have allowed 718 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. That's an average of 180 rushing yards per game. Furthermore, the last four featured backs to face them have averaged a solid 23 fantasy points on NFL.com. |
| More running backs with favorable matchups |
| Joseph Addai at Cleveland, Larry Johnson at Oakland, Thomas Jones vs. Denver, Maurice Jones-Drew at Houston (Mon.), Jamal Lewis vs. Indianapolis. Sleeper alert: Justin Fargas vs. Kansas City. |
Running backs -- Sit 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 San Francisco 49ers |  Frank Gore | Gore has re-established himself as one of the better running backs in fantasy football this season, but owners with backfield depth might want to sit him against Buffalo. In three games out of the western part of the U.S., Gore has averaged fewer than 40 rushing yards with no touchdowns. The Bills have also been tough on runners at home. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 New England Patriots |  Sammy Morris | Morris is back from an injured knee, but he hasn't re-claimed his previous status as the Patriots' best fantasy back. He's recorded minimal numbers over the last two weeks and is sharing the workload with Kevin Faulk and Benjarvus Green-Ellis. Morris must now face a Steelers defense that ranks first in the NFL in run defense. |
| More running backs with unfavorable matchups |
| Cedric Benson vs. Baltimore, Peyton Hillis at N.Y. Jets, Deuce McAllister at Tampa Bay, Willie Parker at New England, Steve Slaton vs. Jacksonville (Mon.). Owners beware: Matt Forte at Minnesota. |
Wide receivers -- Start 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Atlanta Falcons |  Roddy White | White has developed into one of the better wide receivers in the league this season, as he's on pace to finish with 1,412 yards and nine touchdowns. He should improve on those projections in San Diego, where he'll face a Chargers defense that ranks dead last in the league against the pass. White is a must-start in all formats. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Buffalo Bills |  Lee Evans | With fellow wideout Josh Reed back in the pass attack and the confidence of Trent Edwards on the rise, it's hard not to like Evans this week. He's coming off a solid five-catch, 110-yard performance in a win over Kansas City, and now he'll face a 49ers defense that ranks 27th in receiving yards allowed. Consider Evans a tremendous option. |
| More wide receivers with favorable matchups |
| Bernard Berrian vs. Chicago, Torry Holt vs. Miami, Vincent Jackson vs. Atlanta, Brandon Marshall at N.Y. Jets, Hines Ward at New England. Sleeper alert: Antonio Bryant vs. New Orleans. |
Wide receivers -- Sit 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Cleveland Browns |  Braylon Edwards | After a slow start, Edwards has recorded 13 catches for 189 yards in his last two games. But this week's matchup against the Colts is a difficult one. Indianapolis has allowed the 8th-fewest receiving yards in the league, and no defense has allowed fewer touchdown catches (4). I'd consider Edwards no more than a No. 3 fantasy wideout. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Washington Redskins |  Santana Moss | Moss had a hot start to the season for fantasy owners, but his numbers have fallen off in recent weeks. In his last three games, he's hauled in just 11 passes for 115 yards and no touchdowns. Now he'll face the Giants, who rank 8th against the pass and have held Moss to an average of 67.2 receiving yards in their last five meetings. |
| More wide receivers with unfavorable matchups |
| Dwayne Bowe at Oakland, Isaac Bruce at Buffalo, Marques Colston at Tampa Bay, Donald Driver vs. Carolina, Chad Johnson vs. Baltimore. Owners beware: Plaxico Burress at Washington. |
Tight ends -- Start 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 New York Jets |  Dustin Keller | Keller has established himself as a viable fantasy starter in most leagues. In fact, Tony Gonzalez is the lone tight end with more fantasy points in standard leagues since Week 10. The rookie's success should continue against the Broncos, who are allowing an average of close to five catches and 57.2 yards to tight ends this season. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Houston Texans |  Owen Daniels | Daniels has seen his numbers fall over the last three games, but he's still a nice fantasy starter based on this week's game against Jacksonville. The Jaguars have allowed 18 receiving touchdowns on the season, which is tied for the 4th-most in the league. Daniels also lit them up for seven catches and 87 yards back in Week 4. |
| More tight ends with favorable matchups |
| Antonio Gates vs. Atlanta, Anthony Fasano at St. Louis, Heath Miller at New England, Greg Olsen at Minnesota, Tony Scheffler at N.Y. Jets. Sleeper alert: Visanthe Shiancoe vs. Chicago. |
Tight ends -- Sit 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 New Orleans Saints |  Jeremy Shockey | Shockey has hauled in 11 passes in his last two games, which is an impressive total for a tight end. But the veteran has still failed to post 80-plus yards in a game or a single touchdown. In fact, it could be argued that his teammate, Billy Miller, is a better fantasy option. Overall, Shockey is a real risk against a stout Tampa pass defense. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
San Francisco 49ers |  Vernon Davis | Davis has caught a touchdown pass in two of his last three games. However, he's also been targeted just six times in those games, so he's still not a prominent option in the offensive attack of Mike Martz. Now he'll head to Buffalo to face a Bills defense that's allowing an average of fewer than four receptions per game to tight ends. |
| More tight ends with unfavorable matchups |
| Kevin Boss at Washington, Chris Cooley vs. N.Y. Giants, Donald Lee vs. Carolina, Zach Miller vs. Kansas City, Robert Royal vs. San Francisco. Owners beware: Kellen Winslow vs. Indianapolis. |
Kickers -- Start 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Tampa Bay Buccaneers |  Matt Bryant | Bryant has developed into one of the better kickers in fantasy land this season, ranking sixth in fantasy points at the position on NFL.com and just six points behind the top scorer (Stephen Gostkowski). His success should continue this week against the Saints, who are tied for the 5th-most field-goal conversions allowed (24) this season. |
| More kickers with favorable matchups |
| Phil Dawson vs. Indianapolis, Jay Feely vs. Denver, John Kasay at Green Bay, Rian Lindell vs. San Francisco, Ryan Longwell vs. Chicago. Sleeper alert: Dan Carpenter at St. Louis. |
Kickers -- Sit 'Em
| Team | Player | Analysis |
Pittsburgh Steelers |  Jeff Reed | Reed has scored a respectable 28 fantasy points on NFL.com in his last three games, but he's still someone to avoid in Week 13. The veteran kicker draws a tough matchup, at least for kickers, against New England. The Patriots have allowed the 3rd-fewest field-goal conversions (13), so Reed's opportunities to score could be limited. |
| More kickers with unfavorable matchups |
| John Carney at Washington, Shayne Graham vs. Baltimore, Nate Kaeding vs. Atlanta, Matt Prater at N.Y. Jets, Shaun Suisham vs. N.Y. Giants. Owners beware: Adam Vinatieri at Cleveland. |
Defenses -- Start 'Em
| Team | Player |
 Ravens defense | It's hard not to love the Ravens based on their matchup in Cincinnati. Not only do the Bengals have a questionable offensive attack without Carson Palmer, but the Purple and Black attack scored 18 fantasy points on NFL.com against them in Week 1. |
| More defenses with favorable matchups |
| Bills defense vs. San Francisco, Colts defense at Cleveland, Dolphins defense at St. Louis, Giants defense at Washington, Vikings defense vs. Chicago. Sleeper alert: Chiefs defense at Oakland. |
Defenses -- Sit 'Em
| Team | Player |
Patriots defense | The Patriots defense has allowed a combined 767 yards of total offense and 62 points in their last two games. With injuries all over the place and a tough matchup against the Steelers on the slate, this unit should be left on the fantasy sidelines in all formats. |
| More defenses with unfavorable matchups |
| Broncos defense at N.Y. Jets, Browns defense vs. Indianapolis, Falcons defense at San Diego, Panthers defense at Green Bay, Redskins defense vs. N.Y. Giants. Owners beware: Chargers defense vs. Atlanta. |
Have a burning question for Michael Fabiano on anything fantasy football related? Send it to AskFabiano@nfl.com, and the best questions will be answered throughout the season right here on NFL.com!
View all comments >>