Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the weekly NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Sleeper alert features an under-the-radar player who could produce good numbers. Owners beware features a regular fantasy starter who could fail to meet expectations based on the strength of his opponent. Obvious fantasy starters like Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson will not be featured. For your final lineup decisions, check our lineup rankings.
Start of the week
Alex Henery vs. New York Giants: Henery has hit a bit of a skid, scoring a combined 10 fantasy points over the last two weeks. Still, he's an attractive option against a Giants defense that has given up the fourth-most fantasy points to kickers. Furthermore, Henery scored an impressive 18 fantasy points against Big Blue back in Week 5. (Maximum value: High K1)
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Start 'em
Dan Bailey at Detroit Lions: While his numbers have fallen off a bit over the last two weeks (12 fantasy points combined), Bailey remains a very nice option for owners based on a favorable matchup against the Lions. Over the last four weeks, Detroit has surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points (11.00 PPG) to opposing kickers. (Maximum value: High K1)
Steven Hauschka at St. Louis Rams (Mon.): Hauschka has been on fire, scoring a combined 45 fantasy points in his last four games -- only Adam Vinatieri has had more points among kickers in that time. He should remain active against the Rams, who have allowed an average of 10.50 fantasy points to the position in the last two weeks. (Maximum value: Mid K1)
Sleeper alert - Sebastian Janikowski vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Janikowski has not been good this season -- he ranks 30th in fantasy points among kickers -- but he's worth a roll of the dice with six teams on a bye. SeaBass goes up against the Steelers, who have given up an average of close to 10 fantasy points per game to kickers in 2013. (Maximum value: Low K1)
Sit of the week
Greg Zuerlein vs. Seattle Seahawks (Mon.): The man called "Legatron" has been mediocre at best this season, ranking just inside the top 25 among kickers based on fantasy points. He doesn't figure to make a huge impact this week against the Seahawks, either. Their defense has allowed an average of 6.25 fantasy points per game to kickers. (Maximum value: Mid K2)
Sit 'em
Nick Folk at Cincinnati Bengals: Folk was a hero for fantasy owners who started him last week, as he scored 12 points in a win over the New England Patriots. However, he won't be in a good position to find success in back-to-back weeks. The Bengals defense has allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points (7.29 PPG) to opposing kickers in 2013. (Maximum value: Mid K2)
Caleb Sturgis at New England Patriots: While he had a fast start to the season, Sturgis has seen his numbers fall in recent weeks. In fact, 28 kickers have more points since Week 4. The Patriots have surrendered the sixth-fewest fantasy points (5.33 PPG) to opposing kickers on their home field, so Sturgis is someone to bench in Week 8. (Maximum value: Mid K2)
Owners beware - Blair Walsh vs. Green Bay Packers: Walsh is one of the better kickers in fantasy football, but he's hit a rough stretch with just five points in his last two games combined. His struggles could continue against the Packers, who have given up an average of just 5.50 fantasy points per game to opposing kickers this season. (Maximum value: Low K1)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
