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
Falcons defense vs. New York Jets: The Falcons aren't even in the top 25 among defenses based on fantasy points after four weeks, but it's tough to look past this matchup against the Jets. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith turns the ball over a ton, leading defensive units to score an average of over 13 fantasy points per game against them. (Maximum value: Low-DEF1)
Start 'em
Panthers defense at Arizona Cardinals: Fresh off a bye week, the Panthers and their improved defensive front seven will look to continue the success they had before the bye week. The matchup is ripe for the taking, as the Cardinals and turnover-prone quarterback Carson Palmer have been great for fantasy owners looking to stream defenses. (Maximum value: Low-DEF1)
Eagles defense at New York Giants: This could turn into an offensive shootout in the Meadowlands, but the numbers suggest that the Eagles could be a strong fantasy option. In fact, opposing units facing the Giants have combined to score the most fantasy points at the position. Philadelphia is available in most NFL.com fantasy leagues. (Maximum value: Low-DEF1)
Sleeper alert -- Rams defense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Here's Rule No. 1 in streaming fantasy defenses this season: Start the team facing Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars. Defensive units have scored a combined 65 fantasy points against Jacksonville, the second-most in the NFL. Enter the Rams, who should make some noise at home. (Maximum value: Low-DEF1)
Sit of the week
Cowboys defense at Denver Broncos: The Cowboys are a solid fifth in fantasy points among defenses after four weeks, but you want nothing to do with them against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Believe it or not, but opposing defenses have combined to score negative fantasy points when facing Denver this season. Need I say more? (Maximum value: Low-DEF2)
Sit 'em
Titans defense vs. Kansas City Chiefs: The Titans have the third-ranked defense based on fantasy points, but this week's matchup against the Chiefs is anything but favorable. In fact, defenses have combined to score the sixth-fewest fantasy points when facing Alex Smith and the Kansas City offense. That's pretty bad news for the Titans. (Maximum value: Mid-DEF2)
Jets defense at Atlanta Falcons: The Jets had a nice start to the season, scoring 10 fantasy points in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, however, this unit has scored five or fewer fantasy points in three of their last four games. Couple that with a tough road matchup in Atlanta, and it makes sense to bench the Jets. (Maximum value: Mid-DEF2)
Owners beware -- Bengals defense vs. New England Patriots: No matter the personnel, one thing has remained the same about the Patriots: Opposing defenses don't score a lot of fantasy points against them. That doesn't bode well for the Bengals, who have been a bit of a disappointment in fantasy football leagues this season. (Maximum value: High-DEF2)
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**!
