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 Arian Foster will not be featured in this column. For your final lineup decisions, check our lineup rankings.
Start of the week
Blair Walsh vs. Tennessee Titans: We're seeing a lot of young kickers make an impact this season, and Walsh is clearly among them. The fifth-best kicker based on fantasy points after four games, the rookie has made nine of his 10 field-goal attempts and should continue to shine against the Titans. Tennessee has surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to kickers.
Start 'em
Justin Tucker at Kansas City Chiefs: Tucker ranks just behind Walsh in terms of fantasy production and is on pace for a solid 164 fantasy points on the season. A free agent in countless NFL.com leagues, the rookie is a nice option this weekend against the Chiefs. Kansas City is one of eight teams that are allowing an average of double-digit fantasy points to kickers.
Mason Crosby at Indianapolis Colts: Once considered an elite kicker, Crosby has stumbled out of the gates with just five field-goal conversions and a mere 25 fantasy points in his first four games. Still, this week's matchup against the Colts makes him a viable option. Indianapolis has given up seven field goals in three games, so look for Crosby to post a nice total.
Sleeper alert - Nick Novak at New Orleans Saints: Novak filled in for an injured Nate Kaeding last week and was impressive, scoring 13 fantasy points in a win over the Chiefs. A free agent in most fantasy leagues, he's well worth a look against the Saints in what could be a high-scoring affair. Only the Panthers have given up more fantasy points to kickers this season.
Sit of the week
Billy Cundiff vs. Atlanta Falcons: Cundiff might rank in the top 10 in fantasy points among kickers after the first four weeks, but he's a risk based on this week's matchup against the Falcons. Atlanta has allowed just two field-goal conversions on the season, and no team has given up fewer fantasy points to opposing kickers. Cundiff has almost missed four of 10 attempts.
Sit 'em
Alex Henery at Pittsburgh Steelers: Henery has had a good start to the season, converting on eight of his first nine field-goal attempts. However, those conversions haven't equated to big fantasy production. After four weeks, he ranks just 20th in fantasy points among his peers. The Steelers have been tough on kickers, so Henery isn't someone to lean on at this point.
Nick Folk vs. Houston Texans (Mon.): Folk posted double-digit fantasy points in two of his first three games but was shut out in last week's blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Next on the slate is a Monday night contest against the Texans, who have given up just four field-goal conversions and the third-fewest fantasy points to kickers. Keep the veteran on the sidelines.
Owners beware - Matt Prater at New England Patriots: Prater has been on fire over the last two weeks, scoring a combined 28 fantasy points including 15 in last week's win over the Oakland Raiders. This week he faces the Patriots, who have been tough on kickers this season. In fact, New England has allowed an average of just 6.50 fantasy points per game to the position in 2012.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
