The fantasy football season is starting to wind down for most leagues around the country, so it’s now or never for a lot of folks out there.
This week, a lot of eyes will be on the Saints/Falcons matchup in the Big Easy. After a decisive victory over Philadelphia on Monday night, New Orleans will be looking to pull within one game of the .500 mark with a win over Atlanta. Last year, the Saints won both matchups with the Falcons, so look for Mike Smith’s club to be poised to deliver a little payback.
When analyzing this game as it pertains to fantasy, it would be wise to let all the Falcons’ stars see the field. Smith’s team should be able to put up a lot of points on one of the league’s poorest defenses, which could mean big stats for Atlanta skill players such as Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez.
As for Saints players, well, proceed with caution. Atlanta’s defense has been one of the league’s best, so gaudy fantasy stats could be hard to come by for New Orleans’ set of skill guys.
One other huge game that a lot of NFL fantasy players will have their eyes on will be Houston at Chicago. The Bears have been on a roll of late, and it will be interesting to see how they stack up against one of the AFC’s best teams.
The forecast for Chicago on Monday night calls for clear and cold weather (30s), so sloppy field conditions should not be a factor. I’m a little hesitant to say the two QBs in this game will have big nights due to the talent on both defenses, but I think the two running backs could post solid numbers.
Look, you can never bench backs like Arian Foster or Matt Forte regardless of the matchup, but you can bench QBs if you have other options. Due to the talent on the Houston and Chicago defenses, I recommend sitting both starting signal-callers in this instance. This game just has defensive struggle written all over it, and most of you know that doesn’t equate to big fantasy numbers on offense.
Bye Weeks: Arizona, Green Bay, Washington, Cleveland
Let See the Field
New England Defense: Bottom line, the Bills are horrible. Their offensive line has been hurt by injuries and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has played poorly as a result. New England is coming off a bye week and is at home, so get the Pats’ D in the lineup.
Andre Brown, RB, New York: With Ahmad Bradshaw’s status (foot injury) still uncertain for Sunday, it would be wise to get Brown primed for action against Cincinnati. The Bengals are allowing an average of 19.3 points per game to fantasy running backs, so look for Brown to have a big day on the ground.
Tony Romo, QB, Dallas: Romo has had an up and down year (as usual), but he should post big numbers against a Philadelphia defense that has trouble getting after the QB. Get him in the lineup if you don’t have an elite passer on your team.
Isaac Redman, RB, Pittsburgh: Redman had 147 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries a week ago against a tough Giants defense. This week, he could post even better numbers against a poor Kansas City defense.
Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco: Crabtree has really come on of late and could be in line for a big game against the Rams. Get him in the lineup if you need production at receiver.
Show the Splinters
Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota: Harvin is dealing with a sprained ankle so it would be wise to leave the NFL’s second-leading receiver (62 catches) on the bench if you have better options. Ankle injuries are never easy to recover from so keep an eye on Harvin’s progress moving forward.
Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland: Like Harvin, McFadden is suffering from an ankle sprain, and he’s not likely to play this week when the Raiders travel to Baltimore. Even if he was healthy, it wouldn’t be wise to think he would post big numbers against a Ravens’ defense that due for a good performance.
Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis: The 49ers own one of the best run defenses in the NFL, so Jackson could find daylight hard to find. Rookie Daryl Richardson has also been taking away from Jackson’s carries more and more, so Richardson, not Jackson, could be the Rams go-to-guy in the later part of the season.
Mike Vick, QB, Philadelphia: After losing offensive tackle Todd Herremans for the season in last week’s loss to New Orleans, the Eagles are down to a patchwork offensive line, which doesn’t bode well for Vick going up against a Dallas defense that can get after the QB.