In my league of 14 teams, I finished right in the middle of the pack in terms of points…but because I had the third most points scored on me, I missed the playoffs…by a lot.

I finished second to last.

Lame.

Sometimes, fantasy football goes that way. I will spare you my three heart-breaking losses of the year because, quite frankly, we all have them…and nobody else cares.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Nobody cares Jon except for certain other people in that same league who finished in first place with an 11-2 record despite only scoring the 6th-most points but having by far the least points scored against.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!]

Let’s get to this week.

Once again, “Start Em” guys are QBs/TEs outside of the Top 12 and RBs/WRs outside of the Top 25. “Sit Em Guys” include QBs/TEs that are in the Top 12 and RBs/WRs that are in the Top 25. Why? Because if you have a guy in the top 20…you should be thinking about starting him anyway. I’m not going to sit here and tell you “enlightening” information like, “LeSean McCoy is going to score points this week!”

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em QBs

Start Em QB: Tim Tebow (at NE)

He’s tied for 18th among QBs…AND HE’S ONLY PLAYED EIGHT GAMES!

If you don’t believe in Tebow yet (and by that, I mean in terms of fantasy football), you probably never will.

Tebow will be playing against the New England Patriots and their league-worst defense. It should also be mentioned that for the first time all year, John Fox was complimentary of Tebow’s passing this past week. He admitted that Tebow is improving a lot, and they will be able to start trusting him more and more in the passing game. This is great news for Tebow-owners.

Will The Broncos win this week? I’m not sure, but that doesn’t matter for your fantasy team.

Tebow will go crazy like he did two weeks ago against Minnesota. New England’s pass defense is ranked dead last in the league. Start Tebow with confidence.

Tim Tebow fantasy football Week 15 projection: 260 passing yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT; 80 rushing yards, 1 TD

Other Start Em QBs for Week 15:

• Tony Romo – Tampa Bay is ranked 27th in the league against the pass, and Romo finally has four legitimate receiving weapons now that Miles Austin is back. Add this to the fact that they just lost DeMarco Murray, and I expect Romo to be the #1 QB of Week 15.
• Matt Stafford – Playing against Oakland (Carson Palmer…you can LOL right now). They are awful.
• Andy Dalton – Love his matchup against St. Louis. Cincinnati needs a win right now, and Dalton and AJ Green should make beautiful music in the dome on Sunday.

Sit Em QB: Mark Sanchez (at Philadelphia)

Mark Sanchez is, unbelievably, the 10th ranked QB in all of fantasy right now. Don’t be fooled though.

Sanchez has padded his stats against poor pass defenses. He put up at least 17 points against Dallas, Oakland, Miami, New England, and Buffalo. None of those teams are ranked in the top 14 in the league against the pass. Against Baltimore, Jacksonville, Denver, and Washington, he failed to break THIRTEEN.

The Eagles aren’t a great pass defense, but they are ranked 12th in the league. The way you beat the Eagles is on the ground.
Once you factor Shonn Greene’s resurgence into the picture, Sanchez is a must-sit in week 15.

Mark Sanchez fantasy football Week 15 projection: 180 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Other Sit Em QBs for Week 15:

• Alex Smith – I really hope you weren’t planning on starting him. He’s been terrible lately, AND he’s playing the Steelers. Good luck with that, Mr. Smith.
• Matt Ryan – He’s the most hit or miss QB in fantasy. He could very well have a big game, especially if Julio Jones stops dropping the ball, but I think he’s a miss this week. Jacksonville has the 4th best defense in the league against the pass, and both teams are playing off of a short week on Thursday night. Stay away from Matty-Ice this week.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Jon, you picking Tebow as your start ‘em QB this week is the most predictable choice of 2011. It’s also correct.

Picking Sanchez as the sit ‘em QB though? Boy, I don’t know. I certainly do not agree that he a “must sit”. Do you really trust Philly and its defense that much? Even if Shonn Greene does the heavy lifting, the Jets still like to pass in the red zone.  I don’t love Sanchez, and he’s certainly not a “must start” by any means, but he does have 7 TDs over the last three games. I don’t care who they are against, that’s good. Let’s put it this way: you could do worse.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em RBs

Start Em RB: Ryan Grant (at Kansas City)

After losing Greg Jennings last week, I have the feeling that Green Bay will start playing a little bit more conservatively late in games. Fortunately for them, Ryan Grant appears to be peaking at the right time.

It always takes a while to fully recover from injury, and Grant appeared to be at top form last week.

Look for Green Bay to start shortening games in the second half as the season ends. They will definitely start this week against Kansas City and their atrocious run defense.

Ryan Grant fantasy football Week 15 projection: 150 total yards, 1 TD

Other Start Em RBs for Week 15:

• Shonn Greene AND LaDainian Tomlinson – Don’t be freaked out that they might steal each other’s points…BOTH players should be good for more then 10 this week against Philadelphia.
• Chris Johnson – Against Indianapolis in a game that really doesn’t matter? (Tennessee is basically out of the playoffs at this point) Come on…I think we all know that this is the type of game that Chris Johnson will EXPLODE in.

Sit Em RB: Rashard Mendenhall (v San Francisco)

I will let Jerod confirm this one by explaining to you once again how impossible it is to run on San Francisco.

Rashard Mendenhall Projections: 60 total yards

Other Sit Em RBs for Week 15:

• Ryan Mathews – Tough matchup against Baltimore. San Diego will have to air it out to beat the Ravens.
• DeAngelo Williams – Houston is great against the run as well. I actually like Jonathan Stewart a little bit this week – he’s the Panthers’ threat to catch the ball out of the backfield – but stay away from DeAngelo Williams in Week 15.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Wow, I pretty much agree with everything here. I’m not as high on Grant as you are, but I certainly think he’s worthy of playing for the exact reasons you explained.

As for Mendenhall, San Francisco still has not allowed 1,000 total rushing yards this year – they give up just 70.5 rushing yards per game – and have not allowed a single rushing touchdown. Sure, that second stat is a bit fluky (everyone else has allowed at least five) but you can’t even be in a position to have it unless your run D is awesome. I would sit Mendy too. If he scores, oh well. Can you really be upset with yourself?

Other running backs who simply have to be in your starting lineups because of their matchups:

• Felix Jones – yes, Felix Jones. Dallas is playing Tampa Bay, a team that has essentially quit on the season and can’t stop anyone.
• Cedric Benson – the Rams can’t stop anyone from running either.
• Roy Helu – He’s on fire, has Shanahan’s trust, and gets to face a Giants’ D that rushes the passer but barely passes the rushers.
• Arian Foster and Ben Tate – Carolina’s run D is that bad.
• Beanie Wells – Cleveland can defend the pass, at least statistically, in large part because they can’t defend the run.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em WRs

Start Em WR: Demaryius Thomas (v NE)

New England, as I covered before, is just atrocious against the pass. World-renowned Patriots fan Bill Simmons even thinks that Julian Edelman is their BEST defensive back.

Thomas has quickly become Tebow’s favorite target in the end zone ever since he returned from injury. Look for Thomas to have a BIG day again in Week 15.

Demaryius Thomas fantasy football Week 15 projection: 8 catches for 140 yards and 2 TDs

Bonus Start Em WR: James Jones (at KC)

Usually, I only give you one guy that I’m super strong on, but I felt that this was too important to skip over.

The Greg Jennings injury will not hurt the Packers too badly; they will just spread around the points a little more. Look for James Jones (and Jordy Nelson) to have a huge day in Jennings’ absence.

James Jones fantasy football Week 15 projection: 6 catches for 120 yards and 1 TD

Other Start Em WRs for Week 15:

• AJ Green – Big day for the Cincinnati passing game on the turf in St. Louis. I expect AJ to catch AT LEAST two bombs in this game.
• EVERY wide receiver for the Saints and Vikings playing in Minnesota this week – Both teams are terrible against the pass…both teams have tons of speed…both teams are playing inside. Yay, free points.

Sit Em WR: Roddy White (v JAX)

I hate his matchup, and I hate his QB this week. The only receiver I like for the Falcons this week against Jacksonville is Tony Gonzalez. I would stay away from Roddy AND Julio Jones actually, but Roddy is the guy that’s ranked in the top fifteen, so that is why he is my sit ‘em wide receiver for Week 15.

Roddy White fantasy football Week 15 projection: 4 catches, 50 yards, 0 TD

Other Sit Em WRs for Week 15:

• Michael Crabtree – Won’t do much against the Steelers this week.
• DeSean Jackson – Revis Island.

Jerod’s thoughts:

I was going to say that’s scary how much we are agreeing this week, but then I got down to Roddy White and realized that we do disagree on something. I’m not a huge fan of White’s upside this week, but I do like his consistency. Look at those last three games (all with TDs). That’s tough to sit in the playoffs.

Let me say this about Demaryius Thomas though: be careful. He is still a rookie with questionable hands. And if he hadn’t caught that late TD from Tebow, all people would be talking about regarding him is all the drops early in the game. Can he handle the pressure of a game this big? I like him. He has explosive potential because of his talent and the matchup. Just be careful.

Other guys I particularly like this week include:

• Mike Williams of Tampa – Dallas’ secondary is pretty poor.
• Nate Washington and Damian Williams against Indianapolis.
• Antonio Brown‘s underrated consistency against San Francisco.
• Laurent Robinson – I know that Dallas has all of its weapons back, but they did last week too and he exploded again. He’s not flash in the pan. Romo loves him.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em TEs

Start Em Tight End: Jermichael Finley (at KC)

The irony here is that if you have Jermichael Finley, you probably didn’t advance in your fantasy playoffs after his goose egg from last week. However, I think he will get much more involved in the passing attack now that Greg Jennings is out, and he should have his typical explosive day that he gets once a month.

Jermichael Finley fantasy football Week 15 projection: 95 yards, 2 TDs

(Yes, everybody, I’m well aware that I predicted at least three receiving TDs for the Packers after I said they would run the ball more. I don’t care. I expect all of the throwing to be done in the first half, and then Grant to dominate in the second.)

Sit Em Tight End: Vernon Davis (at PIT)

As you well know, I’m pretty high on the Steelers’ pass defense. This game will be ugly one way or the other, and nobody on the 49ers (outside of their running backs) will have a big game offensively.

Jerod’s thoughts:

What, no “other guys” to start and sit? Come on Jon! This is Week 15!

By the way, I agree on both Finley and Davis. You’d have to have balls of steel to start Finley this week, but those who made it this far probably do.

A couple of other names to consider:

• I know that Aaron Hernandez no longer gets the red zone looks in New England, but there is still value in a tight end who catches 4-5 balls per week and gets 50-70 yards. Plus, he’s due for a TD one of these days right?
• Jake Ballard continues to be a solid under-the-radar selection. He should be as well this weekend against Washington.

Guys not to consider:

• Dallas Clark caught one ball last week in his return to lineup. Don’t be seduced by the name.
• Marcedes Lewis has some yardage potential, but I just don’t see many scoring chances for anyone other than MJD against the Falcons.

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start em, Sit em Defenses

Start Em Defense: Chicago (v SEA)

They are playing with their backs against the wall, and pretty much have to hold their opponents scoreless. Fortunately for them, they are playing against Seattle. Look for the Bears to contain the Beast and dominate the Seahawks.

Also, whenever their backs are up against the wall, Devin Hester seems to do something crazy, which helps the Bears D/ST unit. 
Da Bears will play well this week.

Chicago Bears D/ST fantasy football Week 15 projection: 10 or fewer points, 2+ turnovers, 2+ sacks, 1 TD

Sit Em Defense: Denver (v NE)

I love Denver’s offense this week, in part because I think the New England offense will have their way with the Broncos.

You can’t stop Rob Gronkowski…even with OLBs as good as Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil.

I will be cheering for Denver to pull it off again this week, but once again it looks like Tim Tebow will have to carry the load.

Denver Broncos D/ST fantasy football Week 15 projection: 24 or more points, 1 turnover, 2 sacks

Jerod’s thoughts:

Okay, now I forgive you for not doing the “other” tight ends. You stepped up with some D/ST analysis! And I like both picks.

Also consider that Seattle gave up two return TDs to Ted Ginn back in Week 1. While their special teams may now be better, Hester is Hester. He offers lots of upside for Bears owners.

And as for the Broncos, you’re exactly right. Miller and Dumervil are rushing OLBs, not coverage guys. Gronk will dominate, and Welker should find plenty of success too.

Other D/STs to consider:

• Seattle’s D is criminally underrated. Facing Caleb Hanie, they too should be able to get the scoring to a minimum.
• Cincinnati playing at St. Louis is a no-brainer. So is Tennessee at Indy.

D/STs to stay away from:

• Baltimore is excellent, but they are facing a San Diego offense that is starting to click. If I had Seattle or Cincy, I’d play them over the Ravens, who face a desperate Chargers team that literally almost never loses in December.

**********

There you go. 2,500 words of fantasy analysis for Week 15, which should have you all ready to make every lineup decision facing you for Week 15.

Wait…what’s that? You still have questions? Well of course be our guest and pop on down to the comment section below. We’ll take good care of you, as well as be here on Sunday morning for our weekly live chat to make sure you are ready to win your playoff matchup.

Good luck in Week 15 everyone!

For some of you, that means you have a team (or hopefully teams) on bye this week. If so, major kudos to you.

For others of you, Week 14 means that it’s the first week of the playoffs. If so, good luck, and hopefully the advice in this post will help you move on.

For others, Week 14 is the last week of your regular season. Maybe you’ve clinched a playoff spot or maybe you’re still scratching and clawing for one. Regardless, hopefully we can do you and your lineup some good with our picks in this week’s start em, sit em.

And for some of you this may be your first week without fantasy football – if your playoffs start this week and you did not make it; but if that’s the case, why would you be reading this?

Alas, if you’re here, you are looking for help in Week 14. And you’re in luck, because that is exactly what you’re about to get.

My apologies to those who came looking for Jon. I’m taking the start/sit reins today. I will do my very best to get you set up for success in this most pivotal of weeks.

Also, no looking back to Week 13, but not because it was a bad week. Frankly, I don’t know. I don’t even remember Jon’s picks. I assume some worked and some didn’t, like any week. But with the stakes now raised, there is no time for the rearview mirror. We look forward.

Here are your Week 14 start/sit picks:

Fantasy Football Week 14 Start em, Sit em QBs

Start Em QB: Matthew Stafford, DET (vs MIN)

Put this one in the no-brainer category.

Frankly, I feel a little bad making it the start em pick at QB, because it’s the equivalent of taking candy from a baby.  Nonetheless, it’s here, because if you own Matthew Stafford you absolutely must have him in your lineup this week.

And it all boils down to matchup.

If you watched the Broncos-Vikings game last week, you saw Broncos wide receivers running around wide open all day, providing easy pitch and catch opportunities for the not-so-renowned-as-a-thrower Tim Tebow. If Tebow, Demaryius Thomas, and Eric Decker could do that against Minnesota, what do you think Stafford, Megatron, Burleson, Titus Young, and Brandon Pettigrew will do?

Chances are they’ll pick up a few dumb penalties…and a lot of passing/receiving yards and touchdowns. Don’t be shocked if Stafford, at home in a must win game for the Lions, ends up as the top scoring player in fantasy football this week, even though I’m going to be a little conservative with my projection.

Matthew Stafford fantasy football Week 14 projection: 345 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Other start em QBs for Week 14:

• Rex Grossman faces a New England defense that made Dan Orlovsky startable last week. I would not start Grossman in a standard league, but he’s a solid two-QB league option this week; or a desperation fill-in with upside if your QB slot got hit by the injury bug.
• Philip Rivers looked like the old Philip Rivers Monday night, against a pretty good defense too. With his weapons healthy, and Buffalo on the schedule, Rivers is safe to deploy this week.
• Every week I scan for who is facing the Colts. This week it’s Joe Flacco. Play Joe Flacco. Even though the Ravens will likely run, run, run against Indianapolis, Flacco will throw enough to be useful. At the very least, he’s safe.

Sit Em QB: Michael Vick, PHI (at MIA)

Don’t do it. Don’t even think about it.

I know that Michael Vick owners are salivating at the thought of Vick returning this week and leading them to fantasy glory down the stretch, but in a one-QB league I wouldn’t even think about starting Vick unless I didn’t have another top 20 option. There are two good reasons:

1. Can you really trust Vick to stay healthy? No, you can’t. Really, you can’t trust him to stay healthy any week, but I’m especially leery about starting him without seeing him play a game since the rib injury.
2. Have you seen what the Dolphins are doing lately? They’ve won four out of five games, giving up a total of four touchdowns in that span.

With so many elite QBs outperforming Vick this season, and many marginal ones with good matchups, why would you risk your one QB spot on Vick?

Don’t do it.

Michael Vick fantasy football Week 14 projection: 200 passing yards, 55 rushing yards, 1 total TD, 1 turnover

Other sit em QBs for Week 14:

• Those of you who relied on Andy Dalton early in the season need to look elsewhere. He’s starting to hit a rookie wall…and this week that wall is Houston and its ball control offense and stingy D.
• I’m not necessarily telling you to sit Tim Tebow, because he always finds a way to put up at least serviceable fantasy numbers. That said, don’t expect a reprise of last week when he faces the Bears.
• Josh Freeman has been a major disappointment this year. I know that Philip Rivers torched Jacksonville Monday night, but the JAX defense has been pretty stingy overall this year. There is more reason to trust Jacksonville’s D than to trust Freeman.

Fantasy Football Week 14 Start em, Sit em RBs

Start Em RB: Ryan Mathews, SD (vs BUF)

As with the Stafford selection, I feel like I may be insulting your intelligence a bit with this pick; however, because Mathews has been so up and down, and because people always ask about him in the comment sections and live chats, I feel compelled to make my Week 14 love for him official.

First, consider that Mathews is red hot. He has two straight 100-yard games, and on Monday night he torched Jacksonville for 112 yards on a mere 13 carries. He also got into the end zone, which he doesn’t always do.

Second, consider his Week 14 opponent, the Bills, who are very generous to opposing running backs. And with Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ passing game getting going, there will be plenty of space for Mathews to roam; and we know how much he loves space.

Ryan Mathews fantasy football Week 14 projection: 115 yards rushing, 1 TD, 15 yards receiving

For the record, Mathews is clearly the #1 option in San Diego now over Mike Tolbert, though Tolbert still has some value as a flex option because he he’ll catch a few passes and get some goalline carries. But there is no debate right now between the two. Mathews is the guy.

Other start em RBs for Week 14:

• These should go without saying, but just to be sure: Ray Rice (v IND); Rashard Mendenhall v (CLE); Maurice Jones-Drew (v TB); Michael Turner (at CAR) – they are all top 10 options because of their proven ability and matchup.
• Adrian Peterson is supposed to play this week, at least that’s what I’m hearing. DO NOT ASK ME IF YOU SHOULD START HIM. Yes, you should. If he plays, he starts, even if the opponent is San Francisco (it’s not, it’s Detroit). End of discussion.
• Reggie Bush has to keep starting; and frankly, you should feel good about it at this point. With the Dolphins set to face the porous Eagles’ run defense, you should actually feel great about it.
• Shonn Greene is getting ready for another December heat up. He scored three TDs last week and faces the Chiefs this week. I like it.
• Looking deeper, C.J. Spiller is a decent option. He had 22 touches two weeks ago and 17 touches last week, and he’s picked up a few chunks under 200 yards with a TD during that span. You saw what MJD did the Chargers in a losing effort last week. Spiller could do about 75% of that…which is still good.

Sit Em RB: LeGarrette Blount, TB (at JAX)

Coming off of two 100-yard games, Blount looked like a surefire, slam dunk start against Carolina in Week 13. The Panthers have been the most generous defense to opposing running backs this year. What did Blount do? He punched 19 yards out of 11 carries. Yuck.

When it gets to playoff time, fantasy football is a lot like real football: you have to go with guys you can trust. It’s great that Blount has the potential for highlight reel leaps and thunderous trucks in any given week. He also can lay super eggs like he did last week. I don’t like kind of variance in my fantasy lineup in must-win scenarios.

Plus, I don’t like Blount’s matchup this week. Forget about what the Chargers did to the Jags last week. Jacksonville was dealing with turmoil galore and just happened to run into a Philip Rivers-led buzzsaw that was finally healthy. San Diego would have put up 20+ on San Francisco Monday night. Make no mistake: Jacksonville has a good defense, and they’ve been pretty stingy to opposing backs all year.

With Tampa Bay being frighteningly inconsistent as a team this year, and Blount dealing with a few unexpected distractions, I’m leaving him on my bench.

LeGarrette Blount fantasy football Week 14 projection: 13 carries, 40 yards, 0 TDs

Other sit em RBs for Week 14:

• Every week you should go down the list of running backs and see who is facing San Francisco. This week it’s Beanie Wells. Sit him. Even with the 49ers likely to be without Patrick Willis, they’ll shut down Arizona’s run game. Furthermore, it’s reasonable to fear Wells getting hurt mid-game. Add it up, and I don’t trust him this week, despite his strong play of late.
• Cedric Benson owners have a tricky decision this week. Benson faces a very good Houston defense, but he has also proven that he can produce against good defenses even when he isn’t racking up yards (see his 41-yard, 2-TD day versus Baltimore). Benson is not an automatic sit because of how big a part of Cincy’s offense he is, but he’s only a borderline top-20 guy because of the matchup, so if you’re loaded at RB he’d be the guy to leave on the bench.
• Did you know the Falcons have the 5th-stingiest fantasy defense against the run? It’s true. That means that there could be fewer points to go around for Cam, DeAngelo, and JStew this week. Since Cam seems to be the one who gets most of the TDs, I’d consider leaving the other two on my bench unless desperate. (Remember: all that production the last two weeks has come against Indy and Tampa.)

Fantasy Football Week 14 Start em, Sit em WRs

Start Em WR: Jabar Gaffney, WAS (v NE)

Yes, I realize that by telling you to start Jabar Gaffney that I am essentially asking you to have faith in Rex Grossman; but I urge you not to look at it that way. Think about it more in terms of me telling you to not trust a Patriots secondary that gives up more average points per game to opposing wide receivers than any other defense in football.

You read that right. In fact, the Patriots give up 2.3 more fantasy points to opposing WRs than even the moribund Vikings do! Here, I’ll prove it.

Plus:

• Gaffney has 12 catches for 187 yards over the last two weeks, including one touchdown.
• Santana Moss has been back for the last two weeks, but he only has nine catches for 71 yards; so clearly he is a) the second option for Grossman and b) helping to draw attention away from Gaffney.
• Fred Davis is suspended, meaning more targets to go around; and surely a few of those targets will go Gaffney’s way.

Gaffney doesn’t score with enough regularity to trust him for TD production, so that makes him barely a top-20 option; but I think you can trust him to give you 6-8 catches and close to 100 yards. If you play three wide receivers, it’s nice to be able to bank on that from one of them.

Jabar Gaffney fantasy football Week 14 projection: 7 catches, 90 yards, .5 TDs (because I think he’ll catch one, but it’s probably more likely that he doesn’t…so don’t expect it.)

Other start em WRs for Week 14:

• I like Torrey Smith this week. He’s struggled the last two weeks, but Baltimore has faced the 49ers and Browns, two teams that have been pretty good against opposing receivers. This week Baltimore faces Indianapolis. Yes, I just chuckled devilishly too.
• Laurent Robinson was finally held out of the end zone last week, but he still amassed 70+ yards on four catches. With Miles Austin slated to return this week, you might be tempted to sit Robinson. I wouldn’t. Tony Romo trusts him, and the Giants are generous to opposing wide receivers. Of the two, give me the guy who has been playing the last two months and caught seven TDs in six games.
• I wouldn’t get down on Steve Smith despite his decreasing production the last month. Atlanta will force Carolina to pass, and the Panthers are without Brent Grimes in the secondary. I expect fireworks from the original Steve Smith.
• When he’s healthy, all Malcom Floyd does is produce. He’s healthy, the matchup is good, and I don’t care if he’s third fiddle in SD’s passing game. Start him.

Sit Em WR: Brandon Lloyd, STL (at SEA)

I’ve been high on Lloyd ever since he came over to St. Louis, and most of the time I’ve been right. Even though the Rams’ offense sucks, Lloyd has been able to carve out a niche as the lone consistent fantasy producer. I’m not sure how he’s done it, but he has.

Last week, however, Lloyd tallied only one catch against the mighty 49ers, and things aren’t looking too good this week. Not only is Sam Bradford dinged up, but his normal backup A.J. Feeley is hurt too. That means that…wait for it…Tim Brandstater could be starting at QB for St. Louis.

Combine the Rams’ woeful offense with this QB uncertainty, and then mix in Seattle’s underrated defense at home, and you have a recipe for a sit ‘em.

Brandon Lloyd fantasy football Week 14 projection: 2 receptions, 40 yards

Other sit em WRs for Week 14:

• Dwayne Bowe is on Revis Island this week, and he still has Tyler Palko tossing him the pigskin. Just didn’t want you to forget.
• I’m not telling you to sit them automatically, because both have been consistently productive this year, but just know that Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown are facing the stingiest pass defense in the league. Granted, the Browns’ pass D numbers are skewed because teams just gash them with the run…but still, 12 weeks is a long time and receivers underperform against Cleveland on a weekly basis. If you have comparable options, go with them this week.
• The Redskins are stingier than you might think against opposing wide receivers. Play Gronk and Wes Welker for sure, but this is a week when Deion Branch doesn’t have a great deal of upside.
• Remember what I said above regarding my dislike for variance? Well, Julio Jones is the poster boy for wide receiver variance this year. Since Carolina is actually decent against the pass, Jones is another guy who is not an automatic sit…but who I’d have a hard time starting in a must-in situation because of how unpredictable he is.

Fantasy Football Week 14 Start em, Sit em TEs

Start Em TE: Kellen Winslow, TB (at JAX)

See, I don’t completely hate the Buccaneers (though I did decide to use a picture of Kellen Winslow in a Browns uniform…just because) nor irrationally love Jacksonville.

Despite their defensive consistency this year (minus Week 13) Jacksonville hasn’t been great against opposing tight ends. They actually give up the third most fantasy points per week to them.

Combine this with my distrust in the Bucs’ running game, and the Bucs’ inconsistency at wide receiver this year, and Kellen Winslow seems like, at worst, a safe and reliable option this week. You could do worse from your tight end in a big spot.

Kellen Winslow fantasy football Week 14 projection: 6 receptions, 60 yards, .5 TDs (again, I’m splitting the difference here; because of the matchup I think he can get one, but he only has two on the year.)

Other start em TEs for Week 14:

• If you’re desperate, consider Kevin Boss. The Packers give up more points to opposing tight ends than anyone, and the Raiders have had constant issues with their wide receivers this year.
• Tony Gonzalez and Vernon Davis are big but inconsistent names who I think you should trust this week because of matchups.

Sit Em TE: Jermaine Gresham, CIN (v HOU)

It’s tough to put Gresham here, because he’s been playing much better lately; and he really should have two more touchdowns if controversial calls had gone his way. Still, the Texans’ defense locks down opposing tight ends like few others, so as tough as Gresham is to sit, it’s even tougher to trust him.

Jermaine Gresham fantasy football Week 14 projection: 4 receptions, 35 yards

Other sit em TEs for Week 14:

• Scott Chandler has actually been decently productive without scoring touchdowns over the last few weeks. However, his production has come against the Jets and Dolphins, two teams that are more generous to opposing tight ends than the Chargers are.
• Aaron Hernandez is far from a must-sit, but he is no longer 1b to Rob Gronkowski’s 1a in New England. Gronk is clearly #1, with Hernandez picking up the scraps as #2. That still usually means 4-5 catches and 45-50 yards per week, but the touchdowns just haven’t been there. Project accordingly.

Fantasy Football Week 14 Start em, Sit em D/STs

Start Em D/ST: Seattle Seahawks (v STL)

The Seahawks have been a better fantasy defense than you might think this year, and they typically play better at home. Mix in a little Tim Brandstater (if Sam Bradford can’t go) and you have all the makings of a safe, potentially explosive fantasy defense for Week 14.

Seattle Seahawks D/ST fantasy football Week 14 projection: 10 or fewer points, several sacks, 2+ turnovers

Other start em D/STs for Week 14:

• The Broncos should get Von Miller back, and they get to face a Bears’ offense that is without Jay Cutler and Matt Forte.
• The New York Jets have fallen quite a way from the must-start-against-anyone status of a couple years back, but I do like them this week against the Kansas City Palkos.

Sit Em D/ST: Dallas Cowboys (v NYG)

The Cowboys have been too up and down for my tastes this year. While Demarcus Ware is always around to get some sacks, and Eli Manning could always revert back to 3-INT Eli, I think this game will be a shootout, and frankly I don’t really want any part of either defense.

Dallas Cowboys D/ST fantasy football Week 14 projection: 24 or more points, two sacks, 1 turnover

Other sit em D/STs for Week 14:

• Detroit’s defense might seem inviting against the 2-10 Vikings, but remember that Suh is out, Peterson is back, and Ponder-to-Harvin has become one of the most dangerous duos in the NFL.
• The Miami Dolphins have been playing pretty good defense lately; yet, even with that, and the fact that I’m telling you to sit Michael Vick this week, the presence of LeSean McCoy and Andy Reid still scares me enough to say that I wouldn’t want the Dolphins’ D starting for me in a must-win situation. The Eagles’ may suck, but they do have explosive capabilities that could, well, explode at any minute.

And that’s it! Another successful start/sit column in the books. Now it’s on to your questions. Have at the comment section, and we’ll be back all week to answer.

Also, since several of you have asked how you can help support MSF for the time we take, quite joyfully, to help you with your fantasy teams each week, I’ll just suggest checking out Daily Joust. You’ve seen me discussing them a lot this season, and they really do have a fun package of weekly fantasy games for you to play, from college to pro. Shoot, Keith Mullett thinks it’s “the best alternative to fantasy sports and gambling ever.“

Click here or on the image below, and if you become a paying member at Daily Joust we’ll end up getting a cut of the money. No pressure, just a suggestion that I’d make regardless of our affiliate status with them, and one that would help us out if you obliged.

Note: I used ESPN’s Points Against tool as a reference while writing this post.

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That’s probably how a lot of you felt after last week’s fantasy results. If you had a bad week, join the crowd.

It appears that certain defenses (the Cowboys, Titans, and others) may have finally caught up with certain offenses (Bills, Panthers, and others) after the long offseason, which led to some surprising and disappointing performances in Week 10.

But not for Aaron Rodgers owners. Never for Aaron Rodgers owners.

No worries.  If you have a bad week, it’s not your fault; it was just one of those weeks.  Good grief, the Chicago Bears’ DEFENSE was the number one fantasy player last week.  Let’s just write it off as an off week and get back on the horse, ready for Week 11.

Last Week’s Picks: 9 for 18 (50 %)

• Hits: Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton, KC/Denver Running Backs, Michael Turner, Knowshon Moreno, NE Running Backs
• Misses: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mark Sanchez, Eli Manning, DeAngelo Williams, Steve Breaston, Pierre Garcon, Josh Cribbs, Deion Branch, Jake Ballard

Once again, “Start Em” guys are QBs/TEs outside of the Top 12 and RBs/WRs outside of the Top 25. “Sit Em Guys” include QBs/TEs that are in the Top 12 and RBs/WRs that are in the Top 25.

Just a reminder, the following teams are on bye this week…so make sure to rest any players on these teams:

• Indianapolis
• New Orleans
• Pittsburgh
• Houston

Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em Picks for Week 11: QB

Start Em QB: Tim Tebow

I understand I will probably be the ONLY fantasy “Expert” this week who will predict success for Tim Tebow against the Jets in Week 11.  Just hear me out.

After starting only FOUR games out of ten, Tebow is already the 23rd ranked QB in all of Fantasy.  Not the 23rd best QB since he became a starter…the 23rd best QB for the entire year.

Now I know Tebow looked bad against a Detroit defense that put a lot of pressure on him – something that the Jets will definitely try to emulate; but the Jets’ passing defense isn’t exactly elite.  They rank 8th overall, which isn’t too shabby, but they aren’t untouchable through the air (Detroit is ranked 2nd by the way).  And oh, by the way, he still finished with 12 fantasy points against Detroit, which would have been good for 14th best this past week…again, not awesome by any means, but still a starter in deep leagues.

And just think about the matchups.  Darrelle Revis will take away…who?  Does it really matter?  It’s not like the Broncos’ passing attack will REALLY miss Eric Decker, or Demariyus Thomas, or whoever Revis will be guarding.

Remember, you don’t need Tebow to be PRETTY to be effective in fantasy.

Tim Tebow fantasy football Week 11 projection: 120 passing yards, 1 TD and 1 INT; 50 rushing yards, 1 TD (this would be good for 20 points…definitely a a top ten Fantasy QB in almost any given week).

Other start ‘em QBs for Week Eleven:

• Matt Moore – Buffalo’s pass defense is absolutely atrocious.
• Matt Stafford – Bounce back game against a terrible Carolina team.

Sit Em QB: Cam Newton

Is anybody else scared that the league has started to figure him out a little bit?  What Tennessee did last week against the great Cam Newton was interesting – they played him like he was a quarterback.  The Titans basically decided that Newton would probably beat them on the ground a few times a game, as those plays are unstoppable even if you plan for them.  But if they could confuse him in the pocket, they could have success against him.  And they did.

The Lions’ pass defense is, once again, the second best unit in the league.  Be careful starting the wunderkind in Week 11.

Cam Newton fantasy football Week 11 projection: 200 yards, 2 INTs.  40 rushing yards.

Other sit ‘em QBs for Week Eleven:

• Mark Sanchez – I think the Jets will definitely try to rebound well after the disaster against New England, but with a short week in store I think they rebound on the ground…not with the Sanchize’s arm.
• Joe Flacco – Just…say…no.

Jerod’s thoughts:

I have emphatically said no to Tebow every week since his first as the starter. My reluctance to trust him has had less to do with my faith in his ability – I’m on record numerous times on this site saying I think he can be a winning QB in the right system – and far more to do with my lack of faith in John Fox’s faith in Tebow. I’ve thought that there was at least a decent chance of Tebow being pulled in the last couple of games if things got out of hand, and I wasn’t willing to risk a QB slot on a chance like that. But now, with Tebow grabbing a more firm grip on the starting job, it’s okay to deploy him with some confidence. I wouldn’t particularly want him as my QB this week against an angry Jets team, but I can seem him squeezing out 10-12 points.

As for Cam, the entire time struggled last week. I’m not ready to write him off, but being cautious with rookie QBs is always smart, especially later in the season as their bodies and focus start to hit a wall.

I bet Flacco rebounds and has a better week that you think. It’s his, and the Ravens, M.O.

Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em Picks for Week 11: RBs

Start Em RB: Marshawn Lynch

I’m not really a huge fan of Lynch in general, but he’s actually had a surprisingly solid season so far from a fantasy perspective.  This week, his Seahawks will travel on the road and face a tough division rival on the road.

Lol.

I know.  It’s just the NFC West.  But they WILL be playing the St. Louis Rams…a team who is second to last in the league against the run.  Start Lynch with confidence this week.

Surely Ray Lewis would.

And Tracy Porter…

Marshawn Lynch fantasy football Week 11 projection: 150 total yards, 1 TD

Other start ‘em RBs for Week Eleven:

• Reggie Bush – He’s been hot lately, and he should have a hey-day against the Bills.
• Kendall Hunter – I expect the 49ers to run away and hide from the Cardinals this week…and Hunter will be a beneficiary.

Sit Em RB: Beanie Wells

I’ve been very wrong about him this year.  Right now, he’s in the top 12 of all Running Backs.  However, he’s not doing ANYTHING this week against the best defense in the National Football League.  (Scroll down for Jerod’s obligatory love session with the 49ers).

Beanie Wells fantasy football Week 11 projection: 45 total yards

Other sit ‘em RBs for Week Eleven:

• Michael Bush – Minnesota is still VERY good against the run…expect them to make Carson Palmer beat them.
• Kansas City Running Backs – A lot of things going against them this week…the Pats should have a big lead, the Pats are pretty good against the run, and the lack of Matt Cassel will allow the Pats to to focus on the run even MORE.

Jerod’s thoughts:

I think it’s safe to start treating the 49ers’ D like we treat the Steelers’ and Ravens’ defenses in their heyday: you simply don’t start opposing running backs against them. The 49ers give up 73.2 yards rushing a game, and the next rushing touchdown they give up will be their first this season.

As for Lynch, agreed. I’ve been slow to jump on his bandwagon as well, but he’s earned it. And the matchup is very, very tasty this week.

I would caution folks against sitting Michael Bush though. Minnesota’s run D is good, but it’s not great; and Bush has proven that he can put up numbers when Run DMC is hurt (and he still has not practiced). Palmer may well throw early and often, but the Raiders’ are a run-first team, and Bush is good enough to start against a defense (except, of course, the 49ers).

Fantasy Football Start em, Sit em Picks for Week 11: WRs

Start Em WR: Mario Manningham

The Giants and Eli Manning will have something to prove against the Eagles on Sunday Night, and Philadelphia won’t be able to do much about it.  Asomugha will probably match up against Nicks, and Victor Cruz will garner more attention as he’s been targeted a lot in recent weeks.  Look for the speedster from Michigan to have a big night.

Mario Manningham fantasy football Week 11 projection: 7 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

Other start ‘em WRs for Week Eleven:

• Laurent Robinson – It seems like Romo picks a new random dude every year to become his go-to guy halfway through the season. As long as Miles Austin is out, expect Robinson to put up some good numbers.
• Mike Williams – Green Bay is pretty bad against the pass…I like Tampa Bay’s potential against them in the air.

Sit Em WR: Eric Decker

Revis Island.  I think Decker will actually beat him deep once…but not for a TD.

Eric Decker fantasy football Week 11 projection: 2 catches for 45 yards

Other Sit ‘em WRs for Week Eleven:

• Dwyane Bowe – Rough day for the Chiefs…Matt Cassell’s injury will hurt them all.

Jerod’s thoughts:

I feel like we may need to institute some rules in this column to challenge you Jon. The first rule would be this: you are not allowed to pick a wide receiver going up against the best cover corner since Deion whose QB just completed two passes in a win. I mean come on. Could it get any more obvious?

However, to show you that I still love you anyway Jon, I will implore readers to check out your terrific analysis of the differences between college basketball and the NBA, and why you are so much more a fan of the latter.

Now, you’re Dwayne Bowe pick is excellent. At least let him show that he and Tyler Palko have come chemistry before you trust him this late in the season.

I agree with all of your start picks, especially Mike Williams. No really, this is the week he finally breaks out and gets into the end zone. I PROMISE!

Fantasy Football Start em, Sit em Picks for Week 11: TEs

Start Em TE: Greg Olsen

I think Cam will have to check down an awful lot as Detroit puts a lot of pressure on him and shows him some more elaborate coverages.  Olsen should rise to the occasion and have a pretty nice game in the process.

 Greg Olsen fantasy football Week 10 projection: 7 receptions, 80 yards

Sit Em TE: Jermichael Finley

I know he’s a top five fantasy Tight End in terms of talent…but he’s just WAY too inconsistent for my liking.  Be careful of starting him against the Buccaneers.

Jermichael Finley fantasy football Week 10 projection: 1 reception, 10 yards, 0 TD

Jerod’s Thoughts:

I actually have to disagree with both of these picks. While I appreciate your logic in taking Olsen, also consider that the Lions are giving up just 5.9 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends this year. The Bucs, on the other hand, are one of the more generous teams to opposing tight ends, giving up 8.0 points. I share your frustration with Finley’s inconsistency, but it looks like he is starting to become a more integral part of the offense after his very slow Week 6 and 7 performances.

Another guy to get back in your lineups is Vernon Davis. He finally broke out last week, and I look for a lot more of that in the future, especially as the 49ers continue to trust Alex Smith more and more.

Fantasy Football Start em, Sit em Picks for Week 11: D/ST

Start Em Defense: Jacksonville and Cleveland

Let me just warn you…this should absolutely NOT be a game that you watch even one second of.  However, both fantasy defenses should have a field day in a game that just might finish 6-5.

Sit Em Defense: San Diego

Chicago has really shown me something the last few weeks.  Even if Jay Cutler hasn’t been consistently lighting it up, they have been scoring a lot of points regardless.  Plus, is there more of a slam dunk than Devin Hester against the horrendous Chargers’ special teams units?  Expect Chicago to be playing with a lot of short fields, and put up a lot of points in a game that ends up being a surprising shootout.

Jerod’s Thoughts:

The Jacksonville and Cleveland choices are solid, but question: did you ask Andy Bottoms if it was okay to reference his thoughts from this week’s waiver wire column without attribution?

It’s tough to trust anything going on in San Diego right now, so I can definitely get on board with that pick.

As for an under-the-radar defense to consider, how about the Dolphins? I know they’re competition hasn’t been great lately, but they’ve still shut down to two NFL teams in back to back weeks (Chiefs, Redskins) and they take on the struggling Bills this week. Ryan Fitzpatrick throws a lot of picks.

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The Week 11 Start/Sit picks are in the books. But of course, this is only the beginning. Now the real fun begins in the comment section, so load it up with lineup-specific questions and we’ll get to them throughout the week, culminating with our marathon Sunday morning start/sit live chat, which will go off at 11:00 ET and run all the way up until kickoff.

And don’t forget to stop by and say hello to our friends at Daily Joust. It’s one of the only sites on the web where you can play weekly fantasy NFL, college football, college basketball, NHL, and NBA games…well, scratch that last one, for now…and you’re also helping to support MSF when you sign up.

Good luck in Week 11 everybody! We’ll see you in the comments.

First, thank you to everyone who understood my main point: that it’s simply too early to say whether or not Timmy will be good or bad yet.  In no way was I trying to say that Tebow will be better than Elway, Marino, and Manning; my point was how do we REALLY know after only five starts?

Second, while Tebow’s struggles have been magnified because Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, and Christian Ponder have looked so good thus far as rookies.   I think we can all agree that all three of those guys have MUCH better weapons around them than anything the Broncos have this season.

• Cam Newton has FOUR offensive weapons that are better than anyone on the Broncos: Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and Greg Olsen.
• Andy Dalton has three: AJ Green, Cedric Benson, and a fantastic defense (seriously…Dalton threw for 160 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs this week…and his team won by TWENTY-TWO!!!! The only way Tebow and the Broncos are doing that anytime soon is if they play Vanderbilt).
• As for the Vikings, Christian Ponder has the best non-QB offensive player in the game on his team (Adrian Peterson) as well as a receiver (Percy Harvin) who is better than anyone in Denver now that Brandon Lloyd is gone.

Once you factor in the defenses (Denver’s is second to last in the league when it comes to scoring defense and worse than Cincinnati, Carolina, and Minnesota in every single category), it shouldn’t surprise anybody that both Tebow and Orton have struggled in 2011 so far with the Broncos.

I guess what’s so troubling to me is the unforgiving stance everyone is taking with Tebow.  Look at the following two stat lines and tell me which QB you would rather have.

• QB #1 – 57 of 118 for 891 yards.  48% completion. 7.55  yards per attempt. 7 TDs, 3 INTs.
• QB #2 – 64 for 137 for 638 yards.  47% completion. 4.65 yards per attempt. 4 TDs, 2 INTs.

Though neither QB is all that desirable, anyone in his or her right mind would take QB #1, who has thrown for more yards, a slightly higher completion rate, and scored more TDs as well.  This is all before taking into account the fact that QB #1 outrushed QB #2 by a margin of 302 to 43 in those games as well.

In this example I’m comparing Tim Tebow to Blaine Gabbert – a guy who was drafted higher than Tebow and who has, so far, gotten through the media scope almost completely unscathed.  In fact, articles have been written explaining why he deserves a free pass for his entire first year.

Once again, I don’t necessarily think Tebow WILL make it as an NFL QB…but shouldn’t we at least make him earn our judgments either way?  Let’s extend to him the same long rookie leash that we give everybody else.

Onto this week’s start em, sit em picks!

Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em Advice for Week 9

Last Week’s Picks: 21 for 35 (60 %)

Note: last week’s top-line picks were made by Jerod

• Hits: Eli Manning, Cam Newton, Matt Hasselbeck, Tim Tebow, Philip Rivers, Darren Sproles, Peyton Hillis, Montario Hardesty, Knowshon Moreno, DeAngelo Williams, DeMarco Murray, Brandon Lloyd, Antonio Brown, Michael Crabtree, Steve Breaston, Eric Decker, Demariyus Thomas, Reggie Wayne, Brent Celek, Fred Davis, Owen Daniels
• Misses: Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chris Johnson, Mark Ingram, Ryan Torain, Bernard Scott, Sidney Rice, Deion Branch, Jake Ballard, Vernon Davis, Dallas Clark, Heath Miller, Scott Chandler.

As a quick reminder, the following teams have a bye during week 9:

• Detroit
• Minnesota
• Carolina
• Jacksonville

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Quarterbacks

Start Em QB: Matt Ryan, Atlanta (v Indianapolis)

Ryan is currently ranked as the 14th overall fantasy QB, meaning in most leagues he should be a backup.  Fortunately for Matty Ice owners, the Falcons are traveling to Indy this week, where they will face one of the worst pass defenses in history.

Start Matt Ryan with no regrets in week 9.

Matt Ryan fantasy football Week 9 projection: 275 yards passing, 2 TDs

Less Obvious Start Em QB: Tim Tebow, Denver (v Oakland)

Don’t laugh.

The Raiders have the 24th ranked pass defense in the league this year and have gotten into several shootouts with teams already.  I understand the lack of weapons in the Denver passing game may scare you, but Tebow performed pretty well against Oakland last year (150 passing yards, 80 rushing yards, and 2 TDs).

If you have a top 8 QB, you shouldn’t be starting Tebow, but if Matt Stafford or Cam Newton is your starter and thus is on a bye, don’t sweat starting Timmy in week 9.

Tim Tebow fantasy football Week 9 projection: 140 yards passing, 60 yards rushing, 2 total TDs (and probably two total turnovers also)

Other start ‘em QBs for Week Nine:

• Tony Romo – This week, the Romo Coaster goes back up against the Seattle Seahawks…before throwing his fans and owners off a cliff in week ten against the Bills.
• Philip Rivers – The Chargers will probably be playing from behind, and the Packers’ secondary has been very average so far.

Sit Em QB: Joe Flacco, Baltimore (v Pittsburgh)

Don’t be fooled into thinking that since he lit up the Steelers in week one, he will do it again.  He won’t.

I said it a few weeks ago, but I’ll say it again. If you didn’t think Dick LeBeau was a genius before this year, just consider that for over a decade the Steelers have been impossible to run against yet in 2012, as soon as the NFL became a full-fledged passing league, he transformed the Steelers’ defense into the league’s #1 ranked passing defense, allowing opponents a paltry 5.1 yards per attempt.  Unbelievable.

Stay away from Flacco this week.

Joe Flacco fantasy football Week 9 projection: 175 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 INT

Other sit ‘em QBs for Week Nine:

• Ryan Fitzpatrick – Playing the Jets who are coming off a bye…yikes.
• Ben Roethlisberger – I think this week’s Steelers/Ravens game will be a true throwback affair.

Jerod’s thoughts

I love the Ryan pick, and I think he is a guy who owners need to keep an eye on as we move into the second half of the season. He hasn’t been a great fantasy quarterback so far this year, but with a lot of dome games and some favorable matchups coming up, he could be a top-10 QB from here on out, which is all that matters.

As for Tebow, he certainly has more potential value this week than he did last week against the Suh and the Lions, but I think there is a lot of risk there. I want to see him play a decent game from start to finish before I trust my one QB slot to him. What if he’s awful and gets pulled at halftime? Without the backing of his own coaching staff, and how poor he’s looked, I can’t justify starting him unless I’m desperate.

And yes, sit Flacco. He couldn’t get a pass in the end zone last week versus Arizona, and now has zero TD passes in three of his last four games (and in the other game he had just one).

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Running Backs

Start Em RB: Beanie Wells, Arizona (v St. Louis)

While I don’t necessarily love Beanie Wells’ prospects for the rest of the season due to his lingering injury issues, I really like him this week against the Rams.  St. Louis has proven to be vulnerable on the ground this season, and Beanie is coming off of a fantastic game against a very good defense in Baltimore.

Despite his lingering knee issues, look for Beanie to have one or two more good efforts before he tails off to end the year.

Beanie Wells fantasy football Week 9 projection: 95 yards rushing, 2 TDs

Other start ‘em RBs for Week Nine:

• Michael Turner – Against the Colts…okay this one is too obvious, so let’s just ignore it and move on.
• LeGarrette Blount – At this point, it’s still a little early to completely trust Blount, but I really like the Bucs’ running game this week against a suddenly reeling Saints team.  New Orleans just got lit up on the ground against St. Louis, and the Bucs will be looking to keep Dreww Brees off the field as much as possible.  Give Blount your complete trust this week.

Sit Em RB: Fred Jackson, Buffalo (v New York Jets)

I actually like Fred Jackson, who has yet to have a really bad day, a lot for the rest of the season.  However, now is as good a time as ever for that first clunker of 2011 with the Jets coming to town fresh off a bye.

Rex Ryan’s team hasn’t been as consistently good against the run this year as in years’ past, but it was a point of emphasis for their defense all week.  Look for Jackson and the entire Bills offense to have a tough time on Sunday.

Fred Jackson fantasy football Week 9 projection: 40 yards rushing, 30 yards receiving, 0 TDs

Other sit ‘em RBs for Week Nine:

• Redskins’ Running Backs – I think Ryan Torain and Roy Helu can be good backs, but I also think that with John Beck starting the 49ers defense, which is already good against the run, will be able to send an 8th man into the box. This is not good news for the Redskins in real life or fantasy.
• Ryan Mathews – Just trust me that when the Chargers are down 21-0 with 12 minutes left in the second quarter, or Mathews is dinged up again, you will wish you had left him on the bench.

Jerod’s thoughts:

Beanie Wells is a very inviting start this weekend, and I would not be surprised to see him finish as a top 5 overall player this week. Except that I would…because I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him scratched from the starting lineup at the last second or removed midway through the game because of an injury. Such is life with Beanie Wells. This is a week to definitely have him in your lineup, but just remember to take nothing for granted on Sunday morning.

And while I agree with your basic premise that Fred Jackson could struggle this week, he’s not sitting on any of my rosters. The Jets have not been their previously dominant selves against the run, and Jackson has earned every-week start status for his ability to run and be a receiver out of the backfield. How many true lead backs are there anymore in the NFL? FJax is one. You better have two or three elite 2011 options if you’re even thinking about sitting him.

And I agree on Blount. A great option for this week, and a solid buy low candidate if you’re looking to make a trade.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Wide Receivers

Start Em WR: Julio Jones, Atlanta (v Indianapolis)

At this point, you all know how I feel about Julio Jones.  I think he’s overrated.  I think AJ Green is 4x better than him.  I think Jones drops a lot of balls, and I think he’s a poor route-runner.

And that’s all well and good, but he’s still super-duper talented athletically…and he’s playing the Colts this week.  I expect at least two home run plays from him in yet another Colts blowout loss.

Julio Jones fantasy football Week 9 projection: 125 yards receiving, 2 TDs

Other start ‘em WRs for Week Nine: 

• Plaxico Burress – He’s already a great target in the end zone, and I have a sneaky suspicion that he and the Sanchize got even MORE acquainted over their bye week.  Even if they didn’t, they are still playing the porous Buffalo passing defense.  Good day for Plaxico.
• Antonio Brown – Ed Reed will be shading towards Mike Wallace all game, and while that won’t completely shut down the speedster, I think that Antonio Brown will rise to the occasion like he did last week and catch a lot of balls underneath, as well as pick up another TD or two.

Sit Em WR: Stevie Johnson, Buffalo (v New York Jets)

Revis Island.  Off a bye week.  Oh boy.

Stevie Johnson fantasy football Week 9 projection: 45 yards receiving, 0 TDs

Other sit ‘em WRs for Week Nine:

• Nate Washington – Cincinnati has been surprisingly great against the pass, ranking fifth overall in passing defense.  Look for Washington to be bottled up, especially since the Titans lack a really reliable #2 option now that Chris Johnson has passed away.
• Patriots’ Wide Receivers not named Wes Welker – Uh oh…the Steelers just showed us that the Pats have absolutely no deep threat.  Needless to say, it’s not Welker’s, Hernandez’s, or Gronkowski’s fault.

Jerod’s thoughts:

At this point in the presentation, I can deduce two things: you think Atlanta is going to roughshod over Indianapolis (safe prediction) and you trust Rex Ryan and the Jets’ D to shut down a Buffalo offense that has been pretty good this year (a riskier but not outrageous bet). With that said, I agree with you on sitting Stevie Johnson, assuming someone has strong depth at WR. Stevie is not devoid of value, because he has a nose for the end zone, but Darrelle Revis has certainly locked down better receivers.

I also like Julio Jones this week. I don’t love him, because I think the Falcons have moved away from trying to force-feed him the ball. His targets will now come more in the flow of the offense, and if the Colts jump out to a big lead over Indy – a likely occurrence with Atlanta’s ability to run the ball – then they won’t need to take as many shots down the field. I think it’s a good matchup for Jones, but without the upside you seem to think.

One guy not mentioned that people need to keep their eye on is Michael Crabtree. He is healthy, and having Braylon Edwards opposite him will “take the top off the defense” as they say. Alex Smith looks at Crabtree first in the passing game. In PPR leagues especially, he will be golden for the rest of the year.

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: Tight Ends

Start Em TE: Jake Ballard, New York Giants (v New England)

After seeing Heath Miller step out of the time machine and look like a young Tony Gonzalez on Sunday, I’m willing to say that the Patriots have a VERY difficult time stopping opposing tight ends.  I fully expect Eli Manning to take note of that, and use Jake Ballard a lot, especially early on in Week 9.

Jake Ballard fantasy football Week 9 projection: 5 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD

Other start ‘em WRs for Week Nine:

• Dustin Keller – He’s having a solid year so far, and Sanchez loves him nearly as much as Plax in the red zone.
• Vernon Davis – He will have a nice bounce back week against a Washington defense that is actually pretty good.  Look for Alex Smith to check down quite a bit to the big tight end.

Sit Em TE: Scott Chandler, Buffalo (v New York Jets)

There’s no way he scores any more TDs this week against the Jets.

Scott Chandler fantasy football Week 9 projection: 1 reception, 10 yards, 0 TD

Jerod’s thoughts:

I’m now officially beginning to wonder if Rex Ryan wrote this article. You chose a Bill as your sit em RB, WR, and TE, and you mentioned the Bearded Wonder in your “other” section under the QBs. Jon, bro, we get it: you think the Jets’ defense is going to have a strong effort coming off the bye.

I love Ballard. Eli Manning always seems to turn his tight end into a fantasy relevant commodity as the season goes along. Same thing is happening here.

As for Chandler, he made me eat my disparaging words last week, but I agree with you that starting him would make me very nervous this week. He has value, because he’s always a TD threat, but it’s all or nothing with him. Just know that when you start him (and know that none of us can predict with any certainty when he will or will not find openings in the end zone).

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em: D/ST

[Editor's Note: because we would not allow Jon to pick the Jets’ defense as his “start ‘em” defense/special teams unit, he decided to boycott this last section of the post. What a baby. So these picks are made by Jerod.]

Start ‘em D/ST: Oakland Raiders (v Denver)

Every year I try to target specific offenses that are so inept as to make even mediocre defenses valuable for one week. The Broncos made the Dolphins’ rag-tag defense very valuable two weeks ago, and an already strong fantasy defense in Detroit become out-of-this-world valuable last week.

This week, the Broncos and struggling QB Tim Tebow face Oakland. The Raiders are physical up front, which is the same formula the Lions used to pressure Tebow last week. Until the young QB proves he can avoid sacks and fumbles, I’m starting any D going up against the Broncos.

Also working in your favor if you nab the Raiders: Jacoby Ford. He’s a weekly threat to get you a bonus TD.

Oakland D/ST fantasy football Week 9 projection: 17 or fewer points allowed, 4+ sacks, 2+ turnovers, 1 TD

Other start ‘em D/ST units for Week Nine:

• I like both the Pittsburgh and Baltimore defenses this week. I agree with Jon that this game will be an old school battle. (If by some chance you have to pick one or the other, go with Pittsburgh. Joe Flacco is playing far worse than Big Ben right now).
• I’d want to stay away from Washington offensive players this week against San Francisco, but the Washington defense isn’t a bad option. The 49ers have to travel cross-country and play an early game, which is rarely a good recipe for success for West Coast teams. And with San Fran already being more of a running team than an explosive passing team, it limits their potential to put up big scoring numbers, especially against a solid D like Washington’s.

Sit ‘em D/ST: Seattle Seahawks (v Dallas Cowboys)

I don’t know how many people have been employing the Seahawks D, but there was a groundswell of support for them a few weeks back because they are decent against the run. While that remains true, and the Seahawks have some decent matchups moving forward, I don’t like their chances against an angry, embarrassed Cowboys team that gets to lick its wounds at home this week.

The Cowboys’ offense isn’t nearly as good as everyone thought it would be coming into the season, but it’s much better than it showed last week. The poor Seahawks will feel the brunt of it this weekend.

Seattle D/ST fantasy football Week 9 projection: 27+ points, 2 or fewer sacks, 1 turnover

Other sit ‘em D/ST units for Week Nine:

• I wouldn’t want either the Giants or Patriots defenses going this week. That game just smells like one that gets into the 30s on both sides.
• The Jets’ D is not as obvious a start candidate as Jon would have you think it is, and I do not say this just to needle Jon. While I like the Jets’ D is general, they simply have not been a dominant unit this year, and the Bills have been a pretty consistent offense. I would not at all be surprised to see this game played in the 20s, which means the Jets would need a defensive TD or a bunch of sacks/turnovers to turn in a great day. It’s possible, but I don’t consider it likely.

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Best of luck to everyone in Week 9.

Make sure you also take a look at Andy’s waiver wire wire pickups for Week 9, and then load up the comment queue with questions. We’ll be around all week to answer them, and of course we’ll be here on Sunday morning to help out with those difficult last minute start/sit questions.

Here’s your injury update for week 8!

AFC North

The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver, Lee Evans, will miss Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Evans has missed the past four games recovering from an ankle injury. According to the Ravens website, Evans is at the end of his recovery and should be back in the game soon.

The Cleveland Browns are hurting from a few injuries this week. Mohammad Massaquoi, wide receiver, suffered a concussion and will sit out of Sunday’s game against the San Fransisco 49ers. Fellow teammate and tight end, Ben Watson, returned to practice on Friday after suffering from a concussion. Watson is listed as questionable along with running back Peyton Hillis who is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Hines Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is listed as questionable. Ward didn’t practice all week due to a sprained ankle.

AFC South

Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The hamstring injury kept him out last week, and ever after practice, Johnson didn’t feel ready to play.

Running back Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts, is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. The hamstring injury continues to bother Addai. And for those of you who might care (not sure why you’d be), Kerry Colins, quarterback, has been put on injured reserve after suffering from a concussion.

AFC East

The Buffalo Bills wide receiver Donald Jones will not play in Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins. Jones is recovering from an ankle injury.

Daniel Thomas, running back for the Miami Dolphins, continues to struggle with hamstring issues. He was limited at practice on Thursday and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

New England Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis is still dealing with a toe issue that arose two weeks ago. He is listed as questionable, but doesn’t seem to want to give any details about his progress.

AFC West

Running back Mike Tolbert, of the San Diego Chargers, will most likely sit out of Monday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Tolbert is suffering from a hamstring and hand injury. Malcom Floyd, wide receiver, was able to practice a little on Friday along with tight end Antonio Gates, and both will hopefully be set for Monday’s game.

NFC North

The Green Bay Packers lost rookie running back Alex Green last Sunday when playing the Minnesota Vikings. Green will remain out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury he suffered in the game.

The Detriot Lions have seen a few injuries that will take a hit to their team. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been dealing with an ankle injury all week. Stafford was able to practice both Thursday and Friday. Although listed as questionable, it looks as though only a major setback will prevent him from playing. However, running back Jahvid Best has been ruled out after suffering from a concussion. The Lions take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Receiver Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings, is listed as questionable while dealing with a rib injury. Adrian Peterson was dealing with an ankle issue but returned to practice on Thursday and will play in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

NFC South

The New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams. Ingram missed the entire week of practice due to a right heel injury.

NFC East

Brandon Jacobs, running back for the New York Giants, is listed as probable for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins because of a knee ailment. Expect him to return to the field.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Wells (Beanie Wells) will be a game time decision for their match up against the Baltimore Ravens. Wells practiced on his bad knee on Thursday, and they were hoping to see him continue to advance.

Wide receiver, Braylon Edwards, for the San Fransico 49ers will also be a game time decision due to a knee injury. Edwards practiced limitedly this week and looked as though he could play, but no one seems to have a for sure answer.

The Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is listed as probable for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lynch sat out last week after suffering from back spasms.

Sam Bradford, quarterback for the St. Louis Rams, will miss his second game while he sits out with an ankle injury on Sunday when the Rams take on the New Orleans Saints. Wide receiver Danario Alexander is doubtful for the game as well, as he continues to deal with a hamstring issue.

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That’s your injury update for week 8. I hope these games prove to be as exciting as the games of the World Series! Happy football!

With some many teams rich in fantasy talent (Patriots, Giants, Eagles, Bills, plus the 49ers and Bengals) observing their bye this week, it means that we all are having to dig deep into our benches and even onto the waiver wire just to field complete lineups. During such weeks is when start/sit advice is its most valuable, and as always we have you covered here at MSF.

First, check out the consensus top 10 start em and sit em picks below, delivered just a few minutes ago from our friends at PlayThisGuy.com. They compile start/sit picks from numerous proven, trusted sources across the web (including MSF) to come up with these picks.

Second, click over to Jon’s Week 7 Start em, Sit em column, where he breaks down every position in detail, telling you who to start, who to sit, and who will be the best and worst performer at each position, along with stat projections. Also see the Week 7 rankings and Andy’s waiver wire pickups column.

(Oh, and don’t forget to the enter this week’s fantasy college football freeroll tournament. It’s free to enter, but the prizes are real. You’d be a fool not to play.)

And now, without further ado, here are the consensus Week 7 Start/Sit picks from PlayThisGuy.com:

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start em, Sit em Advice

Consensus Top 10 Start/Sit Picks

The comment section is yours if you have any questions about your Week 7 roster. We’ll do our best to get every question answered by Sunday morning.

And now, for no good reason at all, here is a picture of consensus Start #4 Matt Cassel, apparently in a little bit of pain.

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If there is one thing to know prior to Week 2 it is that you shouldn’t be excited one way or another about one specific game; but that doesn’t mean rest on your laurels.  Fantasy football owners must be bold and we have some bold stock reports just for you.

Stock Up

Matthew Stafford

Could this be the year that Stafford jumps into the elite group of fantasy quarterbacks that can score you 20+ points week in and week out?  Maybe, maybe not; but this week should be a big one for him.  The Chiefs got lit up for four touchdowns through the air by the Bills and now with Eric Berry out for the season, the hole in that secondary just got bigger.

Joe Flacco

He could be one of the most underrated players in all of football.  After this week, there will be no more questions about his play.  Baltimore is going to have a lot of possessions to put up points as this Tennessee team has questions all around.  With weapons like Boldin, Evans and Rice at his disposal, Joe Cool looks like one of the most consistent players around.

Peyton Hillis

With only 8 points at home last week against Cincinnati, you can bet your mortgage that this number will almost double.  To say the Indy defense is small would be an understatement.  The Browns are going to pound him over and over again until they see 8 or 9 in the box.  Look for Hillis to carry the ball about 25 times with a few catches out of the backfield too.

Beanie Wells

His third year in the league really could be a breakout season for the underachieving back, and with Hightower no longer around to steal some of the touches, Wells’ role has increased.  Washington likes to gear up for the pass, and any time the Cards get remotely near the endzone you know that he is going to get the ball.

Brandon Marshall

Why would his stock be down in the first place?  It’s understandable if someone questions Marshall because of his antics and the fact that Chad Henne is throwing him the ball, but this offense could be something special from a fantasy perspective.  They will give the Texans’ new look 3-4 defense its first real test of 2011.  Two above average acquisitions in the secondary really isn’t enough to slow down an elite talent like Marshall.

Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson

There are only a few teams where you can lose your number one receiver and there is virtually no worry.  That’s a team with Drew Brees leading at the helm.  Marques Colston is out for a few weeks with a broken collarbone so Meachem and Henderson will absorb a lot of his production; and with a Bears defense that is really designed to stop the run, 10+ fantasy points for both guys is not out of the question.

Owen Daniels

The Texans didn’t have to show any of their true colors on offense against the disaster what seems to be Indianapolis last week.  This week will be much different as the Dolphins will pose a much bigger test and Daniels’ production will be relied on even more.  You did see what New England TE’s were able to do against that Miami defense last week right?

Dallas Clark

There has to be a massive overhaul on the offensive end for the Colts, and who better to make the focal point than Dallas Clark?  A quarterback’s best friend is a good running game and a pass catching tight end.  Cleveland has good corners and the options of Wayne, Garcon and Collie may be minimized to an extent, allowing Clark to roam freely and pick up points.

Stock Down

Matt Ryan

The Atlanta Falcons offense has a lot of very good players on it.  Roddy White, Michael Turner, Julio Jones and Ryan all have Pro-Bowl talent, but the offense as a whole really isn’t explosive.  As far as the passing game goes, this week against the Eagles and three very good corners, things aren’t looking very good.  Another negative is that with Michael Vick on the other sideline, Atlanta will try and run the ball to keep him on the field making Ryan’s fantasy prospectus bleak.

Matt Cassel

It isn’t like he was expected to be some kind of fantasy star, but ever since his year in ’09 with the Pats, Cassel has been given high praise.  The Chiefs’ schedule this year is a lot more difficult than it was the previous and the going gets tough right now.  The Lions’ D-Line is among the league’s best, so pressure up the middle is going to be imminent causing a turnover or two.

Jamaal Charles

Chances are I’m going to take some flack for this suggestion to leave Charles on the bench, but it is for the same reason we don’t like Cassel this week.  With Suh and crew wreaking havoc on the KC O-line, the only production out of the backfield could be on screens and outside runs, which is the usual but if the Lions are up early in the game he might turn in a mediocre single digit point game.

Chris Johnson

So, 9 carries for 24 yards equals out to 4 points against the Jags defense.  What do people think will happen against a Ravens defense that is clearly much better?  There are way too many questions swirling around Johnson at this time to think that 4-point games are acceptable, and it is obvious that the holdout has slowed down his progress so far.  Like with all fantasy running backs, when their team is down, the running game takes a backseat and so do individual stats.

Roddy White

Look, this isn’t an assault on the Atlanta Falcons offense, but looking past the obvious would be a grave mistake.  Going up against the talented Philadelphia secondary is going to be a tall task, but the specific matchup is what will determine White’s production.  If he goes against Asante Samuel, he may provide you with some decent production, but if it is the bigger and stronger Nnamdi Asumogha, then he is going to struggle.

Steve Smith

The Packers took notice of what Cam Newton was able to do against Arizona with Smith as his primary target.  29 points looks great, but to think that Dom Capers won’t virtually eliminate the Panther wideout in hopes of forcing the rookie quarterback to throw elsewhere is crazy.

Zach Miller

The Seahawks are going into a firestorm on Sunday and the worst defense they could face would be the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Pete Carroll is going to want to use some max protect schemes against the pass rush, which means Miller will be staying in to block.  While he may start off slow this year, you shouldn’t be apt to sell him yet.  A week or two more to get settled into the Seattle system should get him back to his normal self.

Rob Gronkowski

Last week the football world saw the Pats utilize the two tight end set almost all game, and it was truly run to perfection.  Well, this is a different week, and with a different week comes a different team, and with a different team, well, yea you get the point.  The Patriots aren’t going to bully the Chargers defense with the two tight ends.  Rob may have some success this week but 14 points is looking a lot more like 4.

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Let’s jump right in, starting in San Diego where an injury to the starter means yet another unheralded backup RB has significant fantasy value.

In San Diego, Ryan Mathews is still limited by ankle injury he suffered last week. And unfortunately for Mathews owner, the word “high” has been placed in front of “ankle” in many of the reports I’ve read. As we all know, high ankle sprains are not good and can be tough to recover from, especially for running backs. He is expected to be inactive for Sunday, so I’d make alternative plans.

One good plan would be Mike Tolbert, who already has 2 TDs this year and will be getting the carries in place of Mathews. Tolbert should value all year as a goalline threat at a minimum. If Mathews proves to be injury prone or the ankle problem lingers, Tolbert could really have some nice value because the Chargers will definitely give their running backs opportunities to score touchdowns.

Mathews’ and Tolbert’s teammates Malcom Floyd is also on the injury report but he practiced in full on Thursday.

In Arizona, Steve Breaston was only a limited practice participant yesterday because of a knee injury. The injury is not considered serious though and he should be fine.

The bigger injury news in Arizona is that Beanie Wells should finally be ready to make his 2010 debut.

Head over to MSF Fantasy Sports to find out how much Beanie Wells is expected to play Sunday and whether or not you should start him, plus injury updates on Andre Johnson, Percy Harvin, Steven Jackson, and many more.

All treatment options provided in this article should not be taken as specific advice, but rather as a general guide regarding what is typically done to treat the injury being described.

You should always consult your doctor before beginning any pain management or rehab program.)

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Sesamoid Bone Injury for Beanie Wells?

With the upcoming draft, questions have been raised about a potential sesamoid bone problem for former Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells. Peter King of SI.com got the ball rolling on the speculation in his recent Monday Morning Quaterback post, saying simply, “Some teams are scared off by a sesmoid bone problem in one of big back Beanie Wells’ feet.” Once the story of a potential sesamoid bone problem for Beanie Wells hit ProFootballTalk, there is a good chance everyone who follows the NFL was aware of the speculation. (Between the issue being raised in Peter King’s MMQB column and at ProFootballTalk, it would be hard for NFL execs and fans alike to miss it.)

To be fair, the player and his agent have denied that Beanie Wells has a sesamoid bone problem in his foot, calling the sesamoid bone concerns a “smoke screen.” As we all know, it is hard to trust any information disseminated about draft prospects this time of year. Teams picking later in the draft may want negative information out there about a player to increase the chances of the player not getting picked as high as he otherwise might be.

Either way, whether Beanie Wells truly has a sesamoid bone problem or not, last season the Buckeye standout was plagued with a foot injury that kept him out of three games and possibly hurt him in the chase for the Heisman. And now the information referenced above has surfaced about a potential injury in the fore foot.

The possible injury, described as an inflammation of the sesamoid bones below the first metatarsal (big toe – as pictured below), will no doubt remain a hot topic as we approach the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Under view of the foot

For the record, this article makes no claims as to whether or not Beanie Wells truly has a sesamoid bone problem, only that the speculation is out there. Rather, this edition of The Trainer’s Room is meant to serve as general information on sesamoditis, its similarity to turf toe, and methods for treating the injuries.

Sesamoiditis and Turf Toe

Sesamoiditis refers to any irriation of the sesamoid bones. The sesamoid bones are free floating bones throughout the body, encased in a tendon sheath. These can be found at the base of the first metacarpal (thumb), first metatarsal (big toe), and patella (pictured below – the largest sesamoid bone in the body). Their main function is to hold the tendon away from the joint slightly, protecting the tendon from wear and tear by decreasing friction and increasing joint function.

Patella encased in the tendon

Inflammation of the sesamoid bone is a very similar injury to another very common sports injury, known as turf toe. These two injuries have many common indicators and are often intertwined.Both sesamoiditis and turf toe produce complaints of sharp to very intense pain underneath the base of the big toe. Most of the pain comes from extension of the toe, which can cause difficulty walking and a tender and swollen joint.

Sesamoiditis is an inflammation of the sesamoid bones from overuse or chronic stress to the area. Sesamoiditis will begin as a more gradual ache and then increase in pain over time. Turf toe is an actual tear or injury to the soft tissue underneath the first metatarsal (big toe). Turf toe usually will be an immediate pain. The patient will often feel a pop in the area underneath the 1st metatarsal head. Remember that sesamoiditis and turf toe are similar injuries that have similar symptoms and may accompany one another. You may have a chronic turf toe problem from damage to the area, but the pain does not have to be sudden.

Causes of Sesamoiditis and Turf Toe

The most common way to receive one of these injuries is forced hyperextension of the toe, jamming the joint, or repetitive stress (common in sprinters and football players). For a running back like Beanie Wells this injury can be detrimental to their ability to get down the field by decreasing their ability to get in and out of cuts quickly and hindering their all-important burst through the hole.

Inflammation of the bones or a tear in the ligaments as in turf toe causes the pushing power to be greatly decreased. This will decrease the explosiveness and overall speed of any player. In severe cases athletes may not be able to run at all. This is a very common and simple injury, and the pain can keep you sidelined for weeks. In the past year several other athletes such as LT and Darren McFadden were out for weeks with toe injuries.

Sesamoiditis Treatment and Turf Toe Treatment

The acute stages of sesamoiditis and turf toe are painful and intense. Any additional pressure is going to increase that pain. When sesamoiditis or turf toe first occurs, ice the area to decrease the inflammation. You can use ice for either injury, whether it is chronic or acute. Ice is one of the best ways to decrease inflammation immediately following the injury.

The next step is pay a visit to your doctor. Neither sesamoiditis nor turf toe will just go away on their own. The longer you wait with an injury like this the longer it will take to get back on your feet. Your doctor will perform orthopedic tests to determine which injury you are suffering from. An X-ray will be taken to determine if there are any underlying fractures or dislocations. They may also take an MRI to determine if there is in fact any ligament or tendon damage. An MRI can also detect soft tissue swelling or inflammation to the bone which cannot be seen on X-ray.

Once the diagnosis is given, the first and most important step is to free the area of inflammation and swelling. This can be done by several different types of treatment. The big toe is not a great site to attach pads for any type of electrical modalities. For this reason, at Mountain View Pain Center in Denver we use ultrasound under water to remove the inflammation of this area. Note that the area is very thin, so ultrasound should not be applied directly.

After the first treatment it is important to apply tape or a specific brace to prevent the toe going into extension and thus creating extra pain. At Mountain View Pain Center in Denver we prefer to use a specific taping method to keep mobility in the ankle and allow for more comfort. The tape allows the toe to be held straight and decreases the amount of extension during push off. During your sport of preference wearing shoes with a stiff sole will also increase the stability in the area and decrease the amount of extension.

Once stability has been restored to the area, and the pain has slightly subsided, it is important to have the foot adjusted (manipulated) to restore proper movement to the foot, ankle, and metatarsals. After the area has begun to heal, soft tissue technique should be applied to the area. The importance of this step is to not only continue the removal of inflammation, but to also break up scar tissues and adhesions that have formed in the tendon sheath. At Mountain View Pain Center in Denver we use a combination of soft tissue stretches, as well as a specialized tools to work through the area.

Sesamoiditis Rehab and Turf Toe Rehab

There are also some exercises we use to aid in the healing process and to strengthen the area. They should only be done when you can perform them without pain.

Start simple with toe crunches, which will help build the muscle at the bottom of the joint and assist in preventing future occurences of sesamoiditis or turf toe. A toe crunch involves bending the toes as if trying to pick a ball of the ground with your toes.

The next rehab exercise is only to be done when there is no pain at all when standing, and should be performed after several treatments. You can go from a flat footed position to a toe raise (similar to a ballet move). This is an advanced exercise for these injuries so take it easy and do not try this exercise first.

What to Avoid

Things that are important to avoid during recovery from sesamoiditis and turf toe are any movements that involve a pushing off of the toe. What this means is cut out the plyometrics, hills, and stairs from your training regimen. If you insist on training, then get on a bike and push the pedal with the middle of the foot or heel. Another substitute can be the elliptical machine. Be sure to take long even strides and stay off the toes. This entire exercise can be done with the foot flat. If you find either exercise to painful then perform the one you can.

Although many think a toe injury cannot keep them down. This injury, year after year, keeps players on the sidelines for extended periods of time. The pain is intense and debilitating, yet although this is a very painful injury, if the correct steps are taken, you can recover and get back to full speed.

As for Beanie Wells and the speculation that he may have a sesamoid bone injury, only time will tell. If he does, in fact, have a sesamoid bone injury (and again, it is all purely speculation at this point) then if the toe is properly rehabbed and time is taken before getting into hard core training, we should expect to see him back on the field for training camp.

Now, whether his impact on the field will be similar to his college career, that is what hundreds of scouts and personnel people are trying to figure out leading up to the start of the draft tomorrow.

This article contains the opinions and examples of treatment plans for sesamoiditis and turf toe from Mountain View Pain Center in Denver, CO, and is not intended as a substitute for specific medical advice from a doctor regarding your individual injury or condition. If you have any further questions or concerns feel free to contact our office or leave a comment below.

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The Trainer’s Room is written exclusively for Midwest Sports Fans by Denver chiropractors Dr. Niall McNally and Dr. Ihsan Erhuy of the Mountain View Pain Center in Denver, CO. You can contact them by leaving a comment below or sending an email to info@mountainviewpaincenter.com.

Dr. Niall McNally is certified in chiropractic neurology and has a strong background in sports injuries and in the rehabilitation of common nagging athletic problems. Dr. McNally also is trained in pediatrics, orthopedics, and nutrition.

He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma and successfully completed his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at the Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, TX. A very active athlete, Dr. McNally played hockey up into the junior level. In fact, it was his love for hockey, and the Colorado Avalanche, that originally gave him the idea to one day practice sports medicine and chiropractics in the area.

Dr. Ihsan Erhuy specializes in motor vehicle accident injures, back, neck, and extremity problems, as well as treating pregnant patients and children. He is certified in the Diversified, Gonstead, Thompson, Upper Cervical, Activator, Sacral Occipital, Applied Kinesiology, Soft Tissue techniques.

Originally from Adana, Turkey, Dr. Erhuy graduated from the University of Arizona and also susuccessfully completed his Doctor of Chiropractic degree, along with his bachelor of science in health and wellness, at the Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, TX.

There was one annoying segment in which Jamie Dukes was discussing Andre Smith and jumping back and forth over the fence on whether Smith cost himself money with his bizarre antics (yes…no question). And apparently Dukes had one conversation with Andre Smith and in Dukes’ own mind this was the most influential conversation of Smith’s life. Get over yourself Jamie. Charles Davis and Steve Mariucci are a little annoying too, but nothing terrible. Something about Charles Davis seems overly haughty, and Mariucci just needs to settle down a bit.

Otherwise though, the Combine was very enjoyable to watch. And obviously the most exciting individual event to watch is the 40-yard dash. This is certainly not the most telling or predictive drill, but it is the “glamour” workout of the combine; and we are sure to hear players’ 40 times thrown around over and over again until the NFL Draft in April. So let’s get to it. Here are the top 40 times at each position, courtesy of NFL.com:

*Note: The Cornerbacks and Safeties had not yet run as of this posting, so I’ll add them later when the official numbers are posted.

And now, some quick-hit observations after reviewing the 40 times and from what I saw:

Why all the fuss about Mark Sanchez?

I’m not that sold on Matthew Stafford either, but Sanchez certainly did nothing to impress me. He is apparently slower than Curtis Painter (never a good thing) and it looked to me like Sanchez underthrew the deep balls. He did, however, reportedly perform very well in interviews. Still, the guy only started one year in college. I think any team who drafts him without the intention of letting him sit for at least a year, maybe two, is making a huge mistake.

What’s up with the speed, or lack thereof, from Nate Davis and Josh Freeman?

Maybe I just didn’t watch these two guys play enough this year, and perhaps I am showing a blatant expectation bias along racial lines, but I expected these two guys to run faster than Chase Daniel. Yet, neither Nate Davis nor Josh Freeman was in the top 10 40 Times for QBs. I always thought that these two guys were known as dual-threat QBs? I realize Nate Davis didn’t run a whole lot in college, but I still thought he was a little faster. Maybe if I was up more on my Ball State and Kansas State football this would not have surprised me so much.

Get ready for some fuss about Stephen McGee from Texas A&M.

One of my sleepers in this year’s draft. McGee is a really good athlete and a much better passer than he was ever able to show in college. Plus, he is a high character guy and is balding, which means he is mature. In all seriousness, I think whoever gets this guy will have one of the NFL’s best backups (a Jeff Hostetler-type) who could end up being a viable starter at some point in the future. Don’t scoff if your team drafts Stephen McGee. Good player.

Knowshon Moreno is that slow?

Another guy that I thought was faster. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t he always look like a blur on the ESPN highlights? I thought this was a 4.4-4.45 guy. I guess not. He’s slower than Beanie Wells for goodness sakes!

Beanie Wells is a badass

I know that he only ran a 4.59 40 time, but guess what: that’s still faster than Emmitt Smith, who ended up having a decent career. Wells jumped well and is another guy who reportedly did well in interviews. His big question mark is staying healthy. If he does, he could carve out a career as the next Eddie George or Jerome Bettis.

The WRs were really fast…but who cares?

Everyone is going crazy about how fast the wide receivers are. That’s great, but can any of them catch or run routes? Jerry Rice famously ran a 4.6 40 and turned into the greatest receiver of all-time. We are routinely told that speed is nowhere near the most important aspect for a wide receiver; they just have to be fast enough. Obviously if two guys are equal in everything else, you want the fast guy. And having a speed threat to stretch defenses vertically helps, but I look at it as a luxury, not a necessity.

Brian Robiskie looked really good

It’s almost a cliche at this point, but I saw the same thing everyone else did: Brian Robiskie looks like an NFL receiver. He has great technique when he catches the ball, he runs precise routes, and his speed is good enough. This is a guy who can be a #2 receiver in the NFL for a long time.

I didn’t get to watch the other positions, so I can’t accurately assess how any of the guys looked. But feel free to chime in with comments about any players who impressed or disappointed you this week in Indianapolis.

And real quick before I go, here are some other resources if you are looking for info on the workout results of the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine:

• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 40-yard Dash Results
  
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine Bench Press Results
  
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine Vertical Jump Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine Broad Jump Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 3-Cone Drill Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 20-yard Shuttle Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 60-yard Shuttle Results

Wells will leave Ohio State as the school’s fourth all-time leading rusher with 3,382 yards. He is behind Buckeye legends Archie Griffin, Eddie George, and Tim Spencer. Beanie Wells came into the 2008 season as a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, but was slowed by injuries early in the year. He rebounded to run very well down the stretch, and played terrifically in the Buckeyes’ Fiesta Bowl loss to Texas.

Last week, it appeared that Wells might return to Ohio State, as he cited a feeling of unfinished business. However, it appears that the advice of Jim Tressel, and rational thought, prevailed. Running backs, more than any other position, have a very short shelf-life in the NFL. Beanie Wells will go high in the draft and saves himself a year of wear and tear by leaving now.

I don’t think anyone can argue that he is making the best possible decision for himself. And kudos to Jim Tressel for leading him in that direction.

The following is the statement released by Beanie Wells:

“I want to thank my teammates, my coaches, my teachers and the academic advisors for all they have done, and I definitely want to thank the Buckeye fans for all their support,” Wells said in a statement. “Ohio State has become like a family to me, and it will always be that way. But in the best interest of my family, it’s time to move on and take a chance at fulfilling my lifetime dream of playing in the NFL.”

Gotta get to work this morning, so I can’t expound too much, but needless to say Browns fans everywhere will start clamoring for the Cleveland and new coach Eric Mangini to select the Ohio native and Buckeye star. Would that be a good choice for the Browns? It will no doubt be a hotly debated topic over the next few weeks.

Breaking Update: It was reported late last night that Beanie Wells has decided to skip his senior season at Ohio State and turn pro. Good decision Beanie.

Chris “Beanie” Wells is, without question, one of the best players in college football and easily one of the most complete running backs in America. It has seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Wells would forego his senior senior season and enter the NFL draft after this year.

Beanie Wells, however, says that is not necessarily the case.

As reported by Doug Lesmerises in the Plain-Dealer, Beanie Wells has regrets that could keep him going pro and compel him to stay in Columbus. From the Lesmerises story:

“It’s not really big enough for my satisfaction yet,” Wells said of his Ohio State legacy, speaking Thursday at length about his unmade NFL decision.

“I have so many more things I would like to accomplish. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.

“I feel like I wanted to be the best running back to ever come through Ohio State, and I said before I feel like I haven’t done that.

“I personally feel like I haven’t done enough at Ohio State to move on to the next level.”

Despite Wells’ statement to the contrary, however, I think the safe money is on Wells leaving Ohio State to go pro. A few reasons why are even cited in the Plain-Dealer article:

1. Jim Tressel has already said that he thinks Beanie Wells should go pro.
2. Wells has 11 brothers and sisters, and helping to support his family is a pressing need.
3. Injuries, injuries, injuries.

This last was one, for me anyway, is the biggest reason why Wells will be going pro after this season. In the article, Wells says that he wants Ohio State fans to know that they have never seen him at his best because of injuries. I think injuries, or more specifically the fear of a big injury, is why Ohio State fans will have to watch Beanie Wells in the NFL next year.

For running backs, if you are going to be a 1st round draft pick, how do you not go pro? All staying in college would do is add another season of wear and tear to the short lifespan of a running back. Most NFL running backs experience a sharp decline after age 30. Beanie Wells needs to get into the NFL as quickly as he can and get an extra year before that 30-year old running back finish line. Plus, Beanie Wells is already developing a reputation for being injury prone. If he has another season slowed by injuries next year, it will only hurt his draft stock.

And what more could Wells do to show off his talents to the NFL? All he can do is provide more questions about himself. He needs to make the best decision for his professional future, which is going pro ASAP.

However, I think the Cleveland Browns organization should hope that Beanie Wells stays in school. Otherwise, the Browns will have to deal with the pressure of choosing Beanie Wells high in the draft; and the potential backlash for not doing so.

The Cleveland Browns will have a top 5 draft pick in this year’s NFL draft. I have already seen several mock drafts that have the Browns picking Beanie Wells. I have also had a few friends who are Browns fans ask me, “So, who do the Browns take? Wells or Laurinitis?” As if there are no other options.

With the way the Browns basically pissed all over their tremendous fan support in 2008 by going 1-7 at home and falling waaaay short of preseason expectations, I am sure that Randy Lerner and anyone associated with the Browns would love to find a way to build goodwill with the fans in the offseason. Choosing one of the hometown favorites like Beanie Wells would certainly do that. And the Browns need a running back with Jamal Lewis getting up there in age and losing a step or two or ten.

So then Beanie Wells should be the perfect choice for the Browns if he goes pro right?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

I say no. History in the NFL has shown that you don’t choose running backs in the top 5 or top 10 unless they are just transcendent talents like Adrian Peterson or Barry Sanders or LaDainian Tomlinson. Just look at this year. Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and Kevin Smith were all very productive runners. None was a top pick. How often have we seen late round or even undrafted runners became stars? It happens a lot.

However, a lot of running backs picked him in the draft have fizzled. One reason is that guys are often drafted based on their college production. But more production in college can also mean more wear and tear, especially for a bruising-style runner like Beanie Wells. Or, the production can be more a function of the team around a player. I am not saying that Beanie Wells is not tremendously talented — he is — but he also has a great offensive line, a good offensive scheme, and Ohio State plays in the Big Ten.

You could argue that Ohio State only played two bona fide top 25 teams this season: USC and Penn State. Chris Wells did not play against USC, and was pretty ineffective against Penn State, running 22 times for 55 yards. I realize that Wells had good games last season against Michigan and some of Ohio State’s other good opponents; but Wells is right when he says he has unfinished business, especially against the better teams on Ohio State’s schedule.

If I am a Browns fan, this concerns me. It actually reminds me of another running back from a big-time college program who ended up being a top-5 NFL pick: Cedric Benson

Let me say right off that I think Beanie Wells is better than Cedric Benson, and I think Wells be better in the NFL than Benson, and without all of the off-the-field crap Benson has brought to the table. But Cedric Benson was a guy during his college career that played much better against the lesser schools on Texas’ schedule than against the top teams the Longhorns played. This is one of the reason why Benson slid on many draft boards (though obviously not the Bears): he fattened up on the cupcakes, but did not have the skill or competitiveness to bring it when Texas needed it most. Luckily for Benson he played with a transcendent college QB in Vince Young who brought it every weekend.

I think Chris Wells has actually played better than Cedric Benson did against the best teams on the schedule, but there has been some inconsistency. And if you say the inconsistency is due to injury, that is even worse. No NFL team wants to draft a running back high who cannot stay healthy in college, where the players are slower and the hits are less severe. Additionally, Beanie Wells is a tough runner but lacks top-end speed. He can run away from some college defenses, but will not be able to do the same against NFL defenses. Running backs who are going to be drafted in the top-5 need to threaten a defense as an inside runner and as a home run threat. This is not who Beanie Wells is. He is certainly worthy of a first round pick, and I think could have many productive years and be a guy like Michael Turner circa 2008, but the Browns have way too many holes to be rolling the dice on a running back that high in the draft.

So for the Cleveland Browns, the best outcome might be Beanie Wells just staying in school. Despite Wells’ recent statements, this is pretty unlikely however. What is more likely is that Wells will come out and the Browns will have to deal with the pressure of needing a running back and having the hometown favorite available to them. Obviously if the Browns pass on Wells and he turns into the next Earl Campbell, Browns fans will never forgive the team for passing on Wells.

If the Browns are smart, however, they will use history as their guide and wait until rounds 2-3 to pick a running back. With a slew of good defensive lineman and linebackers likely to be available to the Browns, and harder to get later in the draft, this is a more valuable direction for the Browns to go in than running back. And hey, if they really want to appease the Buckeye faithful, they can always take James Laurinitis.

But let another NFL team choose Beanie Wells. His Ohio State fans can continue to watch him and root for him, just in a city other than Cleveland.

Update: Immediately after this item, I noticed that our friends over at Waiting For Next Year posted a similar article regarding the recent comments by Beanie Wells about his NFL future. It’s a good read and they have a great blog, so check out their story.)

With first place in the Big Ten within striking distance, the heat is high. We are halfway through the year and fans are waiting for this thing to really shake out. Something will certainly shake out this weekend, who it is will likely determine the winner because despite all the high stakes anxiety, it won’t be a high flying shootout. It’s going to be a slugfest won on the ground. The battle between the two best running backs in the Big Ten, Beanie Wells and Javon Ringer. Who shakes out into open space more often, will likely determine the winner. The two are huge leaders on their team. They want the ball and are consistent.

Beanie has not gotten the action and touches people expected due to a foot injury he suffered in week one and a Freshman QB who runs the ball as much as he does. He has only seen the ball 71 times but that has brought his team 479 yards and 2 TDs. While the numbers won’t win him a Heisman, he is clearly the go-to man this week with Pryor’s passing game struggling. He could break it open on Michigan State’s defense, they are ninth in total offense allowed in the Big Ten. He may have to, though, if Dantonio’s defensive fundamentals prove strong enough to shake up Pryor. If the Spartans can prevent any bleeding on 1^st and 2^nd down and force Tressel to drop Pryor back on 3^rd, then they will be where they want come the 4^th quarter.

The MSU secondary must step up, though, and contain any clear lanes for Pryor. As a freshman, who knows he’s on the ropes, he will only take the chances he knows he can get down the field. The biggest wins State has seen are ND and Northwestern, in both of those the Spartans grabbed two picks. Those were game changers, despite giving up yards on paper, they made plays to get the offense back on the field. And, frankly, if you are a Spartan that’s who you want on the field.

Javon Ringer is getting Heisman press with his 1112 yards and 14 TDs and rightfully so, his shifty feet, lateral capability and insane durability have brought his team this far. They will need him to bring them any farther, too. The Spartans will see a very stingy Ohio State defense on Saturday. While Tressel’s offense was not convincing against Purdue, the defense was called to prove themselves and stepped up big only allowing 3 points for the Boilermakers. The news of Ringer’s Heisman run have certainly reached this defense’s ears. They will be looking for him and with Ringer as Michigan State’s only real back, he won’t be hard to find. When Javon is in the game, he is getting the ball. The biggest problem with the State’s offense is that they have no other looks. When the red and white see number 23 in the backfield, safeties will start cheating, linebackers finding gaps to line up in and defensive linemen know they just have to stop any holes.

If the Buckeyes defense does step up, then we will see how good the Michigan State quarterback, Brian Hoyer, really is. He’s not bad so far, but with no one able to stop Javon, his job is easy – handoffs, fake handoffs, then throw to a tight end and the occasional 3^rd down. He looked better as of late, though. Against Northwestern, he threw two TDs and connected 70 percent of his passes. The Cats tried to stack the box and stop Ringer. Dantonio adjusted his gameplan and Hoyer found some openings. When those openings come for Hoyer, the running game comes back. Ringer finished with 124 and 2 TDs in the win (I’m fairly sure this writer called that…roughly.)

The game really just waits to be played. It’s tough to call it either way, it’s too close. I mean it’s almost family, seriously, Tressel actually referred to Dantonio as family this week. Each team has something to prove, but Ohio State has more to lose and Michigan State much more to gain. I say it’s adrenaline that wins. Whoever tries harder. (There’s some crack journalism, huh?)

“Hustle wins? C’mon, Kaner, there’s more to college football than a good ready position and grit.” I respond with a single word….Rudy. I digress, and Notre Dame sucks.

I think it’s true, though. If the Michigan State defense gets aggressive enough for Buckeye fans to start chanting “Boeckmen”, than Dantonio’s offense will get enough chances to outscore Ohio State. Ringer and Hoyer want it, too. Ringer was supposed to go to the Ohio State University after growing up in Dayton, but they said his grades wouldn’t cut it. Now, he’s got his chance to prove this nation’s true colors and remind us that college isn’t about school, it’s about wining huge home games on Saturday.

I can’t deny the home team in this one, and I love to see Tressel frown. (It clashes with the tie and vest that make him appear so put together.) Spartans win a squeaker 30-28.

Don’t buy it? Did I mention that Javon Ringer is a black belt? Now you see my point.

Ohio State currently has a stamp on them that they cannot win a big game. Some people think it is a big tattoo that will never be removed, but after last night in Madison it is just a stamp to me. An ugly stamp you haven’t washed from the club the night before, but it only took a true freshman Quarterback to rub the stamp off for now.

Playing under the lights in Madison is a tough task. Ask the 2003 Buckeye squad who was undefeated and defending their national championship when they floundered in the Wisconsin elements and lost 17 to 10 on a late bomb to Lee Evans. Jim Tressel’s only career losing record to a Big Ten team was Wisconsin before last night’s victory (3-3). This was a big game win and don’t let any Jim Rome, Skip Bayless, or Mark May tell you otherwise. Not to mention Tressel’s 5-1 record versus the Wolverines who’s rivalry is called “The Game.” Is that yearly dominance not BIG enough for you? P.S. Not afraid of the “Bitch Rodriguez Era.”

The stigma that Ohio State cannot win a big game is still there since nobody respects the level of play out of anyone in the Big Ten but there is an X-factor now. We saw him come of age last night on his game winning drive and 11 yard touchdown option run. I haven’t seen a successful option run to the short side of the field against a good defense in college football history, but I saw Pryor turn on the jets and do it last night. On the road, down 17-13, 4^th quarter clock running against them, and Pryor did it throwing and running. A healthy Beanie Wells doesn’t hurt his maturity process either. Beanie finished the game with 168 yards on 22 carries (7.6 avg) and an awesome touchdown run in which he stiff armed the only defender he had to beat 10 yards backwards into the end zone.

Next week I am going to Columbus for the Purdue game (3:30 kickoff) and I can’t wait to watch the new big game X-factor Pryor with a healthy Beanie.