Fantasy Football Week 14 Start em, Sit em Advice, Projections, and Lineup Q&A

matthew-stafford-detroit-lions-new-orleans-saints-preview-prediction-point-spread-nfc-playoffs

Week 14 is here.

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.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Thanksgiving Day Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice, Projections, and Roster Q&A

torrey-smith-fantasy-football-thanksgiving-day-start-em-sit-em

Jon will have the overall Week 12 start/sit post ready to go for tomorrow morning, but with three games on Thanksgiving Thursday I thought it might be helpful to do a special start/sit column for those games.

So in this post I’ll do just that, providing analysis and recommendations for the key players you need to decide on before Turkey Day.
[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 11 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice, Projections, and Roster Q&A

marshawn-lynch-fantasy-football-week-16-advice

Sooooo…yeah….

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.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 9 Start Em, Sit Em Advice & Projections

beanie-wells-fantasy-football-start-em-sit-em-advice-week-nine

Before we get to the Week 9 fantasy football start/sit advice, I want to add a couple more thoughts on my Tebow article from yesterday. (And don’t worry; I’ll analyze his fantasy prospects for Week 9 too.)

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 7 Start Em Sit Em: Start/Sit Picks, Player Projections, and Lineup Advice

fantasy-football-week-7-start-em-sit-em-ben-roethlisberger

Well, that was fast.

As soon as I opened up my big mouth and proclaimed that 2011 was going to be the most prolific fantasy year ever, scoring around the league plummets.  No worries.

At least I had a great week on the predictions front, as I was right on nearly 80% of my picks.

As always, here is a quick look back at last week before we move on to week 7.
[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start Em, Sit Em Picks, Player Projections, and Lineup Advice

chris-johnson-fantasy-football-week-4-start-em-sit-em-projections

Week Three is over, and you are probably wondering one thing: How is a guy that’s giving such great advice 0-3 in his own fantasy league?

I wish I knew…injuries have just killed me…and I’ve lost each week by an average of 1.2 points. Just heartbreaking.

Some of you are probably in the same boat as me. Even if you aren’t, it’s the time in the fantasy football season when leagues are won and lost. Now is when we have to start making the tough calls.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice and Projections

fantasy-football-week-15

The Week 17 start em, sit em lineup advice post is up.

——————–

Update 12/19: I am all updated on the questions in the comments as 7:30 this morning. I will do my best to answer questions between now and kickoff, but please have patience if it takes a little while to answer. I’ll be out Christmas shopping and doing all other kinds of running around today. Halelujah for the iPhone.

The playoffs are here (unless, of course, your playoffs started last week), which means that each of us will be agonizing over and obsessing about every lineup decision we are faced with this week.

Before I get into this week’s start ‘em, sit ‘em picks and projections, I want to give you two very important pieces of advice: don’t outthink yourself and remember that stars are stars for a reason.

I tell you this because while taking a glance through the QBs, it dawned on me that Jason Campbell might very well be a better start in Week 15 than Tom Brady.

Sounds crazy right?

Well, Campbell has throw seven TDs over the past three weeks and faces a Giants defense that would probably give up 200 yards passing and a couple of TDs to Navy. Tom Brady, on the other hand, has thrown only three TD passes over the last three weeks and faces Buffalo’s very stiff pass defense.

When you look at the stats that way, it almost looks like a slam dunk that you should start Campbell right?

Well I wouldn’t. And you know what? I wouldn’t sit Randy Moss either.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 14 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice and Projections

nfl-playoffs-divisional-round-picks-spreads-tv-schedule-announcers

The Week 17 start em, sit em lineup advice post is up.

——————–

The long and winding road of the fantasy football season is now entering its stretch run, with many leagues beginning their playoffs this week or entering their final week of jockeying before the playoffs kick off in Week 16.

And I’m flying high right now after a 5-1 weekend improved my positioning in each of the leagues for which the playoffs is still a possibility for me. Hopefully you all had just as fruitful a Week 13 and are now coming to this post seeking advice to continue your runs to the championship.

As the stakes continue to rise, lets dig into the numbers and matchups to unearth the guys you should start and the guys you sit for Week 14.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 13 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice and Projections

fantasy-football-week-13

The Week 17 start em, sit em lineup advice post is up.

——————–

Well, I was not a very good QB prognosticator last week.

I looked at Tony Romo’s struggles and his matchup (OAK) and figured he was a good sit candidate. What I failed to consider was his consistently strong play on Thanksgiving Day. He ended up busting my QB sit ‘em pick.

I looked at Carson Palmer playing the Browns and figured he was about as slam dunk a start candidate as there was, especially after the Browns made Matthew Stafford look like Drew Brees last weekend. Palmer, however, threw only one TD pass and had only 110 yards passing overall. Solid numbers, but probably not top 10 or 12.

Other than the QBs though, I was pretty solid, nailing the Justin Forsett start for the highlight of the week.

We’re now one monster fantasy game (New England-New Orleans on Monday night) away from Week 13, so let’s take a quick peek into the future and answer your burning start ‘em, sit ‘em questions for this week.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 12 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice and Projections

carson-palmer-fantasy-football-week-12

This post is from 2009!

Click for the 2010 Fantasy Football Week 12 Start em, Sit Em Projections

——————–

I realized this weekend why I love fantasy sports so much.

As many of you know, I am both an Indiana basketball fan and a Cleveland Browns fan. Thus, my Sunday began with watching the Hoosiers at 9:30 am as they desperately tried to salvage one win in the Puerto Rico Shootout and was then followed by heading to the Browns Backers meetup to watch Cleveland battle the Detroit Lions.

To say that I was desperate to see one of my teams capture a victory would be an understatement.

Unfortunately, both the Hoosiers and Browns did on Sunday what they have proven oh-so-good at doing over the last two years: snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Indiana was done in by a banked-in three pointer with five seconds left after relinquishing a five point lead with five minutes to go. The Browns were done in by a pass interference call on Matt Stafford’s desperation Hail Mary pass, which was followed by an un-timed down that resulted in a touchdown.

One Sunday, two excruciating losses for my two beloved teams. And that is why I love fantasy sports. Without my fantasy football teams to track, what reason would I have as a sports fan not to run out and jump off of my balcony right now?

And on that positive not, let’s look ahead to Week 12 of the fantasy football season!

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 11 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice and Projections

ricky-williams

This post is from 2009!

Click for the 2010 Week 11 Start em, Sit em picks

——————–

I knew that if I stuck with Jamaal Charles long enough that he would come through for me; and come through he did. Not that it should be all that surprising, but Charles carved up the Raiders’ D for 100+ yards and a touchdown.

The question now becomes whether or not Charles is a must-start on a go forward basis. Most weeks he may be, but you certainly have to wonder about him this week with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the schedule.

I’ll tell you one guy I wouldn’t question in Week 11: Ricky Williams. He should be a guy you’re playing most weeks anyway, but with Ronnie Brown’s status in doubt for Thursday night, Ricky’s value skyrockets.

As I try to do every week, I’ll make my best attempt to steer you in the right direction about Charles, Williams, and a host of other players. That’s what this post is all about, so let’s get to it.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 10 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice and Projections

jamaal-charles-fantasy

This post is from 2009!!!

Click for the 2010 Start em Sit em picks for Week 10.

——————–

Week 9 was very interesting for me from a real and fantasy picks perspective.

I went to sleep last night thinking I’d lost by 0.5 points in one league because of Miles Austin’s one catch. But, as so often happens in leagues with IDPs, the stats had changed by Monday morning and I led by 3.5. I’m hoping this holds up once the totals become final tomorrow.

From a picks perspective, last week was unique in that I really went out on a limb picking David Garrard over Matt Schaub. Then the defense opposing Schaub (Indy) lost two key starters and I issued a change to my recommendation regarding the Texans’ QB.

And then, naturally, Schaub went out and had a pedestrian day (311 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) that did not eclipse what Garrard was able to do against Kansas City (264 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 29 yards rushing).

In hindsight, I should have stuck with my guns; but, the truth is that I did stick with my principles in issuing my Schaub retraction. It was the right decision. Remember, we’re trying to predict a game in which Chris Chambers can be one of the top scorers at WR during the same week he got cut by San Diego and ended up in Kansas City.

Without much rhyme or reason, all you’ve got is your principles. My principles have me above .500 and in playoff contention in all six of my leagues.

And this is what I always tell people who ask me for advice on tough questions: what are your princples? Go with them.

And if you don’t have them, get them. I’ll be happy to help if I can.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em Lineup Advice and Projections

matt-forte

This post is from 2009!

Go to MSF Fantasy Sports for the 2010 Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Sit Projections.

——————–

First of all, my apologies to anyone who asked questions in the comment section last week from Friday afternoon on. I was hoping I’d have time to get some of those answered once I got to Cleveland, but I did not.

I don’t have any more trips planned between now and the NFL playoffs, so that should not be a problem again.

Secondly, my apologies to anyone who started Jay Cutler and Greg Olsen last week. I really miscalculated how the Bears-Bengals game would go — as did most everybody — and had to take my medicine on that one.

Otherwise, Week 7 was relatively prosperous. The good: Laurence Maroney, Austin Collie, and the Patriots D/ST as starts; Donovan McNabb, Jerome Harrison, Zach Miller, and Steve Smith (Carolina…if you needed a TD) as sits. The bad: Cutler and Olsen obviously, and the Pittsburgh D as a sit.

Now let’s look forward and gaze into the crystal ball for Week 8. A little bit different format this week; hopefully you like it.

[Read more...]

Fantasy Football Week 6 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Lineup Advice and Projections

matt-hasselbeck

This post is from 2009!

Head over to MSF Fantasy Sports for the 2010 Week 6 start em, sit em picks.

——————–

Week 5 was one of those strange weeks during which things just seemed to come out of nowhere.

For instance, who had Jeremy Maclin or Miles Austin starting? If you did, you were in a hell of a lot better shape than people like me who felt good running Mike Sims-Walker out there.

And how many people thought Cedric Benson would get shut down by the normally stout Ravens’ D? Obviously I did, since I told everyone who would listen that he was a solid sit ‘em candidate. What does Benson do? He turns in a great performance and now leads the NFL in rushing.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, we are currently living in a world in which Cedric Benson is the NFL’s leading rusher.

If you’re thinking “WTF?” you are not alone.

I took it on the chin in a lot of my leagues last weekend. As many of you know, I am built around Saints players in many leagues. This is typically a very good strategy…in all weeks other than their bye week.

With my Saints back in action this week, hopefully I can get back to two or three-games over .500 in most of my leagues.

For the rest of this post and on into the comments section, I’ll do my best to help you get a win in Week 6 as well.

[Read more...]

Friday Morning Would…You Start Glen Coffee or Steve Slaton in Week 4?

steve-slaton-fantasy-football

[Editor's Note: Welcome to MSF's new Morning Would series. This will be a regular feature here on the site where I basically have carte blanche to write about anything I want to. (And this differs from every other post...how?)

Primarily, I will be taking advantage of this feature on mornings like today, when there are no obvious hot button topics to tackle nor other weekly features to post, and I feel like invoking a clever, slightly crass pun while also providing useful info. Enjoy.]

In today’s edition of Morning Would, I am going to expound upon an answer I gave in the comments section of this week’s fantasy football Start Em, Sit Em post.

A reader asked whether I would start Glen Coffee or Steve Slaton at running back, and something tells me other people may have this very same decision to make this week at their #2 RB slot, or own one of these two players and are wondering what to expect in Week 4.

My answer is that I like both of them this week, but that I would start Steve Slaton, and here’s why:

[Read more...]