During the heat of competition, the passion that courses through combatants can sometimes take a turn into uglier territory.

The brawl between Cincinnati and Xavier back on December 10 demonstrated an example of athletes allowing their pride and passion to overcome common sense and respect for the game, their organizations, their teammates and obviously, their opponents.

Photo by: Frank Victores | Presswire

Nine days later, Arizona State and Southern Miss had a skirmish between players on court – including a punch thrown – as a result of a battle for a rebound.

Sometimes, however, athletes and sports figures fight for the same reasons that anyone else fights – someone pissed them off or they don’t like someone.  Plenty of bad blood exists between players, coaches, commissioners and even officials, and while it doesn’t always end in fisticuffs, it can be very entertaining when it does.

Although it’s not very “Tebow” of me, I will admit that I treat fights – especially those between wealthy, famous people – like a car crash; I just can’t look away.

Here are some sports feuds that deserve to have a resolution, and I think that the most fascinating way for that resolution to come about is a pay-per-view style mixed martial arts event featuring all of the sports figures who despise each other.  In my dream fight scenario there would be a referee so that things would remain safe (for example, we wouldn’t want an enraged James Harrison to actually tear Roger Goodell’s head off were they to wage war in the octagon) and standard UFC non-title fight rules would apply (three 5-minute rounds).

Here are some battles I would definitely pay to see:

Yancy Gates vs. Kenny Frease (the rematch)

• Height: Gates – 6-9 / Frease – 7-0
• Weight: Gates – 260 / Frease – 275
• Age: Gates – 22 / Frease – 22 (Gates is 3 days older)

Since Gates landed sort of a sucker punch the first time, I’d like to see him face off against Frease again.

Both of these guys are huge, but Frease is truly a behemoth.  Gates obviously has knockout power, however, as we saw during the infamous brawl on December 10.  It would be interesting to see if he can go all LeGarrette Blount on Frease without the distraction of a benches-clearing brawl interfering.

Rex Ryan vs. Brandon Jacobs

• Height: Ryan – 6-3 / Jacobs – 6-4
• Weight: Ryan – A LOT / Jacobs – 264
• Age: Ryan – 49 / Jacobs – 29

Following the Giants’ 29-14 thrashing of Ryan’s Jets on Christmas Eve, Brandon Jacobs had some words for Ryan.

Of course Ryan is no stranger to trash talking, whether it be about football or fighting.  He famously taunted former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder in the media, and he is known for his boastful declarations about the Jets’ on-field prospects.

Jacobs may be much younger, but I have a feeling that Rex’s mouth has gotten him into plenty of brawls before, and he seems like a pretty confident fella.

 Nyjer Morgan vs. Chris Carpenter

• Height: Morgan – 6-0 / Carpenter – 6-6
• Weight: Morgan – 175 / Carpenter – 230
• Age: Morgan – 31 / Carpenter – 36

T-Plush and Carpenter had a dust-up back in September as the NL Central race was heating up.  Plenty of trash talking from Morgan and Carpenter ensued, and since-departed Cardinals Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa even got involved.

Morgan and his flamboyant alter-ego Tony Plush did little to squelch the flames of the rivalry, taunting the Cardinals by bragging over the Brewers’ standing atop the division, but the Cards ended up with the last laugh by improbably winning the World Series a few weeks later.

Baseball feuds can run for years, so it will be interesting to see if 2012 delivers another chapter in this feud.  For now I can only wish for a score-settling face off between the smaller, quicker Morgan, and the towering Carpenter.

Kyle Busch vs. Kevin Harvick

• Height: Busch – 6-1 / Harvick – 5-10
• Weight: Busch – 160 / Harvick – 175
• Age: Busch – 26 / Harvick – 36

When NASCAR VP of competition Robin Pemberton issued the statement “Boys, have at it” in 2010, fans of old-school contact racing and the fisticuffs that sometimes follow were elated.

In May 2011 at Darlington, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick’s growing feud came to a head, with Harvick throwing a punch at Busch after what he deemed over-zealous driving by Kyle.  Later, Harvick’s car owner, Richard Childress, reportedly tried to physically fight Busch as well.

Harvick is known as an instigator, and over the past few years he has been involved in incidents and trash-talking with Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Busch and others.  But given how close Harvick and Busch always seem to run, the potential for an explosive fight is always present.

Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kobe Bryant

• Height: Shaq – 7-1 / Kobe – 6-6
• Weight: Shaq – 325 / Kobe – 205
• Age: Shaq – 39 / Kobe – 33

What can I say about this feud that hasn’t already been said?

Shaq and Kobe feuded publicly for years, and even though they have played nice on camera in recent years, there is no doubt that some lingering animosity is shared by both.  Their sparring was so prevalent that there is an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the feud.

I would imagine Shaq would be a difficult guy to beat up no matter who you are, but if anyone has the tenacity and killer instinct to do so, it is Kobe.  To see Shaq come into the octagon joking and playing around, maybe rapping “Kobe tell me how my ass tastes,” only to see Kobe enter with that scowl of his would be magical.

Would’s O’Neal’s “Shaq-Fu” be enough to take down the “Black Mamba?”  We’ll probably never know, but I would pay a decent chunk of money to know for sure.

Roger Goodell vs. James Harrison

• Height: Goodell – 6-0 (est.) / Harrison – 6-0
• Weight: Goodell – unknown / Harrison – 242
• Age: Goodell – 52 / Harrison – 33

I hinted at it in the opening, but this fight would definitely need to be governed by strict UFC-style rules.

The size differential isn’t alarming, but one would have to figure that Harrison is the stronger man.  Still, l can’t help wishing that the NFL head honcho, who also performs duties of judge, jury, and executioner in all things disciplinary for the league, would agree to physically brawl with his most troublesome employee.

And who knows?  Maybe Goodell is some sort of secret martial artist, and his whole reign of tyranny over the NFL is unimpeded because most players, coaches, and executives are terrified of him.  If that is the case (and I certainly hope it is), then I would love to see him go at it with this guy:

Mike Piazza vs. Roger Clemens

• Height: Piazza – 6-3 / Clemens – 6-4
• Weight: Piazza – 200 / Clemens – 205
• Age: Piazza – 43 / Clemens – 49

No catcher ever hit for power like Mike Piazza, and few pitchers during the era spanning the 1980s-2000s instilled as much fear in opposing hitters as Roger Clemens.

The two became enemies when Clemens drilled Piazza in the head with a pitch in an interleague game in 2000.  Later that year, in the 2000 “Subway” World Series, Piazza broke his bat while hitting a grounder off of Clemens, and in a bizarre sequence, Clemens picked up the splintered bat and threw it back in the direction of Piazza, who had begun running the bases.

Four years later, Piazza caught for Clemens during the first inning on the All-Star game, and Clemens allowed six runs.  It was alleged that Piazza was tipping Clemens’ pitches to American League batters as a way of retaliating for the previous incidents.

I would like to see these two settle their old score, and just in case, I’ll allow PEDs for these two fighters only.  You know, just for old times’ sake.

Jim Harbaugh vs. Jim Schwartz

• Height: Harbaugh – 6-3 / Schwartz – 6-0 (est.)
• Weight: Harbaugh – 215 / Schwartz – unknown
• Age: Harbaugh – 48 / Schwartz – 45

Back in October, head coaches and Jims Harbaugh (49ers) and Schwartz (Lions) got into a bit of a scuffle following the 49ers win in Detroit.

Harbaugh’s exuberance in the aftermath led to some (probably) over-enthusiastic celebrating and a pretty firm handshake with Schwartz.  Schwartz, obviously upset about losing the game, became enraged by the handshake, and chased Harbaugh down, yelling at him all the way.  Schwartz had to be restrained by players and team personnel.

Since these two teams could meet again in the postseason, we can only hope for more fireworks, but what I truly hope for is being able to watch them compete in an actual fight.

Tim Duncan vs. Joey Crawford

• Height: Duncan – 6-11 / Crawford – 5-8 (est.)
• Weight: Duncan – 255 / Crawford – unknown
• Age: Duncan – 35 / Crawford – 60

Duncan and Crawford have some history, most notably in 2007 when Crawford ejected Duncan for laughing at a call from the bench.  As ridiculous as the ejection was, things became even more strange when the typically reserved Duncan said Crawford challenged him to a fight, and different accounts reported that the two exchanged profanities.  Crawford was suspended for the remainder of the season and the playoffs (breaking a 21-year streak of working NBA Finals games), and Duncan was also fined.

As any avid NBA fan knows, Crawford is a particularly animated referee, and he has been criticized (by me and others) for being too showy while making calls and for being contentious with players.

I would like to see this fight for a number of reasons, chief among them the hilarious spectacle that the age and size differentials would create and the fact that Crawford deserves some comeuppance for his antics over the years.

Reggie Bush vs. Miles Austin vs. Kris Humphries with Special Guest Referee Ray J.

• Height: Bush – 6-0 / Austin – 6-2 / Humphries – 6-9
• Weight: Bush – 203 / Austin -215 / Humphries – 235
• Age: Bush – 26 / Austin – 27 / Humphries – 26

As far as I know, none of these guys has any problem with the others.  But the fact is that they are all jilted exes of one Kim Kardashian.  So what would be more fun than a three-way dance in which the winner gets to reclaim Kim’s heart?

Since Ray J. is the co-star of a certain X-rated home video that broke Kim’s career, he can officiate the brawl.  Given the Kardashian clan’s penchant for cashing in on ill-advised television programs, this would seem to be right up their alley.  Of course, given the success that Bush, Austin and Humphries have experienced, they might not be too excited about this.

This one might have to wait until they are all retired.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao

• Height: Mayweather – 5-8 / Pacquiao – 5-6.5
• Weight: Mayweather – varies / Pacquiao – varies
• Age: Mayweather – 34 / Pacquiao – 33

While we’re on the subject of dream fights that will probably never happen, we might as well throw in the boxing superfight that everyone seems to want except the two guys who would be fighting.

Pac-Man v Mayweather has been speculated about for years, but as of now there are no indications that they will fight any time soon.  I would surely pay for this fight, as I’m sure millions of other sports fans would, so hopefully they find a way to make it happen before the two fighters get much older and have their substantial skills deteriorate.

What sports figures would you like to see fight each other?  List them in the comments below!

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Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

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Image Credits: usatoday.com, blitzsportsnetwork.com, sportsgrid.com, sbnation.com, nydailynews.com, nbaloud.com, hiphophoney.com

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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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.

Quickly, before I get to the start/sit analysis for the Thanksgiving Day games, I want to tell you about a fun fantasy contest from our friends at Daily Joust. They are hosting a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Shootout that uses only players playing on Thanksgiving Day in the player pool, has a $5 entry free, and $300 guaranteed prize pool. Plus, not only is it a Super Joust Qualifier, but you can submit multiple entries.

I plan on joining. I’ll post my team later in the week. Are you up to the challenge? Click here. (And yes, if you sign up, it helps us out. But we wouldn’t promote it if we didn’t play ourselves.)

Now onto the start/sit picks.

Fantasy Football Thanksgiving Day Start/Sit Quarterbacks

Start em QB: Matt Moore, Miami (at Dallas)

Over the last three weeks, few quarterbacks not named Rodgers have been as consistently good in both real life and fantasy football as Matt Moore. He has six touchdown passes and has been intercepted just once. That’s solid, consistent production that we can somewhat count on.

Granted, he did all of this against Kansas City, Washington, and Buffalo, so this matchup against Dallas will be the best defense Moore has faced in a month. But the Cowboys are better against the run than they are the pass, and Rex Grossman threw for 250+ yards and two TDs on them last week.

Moore isn’t an automatic start like the three QBs mentioned below are, but he is a solid play with upside in two-QB leagues or for anyone stuck with Joe Flacco.

Matt Moore fantasy football Thanksgiving Day projection: 225 yards passing, 1 TD, 0 INT

Other start em QBs:

• Hopefully I don’t need to tell you to start Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford. I haven’t looked at the other matchups, but those two guys may be the #1 and #2 QBs this week.
• It’s still November, which means that Mr. November Tony Romo is still a very good start. He’s hot, and while the Dolphins are playing well they haven’t faced a QB of Romo’s caliber during their win streak.

Sit em QB: Alex Smith, San Francisco (at Baltimore)

Alex Smith has been playing the best football of his career this year; and while I know the Ravens gave up a lot of passing yardage to Andy Dalton and the Bengals last week, they also picked Dalton off three times. I expect the Harbaugh Bowl to be a low scoring, physical affair; and I want no part of Alex Smith against a motivated Ravens defense playing at home in primetime against a team you know they won’t take lightly.

So even though Andy Bottoms likes Smith long-term in his Week 12 waiver wire pickups column, wait a week before deploying him in your lineup.

Alex Smith fantasy football Thanksgiving Day projection: 200 yards passing, 0 TD, 0 INT

Other sit em QBs:

• I don’t like Joe Flacco against the stout 49ers’ defense. I’d play him before I’d play Smith, but I’d hope to need neither.

Fantasy Football Thanksgiving Day Start/Sit Running Backs

Start em RB: Kevin Smith, Detroit (v Green Bay)

Well…that came out of nowhere.

Last Sunday during the live chat, I was telling everyone who would listen that I thought a Detroit running back was a good play because of the matchup against Carolina. Turns out I was right, but it also turns out I had the wrong Detroit running back. Rather than Maurice Morris, it was Kevin Smith who made his triumphant return to the Motor City and amassed 200+ total yards and three TDs.

Is Smith for real? I don’t know. Carolina is one of the most generous defenses to opposing running backs. That said, Smith is the guy now in Detroit, certainly until Jahvid Best gets back. Additionally, of all the defenses playing on Thanksgiving Green Bay’s actually gives up the most points to opposing RBs. Just ask LeGarrette Blount.

I wouldn’t get too excited about Smith…yet…but if you win him in this week’s most hotly contested waiver wire battle, feel good about deploying him on Thanksgiving.

Kevin Smith fantasy football Thanksgiving Day projection: 80 yards rushing, 3 receptions, 40 yards, 1 TD

Other start em RBs:

• Frank Gore looked healthy and spry last week, and he faces a Baltimore defense that gave up two scores to Cedric Benson. If Gore plays, you start him. It’s that simple.
• Do you know the Dolphins are the second stingiest defense in terms of fantasy points scored by opposing running backs? It’s true. Still, I’d start DeMarco Murray. He is the focal point of the Cowboys’ offense now, and I think they’ll put up numbers against Miami.
• I thought about making Ray Rice the sit ‘em RB, but I just can’t. Even though San Francisco has given up a whopping total of zero rushing touchdowns this year, they have had a game in which they allowed 14 receptions by Roy Helu. Baltimore has to get their best player involved on offense, and while I expect Rice’s numbers to depressed by the 49ers’ suffocating do, I do think Rice can have enough impact yardage-wise and catching passes to be at least a strong flex play.
• Reggie Bush has scored a touchdown in three straight games, and in the fourth game he had over 100 yards rushing. So he’s been productive, even though his yard per touch rate has decreased the last two weeks. While Dallas is very good at stopping opposing running backs, Bush remains a solid flex play because Miami is finding creative ways to use him around the goalline.

Sit em RB: James Starks, Ryan Grant, et al, Green Bay (at Detroit)

The two-headed running back monster of James Starks and Ryan Grant simply isn’t much of a monster at all. They rarely, if ever, score touchdowns. They don’t rack up great yardage totals to offset the dearth of TD production. And John Kuhn and BJ Raji vulture all the goalline carries.

Plus, Starks is dinged up, and the Detroit defense has been improving some when it comes to holding down opposing running backs. They are in the top half in terms of points allowed. I’d look elsewhere, even if Grant gets the starting job all to himself with Starks out.

James Starks/Ryan Grant fantasy football Thanksgiving Day projection: 75 total yards, 5 receptions, 30 yards

Other sit em RBs:

• Kendall Hunter still has value long-term, especially as a handcuff for Frank Gore owners, but he doesn’t get enough carries as Gore’s backup to warrant starting.
• Maurice Morris…great last name buddy, but enjoy your parting gifts.
• Daniel Thomas is still the running back of the future for Miami, but Reggie Bush is the one scoring touchdowns. Against a stingy Dallas defense, Thomas is probably not worth playing.
• Felix Jones is back. *crickets* On six touches last week he delivered an “explosive” 22 yards. Keep him on your bench. DeMarco Murray is the guy in Dallas now.

Fantasy Football Thanksgiving Day Start/Sit Wide Receivers

Start em WR: Torrey Smith, Baltimore (v San Francisco)

You know I’m not big on rookie wide receivers, but I do warm to them later in the season when they prove they can be trusted. Torrey Smith is earning that trust.

Smith had a huge clutch TD against Pittsburgh that built his QB’s faith in him, and then popped for 6 catches, 165 yards, and a TD in a key divisional battle last week. I know that a 3-catch, 28-yard dud against Seattle is sandwiched in there, but Smith is getting the targets and hasn’t caught fewer than three balls since Week 6. There is some risk/reward with him as a deep threat, but the reward is worth it.

And don’t get too scared off by the San Fran defense when it comes to Smith and his buddy Anquan Boldin. Because the 49ers are so stout against the run, teams often take to throwing on them. The 49ers are actually in the bottom half of the league in terms of points allowed to opposing WRs.

Torrey Smith fantasy football Thanksgiving day projection: 4 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD

Other start em WRs:

• Michael Crabtree and Alex Smith are developing a nice rapport. He may not get into the end zone, but he’ll rack up at least 5-6 catches and 60-70 yards, with upside for more.
• With Miles Austin likely out again, both Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson are top-25 wide receivers.
• Jordy Nelson, even though it goes without saying at this point. Also, keep playing Greg Jennings. I know his last few games have been less than what we expect, but do you really want your Thanksgiving to be ruined because he popped for 100 yards and a TD? No, you don’t.
• I’m not quite sure where that 1-catch dud in Week 11 by Brandon Marshall came from, but it’s the only game this year he’s had fewer than four catches. He stays in your lineup.
• ‘Tron. Also Nate Burleson, who has two straight excellent games and faces the inviting Packers’ defense this week.

Sit em WR: James Jones, Green Bay (at Detroit)

Jones flashed his potential in weeks 3-7 when he averaged 3+ catches and 62 yards per game to go along with three touchdowns. However, in the three games since then Jones has caught just two total passes. This has coincided with Jordy Nelson becoming the most explosive receiver in the NFL, and though I don’t watch Green Bay games I have to think there is some level of causation to that correlation.

I know you’ll be tempted to play Jones because it’s Thanksgiving – and he certainly has TD potential any week, any play – but the targets just aren’t there to justify it right now; plus, Detroit is actually the second-stingiest defense for opposing wide receivers playing on Thanksgiving (after Dallas).

James Jones fantasy football Thanksgiving day projection: 2 receptions, 35 yards, 0 TD

Other sit em WRs:

• I don’t like any Dolphins receiver not named Brandon Marshall.
• Lee Evans is supposedly back for Baltimore. Whoop-de-doo. Torrey Smith stole his role as deep threat.
• Braylon Edwards let a touchdown slip right through his fingers last week. You can’t start him until he proves he can make an impact.

Fantasy Football Thanksgiving Day Start/Sit Tight Ends

Start em TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit (v Green Bay)

The Chicago Bears give up the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Do you know who is second? The Green Bay Packers. This makes Pettigrew an automatic start this week, as does his consistency.

No, Pettigrew has not been as explosive lately as he was earlier in the season, but he’s caught at least three balls in every game but one this year, and he remains a redzone target as he scored a TD last week.

Brandon Pettigrew fantasy football Thanksgiving day projection: 5 receptions, 70 yards, 1 TD

Other start em TEs:

• The Ravens are actually the stingiest defense against opposing tight ends, so you’re forewarned; still, I’d start Vernon Davis. He’s becoming more and more involved in the passing game, and he has scored in two straight weeks. He’s not an automatic start, but unless you have a top-10 alternative I’d keep him in there.
• Jason Witten. ‘Nuff said.

Sit em TE: Jermichael Finley, Green Bay (at Detroit)

Remember when Jermichael Finley was supposed to be the next Antonio Gates? Since that time, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski have clearly passed him, along with Aaron Hernandez and even the likes of Jermaine Gresham. Finley has talent, but the targets and touchdowns just aren’t there. Plus, Detroit is pretty stingy to opposing tight ends.

Finley has immense potential every week, but it’s crunch time. You need guaranteed production from the tight end spot. I’d look elsewhere but hang onto Finley for depth.

Jermichael Finley fantasy football Thanksgiving day projection: 2 receptions, 30 yards, 0 TD

Other sit em TEs:

• Ed Dickson came out of nowhere to score two TDs two weeks ago against Seattle. That game is sandwiched between games in which Dickson averaged two catches and 15 yards. San Fran is solid against tight ends thanks to the marvelous Patrick Willis. You can do better.
• Anthony Fasano has scored four touchdowns over his last four games, but in three of those games he had only two receptions. Dallas is pretty stingy to opposing TEs. Again, you can do better.

Fantasy Football Thanksgiving Day Start/Sit D/STs

Start em D/ST: San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens

I like both defenses in this game. San Fran is #1 in the league in points allowed (14.5 per game) and Baltimore is #3 (17.6). Plus, neither team’s QB exactly inspires confidence. So expect a physical, low-scoring game, with both defenses looking to make the play that turns the tide and wins it.

If you happen to have both defenses, the edge goes to San Francisco because of the added dimension and potential Ted Ginn brings in the return game.

San Francisco 49ers fantasy football Thanksgiving day projection: 14 or fewer points, 3+ sacks, 2 turnovers

Baltimore Ravens fantasy football Thanksgiving day projection: 14 or fewer points, 2+ sacks, 1 turnover

Other start em D/STs:

• The Dallas defense isn’t an automatic start, not after giving up 24 points to Sexy Rexy and the Rexskins, but they are a decent play against Miami.

Sit em D/ST: Miami Dolphins (at Dallas)

I know that the Miami defense has been very good lately, especially last week against Buffalo, but this Dallas offense is light years better than Buffalo’s. Miami has faced Matt Cassel, John Beck, and Ryan Fitzpatrick during their three-game winning streak. This week they face at hot Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and Laurent Robinson in Cowboys Stadium. That’s not favorable.

Miami Dolphins fantasy football Thanksgiving Day projection: 24 or more points, 1 sack, 1 turnover

Other sit em D/STs:

• Is there anyone who doesn’t expect a shootout in Detroit? Though both defenses have weekly sack and TD potential, it’s a safe bet to expect 60+ points in this game. I wouldn’t want either D playing for me (but Green Bay would be the choice if I had to play one.)

**********

I’m looking back on my selections, and I just realized I told you to sit a wide receiver and a tight end in what could be the highest-scoring Thanksgiving Day game ever. I’m not re-thinking either suggestion though. The potential is there, but the production just hasn’t been evident on the field to make me trust either Jones or Finley. We’ll see how those picks work out.

And don’t forget about the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Shootout. Click here to enter and make your Thanksgiving Day of football even more exciting.

Jon will be here tomorrow with start/sit advice on the rest of the Week 12 action. The comment section is open for your questions. Try to keep this thread Thanksgiving-specific if you can…although I guess it doesn’t really matter.

Good luck and happy Thanksgiving to all!

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.

**********

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.

As I stop with the filibuster lines, let’s discuss the injuries that have begun to rear their many ugly heads.  And I’m not just talking about injuries to players on your roster. Something else to pay attention to is injuries to your players’ opponents. These can sometimes affect your guys greatly. For example, Johnathan Joseph will play this week against Tampa Bay, but his hamstring isn’t 100%.

As a matter of fact, in the NFL, after week 1 nobody is 100% anymore. This is a tough game we play we with tough decisions, and we highlight who is healthy enough and good enough to play in this week’s stock report.

Fantasy Football Week 10: Stocks Up

Mark Sanchez

Don’t look now but Mark Sanchez is having a pretty good year. Aside from that horrible game against the Ravens, his play since then, especially against the Patriots, has been fairly encouraging.

Maybe playing under the radar is what suits him best; and between the Pats and Jets, New York is the team that is playing like they want to win the division right now. Tune in Sunday at 8:20 to find out.

Reggie Bush

Fantasy points or Kim Kardashian? This is quite the perplexing question, but it goes directly to Reggie since we all know she is back on the market, so he has some decisions to make.

While he may want to have his cake and eat it too, fantasy owners have to be excited about his 6.9 ypc average over the last two weeks against some formidable defenses. He is running better every week, and when you add his catching into the equation a pleasant surprise should come from this.

Ben Tate

Don’t be afraid to play Ben Tate just because he sits behind one of fantasy’s best running backs. With Andre Johnson continuing to have issues with his hamstring, the Texans are going to do what they do best and that is run the football up and down the field.

Jerome Simpson

After seeing the early season success of the Dalton to Green connection, the truth will show whether this Bengals offense can keep them relevant in the AFC North. Four straight games against divisional opponents will pose a challenge, so if anyone needs to step up more for this team it is Simpson. The stats don’t lie, his 15.8 yard average is best on the team.

Sidney Rice

To win against the Ravens, Seattle simply won’t be able to run the ball, sorry Mr. Lynch.  If they really want to win, trying to expose the sometimes vulnerable Baltimore secondary is the way to go about it. This all hinges on the ability for the offensive line to block long enough for Tavaris Jackson to throw the ball downfield. This is truly wishful, but not absurd, thinking.

Brent Celek

14 catches over the last two weeks is good for anybody…but a tight end?  Pure excellence.

Jake Ballard

Eli Manning is a very good quarterback and he loves his tight ends. Jake Ballard is going to get a lot of looks in the red zone and for some reason teams haven’t caught on. Ride this one for as long as you want.

Fantasy Football Week 10: Stocks Down

Tony Romo

That Buffalo defensive secondary doesn’t play around when it comes to causing turnovers.  Given Romo’s history in games that are important, there isn’t a lot to be happy about when the Cowboys and Bills face off to see who is going to stay afloat in their respective divisions.

Matthew Stafford

The Bears gave Stafford his 2^nd lowest fantasy game back in week 5, but the tide could and most likely will change this week.  Chicago plays better at home, and they are tired of hearing how good the Lions are and need to keep up in the tight wild card race, so expect a tough game that is going to be rough on the offensive statistics.

Ray Rice

Are the Ravens for real?  Probably, but this week could see Joe Flacco developing some rapport with his young receivers in a game that the Ravens should win pretty easily. Rice may see some action in the passing game but as far as running the ball, the matchup isn’t good.

Rashard Mendenhall

Big Ben is arguably the most important player to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which creates a passing environment causing Mendenhall to take a back seat. In the grand scheme of things, this works out well for him as he doesn’t have to take a beating every game, but this is fantasy and that is no good for us.

Julio Jones

Atlanta knows that if they want to beat the Saints, running the football up and down the field is really the only option. Besides, New Orleans is so well coached that letting an upstart like Jones go off again for a 100+ yard game with a couple scores is out of the question.

Brandon Lloyd

Aside from a mental lapse by the whole defense in week one, nobody, and I mean nobody can say they have given Joe Haden problems this year. Plug in the fact that Lloyd and Bradford are still extremely new to each other, it is going to be some time before the gaudy fantasy numbers that owners are hoping for will surface.

New England TE’s

Who do you feel is the best team in the AFC East right now?  The Jets are playing like it right now, and they have a big home game against the Pats on Sunday. During the meeting in week 5, Gronkowski and Hernandez went on to score a combined 8 points. For all the doubters out there downing the Jets defense, know that it is still elite and will cause some problems for these guys.

Falcons D/ST

A “recurring theme” is the term that best explains what happens to defenses that go up against Drew Brees, and that theme is points given up. We used to be able to say that about Phillip Rivers, but I’ll put the salt down for now. As for the Falcons, this season has been somewhat of a disappointment, and when teams are down, the Saints go for the jugular. If the offense can stay on the field long enough, then things should be ok for this defense…but it doesn’t look that way with Brees and Co in town.

This game isn’t just a competition of who can play the best, no; it will be a vicious fight for a win between two teams desperate for Ws.

Let’s take a look at why the teams are where they are.

The Miami Dolphins

Besides the winless record they currently hold, the Miami Dolphins have suffered their fair share of injuries and struggles, which have put them far behind the rest of the league’s contenders. In week 4, quarterback Chad Henne suffered a shoulder injury that has ended his season. Matt Moore has taken over for Henne and will start Monday night, and the Dolphins signed Sage Rosenfels to add depth to the position.

Everyone can see that the Dolphins aren’t getting quite the numbers they thought they were going to with the addition of Reggie Bush before the season. In four games, Bush has only rushed for 119 yards on 40 carries. Rookie Daniel Thomas, who has shown flashes of his potential, has struggled with injuries, leaving few options for this Miami team.

For some added drama and mystery, wide receiver Brandon Marshall expects to be ejected in Monday night’s game. How? I’m not really sure. But he did mention that he’s going to just have fun. I’ll let your imagination do the rest.

The good news for the Dolphins is that with Coach Tony Sparano, the team is 3-0 playing in Jets’ territory.

The New York Jets

The Jets have home field advantage, except they are playing the Dolphins, who happen to do quite well at Met Life Stadium. The Jets this year look a little different than the Jets who fought the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game, and teammates are starting to get frustrated with eachother.

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes expressed the need to incorporate more deep passes into their offense. Of course if the Jets want to do that, they need to protect quarterback Mark Sanchez to avoid pressure, panic, and interceptions. The offense is really where this team is struggling. Sanchez has a completion percentage of 56.1 and has been sacked 13 times. Plus, the Jets are lacking depth at positions like right guard and left tackle. Surely this doesn’t help Sanchez’s situation and ability to make plays happen.

If your offense can’t score, then you have to rely on your defense, right? Unfortunately, the Jets defense is not talented enough, or at least not performing well enough this season, to do all the magic.

If you have been living under a rock for the past week, you should probably take note that wide receiver Derrick Mason was traded to the Houston Texans. This sent an expected shock through the team. Statistically, receivers Dustin Keller and Holmes don’t really look that much better, and they have an extra game under their belt.

Dolphins-Jets Prediction

Both of these teams have experienced their fare share of drama this season. Mental game seems to be the most significant challenge for both of these teams, as both have talent.

I am going to have to go with Jets on this one.

Miami will be fighting, and fighting hard, to get their first win. You know they are hungry for it. The Dolphins have had the bye week to prepare Moore for the starting quarterback position and to help adjust the rest of the team to his playing style. Marshall says he wants to just have fun, and sometimes fun brings out the best in players, allowing them to succeed more than when they are under immense amounts of stress to win. As long as he avoids the ejection, he has the ability to put up some good numbers even with Darrelle Revis on him.

While they are in a rut, the Jets probably have better players. The Mason trade may or may not have helped bring them together, and there is a chance that all of the controversy this week could make the team not be as focused as they should be. However, the flaws of the Dolphins will outdo those of the Jets. The New York O-line might actually stand a chance, allowing Sanchez to make plays and get Holmes those deep passes he’s been anticipating.

The Dolphins bye week might have made them sharper, but I have a feeling it didn’t make them better.

New York Jets 21 | Miami Dolphins: 10

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Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

• Dolphins-Jets Date, Time, and TV: Monday, October 17th at 8:30 ET on ESPN
• Dolphins-Jets Announcers: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Ron Jaworski
• Dolphins-Jets Point Spread: Jets -7
• Dolphins-Jets Over-Under Odds: 42.5

Not that it needs to be noted but it seems as if the only thing going for the Eagles is LeSean McCoy.  First and foremost, as it cannot be stressed enough, this is a passing league now.  Running backs are such a replaceable piece that you see multi-million dollar players such as DeAngelo Williams and Chris Johnson putting up peasant numbers.  Owners, don’t pull your hair out yet as there are some pleasant surprises as well in this week’s stock report.

Stock Up

Cam Newton

In just the 4^th week of the season, the Panthers’ rookie is already at the 100% owned mark.  The sobering 14-point game could be justified in part because of the heavy rain but this week presents a brighter outlook.  The Bears have shown the inability to stop the downfield passing game so Cam could have his way.

Rex Grossman

He just has a love/hate vibe going on out here in the fantasy world and it comes with good reason.  One game you get the respectable 18-point game and then you get the 10-point question mark.  Cut him some slack because last week against the Cowboys, the game was wackier than ever with those 9 field goals.  Going to St. Louis should help out as the Rams are 31^st in total defense.

Tim Hightower

Nothing is going to help Grossman more than the versatile man behind him.  Not only will he run the ball adding to his numbers but the biggest thing is his production catching passes out of the backfield.  Already with 68 touches through the first three games, the Redskins look like they are going to invest a lot of the offense in what Hightower can do.

James Starks

Having to split time with Ryan Grant hurt his fantasy numbers just a bit, but now that Grant is banged up Starks receives more of the timeshare.  Also banged up is the Denver defense.  With all the focus on Aaron Rodgers, one can’t help but to think of Starks re-living his 2010 postseason.

Nate Washington

Owners of Nate Washington must be happy that he is going to be the focal point of the passing game for the rest of the season but please curb your enthusiasm.  Going up against Joe Haden and the Browns 3^rd ranked pass defense is no easy task, but when you are on a team where the star wide out is gone and the 2,000 yard back has yet to hit stride, expect many targets.

Lance Moore

One would think that with the addition of Marques Colston back in the Saints lineup would hurt Moore’s production.  Not a chance.  The defense in New Orleans is far from the best but a rookie quarterback could give their offense a couple more possessions.  As the running game falls more into the abyss each week, video game numbers could be expected.

Dustin Keller

A quarterback’s best friend is always said to be a strong running game.  While that may be true, Mark Sanchez is still going to have to throw the ball this week.  Nothing is better than a tight end who catches more than 5 balls a game and will prove to be the number one safety valve against a stingy Ravens defense.

Chargers D/ST

Ranking in the bottom third of fantasy defenses would scare most people away but look at it this way.  Negative 7 of their 7 points this year came against the Patriots and Tom Brady.  This week presents Chad Henne.  You should like your chances.

Stock Down

Tony Romo

The ribs are getting healthier but the same cannot be said for his receivers; at least for now.  No Miles Austin and a Detroit defense that is better against the pass than people expected.  A lot of the “experts” are calling for a classic shootout but for some reason this game is shaping up to have a similar outcome as last week’s 8 point outing.

Mark Sanchez

Oh what a bad week ahead for the “Sanchize”.  The only thing that ever gives Baltimore trouble on defense is that one playmaker who can do everything or who has the ability to make a play that deflates the defense.  LT needs to bring his skills of 5 years ago back on Sunday because when you look at the Jets offense as a whole it is really just average at best.

Reggie Bush

If you thought things were looking up for Reggie when the Dolphins first said they would put most of the workload on him then look away, quickly.  With an increased amount of carries going a different way and not very many targets in the passing game, his value is dropping very fast.

DeAngelo Williams

With the initial jolt of excitement over Cam Newton now passing along, is it time that we all see Mr. Williams take his place in the offense? Probably not.  Actually, not at all for the rest of the season.  It’s a simple matter of adding a couple of things up for an equation that most owners won’t like.  Like it or not, Cam Newton is the big dog in Carolina and with the Panthers expecting to play from behind a lot this year, the running game is going to take a backseat.  More like the last seat in an Astro van.

Plaxico Burress

Regardless of the fact that Burress gets a ton of red-zone targets and deep balls, the defense that the Jets are going up against this week just won’t let all of that happen.  Add to the fact that he won’t be 100% this week is cause for some red flags.

Mike Williams

This goes twofold for the player in Tampa Bay and the one in Seattle.  Tampa Bay Mike doesn’t have any teammates at the same position to take some of the defensive pressure off of him.  Seattle Mike has the opposite of that problem as the addition of Sidney Rice has made quarterback Tavaris Jackson look in the other direction a lot.

Owen Daniels

The last time these two teams faced off, the Steelers go the best of the Texans’ Daniels.  He may get a lot of targets (9 just last week) but we feel that this defense still has something to prove even if the first week of the season is in the past.

Bengals D/ST

This defense may be ranked number 6 as far as fantasy points go but they haven’t gone up against an offense that really puts up numbers yet.  That streak ends Sunday when the 3-0 Bills come to town with their new look spread offense.  Long story short, negative numbers could be on the horizon.

The first week was full of hard-hitting action and high scores, and with that combination comes the injuries. Here’s your injury update to make sure your second week goes better than my first!

AFC North Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Baltimore Ravens

Wide receiver Lee Evans from the Baltimore Ravens was spotted in a boot early this week after having zero catches against the Pittsburg Steelers. However, John Harbaugh claimed he was ready to go after practicing in full the past two days. Expect Evans to play against the Tenenssee Titans on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback, Andy Dalton was cleared to start Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. Dalton, who was hit on his throwing arm during week 1′s game against the Cleveland Browns, has not officially been named the starter but speculation from media sources assume he will.

AFC South Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Houston Texans

Arian Foster, running back for the Houston Texans, will play at Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. According to NFL.com, Foster might be limited on the amount of playing time he gets to slowly ease him back into the game after his hamstring injury. If you are expecting big points from him, you might want to rethink your strategy for week 2.

Don’t expect Derrick Ward of the Texans, to play. From the team website, they noted Ward is out and probably won’t even make the trip.

AFC East Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson is dealing with a nagging groin issue. The team stated he rested on Thursday and practiced in full on Friday. I would expect to see him play on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders after noting he practiced in full today.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins continue to search for the perfect balance between Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas, with both recovering from hamstring injuries. Thomas, who missed week 1, practiced in full on Friday. I would expect to see the Dolphins to try to incorporate both running backs into action against the Texans.

New York Jets

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Plaxico Burress, who was dealing with ankle issues, practiced in full on Friday and is expected to play on Sunday.

AFC West Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Denver Broncos

Knowshon Moreno, running back for the Denver Broncos, did not practice on Friday and is listed as questionable. I wouldn’t expect him to play since rumor has it they are lining up others to take his spot. Brandon Lloyd practiced Friday and will most likely play Sunday.

Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders’ running back, Darren McFadden, was one of the players with a minor shoulder injury. However, they expect him to play on Sunday against the Bills.

NFC North Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Chicago Bears

Roy Williams, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, didn’t practice on Thursday and is questionable for Sundays game. While the Bears still have him listed as first string on the depth chart, I would be wary that his groin injury could keep from the game.

Teammate and running back Marion Barber will not participate in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints after experiencing soreness in his calf.

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley is expected to play on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Finley was limited at practice this week because of an ankle issue.

Detroit Lions

Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is expected to play in the Lions game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson returned to practice on Friday, but the final decision won’t be made until Sunday. Because he played in full at practice, I would play Johnson.

 NFC South Fantasy Football Injury Updates

New Orleans Saints

Lance Moore, wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints, is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. He expects to play but his owners will check his status on Sunday.

NFC East Fantasy Football Injury Updates

Dallas Cowboys

It’s not looking good for the Dallas Cowboys. Both wide receivers Dez Bryant and Miles Austin have suffered from injuries this week. Bryant hasn’t practiced all week and remains questionable, while Austin was able to practice to some extent on Friday. I’d leave out Bryant but think you could consider Austin in your roster.

New York Giants

Hakeem Nicks, wide receiver for the New York Giants, expects to play on Monday night against the St. Louis Rams. After running some drills at Friday’s practice, he feels confident that his knee will hold up just fine in the game.

NFC West Fantasy Football Injury Updates

St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams running back, Steven Jackson, didn’t practice on Friday. Most likely he will be out Monday night. Sit ‘em folks.

Seattle Seahawks

Sidney Rice, wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks will not play on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he has practiced with limitations all week, the Seahawks don’t want to throw one of their key players in too soon.

Alright week 2…Let’s GO!

This is especially true of sports, and everyone who has ever watched a sporting event on television knows this. Any play, even the most mundane and inconsequential, becomes eminently more compelling and dramatic when played back in slow motion.

This blog post pays tribute to the magnificence of slow motion.

Since this is a sports blog, let’s start out by celebrating slow motion in sports. We’ll being with the NFL, which uses slow motion constantly during telecasts, especially with plays that are under review or in dispute. Slow motion in football is most effective, however, when highlighting a spectacular feat of athleticism…and somehow making it seem even more spectacular.

Brilliantly, the NFL used slow motion in one of its recent ad campaigns. The results were predictably breathtaking.

The music choices for these commercials also needs to be lauded. Very appropriate choices.

The NFL, of course, is not the only league to leverage the power of slow motion in promoting its sport. One of the best ad campaigns in recent memory was the NBA’s “Where Will Amazing Happen?” campaign during the playoffs a few years ago. Here is an example:

And, thanks to the comedic genius of the Internet, the idea behind this campaign was bastardized to show the power of slow motion to create hilarity:

And here is a video just posted by the NBA earlier this week. The greatness of Dwyane Wade is even greater in slow motion.

Naturally, it works for baseball too:

Here is a video of a baseball upon impact:

And it works for hockey.

Golf? Oh yeah. Check out this video of a golf ball upon impact with a piece of steel:

And here is the most famous golf swing of all time:

And how about Tiger’s friend Roger Federer? He’s the best ever right? Well he’s even better in slow motion and with dramatic music.

Even billiards? Yep.

And as you might have guessed, cheerleaders look awesome in slow motion as well.

Something tells me this video would probably look pretty good even without slow motion. But still…

Like Chappelle said, everything looks better in slow motion, and not just athletics. Dave himself, of course, showed us that even doing laundry is more dramatic and exciting in slow motion:

But did you also know that popping a piece of popcorn looks incredible in slow motion?

Or that getting hit in the face with a water balloon makes for a mesmerizing 1:35 when viewed in extreme slow motion?

Sumo wrestlers running shirtless? Yep, better in slow motion.

Lightning? Awesome in slow motion.

People sneezing? Gross…but spectacular in slow motion.

A dog drinking water? Pretty cool in slow motion.

Honestly, I could go on forever. There is an endless supply of slow motion videos on YouTube. If you want more, click to see all the slow mo videos by the Discovery Channel (some of which you saw above). They are incredible.

And now I will close with, quite simply, the most compelling testament to the awe-inspiring power of slow motion.

When you can make Dave Chappelle taking a doody hilarious and watchable…well that’s a pretty powerful visual technique.

(I’m sure I missed more than a few incredible videos. Please post in the comment section if you have a link.)

MSF senior fantasy writer Kurt Fraschetti joined me yesterday as he always does and we tackled a smorgasbord of fantasy topics.

And if you listened to last week’s episode, you can probably guess what led off this week’s show. Here’s a hint: it involves the Philadelphia Eagles and some major gloating by Kurt.

Listen here:

• You can also listen to the MSF Podcast on iTunes and subscribe to future episodes.
• Podcast Intro & Outro Song: “Dax McCarthy’s Magic Elixer’” by The Twin Cats (Indianapolis)

Once you’re done listening, or while you’re listening, make sure to head over to MSF Fantasy Sports to check out all of our Week 3 insight, analysis, and advice:

• Week 3 Rankings
• Week 3 Start/Sit and Q&A
• Week 3 Sleeper Picks

A more detailed breakdown of the topics we talk about:

• Kurt gloats about his successful prediction that Michael Vick would dominate against Detroit and then take over the starting QB gig full-time for Philly.
• Jerod and Kurt analyze the effect that Jimmy Clausen will have on the Carolina offense.
• Kurt thinks the loss of Reggie Bush won’t hurt the Saints much, if at all.
• Jerod and Kurt provide two names from the waiver wire that you absolutely need to know right now.
• Tony Romo’s struggles are discussed, but also why he is a must start this week.
• Jerod explains why everyone should be grabbing Kevin Walter right about now.
• The guys discuss who is more likely to rebound and make the playoffs between the Cowboys and the Vikings.
• And finally, Jerod answers the question everyone in Cleveland wants to know: who will have more fantasy value between Peyton Hillis and Adrian Peterson.
• Plus more.

The best team from start to finish in the AFC, the Colts, will face the best team from start to finish in the NFC, the Saints. With both teams staying relatively quiet this week – the only real bulletin board material has come from the Colts’ former coach – there is only thing left to do on Super Bowl morning: take a stab at predicting what will happen.

Here are seven predictions for what we will see tonight in Super Bowl XLIV.

Reggie Bush already made quite a catch snaring Kim Kardashian; can he make a few more big catches tonight?

1. Reggie Bush will have more receiving yards than Austin Collie.

I have no statistical data to back this one up. Collie had more receptions and yards during the regular season as he should since his job is to catch the ball and run with it. This postseason Collie is averaging 5.5 catches per game for 87.5 yards while Bush has averages of three catches for 28.5 yards.

There is just something about this as I type it that feels right. It is much like the feeling I had last weekend when I said that DeSean Jackson would win Pro Bowl MVP. He finished with 101 yards on eight catches and two touchdowns, and if his team would have scored more points I would have been right. I’m all about the small victories in life, and my DeSean Jackson pick was one of those.

2. Alexander Ovechkin will have the same number of goals as Drew Brees touchdown passes.

I am not what one would call a hockey fan. I know zero hockey players under the age of 40 not named Crosby or Ovechkin unless they attended the University of North Dakota. I don’t like to give hockey much credit on anything, but it’s time has come. Congratuations NHL, you did it.

Scheduling Penguins vs. Capitals on the afternoon before the Super Bowl was genius. By the time the game will start the NFL Network will have lost another analyst due to criminal charges and Cris Carter will have pulled a Bert Blyleven over on ESPN and everyone will be scared for the final 217 hours of pregame coverage. Even Stu Scott’s fake eye will be looking straight. Hockey will seem like such a great idea that Tony the Tiger will have an aneurysm trying to explain how happy he is to have a break from pregame coverage.

I really hope all of the above happens. By the way, go Penguins. I don’t like Russian hockey players. They are the reason I can’t follow the sport. Way too hard to pronounce their names, let alone remember them.

3. At the end of the game, I will have as many sacks as Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

Freeney is not healthy and will not be a factor. I don’t care what any report says. Robert Mathis will be healthy and will also not be that much of a factor. The media is extremely fixated with Peyton Manning not getting sacked often, but what about Drew Brees?

The Vikings led the league in total sacks this year and managed to get only one sack against the Saints two weeks ago. I’m not an expert on the Colts defensive front, but I have confidence saying that it is not as good as Minnesota’s. A lesser line and the best player on said line being injured does not equal Drew Brees going down. Not in my book anyway.

4. Darren Sharper will have more sacks than interceptions.

Yes, I am fully aware this is the second straight prediction involving sacks.

Two weeks ago the Saints ran a lot of safety blitzes on the Vikings. Sharper never got a sack, but sure did get to see Mr. Favre up close a few times.

I think Sharper will get his sack within the first two possessions, because if it doesn’t happen then, it probably won’t happen. According to ESPN Peyton Manning is a good quarterback and is also pretty smart. The Saints won’t have all game to get in his head.

5. At least one member of Jersey Shore will be shown during the telecast.

I don’t like it either, but there HAS to be at least three of them in Miami right now right? Hopefully they don’t make their way into the actual stadium and get some lame interview from the stands where JWoww is just staring at the JumboTron seeing if there is an angle on earth that make her boobs look good while Snooky is looking for a juicehead carrying around a jar of pickles.

For some reason Darren Rovell has been going crazy over the prop bet involving Archie Manning shots during the game. Does anyone really care what Archie is up to? I was more interested in Prince during the Vikings game than I am about Senor Manning. The O/U is 4.5 by the way. Insane.

If the Colts fulfill Drew's prediction, their stoic coach Jim Caldwell probably will not be so expressive when he gets doused with gatorade.

6. The Colts will win and cover the spread.

I would really like to see the Saints win but I just don’t think it will happen. Peyton Manning is in beast mode and I just don’t see any way that the Colts will be in a position at the end of the game where they can’t win. If there is time on the clock, Peyton will find a way to score. He has done it all year and he will do it again on Sunday if need be.

While writing this I was trying to think of some good predictions, so I asked one of my friends who is notorious for giving strange opinions on football. His answer? 3-2 Colts.

I disagree. 34-22 Colts. Everyone loves a good two point conversion.

7. Peyton Manning will NOT win MVP.

I should probably have another name to throw out here. I’ll go with Donald Brown. He’ll bust a long +40 yard touchdown run in the second quarter and score on a screen play in the fourth to seal the deal.

Now it’s your turn. What is your prediction for tonight’s game?

He also, of course, benefits from the fact that Reggie Bush runs between the tackles about as well as Chad Pennington throws the deep out.

Yet, despite all of these positives, the latest injury updates on Pierre Thomas indicate that you may need to sit him in Week 1.

A few days ago, Thomas listed himself as questionable for Week 1 because of an MCL sprain (via Fanhouse) that has hampered him throughout the preseason. He also recently sustained a laceration “from a fence” (via the Times-Picayune) that required him to get stitches, but should not hamper him moving forward.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on New Orleans Saints tickets and all 2009 NFL tickets.

The official Week 1 injury report is not out yet, but the news about Thomas is pessimistic enough that I would begin making alternate plans for your running back slots this week. He did not practice on Monday, and I’ve seen no reports yet that indicate he we will be ready to take advantage of the porous Lions’ D on Sunday.

The fact of the matter is that if you gave Sean Payton truth serum, he would probably admit that he doesn’t think he’ll need Thomas to score on and beat Detroit. Thus, if their #1 backfield horse isn’t ready to go, there is no reason for them to rush him back. This is a huge season for Payton and the Saints, and Thomas is the guy they are counting on to provide the Deuce-like thunder opposite Reggie Bush’s lightning.

That said, I wouldn’t panic yet if you are a Thomas owner (as I am).

Hopefully you have a decent option on your bench for Week 1 and his absence won’t kill you. If you own Reggie Bush, he obviously becomes a must-start, pending the reports out of Saints practice this week. Mike Bell should also see increased carries, especially around the goalline, if Thomas is out. In fact, Bell might not be a bad guy to stash on your bench as a semi-handcuff for Thomas as a hedge in case Thomas’ injuries linger.

Just be sure to keep track of the latest injury updates on Pierre Thomas throughout the week, but I’d get him out of your lineup right now — just in case you forget to check before Sunday — and then make a last minute switch on Saturday or Sunday if the news about his knee changes.

I’ll update this post if I see that anything changes.

Update: Via this tweet from Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune, it appears as if you are safe in removing Pierre Thomas from your rosters. Thomas, according to Duncan, is not dressed for Wednesday’s practice.

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* – Pierre Thomas photo credit: Ball St Journal

This week, at least on paper, we should have another thrilling matchup on Monday Night Football; and hopefully the level of play is a little bit more aesthetically pleasing.

Tomorrow night, November 24, the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints take the field in New Orleans. The Packers enter the game at 5-5, and 1/2 game behind both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North standings. The Bears and Vikings were both victorious on Sunday. The Saints enter the game at 5-5 as well, but in a much more precarious position in the NFC South. They are in last place, behind Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta.

As with most games during late November and December, both teams look at this game as a virtual must-win.

Before we get into who will win, let’s take a look at the injury report:

The biggest injury news in this game is that Saints RB Reggie Bush will not play. Reggie Bush continues to suffer from an injured knee. Sean Payton and the Saints had hoped Bush could give it a go, but announced early on Sunday that he would not play. (Luckily for fantasy owners of Reggie Bush, like myself, the Saints announced this twenty minutes before the early games on Sunday started. I was able to quickly put Le’Ron McLain in my lineup and enjoy his solid day against the Eagles.) Aaron Glenn and Mike Karney are also out for the Saints. For the Packers, linebacker Nick Barnett is out. A whole slew of other players are questionable, but none are starters or key players.

Now let’s get your impression before I give you mine:

My first impression is that I don’t like this matchup for the Saints.

I think if people were asked who has the better offense, the majority would answer the Saints. And with a healthy Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, and Jeremy Shockey, that could be true. But the truth of the matter is that the Packers have actually scored more points this season: 274-266. This, despite the fact that Brett Favre is playing in New York and running back Ryan Grant is averaging less than 4 yards per carry.

Still, the Packers have the better running game. Without Reggie Bush, the Saints have been relying on Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas to provide balance to the passing attack led by Drew Brees. Unfortunately for New Orleans, McAllister is only averaging 3.7 yards per attempt. Pierre Thomas, however, has been running well of late. He is gaining 4.4 yards per carry and should continue to get carries even when Reggie Bush returns.

The Saints are also trying to assimilate Marques Colston back into their offense. Colston was injured for a while, but it has not stopped Drew Brees from amassing a ridiculous 3,251 passing yards through 10 games. Brees has also thrown for 18 touchdowns, but has been picked off 11 times. With ball-hawking cornerbacks like Charles Woodson on the other side of the ball, Drew Brees will have to be careful not to throw to the other team.

Amazingly, Aaron Rodgers (or is it Scott Stapp from Creed?) is having almost as strong a season as Drew Brees — if not better. He does not have the yardage and touchdowns of Brees, but Rodgers has been more efficient. He has thrown only 6 INTs and has a passer rating of 94.5, nearly equal to Brees’ 95.4. Aaron Rodgers has developed a great rapport with wide receiver Greg Jennings, who is emerging as one of the most electric deep threats in the NFL. Greg Jennings has caught 48 passes, which is less then 5 per game, but he is averaging an eye-popping 18.0 yards per catch and 5 TDs. With New Orleans possessing a secondary that is more like a sieve than a last line of defense, I would expect Greg Jennings to get behind the secondary for at least one or two big plays.

The Saints are 4-1 at home this year, but three of those wins were against struggling teams such as the Raiders, 49ers, and Chargers. They did hand Tampa Bay one of their few losses this year, but the Saints’ other W was against the Chiefs. The Saints have not fared well against teams with records of .500 or above, dropping games to Minnesota, Washington, Carolina, Atlanta, and Denver.

I would say that the Packers are much closer to the second group of teams — the good ones — than the list of patsies that the Saints have beaten. And coming off last week’s dismantling of the Bears, this Packers team seems to be hitting their stride.

I am an unabashed Drew Brees fan, have him in nearly every fantasy league, and remain pissed off that the Miami Dolphins did not draft him back when he came out of Purdue. Drew Brees is an outstanding QB and I think he will play well on Monday night.

Still, I doubt it will be enough to win.

The Packers have their own solid QB to go along with a better running game, a more consistent receiving corps, and a much better defense. Without Reggie Bush to add his dynamic play-making ability to the Saints attack, and keep the Packers D off balance, I think the Saints will put up a valiant fight but ultimately fall short.

Prediction: Packers 38 | Saints 31

(Editor’s Note: For purposes of full disclosure, JRod also picked Texas Tech to beat Oklahoma, thought the Browns would go 9-7 and make the playoffs, and predicted the Chicago White Sox would beat the Tampa Bay Rays in this year’s playoffs. So basically, if you are thinking of wagering money on this game, put it confidently on the Saints. The Packers have now been given the official JRod Kiss of Death.)

The New Orleans Saints had held out hope that Reggie Bush would be able to suit up this weekend when the desperate Saints take on the Chiefs. However, despite partial participation in practice on Wednesday, Bush is officially listed as OUT on the NFL Injury Report. Reggie Bush did not participate in Thursday’s practice. Looks like Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas will be splitting carries again; and that Drew Brees will be airing it out a lot, as always. Marques Colston is listed as probable and should play, providing a boon to the Saints, as well as fantasy owners of Colston and Drew Brees.

For fans of the St. Louis Rams and owners of Steven Jackson, you will have to do without the dreadlocked one again this weekend. Steven Jackson is staying in St. Louis when the Rams travel to San Francisco to play the 49ers. Jackson will be seeing a specialist about his injured thigh. Steven Jackson also missed last week’s game, a week after carrying only 7 times against the Arizona Cardinals.

For more fantasy football knowledge for Week 11, head over to the Fantasy Sports Blog and check out Fraschetti’s Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus. If you have any lineup questions, ask them over that Week 11 Start Em, Sit Em Live Chat.  You can submit questions any time and we’ll be answering between 9:00 and 11:00 ET tomorrow.

[tags]fantasy football, nfl injury news, steven jackson, reggie bush[/tags]

In taking in all week 8 had to offer, there were a few glaring issues or situations that stood out above the rest. Here’s who and what they were.

Matt Ryan, QB-Falcons. ON FIRE.

Yes, the Falcons lost, so why is he on fire. Have you seen him play? Do you remember he is only a Rookie? I cannot remember a rookie QB making this kind of an impact this fast. The Falcons were supposed to the worst team in football this year. Ryan has given the Falcons a 4-3 record, which is 4 more wins than most predicted they would have. Mike who? Yes, he has eased the pain of the loss of the Falcons entire offense going to Federal prison.

The Falcons coaches displayed their obvious comfort with Ryan throwing, as two out of every three plays were a pass against the Eagles. Ryan has had impressive outings against two defenses that are savages when it comes to applying pressure to quarterbacks, especially rookies, those being the Bears and the Eagles. Even though Matt Forte and Chris Johnson have been impressive, if Ryan continues, here is your 2008 NFL Rookie of the year!

The New Orleans Saints Offense. ON FIRE.

They flew to London and offensively dominated what was largely considered to be a championship team and a top five defense in the San Diego Chargers, and, this was done without one of the games most electrifying players, Reggie Bush.

Initial reports of Bush had him out two to four weeks after his surgery last week. The Saints are on a bye this week and will face the Falcons in week 10.

Without Bush, the Saints posted 451 yards of total offense in their 37-32 win over the Chargers with Drew Brees leading the way on a three touchdown 339 yard passing performance. This offense should only become more explosive after the bye week and in a few weeks the return of Reggie Bush to the line up.

Kellen Winslow, TE-Browns, ON ICE.

What a cancer this guy has to be! He missed two games this year. What happened in those games he missed, nothing much, only two of the biggest wins I can remember in most recent Browns history. Without “The Warrior”, the Browns managed to blow out the defending, and unbeaten at that point, Super Bowl Champions on Monday night, and had another huge win, in Jacksonville, against a dominating defense. Where does this leave Kellen? I am guessing in a new uniform in 2009. It is unfortunate that Browns players have to encounter staph infections, and believe that this issue should be addressed, but Winslow has never learned since his days at Miami how to express himself in a manner which is not destructive.

The Tennessee Titans Backfield. ON FIRE.

Under normal circumstances would I ever give advise to start two running backs on the same team at the same time, but I found myself giving that advise last week. These two, Lendale White and Chris Johnson are fantasy gods, and if I had both of them on my roster, without question would I start both of them at the same time. They are scoring machines and Coach Fisher is committed to the run. Props to Kerry Collins who showed that he can pass when needed in their impressive win over the Colts last night.

Lastly,

The Cincinnati Bengals. ON ICE.

What team ever had more talent then the Bengals on paper and could suck this bad. Who is to blame for the Bengals demise. Marvin Lewis. Lewis was a great defensive coordinator who led the Bengals to one playoff appearance, SINCE 2003. Look at the cycle that has taken place in their backfield alone and you can see the confusion that is taking place with the Bungles. Releasing your leading rusher, notice I said releasing, not trading, releasing your leading rusher to leave your running attack up to Kenny Watson and Chris Perry. After this genius move backfired, the powers that be picked up Cedric Benson, who averages 44.4 yards per game over his NFL career.

I know the loss of Carson Palmer is a good excuse, but the Patriots are 5-2 minus the best quarterback ever, which was done with a quarterback who’s last start prior to this year was in high school! This is the most talented 0-8 team ever!

Look for my Week 9 Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus which will post Thursday morning.

Kurt Fraschetti

profootballinsight@live.com