Nobody needs to be told starting Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, or Calvin Johnson is a good idea. Duh, right? You can’t have studs at every position, though, unless you’re in the shallowest of leagues. This is where the Shot Caller comes in. Need help deciding which bargain basement QB to use and which to ignore on Rodgers’ bye week? Let’s talk. Looking for solutions at running back because Peterson is a game-time decision? Look no further. Need to know which of your unproven targets to start and which to sit since you ignored Megatron and went RB-QB-Jimmy Graham in your first three rounds? I’m your huckleberry. Past results may not guarantee future success, but I believe ignoring them entirely can ruin your Sundays in a hurry. Read on for a little history and, hopefully, a little sage advice..

Note: Fantasy points based on FF Today’s default scoring system.

Bye Weeks: N/A

Grab a Helmet

Nick Foles @ DAL: First, the good news: Half the league’s 32 teams, an unusually high percentage, still have something to play for in Week 17 (a playoff spot, home field advantage, etc.) and that means you’ve got plenty of options to choose from. Now, the better news: 8 of the league’s top 10 offenses will be involved in meaningful contests this Sunday. Finally, the best news: One of them, Foles’ explosive Eagles, will be facing a historically bad Cowboys defense that should just miss setting a record for most yards surrendered in a 16-game slate. I say “should” because 700+ yards of total offense doesn’t seem out of Philly’s reach in this most offensive of NFL seasons. Foles has certainly done his part to inflate the overall numbers (2,628 yards, 25 TDs, and only two picks in nine starts) and could very well end up with the highest single-season passer rating in NFL history. Think about that for a second.

Cutler will need to air it out in order to beat Rodgers and the Pack.

Grab a Clipboard

Jason Campbell @ PIT: Campbell and the Browns have nothing at all to play for in Week 17, but would probably love to stick a fork in Pittsburgh’s playoff aspirations. If only they had the personnel to do so. Campbell’s been passable and occasionally brilliant as a fantasy option at the position, but that hasn’t translated into real world success (he’s 1-6 as Cleveland’s starter). Moreover, that occasional brilliance has been far too occasional of late. Even including a 34.3-point outlier against the Pats in Week 14, the nine-year vet has averaged fewer than 18 points per tilt the past five weeks, a per-game rate that puts him squarely in Matt Flynn and Chad Henne territory. That sounds about right since all of them started the year as backups and, in a perfect world, would have remained so all year long. Don’t trust Campbell with your championship hopes this Sunday, especially not against a motivated Steelers squad.

Carson Palmer v. SF: The Cardinals needed a couple of not-so-minor miracles to control their own playoff destiny heading into Week 16 and only a Navarro Bowman 89-yard pick-six on Monday night prevented them from getting both. The first miracle occurred a day earlier when Arizona overcame FOUR Carson Palmer interceptions (two in the end zone) to hold off the NFC West-leading Seahawks in the Emerald City. Atlanta was well on its way to delivering the second until Bowman flipped the Falcons’ comeback script with probably the most dramatic stadium-closing play in NFL history. Palmer can’t afford to be as careless this Sunday against the opportunistic Niners and probably won’t be (though he threw two INTs in the first meeting). I still think he struggles, however, in a game that could mean nothing by halftime if New Orleans and Seattle are taking care of business. I suspect they will be so think twice about using Palmer.

Russell Wilson v. STL: The Cards were able to knock off the Seahawks in Week 16 despite Palmer’s poor performance because Russell Wilson wasn’t a whole lot better. He took better care of the pigskin (just one INT), but his 11-for-27, 108-yard day left a lot to be desired. Take away the late 11-yard TD strike to Zach Miller and it would have left a whole bunch more. Wilson usually makes up for passing game deficiencies with his legs, but he only scrambled twice last Sunday for 32 yards and was also sacked four times by a salty Arizona defense. This just in: St. Louis’ stoppers might be even saltier. Robert Quinn is a one-man wrecking crew and if Russell Okung, Seattle’s best offensive lineman, can’t go, Wilson could be scrambling around all day long. I like the ‘Hawks to win a game they need, but the Rams aren’t laying down for anyone and will make it a hard-earned victory.

Running Backs