Everyone knows to start Peyton
Manning every week, regardless of the match-up. But not all decisions
are as easy at that one. So to help you decide who you should
start and who you should bench I have identified the players at
the QB, RB and WR positions that should excel this week and should
be started, as well as the players who will struggle this week
and should be benched. Don’t forget the Thursday night game—get
those lineups in on time. And no need to worry about your star
player being off; the bye weeks are over and everybody plays!
Let's start with the QB position. You shouldn't have to be told,
but just in case... always, always start the following players:
Peyton
Manning, Tom
Brady, Drew
Brees, Aaron
Rodgers, Eli
Manning, Philip
Rivers, and Kyle
Orton. Now on to the question marks...
Quarterbacks
Start 'Em:
Quarterbacks Who Will Outperform Relative
To Their Draft Position And Recent Hype
David Garrard @ TEN
The red hot (until last week against the Giants) Jacksonville
QB takes on the Titans and their 27th ranked pass defense. Tennessee
gives up 250 yards and 1 TD per game, and allow QBs to complete
65% of their passes, so it makes sense that opposing QBs throw
more times a game against the Titans (40) than they do against
any other team in the league. The only concern should be the Titans’
pass rush, which has the 2nd most sacks in the league. For Jacksonville,
Garrard had been on fire, throwing for 596 yards and 4 TDs in
his previous two games. But last week, the Giants shut him down
except for a scrambling TD run. He was held to 162 yards with
an INT, three fumbles (1 lost) and four sacks. Against the Titans
however, Garrard and he should be a solid play.
Is Cassel up for a repeat perfromance against
Denver?
Matt Cassel vs. DEN
Matt Cassel averages just 210 yards a game, which is 26th in the
league, but he has 22 TDs, which is tied for 6th (23 is the most
by several QBs). He’s only thrown four INTs and he has a 99.7
QB rating. Over the last three weeks he’s thrown for 895 yards,
10 TDs and 0 INTs. His last meeting against Denver a few weeks ago
resulted in him throwing for 469 yards and 4 TDs. Now while I don’t
expect him to come close to those numbers, I do expect him to have
a big day against a Broncos defense allowing 230 yards and 2 TDs
per game, as well as a 102.1 QB rating and five big plays per game
– the most in the league.
Mark Sanchez @ NE
Sanchez is 22nd in the league in passing yards per game with 225.
He has a respectable 2-to-1 TD (16) to INT (8) ratio, but only
completes 55% of his passes – one of the lowest percentages
in the league. But he does have 9 pass plays over 40 yards, which
is the 3rd most in the league, and he’s facing the league’s
worst pass defense this week in New England. The Patriots allow
289 yards and 2 TDs per game and the 5th most 20+ yard pass plays.
It’s a huge division rivalry game with teams that hate each
other so there’s a number of ways this game could go, but
the matchup certainly suggests a big day for Sanchez is probable.
Josh Freeman vs. ATL
Freeman is near the bottom of the league in yards per game with
just 206, but he has an impressive 3-to-1 TD (15) to INT (5) ratio
and in his last two games before facing the Ravens, he had 2 TDs
in each game with no INTs. This week he’s back to a soft
pass defense with the 27th ranked Falcons. Atlanta gives up 253
yards and 2 TDs per game and Freeman and the Buccaneers might
give Atlanta a run for their money at home this week. The Falcons
run defense is 6th in the league so any damage Tampa Bay can muster
up will be done through the air.
Bench 'Em:
Quarterbacks Who Will Under Perform
Relative To Their Draft Position And Recent Hype
Drew
Stanton vs. CHI
With franchise QB Matthew Stafford still out (what else is new),
and now backup Shaun Hill likely done for the season with a broken
index finger on his throwing hand, it looks like third stringer
Drew Stanton will get the nod this week against the Bears and
their 17th ranked pass defense. In three games (none started)
Stanton has thrown for 233 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, has been sacked
twice and fumbled three times. This could be an ugly one for Stanton
against a Bears team giving up 220 yards a game and just 8 TDs
all year – only the Saints have given up fewer (7). Chicago is
2nd in INTs (16), #1 in QB rating allowed (69.3), have allowed
the 6th fewest big plays and allow a league low 6.2 yards per
completion. Shaun Hill might have been moving the Lions well on
offense but don’t expect the same from Stanton.
Carson
Palmer vs. NO
Carson Palmer is 11th in passing yards with 251 yards a game and
has 19 TDs (just four behind the league leaders), so why is he
getting so much slack this year? Well, his team stinks, he has
15 INTs (3rd most in the league), just a 78.5 QB rating (only
two full time starting QBs have a lower rating) and is completing
just 59.5% of his passes (only 4 other regular QBs are doing worse).
He has 5 TDs in his last three games, but 6 INTs during the same
span, and last week against the Jets he had 135 yards, 1 TD, 2
INTs and 3 sacks. This week he faces the 3rd ranked pass defense
of the New Orleans Saints. The Saints allow just 198 yards a game
and have allowed a league low 7 TDs, plus they’ve allowed the
2nd fewest big plays in the league. New Orleans doesn’t get sacks
or INTs but they should be able to keep Palmer in check, making
him a bad play this weekend.
Donovan
McNabb @ NYG
The cardiovascular endurance-challenged McNabb goes into the New
Meadowlands to face a Giants team ranked #1 in pass defense. Besides
being over their losing streak, the Giants hold offenses to just
186 yards and 1 TD per game. They are 5th in sacks, 3rd in passer
completion (56%), and give up the fewest pass plays of 20+ yards
in the league. McNabb is 8th in yards per game with 259 but has
just 11 TDs and 13 INTs, plus he’s been sacked more than anyone
in the league not named Jay Cutler. He’s 2nd in the league in
40+ yard pass plays so he might get a deep one downfield to help
his stats but this does not look good for McNabb who in his last
three games has thrown 5 INTs, been sacked 9 times and fumbled
3 times.
Troy
Smith @ GB
Troy Smith is 27th in the league with 207 yards a game. He has
4 TDs (3 passing, 1 rushing), and 2 INTs and he’s been sacked
12 times and has 3 fumbles in his four starts. Against a horrible
Cardinals pass defense last week he managed just 129 yards, 1
TD, with an INT and a fumble, while completing just 48% of his
passes – but he won. While I expect Alex Smith to resurface soon,
this week will be Troy against the Packers. Green Bay has the
10th best pass defense in the league, allowing just 208 yards
and 1 TD per game (10 total TDs allowed is the 3rd fewest in the
league). Their QB rating allowed of 70 is second only to Chicago’s
69.3, they are 5th in sacks and 4th in INTs and should have little
trouble controlling Smith and the 49ers.
Running Backs 
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