Bye Weeks: Carolina, Detroit, Jacksonville, Minnesota

Start 'Em

Beanie Wells vs. Stl
After struggling to breakout early in his NFL career, former first round pick Beanie Wells has stepped up and been a big-time fantasy producer thus far in 2011. Aside from two games where he was hampered by injury, Wells has successfully broken into double-digit fantasy points in every other game this year. Not only that, but some of those performances have come against teams that are typically very good against the run including the Giants, Ravens, Vikings and Redskins. The Cardinals’ running back is listed as questionable right now, but it would be a surprise if he was able to play last week against Baltimore and then has to sit this week with the same injury against St. Louis. Look for him to play and have a nice day against one of the league’s worst run-defenses, the Rams, who have allowed 18-plus fantasy points to opposing running backs in every game but one this year.

Steven Jackson @ Ari
There’s the Steven Jackson we’ve all been looking for. The former first-round pick at running back broke out last week with a monster performance, leading his team in a surprise victory over the New Orleans Saints. Jackson ran over, around and through the Saints defense on his way to 159 yards and two scores on the ground. He also remains a solid PPR target as he has pulled in exactly four catches in each of his four full games this year. It’s hard to expect another huge performance like that again this week, but Jackson is certainly capable of having big games from time-to-time and the Cardinals have struggled against top-level-talent at running back this year. Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice both rushed for three scores against the Cardinals already this year, so look for the Rams to try to get the ball in their biggest playmaker’s hand early and often throughout the day.

Michael Bush vs. Den
This is definitely one to keep an eye on, but it appears at the moment that there is a very good chance that Raiders running back Darren McFadden could miss the team’s Week 9 game against Denver. If he does, backup Michael Bush could be in-line to make a huge fantasy splash against the struggling Tebow-led Broncos. Bush has already been a fantasy contributor on numerous occasions this year, sniping away three red zone touchdowns from a healthy McFadden in addition to rushing for nearly 100-yards in the Raiders’ most-recent blowout loss to Kansas City. He may not have the talent that McFadden does, but Bush is no slouch and is always one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy football. Even if McFadden does play, he could be limited enough that Bush finds himself checking in with a solid performance. Keep in mind that the Raiders running backs combined for a ridiculous 191 yards on the ground against the Broncos back in Week 1, so this could be another monster day for whoever gets the most touches.

Bench 'Em

Rashard Mendenhall has been wildly inconsistent in 2011.

Rashard Mendenhall vs. Bal
Just when we thought that Rashard Mendenhall was on his way to being a fantasy force once again after a huge game against Jacksonville in Week 6, he bounces back with back-to-back mediocre performances against the Cardinals and Patriots. Can anyone really trust this guy? It’s tough not to put him in your lineup because he was likely a late-first or early-second round pick in most fantasy leagues, but Mendenhall just isn’t the kind of runner that many of us thought he was coming into the season. He has only rushed for more than 70 yards on one occasion this year and his three touchdowns are a sick reminder of just how inconsistent the Steelers’ offense can really be. Now he gets the joy of going against what might be the best defense in the NFL? No thanks.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. NYG
How many times are we going to fall for it? The Patriots love to screw us, particularly in their running game where they have utilized a variety of backs to confuse and frustrate their opponents—and their fantasy owners. BenJarvus Green-Ellis nursed a toe injury into last week’s game against Pittsburgh, but few could’ve expected the complete lack of production that he gave his owners. Green-Ellis rushed for just nine yards on five carries throughout the entire game while Kevin Faulk, fresh off the PUP list, touched the ball a total of 11 times for 52 yards. Needless to say, an already crowded backfield appears to have gotten even more crowded. Green-Ellis remains the team’s most-likely goal-line back, but with the Patriots being a pass-first offense, even that can mean limited value. Until we get a better idea on what the Patriots are going to do at running back with Kevin Faulk, it’s hard to justify starting a running back like Green-Ellis who has proven to be almost completely transparent in the passing game.

Chris Johnson vs. Cin
That’s enough, Chris Johnson... If you haven’t jumped off the bandwagon by now, it’s time to tuck and roll—or just hop off because the CJ2K bandwagon has come to a screeching halt in 2011. Johnson has fallen off the map as an elite fantasy back and even as just an every-week starter in most formats. Despite the Titans offense moving the ball through the air at a surprising pace, No. 28 has taken the numbers on his jersey a bit to literally by making them his average yards per carry— 2.8. Yes, it’s that bad. Add in that Johnson has rushed for over 60 yards just once this season and scored only one total touchdown and you have one of the most monumental fantasy busts in recent history. He’ll have a tough time against an underrated Bengals defense, as well, who have allowed only one team to rush for 100-plus yards against them and have not allowed a multiple-touchdown rushing performance yet this season. There’s always the chance that Johnson busts out for a huge game, but at this point, it’s significantly more likely that he’s going to drop a goose-egg on you.

Ahmad Bradshaw @ NE
The New York Giants are reporting that Ahmad Bradshaw may play this week when they head to New England to play the Patriots. The running back missed much of last week’s victory over Miami with a cracked bone in his foot that the Giants are indicating may be a “minor nuisance.” Bradshaw has played through the injury before, but it has certainly affected him on the field and could lead to increased touches for backup running back Brandon Jacobs and even D.J. Ware. But even if Bradshaw is able to play his normal number of snaps, it is unlikely that he will be as effective as usual given that he and the Giants offense will be looking to take advantage of New England’s dreadful secondary. He has proven that he can be a contributor in the passing game, but given the nature of the matchup and his sore foot, the safest bet is likely to sit Bradshaw this week if you have another viable option at running back.

Wide Receivers