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Must Start: The Top 15
1. LaDainian Tomlinson v. BUF –
Calling him good is like calling Jessica Alba hot. It’s
certainly irrefutable but…well, tell me something I don’t
know. He’s had a hand in 18 of San Diego’s 30 offensive
scores this year. That means you start him over anybody else you
have.
2. Shaun Alexander @ SF –
Him, too. Of course, if you have L.T. and Shaun Alexander, you
probably could have set your lineup at the start of the year,
gone on a European vacation, and come home to collect the hardware
in January. He’s averaging over 125 yards and a touch in
his career v. the Niners.
3. Edgerrin James @ CIN –
Edge still runs a close third to the top two backs, thanks mostly
to a league-leading 1,234 yards from scrimmage. If he scored a
few more TDs, he’d be giving them a run for their money.
This week, he draws a Bengals squad that is out to prove they
deserve mention among the league’s elite. They do, though
the Colts will remind them how big the gap still is this Sunday.
4. Larry Johnson @ HOU –
L.J. is proving what fantasy owners have known all along: given
the opportunity, he can be a consistent top five performer. He’s
tallied 155 and 176 yards from scrimmage in his first two starts
as the feature back and should have no problem racking up similar
numbers against Houston’s 30th ranked defense on Sunday
night. Start him and don’t forget to pat yourself on the
back for having the cojones to select him early on draft day.
5. Steven Jackson v. ARI –
Jackson was held out of the end zone last weekend in Seattle,
the first time he hadn’t scored since Week 3. Lucky for
you, he still managed to piece together a pretty decent day, notching
115 total yards. This Sunday, he draws everyone’s favorite
fantasy matchup, the down-on-their-luck Cardinals. Expect triple
digits on the ground and a score or two as the Rams stay in the
wildcard hunt.
6. Tiki Barber v. PHI –
Nobody’s talking about it in light of the result (a stunning
24-21 loss at the hands of Minnesota), but Barber accumulated
more than 200 total yards for the second time in three weeks last
weekend. Better yet, he also found the end zone. If New York wants
to get back on track, they’ll need a similar effort from
Tiki this Sunday. He’s averaging over 115 yards per game
against the Eagles in his career so there’s definitely some
precedent there. Start him.
7. Brian Westbrook @ NYG –
With _____ awaiting an arbitrator’s decision and McNabb
contemplating season-ending surgery, the Eagles’ once-promising
’05 campaign is going south in a hurry. That doesn’t
mean you should downgrade Mr. Westbrook. He showed us last week
he can still tote the rock, garnering 86 yards on the ground and
another 32 through the air. Expect 100+ yards and a score this
weekend as Philly attempts to reverse their flagging fortunes
against the division front-runner. He’s about all they have
left.
8. Lamont Jordan @ WAS –
Jordan hasn’t topped the century mark in three weeks but
still excels as a pass-catching option out of the backfield, averaging
almost 45 yards/game as a receiver. Though I still think it’s
strange they’d look to him so often (what about Moss and
Porter, guys?), it’s reason enough to give him the nod again
this weekend.
9. Domanick Davis v. KC –
He’s flakier than your grandma’s Thanksgiving biscuits
but all signs point to him starting this weekend. If he does,
you definitely want him in your lineup. The Texans don’t
have a ton of confidence in their passing game right now (or hadn’t
you noticed?) and will rely heavily on the running game to keep
it close against KC. If he ends up being a last-minute scratch,
go with Jonathan Wells (and knock him back a few spots).
10. Samkon Gado v. MIN –
It’s been a forgettable season for the faithful Cheeseheads
but just when it seemed all was lost, in blew a 5’11”,
210-pound breath of fresh air named Samkon Gado. All he’s
done since taking over the top spot one game and 50-some minutes
ago is rush for 165 yards and score four touchdowns. Not bad numbers
for a guy who wasn’t even AVAILABLE in Yahoo! leagues a
month ago. I’m talking not even in the player listings.
Your feel-good story of the year, folks, especially if he parlays
his auspicious start into a long, successful career.
11. Ronnie Brown @ CLE –
His career will almost certainly be long and successful, especially
when the Fish decide to scrap the committee approach and give
him a chance to do his thing. For now, you hafta be content with
the 15 or so carries he gets on a weekly basis…and hope
like hell Miami finds a taker for Ricky next season. Start him
against Cleveland’s very dubious run defense (132.7 yards/game),
as he should be good for 75-100 yards and a score.
12. Stephen Davis @ CHI –
75-100 yards? Not likely. A score? Take it to the bank. Chicago’s
front is too good to yield huge numbers to Davis but keeping him
out of the end zone is another thing entirely. After all, he’s
only been shut out twice this season. Start him.
13. Mike Anderson v. NYJ –
Anderson’s developing quite the little end zone habit himself
of late, having found paydirt in every one of his last four games.
Though he still loses touches to the dynamic Tatum Bell, he’s
definitely option 1A in the Denver running game. Considering they
average over 165 rushing yards per tilt, that’s not a bad
option to be. Give him the start against New York’s crummy
front seven.
14. Warrick Dunn v. TB –
Dunn squares off against his former mates this weekend in a game
that will have definite playoff implications. The winner puts
itself in the driver’s seat for a wildcard berth while the
loser puts itself squarely behind the eight ball. If Atlanta hopes
to secure the victory, they’ll need a big game from their
meal ticket, the versatile Dunn. I’m sure he’d like
nothing better than to oblige.
15. Clinton Portis v. OAK –
He isn’t the most consistent back in the world but is certainly
capable of big numbers when the cards fall just right. The weird
part? His best two games this season have come against Chicago
and Tampa, two of the top six defenses in the league. Don’t
really know what that says about him, but…. Give him the
nod against Oakland’s susceptible eleven this Sunday
Grab A Helmet:
Rudi Johnson v. IND –
He’s coming off one of his most productive days of the season
(29 carries for 97 yards and a score) and still has a chance to
make some noise down the stretch. The only reason he stays out
of the top 15 this week? Indy. Defensively, they’ve shown
vast improvement over years past. Offensively, they’re starting
to hit on all cylinders. That could mean the Bengals are forced
to throw more than even THEY want to on Sunday. Expect modest
totals from Rudi as a result, though he could sneak one across
at some point.
Thomas Jones v. CAR –
Ced Benson is out, Jones is off the injury report, and order has
been restored in the Chicago backfield…we think. There’s
the still the potential problem of Adrian Peterson poaching carries.
Fact is, he probably deserves them. I can’t shake the thought
that Coach Lovie will want to take it easy on his meal ticket
by offering some touches to his new backup from here on out. Whether
they’re critical touches or not (read: near the goal line)
remains to be seen.
Reuben Droughns v. MIA –
Droughns is one of the few backs who hasn’t shared a backfield
with someone at some point in time this season. Though his numbers
aren’t exactly staggering as a result, they’re certainly
very respectable. In fact, I owe him credit for at least two victories
in our FF Today experts league. Time for a public “thank
you.” Go Ducks, baby!
Greg Jones @ TEN – Fragile
Fred’s acting fragile again so Jones gets another start
for the Jags this weekend in Nashville. If he performs as well
as he did last week, we could even be looking at (yet) another
committee situation. He isn’t the home run hitter the former
Gator is, but he certainly makes up for it between the tackles
(25 carries, 106 yards, and a score in Week 10). Start him without
hesitation.
Heath Evans v. NO – Search
me, folks. I make it a point not to watch SEC football (overrated)
so I really don’t know much about the guy. All I know is
he came out of nowhere last weekend to tally 102 total yards in
the win over Miami. Corey Dillon appears to be a scratch again
so if you’re banged up in the backfield, give him a look.
Grab A Gatorade:
Jamal Lewis PIT – 53.3
rushing yards/game. One rushing touchdown. Three fumbles. Not
exactly the kind of production you’re looking for from a
guy drafted late first round, early second in most drafts. It’s
a two-horse race for bust of the year (Kevin Jones being the other
candidate) and Jamal’s out to a fairly sizeable lead as
we head down the homestretch. Expect him to extend that lead after
a dud against the Steelers this Sunday.
Kevan Barlow v. SEA –
The ridiculous conditions at Soldier Field last Sunday meant Barlow
received more touches than he usually manages (24 attempts). However,
since he’s still Kevan Barlow, he parlayed the extra looks
into precisely jack squat (58 yards and no scores). The Frank
Gore experiment is about to commence and you don’t wanna
be left holding this guy when it does. Deal him, drop him, or
sit him. He has very little value from here on out.
Willis McGahee @ SD –
Guys this good don’t usually end up on the “don’t
start” list but he’s got a couple things working against
him this weekend. Number one: J.P. Losman is back under center.
Number two: the Chargers are sporting the league’s best
run defense. It all adds up to a disappointing day for the usually
stalwart McGahee. Sit him down for the last time.
Marcel Shipp @ STL – Until
Denny Green stops calling him the starter, I’m not going
to stop mentioning him. Besides, it’s kinda fun rehashing
his weekly totals, isn’t it? Last week: four carries, three
yards. You could have done better with almost every single backup
in the league, including his own (J.J. Arrington). If you don’t
believe me, start going down the list. Scary, huh?
Any Minnesota RB @ GB –
I’m not usually this prone to schadenfreude, but wasn’t
it just a bit satisfying to see Coach Tice cut down by a wayward
gunner on punt coverage last Sunday? OK, maybe I’m outta
line here. I’ll say it and you can think it. How’s
that?
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
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