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
Foles is a must start in Week 16.
Nick
Foles v. CHI or Kirk
Cousins v. DAL: It’s championship week for virtually
all of you and that means you need a championship-caliber quarterback
at the wheel this coming Sunday. Would you believe Foles and Cousins
fit that bill? None of us would have back in September unless we
were either crazy or clairvoyant, but that’s the kind of season
it’s been. Foles, of course, has been must-start material for a
couple months now and is coming off an insane performance against
the Vikings in Week 15 (30 for 48 for 428 yards and three scores).
Cousins, on the other hand, is coming off just his first start of
the 2013 season – a narrow loss to Atlanta in which he threw for
381 yards and three TD strikes – and now draws a Dallas defense
on track to give up the most yards in NFL history. There are certainly
more established options at the position, but numbers are what win
fantasy chips and Foles/Cousins will throw up plenty this weekend.
Jay
Cutler @ PHI or Tony
Romo @ WAS: So will the guys they respectively oppose
in two of Week 16’s most important matchups, Jay Cutler and Tony
Romo. The former celebrated his return from injury last weekend
by tossing for 265 yards and three TDs as Chicago was able to outlast
the feisty Browns in Cleveland. Romo, meanwhile, looked to be well
on his way to celebrating a big victory until disaster struck in
the form of a(nother) killer interception and that aforementioned
Cowboys defense. These two established options may be deeply flawed
(Romo more so than Cutler), but they still routinely post above-average
fantasy stats and can absolutely be trusted to deliver the points
when the games matter most. Prior history and two of the league’s
ripest defenses suggest you probably can’t go wrong with either
of these veterans in Week 16.
Andy
Dalton v. MIN: Dalton has bombed down the stretch in both of
his previous two professional campaigns – scoring significantly
fewer points in Weeks 13 through 17 (14.4/game) than he has in Weeks
1 through 12 (19.2) – and his performance in Week 13, a 14.4 dud
against the Chargers in San Diego, seemed to presage more of the
same this season. Since that game, however, the Red Rifle has topped
the 30-point mark and then the 20-point mark and is now ranked as
the sixth most valuable player at the position with just two weeks
to go. If that’s not enough to ease your concerns of another playoff
slump, this probably will: He’s facing Minnesota on Sunday, a team
that would easily sport the league’s worst pass defense if the NFC
East didn’t exist. The Vikes have given up a league-high 32 TD passes
in 2013 and have allowed fewer than 25 fantasy points to opposing
QBs just three times so far (none since Week 11). Trust Dalton.
Grab a Clipboard
Carson
Palmer @ SEA: If you’re wondering how Arizona has managed
to stay in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt, consider the following.
Since Week 8, the Cardinals’ offense is averaging nearly 30 points
per game, all but one of them victories. Surprised to hear that?
I’ll bet Palmer’s owners aren’t. The former Heisman Trophy winner
has averaged 21.4 fantasy points/game during that prolific span
and has really cut down on the interceptions that plagued him
earlier this season. Then again, the recent competition (Atlanta,
Jacksonville, Indy, Philly) might have a lot to do with that upswing
in production. Palmer steps up significantly in class this weekend,
opposing a Seattle defense that feasts on careless triggermen
(a league-leading 22 picks) and that already victimized him twice
back in Week 7. It’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna be cold/wet, and
Richard Sherman’s gonna be hounding Larry Fitzgerald all day long.
Those are three good reasons to sit Arizona’s main man down this
Sunday.
Matt
Ryan @ SF or Matt
Schaub v. DEN: The best laid plans of mice and fantasy
GMs often go astray. When 2013 began, Ryan and Schaub looked like
two of the more attractive options at the position, experienced
signal callers piloting what seemed like finely-tuned offensive
machines. Nothing much has gone right for either man (or team)
since and only Ryan has managed to cobble together a semi-decent
year from a statistical standpoint. It’ll likely be his worst
since 2010, yes, but at least he still has a job, right? Schaub
only regains his for Week 16 because Case Keenum is sidelined
with a thumb injury. Oh, and that “finely-tuned offensive machine”
he re-inherits in Houston has been anything but (18.1 points/game)
and is now missing both Arian Foster AND Ben Tate. I don’t like
Ryan’s matchup (San Fran needs a win) and I don’t like anything
about Schaub’s situation. Steer well clear of both men in Week
16.
Matt
Flynn v. PIT or Matt
Cassel @ CIN: So basically, you shouldn’t start
any quarterback named “Matt” this weekend except for
Matt Stafford and possibly Matt McGloin. Flynn turned in one of
the wildest performances of any field general last Sunday, regardless
of given name, when he rebounded from a 117-yard, one-pick first
half in Dallas to throw for 182 yards and four scores in the second
stanza of the Pack’s improbable come-from-behind victory.
Earlier in the day, Cassel riddled the overmatched Eagles secondary
to the tune of 382 yards and two TD passes and even added a six-yard
rushing score to further pad his bottom line (a staggering 35
total fantasy points). Alas, the instinct to ride these two hot
hands should be summarily suppressed in Week 16. The Pittsburgh
and Cincinnati defenses are ninth and eighth, respectively, against
opposing passers and won’t be nearly as generous as the
Cowboys and Eagles were last weekend.
Running Backs 
|
