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Week 9 Start 'Em/Bench 'Em Report   

Let's begin with what you won't find here: You will not see the names of every player worth starting in fantasy leagues for the coming week, nor will you read the names of every unworthy guy. It would be a waste of my time and yours to tell you to start Peyton Manning and to leave Maurice Stovall on the sideline. (Check my "Always" list.)

 

Of course, if an every-week player comes to a game that you'd be better off skipping, you'll find him. If a regular nobody has a chance to shine, I'll include him.

 

All in all, I'll help you fill the spots in your lineup that are actually requiring some thought. In case you're not sure about a particular unnamed player, basically, if you drafted him in the first three rounds and you don't see his name below, go ahead and start him. That's why you drafted him that high.

 

For player comparisons, check out our accompanying position cheat sheets:

 

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Defense

 

BALTIMORE at CINCINNATI

 

Ravens

 

Start

RB Ray Rice - He's not sitting against anyone at this point.

 

TE Todd Heap - The seven catches with which Heap led the team against Cincinnati last time matched the receptions by Cleveland's two tight ends the week before against the Bengals, Owen Daniels' total the week after and Chicago's tight-end pair last time out.

 

WR Mark Clayton - Clayton only saw four passes last week, but Flacco attempted his fewest throws of the season in a game his team controlled throughout the second half. Before that, Clayton saw 25 targets over the previous three games, including seven in the first meeting with the Bengals. With Mason likely to have a tough day, Clayton could come out with four or five catches and 60-70, with a shot at the end zone.

 

Defense - The Baltimore defense that we saw against Denver last week after the bye is the kind that you start against anyone. Cincinnati can do more on offense than the Broncos, but big-play potential abounds on the Ravens' D.

 

Bench

QB Joe Flacco - Matt Schaub remains the only quarterback to throw more than one touchdown pass against the Bengals or reach 300 yards. Flacco's first meeting with the Bengals this year (at home) resulted in his only multiple-interception line.

 

WR Derrick Mason - He'll have to play really poorly to have a worse game than he did the first time out against Cincinnati. CB Leon Hall helped hold the Ravens' No. 1 receiver without a catch in that one, and Mason was so well-covered that Flacco only even targeted him once.

 

RB Willis McGahee - The team has barely used him for five games now, leaving us little reason to.

 

WR Kelley Washington - He's fairly dependable when the team throws him the ball, having caught 75 percent of the passes thrown his way. Washington's ceiling is relatively low, however, as he has only seen more than six targets once. He's not a fantasy player to target but a guy you can take a chance on if you're desperate.

 

Bengals

 

Start

RB Cedric Benson - As tough as the Ravens can be against the run, this guy ran through them for 120 yards and a score in the first meeting.

 

WR Chad Ochocinco - The Twitter correspondent is as busy as any wideout in the league, having been targeted 10 times or more in four of his past five games and no fewer than seven times in any week.

 

Bench

QB Carson Palmer - He only completed 58 percent of his throws, including a touchdown and a pick, against a defense that now looks reenergized after its bye. Palmer will face pressure in this one.

 

Other receivers - If you know how to figure out which of the remaining Bengals wideouts will score in a given week, let me know. If you need one of them, take a shot on Chris Henry against a defense tied for sixth most pass plays of 40 yards or more allowed. Henry hauled in a 73-yarder against Baltimore last time, finishing with a season-high five targets, three catches and 92 yards.

 

Defense - The Bengals managed just two sacks in the first meeting, and that was with Antwan Odom around. Cincinnati could well hold the Ravens right around 17-20 points and pick off a pass or two, but I think there's more potential downside with factors such as Ray Rice and Baltimore's scoring ability on defense than there is upside for fantasy scoring potential. Neither Rice nor Joe Flacco, for instance, has lost a fumble all season and they've combined to only put the ball on the ground three times.

 

WASHINGTON at ATLANTA

 

Washington

 

Start

Defense - The Eagles are the only opponent to have surpassed 20 points so far, and Philly benefitted from a defensive touchdown. Matt Ryan tossed six real picks (and the one to Darren Sharper on the hail mary at the end) in his past two games.

 

Bench

RB Clinton Portis - Only DeAngelo Williams, Fred Taylor and Pierre Thomas have had good games against Atlanta this year among running backs. Unfortunately for Portis, I don't think he's any of those guys at this point - and the tatters serving as his offensive line certainly don't help.

 

WR Santana Moss - The Falcons have allowed some big pass plays (and receiving games), but they went to big receivers and Carolina's Steve Smith - who plays bigger than he is. Moss isn't and doesn't.

 

QB Jason Campbell - If Atlanta's front four could pressure a quarterback as well-protected as Drew Brees the way they did on Monday night, they might just start taking snaps for Campbell by the third quarter.

 

TE Fred Davis - He'll get lots of sleeper play this week, and Davis is an OK option if you're in need, but only Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Drew Brees have thrown more touchdown passes than interceptions against Atlanta. Jeremy Shockey was the first opposing tight end to reach 60 yards against the Falcons. Additionally, if Washington finds itself in need of blocking help - which it likely will - Davis' playing time will be sacrificed for someone who actually wants to handle that job.

 

Falcons

 

Start

RB Michael Turner - If you haven't seen the recent evidence, you should watch more football.

 

WR Roddy White - Now an every-week starter, White has scored in four straight games and five of seven for the season and caught no fewer than four passes in any contest.

 

Defense - Washington hasn't scored more than 17 points in any game this year, despite playing a weak schedule to date, but has allowed at least five sacks in two of its past three games.

 

Bench

QB Matt Ryan - Just to reiterate, Ryan is coming off three straight multiple-interception performances. Now he faces a Washington that has yet to allow any quarterback to throw more than one touchdown pass. Additionally, only one opposing passer has reached 250 yards.

 

GREEN BAY at TAMPA BAY

 

Packers

 

Start

QB Aaron Rodgers - As long as his ailing foot is OK, there's certainly nothing wrong with the matchup. Only Jake Delhomme has thrown for fewer than two touchdowns against the Bucs, and he only attempted 17 passes that day.

 

RB Ryan Grant - Oh yeah, and six opposing runners have surpassed 90 yards on the ground against Tampa.

 

Everyone else - Why waste time typing out the rest of the names? Donald Driver should only sit if his neck injury keeps him out. James Jones is even worth a shot in deep leagues where an owner needs a wideout. The tight ends are a crapshoot but decent if you're desperate.

 

Defense - The Tampa offense is bad enough when not giving a rookie quarterback his first start.

 

Bench

No one

 

Buccaneers

 

Start

Nobody - If it looks bad without a first-time starter at quarterback, can we really count on anyone with that first-timer?

 

Bench

RB Cadillac Williams -Cedric Benson has been the only opposing back to manage better than his season per-carry average against the Packers.

 

ARIZONA at CHICAGO

 

Cardinals

 

Start

QB Kurt Warner - He had a rough outing against the Panthers, but Chicago doesn't have the secondary or, apparently, the pass rush of Carolina right now. The Bears have just one sack in their past three games and only got their hands on six total passes on defense in two games against the Browns and Bengals.

 

WR Steve Breaston - If Anquan Boldin sits, Breaston becomes a starter and a no-brainer fantasy play. Even if Boldin plays, though, Breaston has garnered more looks and receptions than his higher-profile teammate in two of the past three games.

 

RB Tim Hightower - In a muddled running-back situation, Hightower remains the better play because of his featured status in the passing game.

 

Defense - Since his Week 5 bye, Jay Cutler has thrown three touchdown passes and six interceptions and taken seven sacks.

 

Bench

RB Chris Wells - There's sleeper potential against a Bears defense that allowed Cedric Benson and Julius Jones to go for more than 5 yards per carry and Jamal Lewis to pick up 4.3 per rush last week. However, the Cardinals have only run it 20 times or more in three games this season, two of which were blowout victories. We simply can't count on Wells getting enough work or getting the ball in the red zone.

 

WR Anquan Boldin - Even if he gets out there, we can't be sure Boldin will finish the game or be the slightest bit effective. Let's hope he sits just to make our lineup decision that much easier.

 

Bears

 

Start

WR Devin Hester - It looks like Hester will play despite an ankle injury he suffered last week. He has caught at least six passes in three straight games.

 

TE Greg Olsen - The average performance among the five tight ends who have seen at least five targets against Arizona looks like this: five receptions, 62.6 yards.

 

Bench

QB Jay Cutler - In addition to his own struggles, the Cardinals have yielded just two touchdown passes over the past three weeks.

 

RB Matt Forte - It was nice for his fantasy owners to finally get a two-touchdown performance from the first-round pick, but the Bears could only get him 3.5 yards per carry against the garbage Browns.

 

Defense - Cincinnati shredded the Chicago pass defense with fewer weapons than Arizona will bring to town.

 

HOUSTON at INDIANAPOLIS

 

Texans

 

Start

RB Steve Slaton - If I'm Gary Kubiak, I'm taking a chance on arguably my second-best offensive player in a game in which I'll need all hands on deck anyway and be starting the post-Owen Daniels stretch. Without point-per-reception scoring, however, I'd prefer to leave this situation alone completely.

 

WR Kevin Walter - The Texans' No. 2 wideout gets work when Houston needs to play catch-up, which it most likely will against the Colts. Indy, for its part, has allowed the sixth most completions to wide receivers - as it usually does -- by virtue of its defensive philosophy.

 

Bench

RB Ryan Moats - Frank Gore is the only back who has scored a rushing touchdown against the Colts since Week 2, and he had to do it from 64 yards away.

 

TE Joel Dreessen - He has yet to catch more than three passes or go for more than 31 yards in a game in the NFL.

 

QB Matt Schaub - Only two opposing quarterbacks have reached 200 yards against the Colts this season, and none has thrown more than one touchdown pass. Indy has allowed just three all year.

 

Colts

 

Start

Everyone - I'm not generally a fan of quoting historical numbers, but the Colts have scored at least 30 points in seven of their past eight meetings with Houston. Peyton Manning has been around for every contest between the two and has rarely been clicking in the passing game the way he is this year. Anthony Gonzalez's continued knee issue keeps Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon in play for us, in that order.

 

Defense - The Colts are allowing a league-fewest 13 points per game and now face an offense missing its top-notch tight end and with questions about its fumble-prone dynamic running back.

 

Bench

TE Gijon Robinson - Yeah, I know, I just felt like listing someone. Although, he did catch three passes two weeks ago ...

 

KANSAS CITY at JACKSONVILLE

 

Chiefs

 

Start

QB Matt Cassel - Check out my full reasoning here. For this space, let's just say that Jacksonville's pass defense puts the "dread" and the "ful" in dreadful.

 

WR Dwayne Bowe - Ditto.

 

RB Jamaal Charles - You'll have to look all the way back to last week to see a speed back dominating the Jaguars. Charles won't go for 200 yards in this game, but he has a career per-carry average of 5.3 and should produce if he gets the carries. He also has three games this season in which he has caught at least three passes, even though the Chiefs haven't used him a ton so far.

 

Bench

TE Sean Ryan - After a couple of teaser performances, Ryan hasn't caught more than two passes since Week 4.

 

Jaguars

 

Start

WR Mike Sims-Walker - Last week's three-target, two-catch outing against the Titans looks like an outlier, as Sims-Walker had been targeted no fewer than nine times and caught no fewer than six passes in any of his previous four games.

 

Bench

QB David Garrard - He has only thrown touchdown passes in two of seven games this season, both times against strong run defenses. That ain't the Chiefs, so this will be a Maurice Jones-Drew game.

 

WR Torry Holt - For PPR owners in need, Holt is relatively safe, but he also comes with little upside. The only time he has led the team in targets outright was the week that Sims-Walker got suspended. Mike Thomas has actually garnered one more look over the past two weeks than his veteran teammate.

 

WR Mike Thomas - He still has only three games with as many as five looks, though, and just one with more than six.

 

TE Marcedes Lewis - Apply the sleeper tag to this guy as often as you want. The truth is, his absolute ceiling looks like about four catches (he's reached that once this year), and Lewis is at least as likely to haul in one pass (which he has done three times). Start him only when you're out of other options.

 

Defense - As I said when the Jaguars played St. Louis: A good matchup doesn't turn a bad defense into a fantasy starter.

 

MIAMI at NEW ENGLAND

 

Dolphins

 

Start

Nobody - There's always the chance that the Wildcat throws out a new wrinkle that troubles an opponent, but that's much less likely with this opponent. Bill Belicheck has had a year since that famous Wildcat introduction and had his bye week to prepare for this meeting. Ronnie Brown, after the huge first game at New England, ran for just 37 yards on 10 carries in the second meeting.

 

Bench

Receivers - The only member of this group that has made a real fantasy impact recently did so as a kick returner.

 

RB Ricky Williams - It's tough to go against the way he has run lately, but Michael Turner is the only back who has run the ball in against New England so far.

 

QB Chad Henne - There's a tiny bit of sleeper potential here against a defense that allowed Trent Edwards, Joe Flacco and Kyle Orton to each throw two touchdown passes. I just don't trust any of his receiving options enough right now to call him starter-worthy.

 

Patriots

 

Start

WR Sam Aiken - This is only for folks in deep leagues who are struggling for a bye-week filler from the wire. Aiken got 10 targets in the past two games and could luck into four or five if the Dolphins roll coverage too heavily to the dangerous threats on the outside.

 

Defense - In their second meeting with the Jets this season, the Dolphins offense managed just one touchdown and only 2 yards per offensive play. That followed four touchdowns and 6.5 yards in the first meeting. Ergo, the Miami offense is easier to figure after you've seen it. The Patriots have gotten as many looks at the Wildcat as anyone and will be ready.

 

Bench

TE Ben Watson - Every starting tight end who has been thrown to at all has enjoyed a productive day against Miami. Watson, however, hasn't been targeted more than three times in any game since Week 2, and hasn't drawn more than four looks since the opener. With his wide receiver teammates working against rookie corners, there's little reason to believe this week will be different.

 

RB Laurence Maroney - Maroney only got 13 carries the last time out against a bad run defense in a game his team dominated.

 

RB Kevin Faulk - He hasn't caught more than three passes in a game since Week 1.

 

CAROLINA at NEW ORLEANS

 

Panthers

 

Start

RB DeAngelo Williams - Every week right now.

 

RB Jonathan Stewart - The Saints started strong against the run, but Michael Turner, Ricky Williams and Ahmad Bradshaw have found good yardage against them the past three weeks. The team will miss DT Sedrick Ellis once again, as it did against the Falcons.

 

WR Steve Smith - The Saints' attacking style on defense leaves them vulnerable to big pass plays here and there, as has been shown by five opposing receivers so far who have surpassed 90 yards receiving. (Another big play by the other Steve Smith was missed only because Eli Manning overthrew him.) Among those receivers, only DeSean Jackson is as fast as this Steve Smith.

 

Bench

QB Jake Delhomme - This guy should throw fewer than 20 passes in every game the rest of the way, no matter how much his team falls behind by.

 

Saints

 

Start

RB Pierre Thomas - Any doubt that he remains the team's best back should have been laid to rest in the Monday-nighter.

 

RB Mike Bell - Against a defense allowing 4.5 yards per carry and an average of more than one touchdown per game to opposing runners, though, there's room for more.

 

WR Marques Colston - Even as the Panthers handled Arizona's passing game last week, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston each caught six passes. Colston has been targeted at least 13 times more than anyone else on his team.

 

TE Jeremy Shockey - Weak offenses have produced little with their tight ends recently against Carolina, but Brent Celek, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten caught 22 of 23 passes thrown their way against the Panthers in the first three weeks.

 

Defense - Combine the league's best defense in terms of interceptions and Jake Delhomme and there's potential for big fantasy points.

 

Bench

RB Reggie Bush - He will always carry upside, as is obvious in the fact that he has scored in three straight games. Given decent options, though, I'll most often look away from a back who hasn't gotten as many as 10 touches since Week 3. Bush, primarily viewed as a receiving threat, also hasn't caught more than three passes in a game since the opener.

 

Other wideouts - No one other than Colston is getting consistent looks, and the Panthers have allowed just two touchdown passes to opposing wideouts all year.

 

DETROIT at SEATTLE

 

Lions

 

Start

WR Calvin Johnson - If he's healthy.

 

Bench

RB Kevin Smith - I don't buy that Maurice Morris is a better option, as Smith looked pretty good to me before hurting his shoulder against the Rams. Nevertheless, Seattle has allowed just 3.3 yards per carry against everyone not named Frank Gore.

 

Other receivers - Once Calvin Johnson gets back onto the field, we can finally go back to forgetting they even exist.

 

Seahawks

 

Start

QB Matt Hasselbeck - Only Marc Bulger has failed to throw at least two touchdown passes against the Lions.

 

TE John Carlson -- Detroit has yielded a league-high seven touchdown passes to tight ends, even while allowing only the ninth-most receptions to that position.

 

Wideouts - Only St. Louis and Chicago have failed to put a wide receiver into the end zone against Detroit, and nine opposing wideouts have caught at least five passes through seven games.

 

RB Julius Jones - So many things that I could list here, but I'll go with these: St. Louis scored its only rushing touchdown of the season to date at Detroit, and the struggling Chicago running game put two running backs into the end zone and produced Matt Forte's only really good game of the year.

 

Defense - Detroit has allowed the third-most sacks per game in the league and could manage only eight offensive points against the Rams last week.

 

Bench

WR Deion Branch - Even when people finally found him last week, he only caught three passes.

 

TENNESSEE at SAN FRANCISCO

 

Titans

 

Start

RB Chris Johnson - When a guy averages 17 carries a game and still has three outings in which he averaged at least 7.5 yards per carry, you know that a big day is always possible.

 

Defense - I could try to sum it up here, but you'd get a better explanation at this link.

 

Bench

Everyone else - I need to see Vince Young do it against someone other than Jacksonville before I'll believe he's turning into a real NFL quarterback.

 

TE Bo Scaife - Desperate PPR owners could take a shot, but each of his four-catch games has come on just four targets. The Niners, meanwhile, have allowed just 55 percent completions to tight ends and only one touchdown to the position all season.

 

49ers

 

Start

RB Frank Gore - The Titans have been beaten for long touchdown runs each of the past two weeks and have allowed rushing scores in four consecutive games. The San Francisco offense is moving the ball better with Alex Smith around.

 

TE Vernon Davis - The only "tight end" to be targeted at least five times against Tennessee and not score so far was Ernest Wilford last week.

 

WR Michael Crabtree - He has immediately become the No. 1 wideout with six more catches than any other wide receiver on the team over the past two games.

 

Defense - Chris Johnson can do it to anyone, but the Niners have allowed just three runs of 20 yards or more all year and none of 40 yards. Vince Young comes in with 10 more career interceptions than touchdown passes and should have tossed another last week if only Jacksonville corner Derek Cox had held on to an overthrown first-quarter bomb.

 

 Bench

QB Alex Smith - He has looked pretty good since getting back onto the field, but Tennessee is getting its defensive backfield realigned after a series of injuries, got much better corner play last week and should be able to get after Smith in the pass rush. Niners quarterbacks have been sacked four times in four different games this season.

 

SAN DIEGO at N.Y. GIANTS

 

Chargers

 

Start

RB LaDainian Tomlinson - The Giants have allowed eight total touchdowns to opposing running backs in the past three games.

 

WR Vincent Jackson - He is the newest member of the "Always" list.

 

WR Malcom Floyd - In addition to allowing running backs to score at will, the Giants have yielded plenty of big passing plays recently. With Chris Chambers out of the way, Floyd should get more regular work, and his 6-5 frame certainly lends itself to big plays and red-zone looks.

 

Bench

RB Darren Sproles - No opposing back has caught more than three passes against the Giants, and Sproles has only reached three once since Week 2. The Chargers seem to be getting right back to not using him enough.

 

Defense - The Chargers have only managed more than one sack in three games this year, and two of those came in the past two weeks against Kansas City and Oakland. Six of their eight interceptions also came against those two troubled pass offenses.

 

Giants

 

Start

RB Brandon Jacobs - The Chargers have supposedly worked through their run defense issues, but Justin Fargas found the end zone for just the eighth time in his seven-year career against them last week.

 

WR Steve Smith - He remains a pretty safe PPR play, as Smith has only once caught fewer than four passes and also just once produced less than 63 yards (in separate outings).

 

WR Hakeem Nicks - Another decently safe play with upside, Nicks has caught four passes or more in four straight games and scored in three of those.

 

QB Eli Manning - His three-game streak of one-touchdown performances lowers his ceiling, but each decent passing game with an experience quarterback to face the Chargers so far has put up two passing scores.

 

Bench

RB Ahmad Bradshaw - He has lately become a back with whom you have to hope for a goal-line carry to get value. Bradshaw has only garnered more than 12 carries once all year, has averaged less than 3 yards per carry each of the past two weeks and has run for fewer than 50 yards in three straight games.

 

TE Kevin Boss - The Chargers have shown some vulnerability against tight ends - just like last season - but Boss has only surpassed three catches in one game this season and heads into this contest with an ankle injury.

 

Defense - A defense that has shown serious weakness against the deep ball faces an offense that sits tied for fifth in pass plays of 20 or more yards and tied for third in pass plays of at least 40 yards. How good of a matchup does that sound like to you?

 

DALLAS at PHILADELPHIA

 

Cowboys

 

Start

WR Miles Austin - I'm not sure there's a receiver in the league playing more confidently than this guy right now. As good as the Eagles have looked the past two weeks, they have allowed 64 percent completions to opposing wideouts.

 

QB Tony Romo - Four of the past six opposing quarterbacks have thrown multiple touchdown passes against Philadelphia, and one of the two who didn't was JaMarcus Russell. Even he had an uncharacteristically decent day.

 

Bench

The backs - The Eagles have allowed just one score of any sort by a running back since Week 2, and that came from Ahmad Bradshaw in relative garbage time last week.

 

Defense - Philly has scored at least 27 points against everyone but New Orleans and Oakland, and it put up 22 against the Saints.

 

Eagles

 

Start

QB Donovan McNabb - The past four opposing quarterbacks and five of seven for the year have thrown for two scores apiece against Dallas.

 

WR DeSean Jackson - Only two opponents have failed to put at least one wideout into the end zone against Dallas. Jackson is a boom-or-bust player, but he has boomed in four of the past six games and went for six catches and 94 yards in one of the other two.

 

WR Jeremy Maclin - Jackson is the higher-profile play thanks to his ridiculous run of long touchdown passes. Maclin, however, is the safer play, as he has caught four more passes than Jackson in the four games since Philly's bye and seen more targets and finished with more receptions than Jackson in three of those outings.

 

RB Brian Westbrook - He's generally a chance worth taking, especially in PPR setups. Westbrook has gotten at least 15 touches in three of the four games for which he's been available, and the explosiveness of his offense raises the potential for red-zone looks.

 

Defense - The Eagles have forced at least two turnovers in four consecutive games and sit tied for second in the league in sacks.

 

Bench

RB LeSean McCoy - In three games so far, McCoy has gotten more than 10 touches. I'll go ahead and let you guess which other player missed two of those contests and left the other early. That other guy should be playing on Sunday.

 

TE Brent Celek - The Cowboys haven't allowed a touchdown pass to a tight end since Week 3 and haven't let an opposing tight end catch more than four passes since opening day.

 

PITTSBURGH at DENVER

 

Steelers

 

Start

WR Hines Ward - Pittsburgh's has become a pass-happy offense, and facing a tough run D will only further motivate the Steelers to throw. The only three receivers (out of nine) who have been targeted at least seven times against Denver and not caught at least four passes all played for Dallas.

 

TE Heath Miller - He has caught at least five passes in every game but one. The Broncos certainly haven't yielded big numbers to tight ends, but they have allowed the past four starters at that position to combine for about a 74 percent catch rate - 17 percentage points better than Denver's number for the season.

 

Defense - Denver has yet to score more than two offensive touchdowns in a game, and Pittsburgh has gone three games without allowing more than one.

 

Bench

QB Ben Roethlisberger - As efficient as Joe Flacco was against Denver last week, he - just like everyone else other than Tom Brady - fell short of two touchdown passes against the Broncos.

 

RB Rashard Mendenhall - Even the backs who have finished with good fantasy numbers against Denver did so with less than 4 yards per carry. Mendenhall's value will come down to whether he happens to get a shot at the end zone. Only three guys have capitalized on that shot all year against the Broncos.

 

WR Mike Wallace - The rookie still has just one game in which he caught more than three passes, and the number of big plays allowed by the Broncos rank among the best in the league - including just one pass play or 40 or more yards.

 

WR Santonio Holmes - He's not a bad option, per se, but also not dependable enough to reach for in a tough matchup.

 

Broncos

 

Start

Defense - Baltimore was the first team to score more than two touchdowns against the Broncos, and one came on a kick return. Pittsburgh has allowed at least three sacks in five of seven games.

 

WR Brandon Marshall - With at least four catches in every game but one, Marshall is a decently safe fantasy play with definite upside.

 

Bench

QB Kyle Orton - He remains relatively safe, with his lone interception coming on an end-of-half hail mary. Pittsburgh, however, has allowed just two total touchdown passes in the three games in which Troy Polamalu has played.

 

WR Eddie Royal - Looks like the one 10-catch day was an aberration, as Royal still has no other outing with more than three receptions.

 

RB Knowshon Moreno - Only Adrian Peterson and Cedric Benson have scored on the ground against Pittsburgh this season.

 

TE Tony Scheffler - Four of seven games this season, he has been targeted two times or fewer and come out with just one catch. Two of the three tight end touchdown receptions against Pittsburgh this year went to Antonio Gates.

 

Matt Schauf is the senior football writer for World Fantasy Games. E-mail him at matt.schauf@worldfantasygames.com. Follow him on Twitter (mschauf63).

 


Posted 11-05-2009 8:09 PM by mattschauf