QB: Fantasy Hero – Matt Flynn, Packers
31-for-44, 480 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT
The greatest passing day in the history of the Packers doesn’t belong to Bart Starr, Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers. Flynn was magnificent in a championship winning performance that will lead to him being given a massive amount of money in the offseason. Simply amazing for a guy who had thrown 88 passes in his NFL career, including just five in the 2011 season, entering Week 17.
QB: Fantasy Zero – Tim Tebow, Broncos
6-for-22, 60 yards, 1 INT / 6 carries, 16 yards
The Broncos made the playoffs, but it had nothing to do with Tebow. Harassed by a suddenly potent Chiefs’ pass defense, Tebow posted his worst fantasy effort of the season. Questions remain about his long-term outlook, even in the fantasy game where his legs give him so much value.
Numbers to Know Tom Brady threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns as he rallied the Patriots from a 21-0 deficit against the Bills to record 49 unanswered points. Brady finished the year with a career best 401 completions and 5,235 passing yards while his 39 passing scores were the second best of his HOF career.
Drew Brees tossed the pigskin for 389 yards and five touchdowns in Week 17. He ended the year with 5,476 passing yards, the most in football history, while his 46 passing scores was a career best and the fourth best mark in the history of the game.
Eli Manning stinks. Oh wait, he doesn’t. Shame on all of you for thinking that. He threw for 346 yards and three scores in Week 17 to finish the year with over 4,900 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.
Matt Stafford threw the ball 59 times on his way to 520 passing yards and five touchdowns. Stafford and Flynn combined for 971 net passing yards, the most ever. Stafford finished the year with 41 touchdown passes and 5,038 passing yards.
RB: Fantasy Hero – Ray Rice, Ravens
24 carries, 191 yards, 2 scores
Rice had two long runs against the Bengals on his way to capping his best NFL season. He ran for a career best 1,364 yards while scoring 15 times, and he also caught 76 passes in what will go down as one of the better all purpose seasons you’re going to see.
RB: Fantasy Zero – Frank Gore, Niners
7 carries, 9 yards
You had to think an outing like this could happen with the Niners really having little to play for against a team they clearly were better than (the Rams), but it’s still a massive disappointment that his last tough of the rock came with more than 10 minutes left on the clock in the second quarter. LeSean McCoy and Beanie Wells deserve special mention as both were expected to play before being ruled inactive.
Numbers to Know Chris Ivory exploded for a season best 127 yards on 19 carries for the Saints with one of those carries ending up in spiking the football in the end zone. He averaged 5.0 yards a carry over his last four games.
Maurice Jones-Drew ended up leading the NFL in rushing with a franchise record 1,606 yards thanks to his season best effort of 169 yards in Week 17 (25 carries). Drew rushed for fewer than 80 yards just once all year when he ran for 63 yards and a score in Week 8.
Issac Redman came on for an injured Rashard Mendenhall and ran for 92 yards an a score on 19 carries against the Browns. Considering that he entered the day with only 387 rushing yards on the year, his effort was a career best.
Michael Turner went nuts against a putrid Bucs defense in Week 17 going for 172 yards on just 17 carries. Two of the carries resulted in scores, and he finished the year with with 1,340 yards and 11 rushing scores for a 4th straight double-digit touchdown effort.
WR: Fantasy Hero – Jordy Nelson, Packers
9 catches, 162 yards, 3 TDs
So much for Nelson being rested in Week 17. Instead, he went out and has his best game as a pro as he pushed his season totals up to 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s not the most consistent threat in the game week-to-week, but there is no way you can turn your nose up at what was a WR1 effort this season.
WR: Fantasy Zero – Santonio Holmes, Jets
Zero catches
A fitting end to a disastrous season. Holmes was benched for arguing with teammates, and he finished the game without a catch for the first time in 95 outings. Holmes scored eight times to somewhat save face this year, but overall his total of 51 receptions was his worst since his rookie season, and his total of 654 yards was the first time he’s ever finished under 745 yards.
Numbers to Know Marques Colston is a beast. He ended the year gashing the Panthers for seven receptions, 145 yards and two touchdowns. With the effort he caught 80 balls for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in just 14 games for the Saints.
Michael Crabtree had arguably his best game as a Niner in Week 17 as he caught nine balls for 92 yards and two scores (one of the scores was on a fake FG play from David Akers). Crabtree may never ascend to the levels predicts for him when he was drafted, but he did catch 73 passes for 880 yards for an offense that never really throws the ball.
Victor Cruz went off, yet again. He caught six Eli Manning passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. He finished the year with 1,536 yards to become the third undrafted free agent ever to go for 1,500 yards in a season (Wes Welker, Rod Smith).
Calvin Johnson was thought to be at risk of playing less than a full game. How wrong we were about that. Johnson went off for 11 receptions and 244 yards, with a score, for the Lions. Johnson ends the year with 16 touchdowns and the yardage lead as he bypassed Wes Welker in the season’s final week (1,681 yards).
TE: Fantasy Hero – Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
8 catches, 108 yards, 2 TDs
It’s only fitting that Gronk ends the regular season with a bang. He ends the year as the best tight end in the game, and it’s tough to argue that he didn’t just complete the best season in league history for a tight end given that he set records with 1,327 yards and 18 touchdowns. The 90 receptions are nothing to sneeze at either.
TE: Fantasy Zero – Tony Gonzalez, Falcons
1 catch, 8 yards
One a day where the Falcons scored 45 points and put up 428 yards of offense, Gonzo was as much a non factor as a special teamer. For the second time in three weeks he caught only one pass, an as a result he limps to the finish line of the regular with 80 receptions for 875 yards.
Numbers to Know Brent Celek finished the year on a hot streak. He caught six balls for 86 yards and a touchdown in Week 17 to wrap up a 63 catch, 811 yard season for the Eagles.
Jermichael Finley finished the year on a high note. He caught seven balls for 64 yards an a score in the Packers pass crazy offense in Week 17. He finished the year with 55 receptions and 767 yards.
Aaron Hernandez is no Rob Gronkowski, but that doesn’t mean he still isn’t an elite tight end in the fantasy game. Hernandez caught seven balls for 138 yards and a touchdown in Week 17, the second time in in three weeks that he caught at least seven balls for 125 yards an a score.
Brandon Pettigrew was he beneficiary of the Lions pass happy offense as he caught seven balls for 116 yards against the Packers. He ended the year with 83 receptions as a PPR beast.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
Coffin Corner: A look inside the numbers as you gear up for battles with clubs from the AFC.
Joseph Addai rushed for two touchdowns the last time that he faced the Jaguars.
Cedric Benson had two rushing scores in his last game against the Ravens.
Tom Brady is 103 yards from joining Drew Brees and Dan Marino in the 5,000 yard club. Brady is also three touchdown passes short of tying John Elway’s mark of 300 in a career – the fifth best total in league history.
Dwayne Bowe is 97 yards from surpassing his career best of 1,162 receiving yards.
Vincent Brown may be called on for a bigger role than normal this week since Vincent Jackson is injured. Brown had a great game last time he faced the Raiders going for five receptions for 97 yards in a career best effort.
Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes are the only receiving duo in the AFC with at least eight receiving touchdowns a piece.
Michael Bush had 242 yards from scrimmage the last time he faced the Chargers, the most by a Raiders’ player since Art Powell had 247 in 1963. Bush is 89 rushing yards away from his first 1,000 yard season.
Reggie Bush has run for at least 100-yards in four straight games and leads the NFL with 519 rushing yards since Week 13. Bush averaged 7.1 yards a carry the last time he faced the Jets.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is 175 yards from becoming the third Bills’ quarterback to throw for 3,700 yards in a season. The last time he faced the Patriots he went off for 369 yards, the second highest total of his career.
Joe Flacco is just 143 yards away from setting a new career-high, and he needs one touchdown pass to reach 20 for the third straight year. The last time he faced the Bengals he threw for 270 yards and two scores, though in seven games against them he has only six touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
Arian Foster went over 100 rushing and receiving yards the last time that he faced the Titans. Unfortunately, he isn’t expected to play anywhere near a full game this weekend as the Texans rest some of their guys in preparation for the playoff.
Maurice Jones-Drew is 136 rushing yards away from breaking the team record held by Fred Taylor (1,572 yards). MJD also needs one rushing score to break Taylor’s team record of 62 scores. In 11 career games against the Colts MJD averaged 95.8 yards on the ground.
Pierre Garcon is 75 yards short of his first 1,000 yard season. He’s also scored six times to tie a career best. He’s got a tough matchup against a Jags team that is the 7th most stingy D against wide receivers.
Antoino Gates has nine scores against the Raiders in his career as he’s caught 69 balls in those 17 games for 934 yards.
Shonn Greene needs one rushing yard for his first effort of 1,000 yards. Pretty sure he’s gonna get there.
Chris Johnson is 14 yards short of a 4th straight effort of 1,000 rushing yards. Johnson has averaged 91.4 yards a game in his career against the Texans.
Stevie Johnson is 36 yards from a 2nd straight 1,000-yard effort for the Bills. He’ll get paid this offseason.
Peyton Hillis is averaging 105.5 yards rushing in his last two games. However, he’s run for only 79 yards, on a 2.8 YPC, in three games against the Steelers in his career.
Brandon Marshall needs 10 receptions to reach 500 for his career. In three games against the Jets since he joined the Dolphins he’s averaging 97 yards a contest.
Dexter McCluster had a career best 89 receiving yards last week for the Chiefs. The Broncos have allowed 655 yards receiving to running backs, the 10th highest total in the game.
Denarius Moore had a career best two scores, and 123 receiving yards, in his lone matchup against the Chargers.
Matt Moore has thrown for five touchdowns against only one interception in his last three starts at home. Also, against the AFC East this year he has been excellent with eight touchdowns an a 93.8 QB Rating.
Carson Palmer has thrown for and average of 331 yards and three touchdowns in four career games against the Chargers. He’s also averaging 333 yards a game through the air, at home, as the Raiders’ quarterback.
Ray Rice needs 27 rushing yards for a third straight year of 1,200. Teammate Ricky Williams needs 19 rushing yards to go over 10,000 in his career – a total only 25 players have reached in their careers.
Darrelle Revis has four interceptions against the Dolphins, his highest total against any team. Teammate David Harris has two interceptions in his last two games.
Philip Rivers needs 186 passing yards to become the fifth guy to ever throw for 4,500 yards in back-to-back seasons.
Will Ben Roethlisberger play enough to throw for 144 yards so he can reach 4,000 passing yards for the second time in his career?
Mark Sanchez needs 233 yards to becomes the 4th Jets’ quarterback to reach 3,500 passing yards in a season. Sanchez threw for 201 yards an a score in his last game against the Dolphins.
Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards in his lone matchup against the Bengals. He also scored in the game.
C.J. Spiller is averaging 6.1 yards a carry in his last four December games. He’s also recorded three rushing scores in his last four games.
Ben Tate figures to get a rather substantial workload this week as the Texans rest Arian Foster. The last time that Tate faced the Titans he ran for 104 yards.
Tim Tebow has two passing, and two rushing, scores in two games against the Chiefs.
Demaryius Thomas is averaging 103.5 yards a game since Week 13, tied with Calvin Johnson for the league lead.
LaDanian Tomlinson is 35 yards from passing Jerome Bettis (13,662) for the fifth most rushing yards in league history.
Mike Wallace is averaging 84 yards receiving in his last three games against the Browns. Meanwhile, Hines Ward needs five receptions to become the 8th player with 1,000 receptions in his career.
Nate Washington is the first Titan to catch 70 passes in a season since 2004. With 69 yards in Week 17 he’d reach 1,000 yards for the first time.
With four receptions Wes Welker will join Cris Carter as the only two players in league history with at least 120 receptions in two seasons.
Random Start of the Week
(That one player you would never consider starting but for some reason he might be worth a look if you’re desperate.)
David Nelson, Bills
As I mentioned above, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for almost 370 yards the last time he faced the Patriots. The Patriots are also last in the league allowing 293.8 yards passing a game. They are also the worst defense in the game at holding wide receivers down in term of fantasy points allowed. David Nelson caught six balls for a career best 84 yards the last time the Bills faced the Pats. He could repeat those numbers this weekend.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
Every week I’ll review the Weeks heroes, the weeks zeroes, and make sure your up to date on the performances that you need to know about.
QB: Fantasy Hero- Aaron Rodgers, Packers
21-for-29, 283 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs
The completion percentage (72.4 percent) was fantastic. The yardage total was impressive. The lack of an interception was magnificent. The touchdowns? Superlative The guy has been remarkable from start to finish this season an it’s going to be hard to argue with given him the real, and the fantasy, MVP this season.
QB: Fantasy Zero – Kellen Clemens, Rams
9-for-24, 91 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
Given the matchup with the Steelers, maybe it shouldn’t be seen as such a bad thing that he didn’t reach 100 yards passing or throw for a score. At least he didn’t throw an interception. You had to be mental to start him anyway.
Numbers to Know Cam Newton only completed 12 pass for 171 yards. At this point though, you know it doesn’t matter with him, right? Newton threw three touchdown passes in the game and also ran the ball six times for 65 yards an another score. In two games against the Bucs he has four passing scores and four rushing scores.
Matthew Stafford threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in Week 16. Moreover, he didn’t toss an interception and he also completed 29 of 36 passes. That’s about as efficient an effort as you are going to find.
Tim Tebow had a rushing scores, and 34 yards on the ground, and he had a passing scores and 185 yards through the air. However, his four interceptions were two more than the two he entered the game with.
Joe Webb threw five passes with two of them going for touchdowns. Webb ran the ball five times with one of the runs going for a score. Three touchdowns total for a guy who was only the player of record for 10 plays is pretty darn good don’t you think?
RB: Fantasy Hero – Arian Foster, Texans
23 carries, 158 yards, 1 TD / 3 catches, 16 yards
Foster is a monster each time he takes the field. The best thing about his work though is that he seems to be doing it so effortlessly (just watch how he glides through holes). Foster was the fantasy MVP last year when he averaged 101 rushing yards a game and caught 66 passes. He won’t be the MVP this year, but he’s averaging 94.2 yards a game on the ground and has 53 receptions for the Texans.
RB: Fantasy Zero – Ben Tate, Texans
6 carries, (-1) yard
Ugh. With the good comes the bad, life is all about balance you know. Foster was the good leaving Tate for the bad – or should I say hideous. As I’ve said all along, though few listened, Tate is always a risky play because he simply doesn’t get a large enough workload. After seven carries for 26 yards in Week 15 he went out and had about as bad a day as a running back possibly could in Week 16.
Numbers to Know Kahlil Bell ran the ball 23 times for 121 yards, and he also caught four balls for 38 yards for the Bears. That means over the last two weeks that he has averaged 93 yards on the ground and five receptions for 41 yards for the Bears.
Reggie Bush was injured in Week 16 but he still carried the ball 22 times for 113 yards. I can’t believe I’m typing this, but Bush has averaged 130 yards a game on the ground over his last four outings an in each of those games he has gone for at least 100 yards.
Toby Gerhart carried the ball just 11 times in place of an injured Adrian Peterson, but he went off for 109 yards. That effort was his third in four games of at least 90 yards on the ground though he still doesn’t have a rushing score since Week 12 – his lone of the season.
Evan Royster carried the ball 19 times for 132 to become the third Redskins back to rush for more than 100-yards in a game this season (Roy Helu, Ryan Torain). Royster entered Week 16 with 17 carries for 83 yards on the season.
WR: Fantasy Hero – Jordy Nelson, Packers
6 catches, 115 yards, 2 TDs
Nelson had caught just five passes in Weeks 14 & 15, and he had only one score from Week 12-15. In Week 16 he ended any doubt that he could function as the Packers top wide receiver if Greg Jennings is unable to go. Nelson is over 1,100 yards on the season to go along with 12 touchdowns. Not bad numbers for a “#2” wide receiver.
WR: Fantasy Zero – Laurent Robinson, Cowboys
1 catch, 5 yards
This is what happens to third receivers. They can go on a hot streak like Robinson did, but the truth of the matter is that he is a wide receiver #3 on his own team (toss in Jason Witten, and Robinson is often the fourth option on passing plays). The injury to Tony Romo certainly didn’t help here, but you couldn’t keep expecting Laurent to post WR2 numbers when he was seeing 60 percent of the snaps of Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.
Numbers to Know Arrelious Benn has caught only six balls for 54 yards his past four games, and that includes his anemic one catch, four yard effort in Week 16 against the Panthers. He made his one catch count though as it went for a four yard score.
Victor Cruz led wideouts with 164 yards receiving in Week 16. He managed that total thanks to a 99 yard touchdown grab as he caught only three, yes three, passes in Week 16.
James Jones caught four balls for 50 yards. Whoppie. However, two of those receptions went for touchdowns making Jones, and teammate Jordy Nelson, the only two wide receiver who scores twice through the air.
Reggie Wayne caught eight balls for 106 yards and a score in Week 16. The result was his first set of back-to-back scoring games on the year, a seasons best reception total, and just his third 100-yard receiving effort of the campaign.
TE: Fantasy Hero – Jared Cook, Titans
8 catches, 169 yards, 1 TD
After catching nine balls for 103 yards in Week 15, Cook improbably went nuts in Week 16 for an even better effort. With 696 yards on the season, Cook has racked up 39 percent of his season total in his last two outings. How is that for a playoff hero?
TE: Fantasy Zero -Owen Daniels, Texans
1 catch, 4 yards
Let’s face it, Daniels has been a huge disappointment this season. I know he’s been hurt a lot of the time, but he’s only scored three times on the year, isn’t going to reach 60 receptions (he has 54), and he has flat out disappeared when you’ve need him most with three receptions for 33 yards the past two weeks. Disappointing.
Numbers to Know Jermichael Finley had three receptions for 20 yards an a score on the Packers first drive in Week 16. So he had one of those massive efforts in Week 16, right? Not even close. He didn’t catch a single pass the rest of the game.
Evan Moore caught five balls for 35 yards an a touchdown for the Browns. He’s now caught a touchdown or gone for 55 yards in each of his last three games.
Brandon Pettigrew caught nine balls for 80 yards in Week 16, and he added his second score in three weeks. After being held to less than 40-yards for 6-straight games Pettigrew has gone for at least 49 yards in each of the last three weeks.
Kellen Winslow caught six balls for 63 yards in Week 16. As a result he has 68 receptions for 707 yards, his third straight season of at least 65 receptions and 700 yards. Remove his injured ravaged 2008 effort and it would be 5-straight such seasons.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
Coffin Corner: A look inside the numbers as you gear up for battles with clubs from the NFC.
Marshawn Lynch faces a Niners’ defense that has not allowed a single rushing touchdown this season as the unit has become the first in the history of the NFL not to allow a rushing score in the first 14 games of a season. Can Lynch extend his franchise record touchdown scoring streak to 11 weeks facing that unit? Since Week 9 of the season Lynch also has an NFL leading 748 rushing yards. Will he become the first back to rush for more than 100-yards in 37 games against the Niners?
Cliff Avril has forced five fumbles, recovered two fumbles (including one that resulted in a 24 yard touchdown), and has nine sacks in his last eight games.
Jason Babin has eight sacks in his last three games including at least two in each of the three games.
Drew Brees needs 305 passing yards to set the all-time NFL passing record (5,084 held by Dan Marino). He’s led the Saints to a 9-2 record against the Falcons with a 100 QB Rating.
Chris Clemens of the Seahawks has 11 sacks in his last 13 games.
Josh Freeman has averaged 210 passing yards and two scores the last two times he has faced the Panthers.
Brandon Jacobs ran for 100 yards an a score the lone time he’s faced the Jets.
Steven Jackson is 34 rushing yards from a 7th straight season of 1,000 yards. He’s also averaging 114.9 yards a game from scrimmage over his last 84 games. This week he faces the toughest run defense in the AFC, the one that belongs to the Steelers.
Jabar Gaffney has all of three catches for 34 yards in his two games against the Vikings. He should blow past those numbers this week as he has averaged six receptions and 91 yards a game over his past four outings.
Tony Gonzalez was a non entity in Week 15. Look for that to change in Week 16 as he faces a Saints teams that he burned for eight receptions, 110 yards and a score in their last matchup.
Frank Gore may not get 20+ touches this week for the Niners, but he has his two biggest career running games against the blue and green of the Seahawks – 212 yards on November 19, 2006 and 207 yards on September 20, 2009.
Ryan Grant isn’t a great play this week because of a healthy and crowded Packers backfield, but he does have a ton of success against the Bears in his career (596 rushing yards and five scores in six games).
Rex Grossman faces a Vikings club that is the third worst in pass defense at 260.4 yards a game. Even better for Grossman though is the fact that the Viking porous pass defense has been beaten for 31 touchdowns.
Percy Harvin has five receiving scores in his last five games.
Eli Manning has thrown for 14 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, tied for the most in history. He’s also thrown for a Giants franchise record 4,362 yards on the year, and in his only start against the Jets he passed the pigskin for two scores.
Clay Mathews has 11 sacks in his last 14 games against NFC North competition.
LeSean McCoy has been killing everyone in the league with his high scoring magic, and the Cowboys aren’t immune to that. The last two times McCoy has faced the ‘Boys he has run for 334 yards and two scores. McCoy is flat out amazing.
Lance Moore has five touchdowns in his last four games, and he also had a huge game the last time the Falcons visited New Orleans with six receptions, 149 yards and two scores.
Cam Newton has 30 scores on the season (17 passing, 13 running), the most by a rookie in league history. The last time he faced the Panthers he passed for one score and ran for three others.
Julius Peppers had a sack an a fumble recovery the last time he faced the Packers.
Adrian Peterson hasn’t had any success in two outings against the Redskins rushing for 63 yards and one score on 15 carries.
Brandon Pettigrew might find the sledding tough going this weekend facing a Chargers club that has allowed only 55 receptions to the tight end, the fourth lowest mark in the league.
Jason Pierre-Paul has a sack in each of his last four games. He also has 18 sacks in his last 20 games.
Christian Ponder has thrown for seven scores in his last three games including at least two each week. On the year the Redskins have allowed 17 passing scores in 14 games.
Laurent Robinson has scored nine times in his last eight games while Dez Bryant has scores in four of his past five games.
Tony Romo has thrown for 20,283 yards in his first 75 NFL starts, the third most yards through that game mark in the history of the NFL. The Eagles are allowing only 213.8 yards a game passing this year, but they have been beaten for 25 scoring passes.
Matt Ryan has thrown for 544 yards and seven touchdowns his last two games. The last time he faced the Saints he threw for 351 yards and two scores, an in six career matchups he’s averaging 263 passing yards a game.
Alex Smith has completed 68 percent of his passes for 379 yards, three scores and no interceptions in his last two games against the Saints.
Pierre Thomas has five touchdowns in his last four games against the Falcons.
Michael Turner ran for 96 yards the last time he faced the Saints, an in seven career matchups he’s averaged 83.3 yards a game on the ground.
Brian Urlacher has an interception in his last two outings against the Packers.
Michael Vick passed for 279 yards and ran for another 50 the last time he faced the Cowboys. He also passed for two scores and didn’t thrown an interception.
DeMarcus Ware has seven, seven, sacks in his last two games against the Eagles.
Beanie Wells is six yards short of becoming the first Cardinal with 1,000 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bengals are allowing 99.6 yards a game on the ground and have permitted 12 rushing scores.
DeAngelo Williams has four rushing scores in his last four meetings with the Bucs. Jonathan Stewart has five scores in his six games against the Bucs.
Mike Williams had five receptions for 93 yards in his last game against the Panthers.
Jason Witten loves to see the Eagles on the schedule. He’s spiked the ball in the end zone four times in their last four meetings.
Roddy White has scored seven times while averaging 64 yards a game against the Saints in 13 matchups.
Charles Woodson has five interceptions in 11 games against the Bears as a member of the Packers.
Random Start of the Week
(That one player you would never consider starting but for some reason he might be worth a look if you’re desperate.)
Kahlil Bell, Bears
I might be the only person who doesn’t seem to think that starting Bell is a strong play this week, so maybe I’ve got it all wrong. I look for the Bears to be destroyed by the Packers who will be out to reassert their dominance after last weeks dismal outing. If that’s the case, the Bears likely won’t run much, but that also means that Marion Barber likely wouldn’t see much time on the field because he isn’t a very good pass catcher (he’s also a bit beat up physically). I consider Bell as a flex play option in 12 team leagues.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
Start–Peyton Hillis, RB (CLE)–Hillis ran the ball well last week finishing the game with 26 carries for 99 yards and one touchdown. That was his best showing of the season, despite not reaching 100 yards rushing. The Browns will likely have to run the ball a lot in this game if they want to keep the score close, so expect Hillis to receive volume carries this week against the Ravens.
Sit–Joe Flacco, QB (BAL)–Flacco threw for just 158 yards in the Ravens last meeting with the Browns in Week 13 and this week should be no different. You just can’t trust Flacco at this point in the season.
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills–1:00 pm
Start–Demaryius Thomas, WR (DEN)–Thomas has now scored three touchdowns in the Broncos last three games and is by far Tim Tebow’s favorite target in the Broncos passing game. Expect Tebow to exploit the Bills lousy pass defense and get the ball into his best playmaker’s hands early and often in this matchup.
Sit–Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB (BUF)–After a great start to the season for Fitzpatrick he has now shown nothing but inconsistency week in and week out. This week he faces off against a solid pass defense that should limit his production. Go with a different option here.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers–1:00 pm
Start–Jonathan Stewart, RB (CAR)–Although it has been tough all season deciding who was going to get the majority of the carries week to week in Carolina, this week it should be Stewart. The last time the Panthers faced the Buccaneers in Week 13 Stewart finished with 99 total yards and one touchdown, so look for another performance along those lines.
Sit–Josh Freeman, QB (TB)–Freeman hasn’t thrown for over 200 yards in each of his last three games which is not something you want to see from your fantasy quarterback and despite a good matchup, it doesn’t appear it will get any better. Go with a different option here.
Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins–1:00 pm
Start–Rex Grossman, QB (WAS)–the Vikings defense is the worst defense against the quarterback giving up an average of 19.7 points per game to opposing quarterbacks. With how good Grossman has been throwing the ball as of late, expect another big game from him.
Sit–Toby Gerhart, RB (MIN)–Despite having solid production even with Adrian Peterson in the lineup, Gerhart is not a solid play this week. The Redskins will force the Vikings to pass the ball a lot, which will limit his fantasy production.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans–1:00 pm
Start–Tennessee Titans Defense/Special Teams (TEN)–Every defense that gets to face off against the Jaguars defense is a solid start in my book and this week it’s the Titans turn. Look for a big day from the Titans in this great matchup.
Sit–Chris Johnson, RB (TEN)–Although the Jaguars have been dreadful, the do rank just outside the top 10 in points against running backs. With Matt Hasselbeck probably out this weekend, that may also hurt Johnson’s fantasy value this week.
St. Louis Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers–1:00 pm
Start–Rashard Mendenhall, RB (PIT)–Coming off of a down week against the 49ers Mendenhall will be ready to get back to par this week, especially if Ben Roethlisberger is out. Expect a big game form Mendenhall facing off against a bad run defense.
Sit–Brandon Lloyd, WR (STL)–With Kellen Clemens throwing Lloyd the ball it is hard to be optimistic. While I expect him to be active in the Rams’ offense, I don’t expect them to get anywhere near the end zone against the Steelers defense, so scoring will be virtually impossible.
Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals–1:00 pm
Start–Cedric Benson, RB (CIN)–Benson will look to follow in the footsteps of Peyton Hillis and Frank Gore and run all over the Cardinals this week. Benson has been a solid running back for the majority of the season and I expect him to finish out the fantasy season with a bang.
Sit–Jermaine Gresham, TE (CIN)–Gresham has been very unreliable this season and this week should be no different. The Cardinals pass defense is starting to show up each week, which will probably keep the Bengals offense running the ball often in this one.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots–1:00 pm
Start–Matt Moore, QB (MIA)–In Week 1 the Patriots game up 33 fantasy points to Chad Henne on 416 passing yards and two touchdowns. This week Moore gets to face that awful secondary in a must-start if you are a Moore owner.
Sit–BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB (NE)–Green-Ellis has been very inconsistent in terms of fantasy for the majority of the season and with a fantasy title on the line, it is hard for me to roll the dice with him against this matchup. Go with a different option here.
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs–1:00 pm
Start–Kansas City Chiefs Defense/Special Teams (KC)–The Chiefs totally shut down the Raiders in their last meeting forcing both Carson Palmer and Kyle Boller to throw three interceptions a piece. This week should be much of the same as the Chiefs look to force the Raiders to pass the ball often and force turnovers.
Sit–Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (OAK)–Heyward-Bey is coming off of a great game last week in which he recorded eight receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown, but this week is a whole different game. The Chiefs were able to shutdown the Packers passing game last week and should do the same to the Raiders this weekend.
New York Giants at New York Jets–1:00 pm
Start–Dustin Keller, TE (NYJ)–Keller is coming off of a good game last week in which he finished with three receptions for 73 yards, which was his best outing since Week 3. Look for Mark Sanchez to look his way often in this matchup.
Sit–Brandon Jacobs, RB (NYJ)–With Ahmad Bradshaw fully back in the mix, Jacobs will now return to minimal duties. Don’t use him this week, especially in this matchup.
San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions–4:05 pm
Start–Kevin Smith, RB (DET)–Although he was rather ineffective last week, this week should be a different story. The Chargers defense can be passed on, which will open up chances for Smith in both the passing game and the rushing game, so if you are in need of a No. 2 running back Smith is a good start.
Sit–Malcolm Floyd, WR (SD)–The Chargers offense is kicking on full cylinders right now, but Floyd’s production is very inconsistent. If the Chargers want to win this game they will have to establish a running game with Ryan Mathews, so expect them to run the ball more than normal, which will hamper Floyd’s production this week.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys–4:15 pm
Start–Jeremy Maclin, WR (PHI)–Maclin finally looks to be fully healthy after missing time with hamstring and shoulder injuries over the course of the season and is matched up against the Cowboys, who may be without Michael Jenkins for Saturday’s game. Expect a big game out of Maclin in a must-win for the Eagles.
Sit–Dez Bryant, WR (DAL)–The Eagles secondary has been playing solid as of late, and there are too many mouths to feed in the Cowboys passing game. Expect Tony Romo to continue to spread the ball around to all his targets limiting Bryant’s fantasy production.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks–4:15 pm
Start–Frank Gore, RB (SF)–Gore had a tough go at it last week when he faced off against the Steelers, but this week gets a better matchup, facing off against the Seahawks. The Seahawks have been giving up decent production to running backs as of late and I expect Gore to do the same this week.
Sit–Marshawn Lynch, RB (SEA)–The 49ers defense has yet to give up a rushing touchdown this season as they continue to impress in their breakout season. Don’t expect much from Lynch this week.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers–8:20 pm (SUN)
Start–Kahlil Bell, RB (CHI)–Last week Bell had a breakout game outplaying teammate Marion Barber and this week Matt Forte is once again out. With Bell’s versatility in the passing game, look for him to have another solid game as he is used in Forte’s role in the offense.
Sit–Ryan Grant, RB (GB)–The key to beating the Bears is by throwing the ball, which the Packers know how to do well. This will limit Grant’s touches this week as the Packers try to bounce back from their first loss of the season.
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints–8:30 pm (MON)
Start–Lance Moore, WR (NO)–Moore is coming off of a two touchdown performance form a week ago and will look to continue his hot streak. He has now totaled five touchdowns in the last four weeks and continues to be a go-to target for Drew Brees. Expect a good game from Moore this week in a favorable matchup.
Sit–Michael Turner, RB (ATL)–Turner has been bothers by a groin injury the last few weeks, which has definitely taken a toll on his fantasy production. This week he faces off against the Saints, who are beatable on the ground, but they score so many points that they force teams to throw the ball which will limit his production. Go with a different option here.
Matthew Beck is a Fantasy Sports Columnist for Rotoinfo.com. If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail him at matthewbeck@rotoinfo.com. Also follow him on Twitter @MatthewRBeck for up-to-date Q&A and fantasy information.
