Start or Bench?

Below is a recap of last night's WAS-CHI win, along with the rest of this week's start/bench picks. Good luck to all in the playoffs!

Saturday Update: Since Bulger has already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals, I have revised the "Start" for that game to Jeff Wilkins (see below)...

Washington 24, Chicago 16

Start: Chris Cooley, WAS - Cooley led all players in receiving yards (as expected), even with Walpole's Todd Collins relieving an injured Jason Campbell. His numbers were right on with my prediction in the win over Chicago, even with the fact that he missed part of the 2nd quarter with a leg injury...
Prediction: 7 catches, 97 yards, 0 TD's.
Actual: 5 catches, 93 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Greg Olsen, CHI - Even with Griese throwing 45 passes and close to 300 yards after Grossman left with an injury, Olsen could only muster a measily 31 yards on 3 catches. Hopefully you listened to THIMD and gave the rookie from "The U" a seat on your bench...
Prediction: 2 catches, 16 yards, 0 TD's.
Actual: 3 catches, 31 yards, 0 TD's.

Greg's Totals (so far): Starts: 1-0-0, Benches: 1-0-0. Total: 2-0-0

Detroit at Dallas

Start: Patrick Crayton, DAL - What a difference a week makes, as I had Crayton as a "Bench" last week (I was wrong, of course)… Crayton doesn't do too much unless he catches a TD, with only one game over 75 yards on the season. However, against the terrible Lions DEF, I'm expecting a strong game, including a TD...
Prediction: 5 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Calvin Johnson, DET - Yes, he may get some more looks with Roy Williams out for the year. But the fact still remains; with the exception of Week 12, Megatron does not have more than 4 catches or 75 yards receiving in ANY game this year, averaging just 2 catches for 35 YPG. I'm wouldn't be surprised if the numbers were higher this week, but I still wouldn't start him...
Prediction: 5 catches, 62 yards, 0 TD's.

Oakland at Green Bay

Start: Ryan Grant, GB - My weekly "gimme", so Grant owners should be a little bit worried… However, seeing that OAK is allowing almost 150 yards per game on the ground along with 20 rushing TD's, the only thing stopping Grant from having a monster game is an injury. If Favre makes it through the game, look for Grant to have a lot of touches...
Prediction: 28 carries, 124 yards rushing, 2 catches, 16 yards receiving, 1 TD.

Bench: Ronald Curry, OAK - In the past 7 games, Jerry Porter has outgained Curry in 6 of them. This doesn't bode well for Curry in Week 14, facing a strong GB pass defense at Lambeau Field... He probably isn't starting for you anyways, but if he is, check the waiver wire for better options...
Prediction: 3 catches, 42 yards, 0 TD's.

Cincinnati at St. Louis

Start: Jeff Wilkins, STL - As mentioned above, my original pick here was Bulger, but since he isn't playing, and I can't recommend a guy making his first NFL start, not to mention little practice with the first team offense this week, I figured I'd go another route and pick Wilkins. On the year he is 20 for 26 on FG attempts, but is a stellar 11 of 12 at home, missing only a 56 yarder in the Week 2 loss to SF. Since the Rams will have trouble scoring TD's with Berlin at the helm, look for Wilkins to get a number of FG attempts on Sunday...
Prediction: 3 FG's, at least one from 45+ yards, 1-2 XP's.

Bench: Rudi Johnson, CIN - Johnson was back to being Rudi v.2007 last week, with just 34 yards rushing on 14 carries. Other than his 88 yard performance in Week 12, Rudi has a total of 133 rushing yards in his previous 6 games. STL isn't horrible vs. the run (15th in fantasy points allowed per game to RB's), and considering that it is playoff time, there's no way I'd feel comfortable starting Rudi this week. Then again, if he was your #1 pick, chances are you aren't in the playoffs this year anyways...
Prediction: 15 carries, 52 yards, 1 catch, 9 yards, 0 TD's.

Carolina at Jacksonville

Start: Fred Taylor, JAX - In what has been an improbable turn of events for fantasy owners, Fragile Fred has played in every game this year, and has outgained MJD 293-95 in rushing yards the past three weeks. No reason to jump off now, with Taylor facing a CAR team that has lost 5 of it's last 6 games...
Prediction: 16 carries, 85 yards rushing, 2 catches, 14 yards receiving, 0 TD's.

Bench: DeAngelo Williams, CAR - Williams had his best yardage game of the year against the hapless 49'ers last week, with 128 total yards, including a season high of 17 carries. However, in his previous 5 games, he only had a total of 26 carries, or about 5 per game. This game may get out of hand early, which will severly limit Williams from putting up anything close to what he did last week...
Prediction: 9 carries, 35 yards, 2 catches, 15 yards, 0 TD's.

New York Giants at Philadelphia

Start: Amani Toomer, NYG - In Toomer's last 4 games against Philly, he has averaged 7 catches for 75 YPG, with 3 TD's. If you're looking for a low risk WR3 for this week, especially in PPR leagues, Toomer should fit the bill, especially with Burress still banged up...
Prediction: 6 catches, 70 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Donovan McNabb, PHI - I'm getting a bit tired of telling everyone to bench Kevin Curtis, Reggie Brown, or both every week, so I figured I'd go with McNabb. His numbers have been solid against the Giants over the years, but he might be a bit gun shy in his first game back after suffering an ankle injury against MIA, along with the fact that the Giants sacked him 12 times in Week 3 and will be blitzing like crazy once again...
Prediction: 220 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT's.

San Diego at Tennessee

Start: Justin Gage, TENN - Gage is my wishful thinking start this week, as I have finally inserted him into my lineup as my WR3 for my 1st round playoff matchup. Gage has been very consistent, with at least 4 catches and 64 yards in each of his last 4 games, along with 2 TD's. SD is pretty good at defending the pass, but Gage has clearly emerged as Young's #1 WR, and should have another good week.
Prediction: 6 catches, 82 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Antonio Gates, SD - As I mentioned in my rankings notes, TENN has been nasty against TE's this year. In the past 9 weeks, Starting TE's have a total of 21 catches, 200 yards, and 0 TD's, or 2 catches for 22 YPG on average. Obviously Gates is the best TE in the league, but I wouldn't expect much from him at all this week...
Prediction: 4 catches, 52 yards, 0 TD's.

Tampa Bay at Houston

Start: Earnest Graham, TB - Graham has been one of the best fantasy RB's in the league in the past month, averaging 118 total yards per game, along with 1 TD in each of his last 4. HOU doesn't have what you would call a strong rush defense, allowing over 120 yards per game on the ground, and just under 20 fantasy points per game to RB's. Look for Graham to go over the century mark in rushing for the 4th time in 5 weeks, as TB should win this game pretty easily...
Prediction: 26 carries, 104 yards rushing, 3 catches, 20 yards receiving, 1-2 TD's.

Bench: Owen Daniels, HOU - Prior to last week's game against TENN, Daniels had two solid games in a row, with 12 catches for 156 yards and a TD. For the 2nd week in a row, he faces a defense that has been fantastic against TE's from a fantasy standpoint, as TB has actually allowed 2 yards less per game than TENN. Throwing in the fact that it looks like Sage Rosenfels will be starting for HOU this week, it appears that Daniels is a strong bench candidate this week...
Prediction: 3 catches, 31 yards, 0 TD's.

Miami at Buffalo

Start: Marshawn Lynch OR Fred Jackson, BUF
Whichever running back starts this game should put up some quality numbers. The only tricky thing would be if Lynch starts, but is limited because of his ankle sprain. With that being the case, Jackson could be the safer play. Jackson had 151 yards from scrimmage in last week’s win at Washington so it looks like he can play. Check the injury report on Sunday because as mentioned, one or both of these guys are going to post nice stats against a suspect Dolphins’ rush defense.
Prediction: Buffalo RB’s combine for 140+ yards from scrimmage with at least 1 TD.

Bench: Jesse Chatman, MIA
Chatman was downgraded in our column this week because he is very banged up right now and Miami’s offense has taken its struggles to a whole new level with rookie John Beck at quarterback. Buffalo’s rush defense has improved lately, especially last week when they held Clinton Portis to 50 yards on 25 carries, so do not expect much from Chatman, who has played well in general subbing for an injured Ronnie Brown.
Prediction: 13 carries for 50 yards, 2 receptions for 15 yards.

Minnesota at San Francisco

Start: Sidney Rice, MIN
Rice has been very good recently with three touchdowns in his last five games and two of them coming from 40+ yards. The 49ers have been torched as of late via the pass and Tarvaris Jackson is starting to look like a respectable quarterback. Look for the rookie Rice to be involved and make at least one big play.
Prediction: 5 receptions for 75 yards receiving with at least one 30+ yard catch or a touchdown.

Bench: Frank Gore, SF
This is not a good matchup for Gore. The Vikings boast one of the best rush defenses in football and Gore has not been able to find much running room in general this season. He has been a huge factor in the passing game lately so that could save him this week from a fantasy perspective. But don’t expect too much on the ground.
Prediction: 85 yards from scrimmage.

Arizona at Seattle

Start: Matt Hasselbeck, SEA
Hasselbeck had a so-so game last week at Philadelphia, but the weather was a factor. There is plenty to like about Hasselbeck even with D.J. Hackett (ankle) being out of the lineup and Shaun Alexander returning to balance the offense a bit. The crafty Hasselbeck has tossed at least two touchdown passes in six of the last seven games and gone over 300 yards in three of those contests. This week he faces an Arizona secondary that has been shredded by Trent Dilfer and Derek Anderson the last two games. Hasselbeck could make a mistake or two - the Cardinals do a good job creating turnovers, but expect the veteran signal caller to have a big game in general at home.
Prediction: 230 yards with 2-3 TD’s.

Bench: Edgerrin James, ARI
We benched James in this column last week and he burnt us with his first good game in over a month. James has put up decent numbers this year, but that’s only because he touches the ball so much. James is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry this season and has been below average in four of the last five games. In fact, James failed to post a 10+ yard rush in four straight games between November 4th and 25th despite receiving 66 carries over that span. The veteran has been also getting pulled lately in goal line situations for Marcel Shipp and is no longer a threat in the passing game. Look for James to have his normal number of touches but with the same mediocre results.
Prediction: 20 carries for 75 yards, 1 catch for 5 yards.

Pittsburgh at New England

Start: Hines Ward, PIT
Ward has caught 20 passes and a pair of touchdowns in the last two games while Santonio Holmes has sat out with an ankle injury. Holmes might play this week but regardless, Ben Roethlisberger is locked in on Ward at the moment. Expect a bunch of catches, decent yardage and the strong possibility of a touchdown, especially if Holmes does not play.
Prediction: 6 catches for 80 yards with a TD.

Bench: Laurence Maroney, NE
Maroney had his best game of the season last week in terms of yards from scrimmage, but that was mainly due to a pair of big plays through the air (catches of 43 and 36 yards). As a runner, Maroney was shut down by Baltimore’s strong rush defense and it doesn’t get much easier this week against the Steelers, who are even better at stopping the run. Look for Brady to return to glory with Maroney being a minor factor.
Prediction: 70 yards from scrimmage.

Kansas City at Denver

Start: Kolby Smith, KC
Smith has played well in two starts since taking over for Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson, running for 233 yards with two touchdowns. This week he faces the Broncos, who are one of the worst teams in the league at stopping the run. The Chiefs don’t have much on offense so it would be very surprising if they underused Smith this week. Expect a very good game from the rookie.
Prediction: 20 carries for 100 yards, 2 catches for 15 yards.

Bench: Selvin Young, DEN
Young actually started last week’s game at Oakland, but received eight less carries than Travis Henry, who also scored a pair of touchdowns. Young’s dropping stock took another hit this week when the league announced Travis Henry won his appeal of a one-year drug suspension. Furthermore, Young suffered some type of arm injury in Sunday’s game so while he’ll probably play, he could be spelled by third-string back Andre Hall. Young might catch a few passes on 3^rd down, but it would be shocking if he got more than a handful of carries this week.
Prediction: 5 carries for 20 yards, 3 receptions for 30 yards.

Cleveland at NY Jets

Start: Jamal Lewis, CLE
Lewis let us down last week with a so-so game on the ground, although he did score via the pass. The Jets are a pretty weak opponent defensively so Lewis should excel this week and approach 100 yards from scrimmage as the Browns control the game.
Prediction: 100+ yards from scrimmage with 1 TD.

Bench: Kellen Clemens, NYJ
Chances are that you have Clemens on your bench, but perhaps you are considering him this week if you’re in a deep league or because of the Jets’ opponent. It’s true that Cleveland has the worst overall defense in the league statistically, but Clemens should not be given the start for that reason alone. The Browns have actually been slightly better on defense lately and Clemens will be missing at least one key target in Jerricho Cotchery. Expect Clemens to make a couple of miscues and not do a whole lot.
Prediction: 195 yards with 1 TD and 2 INT’s.

Indianapolis at Baltimore

Start: Anthony Gonzalez, IND
We’re going out on somewhat of a limb here and there is not much reason other than a hunch, but this could be the week that Gonzalez finally scores a touchdown. He actually scored last week, but the play was called back due to a penalty. And he went over 100 yards receiving two weeks ago at Atlanta so some of the signs are there for a breakout game. Unless the weather is rough in Baltimore like it was on Monday, look for Peyton Manning and the passing game to be on point.
Prediction: 5 catches for 65 yards and 1 TD.

Bench: Derrick Mason, BAL
Mason is having a great year in terms of receptions, but if you’re not in a PPR league, he is not nearly as valuable with just three touchdowns and a very low 9.9 yards per catch average. As you’d assume with his yards per catch average under 10, Mason does not run a lot of deep routes and his long catch of the year is just 28 yards (85 receptions for the season). He’ll probably grab 5-7 passes, as usual, but won’t score and surely won’t go over 100 yards (he hasn’t in any game this year).
Prediction: 5-7 receptions for 65 yards.

New Orleans at Atlanta

Start: Marques Colston, NO
Colston had a quiet game last week against Tampa Bay outside of a 40-yard catch. Colston has only one touchdown since October 28, so he is long overdue for a score. Playing in good conditions in the Georgia Dome, look for Colston to have a big game and score at least one touchdown.
Prediction: 5 receptions for 80 yards with 1-2 TD’s.

Bench: Warrick Dunn, ATL
Dunn got outplayed last week by youngster Jerious Norwood, who could start being a bigger part of the offense. Dunn is no longer the goal-line back (fullback Jason Snelling has take that role) and is not a good receiver anymore. With Chris Redman likely starting, it’s probably going to be an ugly game for most of the Falcons offensive performers, but especially Dunn, who does not make big plays anymore.
Prediction: 65 yards from scrimmage.