Start or Bench?

Here's a recap of the HOU-DEN game, along with the rest of this week's start/bench....

Houston 31, Denver 13

Start: Brandon Marshall, DEN - Even though he didn't score, I can't give myself a "miss" when a player catches 11 passes for over 100 yards. In PPR leagues the totals would have been the same, so I'm going to give myself a push here. Marshall had 9 catches in the first half alone, but Cutler looked more Scheffler's way in the 2nd half. Either way, another solid game for Marshall...
Prediction: 6 catches, 93 yards, 1 TD.
Actual: 11 catches, 107 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Darius Walker, HOU - Dayne actually played and had a decent game, rushing for 67 yards and a TD, along with 1 catch for 4 yards. Walker almost had identical numbers, minus the TD; 13 carries for 66 yards, 1 catch for 2 yards, which was very close to what I had predicted for him. Not a bad game if you had you better options (I'm sure you did), and he may have proved me wrong had Dayne not played....
Prediction: 17 carries, 68 yards, 2 catches, 15 yards, 0 TD's.
Actual: 13 carries, 66 yards, 1 catch, 2 yards, 0 TD's.

Greg's Totals So Far: Starts: 0-0-1, Benches: 1-0-0. Total: 1-0-1

Cincinnati at San Fransisco

Start: Arnaz Battle, SF - As mentioned in my rankings notes, CIN has been miserable at preventing TD's through the air this season (only CLE & DET are worse). I'm going to go against conventional wisdom and assume that Battle is going to have a solid game. In his last 5 games, Battle is averaging close to 60 YPG, with TD's in each of his last 3. I don't expect a monster game, but 65 yards and a TD is very attainable...
Prediction: 4 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Chris Henry, CIN - Carson Palmer has really been struggling to get the ball into the end zone lately, and no one has suffered more than Henry. In his first two games back, Henry had 12 catches, 180 yards, and a TD. In his last 3 games, he had 6 catches for 88. SF is not that good at stopping the pass, but unless he catches a long one for a TD, I don't see him doing much for the 4th straight game...
Prediction: 3 catches, 48 yards, 0 TD's.

NY Jets at New England

Start: Jabar Gaffney, NE - I couldn't tell you the last time I got to do a Pats game, as they've all been night games or 4PM games since October... The only thing that worries me about Sunday's Pats-Jets game is the weather. It sounds like we may get some snow this weekend, although that's never stopped Brady before. Gaffney has appeared to replace Stallworth as NE's #3 WR, and should get plenty of looks on Sunday, as the Pats may not run the ball 10 times...
Prediction: 6 catches, 90 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: The entire NY Jets offense - I'm going to pull a Gusto here and be ambitious. I don't think the Pats'll shut out the Jets, but they are going to do everything they can to do so. Add in the weather conditions, a QB that is going to look like a deer in headlights all game, and you have yourself the potential for an enormous blowout. Mike Greenberg from ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike" predicted the final score to be 63-13, and he's a Jets season ticket holder! My prediction is 56-10...
Prediction: 1 TD, 1 FG, Less than 300 yards of total offense, at least 1 INT.

Seattle at Carolina

Start: DeShaun Foster, CAR - I already gave you a sneak pick of this one in this week's WTF debate, but here's what I had originally wrote: I know, it's a shocker to see a CAR RB as a "Start", but I actually like Foster to have one of his ugly good games. SEA is decent in terms of rushing yards allowed per game (100), but only 2 teams have allowed more rushing TD's this year. Look for Foster to have one of his 27 carry, 84 yards and a TD type of games, as John Fox will look to keep the ball out of Vinny T's hands, seeing how nasty SEA's secondary has been at picking off opposing QB's lately...
Prediction, 27 carries, 84 yards, 1 catch, 8 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Shaun Alexander, SEA - This one was almost too easy, so I'll probably be wrong. But the numbers don't lie; in his last 7 games, Alexander is averaging 15 carries for 40 yards per game (2.75 YPC), with just 1 TD. Alexander must love Holmgren for allowing him to continue to start, but he's clearly done. Mo-Mo will likely have more carries than Alexander by the end of the day...
Prediction: 15 carries, 54 yards, 1 catch, 4 yards, 0 TD's.

Green Bay at St. Louis

Start: Donald Driver, GB - Driver was quiet in last week's win over the Raiders, with just 3 catches for 38 yards. However, in his previous 5 games, Driver averaged 6 catches for 92 YPG. Although he hasn't scored since Week 2, look for him to find the end zone, as the Rams are not very good at defending the pass...
Prediction: 7 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Isaac Bruce, STL - Bruce was held without a catch against the Bengals last week, as Berlin didn't look his way much. If Brock gets the start again this week, I wouldn't want Bruce anywhere near my starting lineup, as GB may shut out the hapless Rams. It could be a long game for Rams fans. At least they get to see the future President of the U.S. (at least you'd think that way based on all the love he gets from the media) throw a few TD's against them...
Prediction: 3 catches, 42 yards, 0 TD's.

Tennessee at Kansas City

Start: Dwayne Bowe, KC - Bowe has appeared to hit the dreaded "rookie wall"; in his first 9 games, Bowe averaged 76 YPG (including the goose egg in Week 9 against GB). In his past 4, he's averaged just 54 YPG, with 1 TD, and no games with more than 65 yards. Call it a hunch, but I like Bowe to break out of his slump this week against a fairly strong TENN pass defense. Can you tell I'm reaching on this one? This may be one of the more painful games to watch this week, as KC is already out of it, and TENN is barely hanging on, having lost 4 of their past 5 games...
Prediction: 5 catches, 73 yards, 0 TD's.

Bench: Vince Young, TENN - KC has actually been fairly good at defending the pass this year, although you wouldn't have known it based on Cutler's performance last week. Even including last week's blowout, KC has only allowed 14 TD's through the air this year, 5th best in the NFL (and 1 behind INDY & TB). They're also 9th in the league in yards allowed, and get to face Vince Young, who has just 7 TD's against 16 INT's this year. Expect TENN to pound the ball, as they won't have much of a chance relying on Young (again)...
Prediction: 179 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 30 yards rushing.

Arizona at New Orleans

Start: Kurt Warner, ARI - I can't imagine what it's like to root for a team where Kurt Warner is the starting QB. The stupid INT's he throws are just tough to watch, as are the ridiculous number of fumbles. But for fantasy purposes, it doesn't hurt as much; in his past 5 games, Warner has thrown 2-3 TD's in every game, along with close to 300 yards passing on average per game. Only MINN, DET, & CLE have allowed more passing yards than NO, so look for Warner to have another one of his fill the stat sheet games (300 yards or so, 2-3 TD's, multiple INT's, 1-2 fumbles lost, etc.)...
Prediction: 310 yards passing, 2-3 TD's, 2-3 INT's, 1 fumble lost.

Bench: Aaron Stecker, NO - You already know my feelings on this one, but here goes... Stecker had a good game starting in place of Reggie Bush last week, with 100 yards on 20 carries in a win over the Falcons. However, ARI has been good against the run this year, allowing just 98.2 YPG on the ground, or better than SEA, GB, and NE. They have allowed 10 TD's on the ground, but since 2005, Stecker has had 178 attempts, but just 1 rushing TD. I don't expect a repeat performance this week, although he may get close to 80-90 yards of total offense...
Prediction: 18 carries, 70 yards rushing, 2 catches, 13 yards receiving, o TD's.

Buffalo at Cleveland

Start: Robert Royal, BUF - Who would have thought that BUF and CLE would have been playing in a crucial matchup up with wild card implications in Week 15 before the season started? Or that I would actually be recommending Robert Royal? Still, CLE has allowed 10 TD's to TE's this year, tops in the NFL. In games Losman has started, Royal has a total of 5 catches for 57 yards (7 games). With Edwards at QB, Royal has 16 catches for 151 yards. While the numbers aren't outstanding by any means, it wouldn't surprise me to see him catch 3-4 passes for 35-45 yards and a TD this week, which is more than passable if you don't have a top TE on your team...
Prediction: 4 catches, 41 yards, 1 TD.

Bench: Joe Jurevicius, CLE - In his last 3 games, Jurevicius is averaging just 3 catches and 35 yards per game, with no TD's since Week 4. BUF's pass defense isn't that good, but I still don't forsee him having a very good day - look for Edwards and Winslow to benefit far more. And on that note, I'll pass along to Gusto, who'll be covering the remainder of the 1PM games, as well as the late ones...
Prediction: 3 catches, 37 yards, 0 TD's.

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh

Start: Willie Parker, PIT
Most fantasy owners start Parker every week, but if you’re in a touchdown-heavy league, Parker is useless with just two touchdowns this season. Parker leads the league in rushing and touches the ball a lot so his lack of scoring is just one of those fluky things. The good news is that no Steelers’ running back has scored on the ground since Parker did in Week 8 so it’s not like Najeh Davenport is stealing touchdowns. Parker is long overdue for a touchdown so expect him to score this week and put up solid, not spectacular yardage totals.
Prediction: 20 carries for 80 yards with at least 1 TD.

Bench: Fred Taylor, JAC
Taylor has been one of the hottest running backs in the league over the last three weeks with three 100-yard games and a pair of touchdowns. Taylor’s success should end this week, however, against a nasty Steelers’ rush defense. After getting somewhat embarrassed at New England on Sunday, look for Pittsburgh to be angry and shut down Jacksonville’s vaunted rushing attack.
Prediction: 14 carries for 60 yards.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay

Start: Jeff Garcia, TB
Garcia has missed the last couple of games with a back injury, but is poised to return this week against a dysfunctional Falcons squad. Tampa Bay clinches the NFC South with a win so the team should be properly motivated. Expect a big game from Garcia and the rest of the Bucs’ offense.
Prediction: 225 yards with 2-3 TD’s.

Bench: Michael Jenkins, ATL
Jenkins has played well over the last two games which coincides with quarterback Chris Redman’s insertion into the lineup. Jenkins has been a bust for most of the season, however, and now that coach Bobby Petrino is gone, who knows who will start at quarterback? Look for Jenkins to get shut down regardless of the signal caller.
Prediction: 4 catches for 45 yards.

Baltimore at Miami

Start: Derrick Mason, BAL
Mason was held in check last week with a season-low three receptions, but he has been pretty consistent most of the year. Mason won’t help you much as a touchdown producer with just three scores this season and five between 2005 and 2006, but he catches a lot of passes and normally puts up solid yardage totals. If you’re in a PPR league, Mason is your boy this week.
Prediction: 7 receptions for 85 yards.

Bench: Jesse Chatman, MIA
Chatman sat out last week’s loss at Buffalo with an ankle injury. While he is expected to play this week, the Ravens are one of the best teams in the league at stopping the run and Miami blows on offense anyway. Samkon Gado scored a couple of touchdowns last week so he could be in the mix as well.
Prediction: 10 carries for 40 yards.

Indianapolis at Oakland

Start: Anthony Gonzalez, IND
We recommended Gonzalez in this column last week and it paid off huge as the rookie went over 100 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. THIMD is so confident in Gonzalez’ skills, we’re gonna ride him again this week. The Raiders do a decent job defending the pass, but Peyton Manning has been sharp over the last couple of games. Without Marvin Harrison again this week, look for Gonzalez to be a big factor.
Prediction: 5 receptions for 70 yards with 1 TD.

Bench: Justin Fargas, OAK
Fargas was shut down last week in Oakland’s blowout loss at Green Bay and he suffered a rib injury as well. The injury does not appear too serious, but Fargas has always had the label of being “soft” so how much he’ll be able to tolerate the pain is a question mark. The Colts might jump all over the Raiders anyway so the running game could be abandoned early.
Prediction: 16 carries for 60 yards.

Detroit at San Diego

Start: Kevin Jones, DET
Jones’ production is tricky to forecast because Mike Martz’ is so unpredictable with his play calling. Since October, Jones has been productive in five of the six games in which he’s received 10+ carries. Jones has had two awful performances in the last eight weeks, but received a total of just seven carries in those games because Martz called a lot of pass plays. The Chargers have an average rush defense and will be missing Shawne Merriman this week so Jones should be able to have some success, assuming he gets the ball.
Prediction: 17 carries for 75 yards and 3 receptions for 25 yards.

Bench: Chris Chambers, SD
In last week’s comeback win at Tennessee, Chambers had 90 yards receiving, including a key 28-yard grab on the game-tying drive. Chambers is an inconsistent performer, however, and cannot be relied on as a fantasy starter mainly because the team prefers to run the ball and throw short stuff. The talented wideout has not posted a 100-yard game while with San Diego and has scored only two touchdowns as a member of the team. Philip Rivers (knee) is banged up too so the Chargers will probably grind it out with LaDainian Tomlinson more than usual.
Prediction: 4 receptions for 60 yards.

Philadelphia at Dallas

Start: Nick Folk, DAL
Folk is having a great season, going 20-for-24 on field goal attempts with three of those misses coming from 50+ yards. The Cowboys offense is in high gear right now so expect a bunch of points against an average Eagles’ defense.
Prediction: 8-12 points between XP’s and FG’s.

Bench: Donovan McNabb, PHI
McNabb did not have a great return on Sunday after missing 2+ games with ankle and thumb injuries, finishing with just 179 yards and a touchdown. This week’s opponent, Dallas, allows a lot of passing yards, but they also create turnovers. Normally McNabb protects the ball pretty well, but not this week.
Prediction: 200 yards with 1 TD and 1-2 turnovers.

Washington at New York Giants

Start: Plaxico Burress, NYG
Burress posted his first 100-yard game since early October in Sunday’s win at Philadelphia and has scored in two of the last three weeks. Burress has been bothered by an ankle injury all season, but is reportedly feeling better and looked much quicker last week. Eli Manning is still a wild card at quarterback - he often forces the ball to Burress, but that is a fantasy blessing because it gives the talented wideout more opportunities.
Prediction: 5 catches for 80 yards with 1 TD.

Bench: Clinton Portis, WAS
Portis played terribly last week as a rusher with 17 carries for 36 yards, but was bailed out from a fantasy perspective because he caught six passes for 86 yards. Portis does not have a run longer than 12 yards over the last five games and is starting to show signs of wearing down. He’ll probably get a lot of carries with Todd Collins starting at quarterback for the Redskins, but don’t expect much from Portis.
Prediction: 18 carries for 70 yards.

Chicago at Minnesota

Start: Adrian Peterson/Chester Taylor, MIN
The Vikings backs are going to run wild this week. Peterson was shut down completely at San Francisco on Sunday and Taylor was contained besides a long touchdown run so they should be ready to go this week. Look for the Vikings to establish the run early and control the clock, meaning both players will put up good to great numbers.
Prediction: 185 yards rushing as a team with at least 2 TD’s.

Bench: Adrian Peterson, CHI
The other Peterson struggled last week in a loss at Washington, rushing the ball 17 times for only 35 yards. It does not get any easier this week against the Vikings, who have one of the finest rush defenses in football. Rookie Garrett Wolfe received a couple of carries last week and could be involved more on Monday night to take advantage of his outstanding speed. Peterson might catch some passes – he’s a good receiver out of the backfield, but do not expect a whole lot on the ground.
Prediction: 75 yards from scrimmage.