Week 5: Game Previews
The injuries continued to pile up for fantasy owners
last week and the waiver wires must have been burning
up. Just remember this: if you picked up a player who
is getting the start because the NFL team's starter
has gone down, there is a reason that guy you snagged
was a benchwarmer.
A reminder about this column: skill players are divided into these four categories:
Must start: If you have certain players on your team - LaDainian, Peyton, Chad the Mouth - they should be in your starting lineup no matter the matchup.
Favorable situation: These players are not guarantees week after week, or are to be considered as No. 2 or No. 3 options. They will be in your lineup more often once the bye weeks roll around, unless the opponent is just too formidable.
Unfavorable situation: Sometimes even above-average players will be placed in this category if they are going against a strong defense. Injury or weather could also cause a player to slip into this category.
Don't start: This one pretty much is easy enough to figure out, yes?
Arizona at St. Louis
Marc Bulger is out and Gus Frerotte is in for the
Rams. Frerotte's last serious work at the QB position
was in 2005 for Miami, when he started 15 games and
averaged less than 200 passing per game. Don't count
on a monster game, especially since the Cardinals have
a decent pass defense. The two-headed QB system that
Arizona is running might work for the team, but it
drives fantasy owners crazy. Anquan Boldin might be
out again; check his status throughout the weekend.
Arizona
Must start: Edgerrin James - the Rams are 29th in run defense; Larry Fitzgerald
Favorable situation: Kurt Warner is playing better and got more snaps last week than Matt Leinart
Unfavorable situation: Bryant Johnson didn't step up last week in place on Boldin; Jerheme Urban had 5 catches but who knew about him before last week? - wait to see if he produces again.
Don't start: Any other player
St. Louis
Must start: None
Favorable situation: Torry Holt - if any WR is going to catch Frerotte's passes, it will be Holt.
Unfavorable situation: Frerotte; Brian Leonard - he's no Steven Jackson.
Don't start: Any other player
Atlanta at Tennessee
Joey Harrington as a Must Start this week? Well, let's
not go that far, but the Piano Man hit the right keys
last week against Houston and the Titans do give up a
fair amount of passing yardage. Tennessee just doesn't
have any players that excel in the fantasy world.
Atlanta
Must start: None
Favorable situation: Harrington; Roddy White and Michael Jenkins each had 64 yards receiving last week, but Jenkins had the two TDs.
Unfavorable situation: Warrick Dunn and Jerrious Norwood face the league's second-ranked run defense; Alge Crumpler was a favorite target of Michael Vick, not so much for Harrington.
Don't start: Any other player
Tennessee
Must start: None
Favorable situation: None
Unfavorable situation: Vince Young is the QB for the league's third worst passing offense; LenDale White and Chris Brown are sharing the load too much to put either one in your lineup.
Don't start: Any other player
Carolina at New Orleans
The Saints went into their last game, the Monday night
home battle with Tennessee, hoping to break out of
their slump; unfortunately for fans, the result
brought on Mardi Blah in the Big Easy. With Deuce
McAllister out for the season, we will now get to see
if Reggie Bush can carry a bigger load. Drew Brees
can't be feeling confident, however, since he lost a
pretty good pass blocker in Deuce. The Panthers are
blah in just about every fantasy category this season.
Carolina
Must start: None
Favorable situation: DeShaun Foster; until the QB situation improves, Steve Smith is relegated to just "favorable," mainly because he is still Steve Smith.
Unfavorable situation: David Carr; DeAngelo Williams got 5 touches in the Bucs game - Foster had 18.
Don't start: Any other player
New Orleans
Must start: As crazy as it might seem, Brees really should be in your lineup - with McAllister out, the passing game will have to carry the Saints, and the Panthers have no interceptions and just two sacks on the season.
Favorable situation: Bush; Marques Colston; Eric Johnson
Unfavorable situation: None
Don't start: Any other player
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