Week 8: Game Previews
It is hard to believe that it is already the eighth week of the fantasy season. Soon we will have to take weather conditions into account for our games, but for this weekend at least the skies look clear at all of the host stadiums.
A reminder about this column: skill players are divided into these four categories:
Must start: If you have certain players on your team - LaDainian, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, Randy Moss - 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 because of the bye weeks, 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?
Cleveland at St. Louis
Could this be the fantasy game of the week? Sure, these two teams are a combined 3-10 (Washington and New England, the other choice for game of the week, are a combined 11-2), but both of these defenses are horrible. In fact, the Browns are dead last in the league.
Cleveland
Must start: Derek Anderson; Jamal Lewis, if he is healthy - the Rams are ranked 24th in run defense; Braylon Edwards; Kellen Winslow
Favorable situation: The list above pretty much covers all of the decent Cleveland players, at least in a yardage-oriented system.
Unfavorable situation: None
Don't start: Any other player
St. Louis
Must start: Steve Jackson finally should be on the field again and he faces the 30th-ranked run defense (if Jackson doesn't go, Brian Leonard should get the fantasy start); Torry Holt
Favorable situation: Marc Bulger; Isaac Bruce
Unfavorable situation: None
Don't start: Randy McMichael has been a huge bust for the Rams.
Detroit at Chicago
The Lions came back from a 13-3 deficit in the fourth quarter when they scored a record 34 points in the final stanza to beat Chicago in the first game between these two. The Bears' defense of last season is a ghost around the Windy City these days, as they currently rank 25th overall. Detroit is even lower at No. 30, so this could be another wild affair.
Detroit
Must start: Roy Williams; Calvin Johnson
Favorable situation: Jon Kitna; Kevin Jones looked sharp against Tampa Bay and averaged 5.2 yards per touch; Shaun McDonald
Unfavorable situation: Mike Furrey seems to be the odd man out with Johnson's return.
Don't start: Any other player
Chicago
Must start: Brian Griese attacks the 30th-ranked pass defense; Bernard Berrian; Greg Olsen
Favorable situation: Cedric Benson, but when was the last time he had a "big" game?; Muhsin Muhammad; Desmond Clark
Unfavorable situation: None
Don't start: Any other player
Indianapolis at Carolina
Carolina might employ some form of quarterback platooning, according to reports on the team, but Indianapolis owns the league's top-ranked pass defense anyway. (And unlike last season, that ranking is not all due to the fact that teams are running wild on the Colts.) The Colts are not the kind of team to be looking ahead to the possible clash of unbeatens next week with New England.
Indianapolis
Must start: Peyton Manning; Reggie Wayne; Dallas Clark
Favorable situation: Joseph Addai and Kenton Keith will be splitting carries, so it seems, knocking Addai down a few pegs and boosting Keith up a few; Marvin Harrison - give him one more game to get situated again before considering him a "Must start.".
Unfavorable situation: None
Don't start: Any other player
Carolina
Must start: None
Favorable situation: DeAngelo Williams might benefit from DeShaun Foster's toe injury; Steve Smith
Unfavorable situation: David Carr and Vinny Testaverde; Foster, because of his injury and the sense that Williams is performing at a more consistent pace than he is right now.
Don't start: Any other player
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