Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 13

Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.

Start’em

• Matt Schaub- The Texans have gone from a team to watch out for to the new Cincinnati “Bungals”. While stuck in a downward spiral with a 3 game losing streak, Schaub’s numbers have still been strong and you should not overlook him. The Jaguars defense is good but not great, and with the Texans defense unable to play 4 quarters, and kicker Kris Brown needing to get a prescription for glasses, Schaub will have to rack up the points if they ever want to win again.
• Carson Palmer- The passing game hasn’t been able to put up more than 225 yards in each of the last 4 games, but a match-up against the Lions should fix that. Palmer has been a leader on the field but only an average fantasy quarterback; Gridiron Experts expects big numbers from Carson and number 85 this week.
• Sleeper QB Chris Redman- You’d have to be in a serious bind to have to start this guy this late into the season…but hey, maybe you have bad match-ups or Matt Ryan is on your team. The Eagles are squeaking by lately and have problems against tight ends, Tony Gonzalez is one of the best and should be a safe target for Redman. Expect a couple INT’s, but 225 yards and 2 touchdowns is very doable.
• Brandon Jacobs- What has happened to this guy lately? Yards are way down, so are touchdowns and even carries per game. Has the toll of being a larger running back finally caught up with Jacobs? Well, this week’s match-up will surely be the ultimate test; Jacobs is at home facing the division leading Cowboys and has no one behind him to steal carries. Star players make big plays in big games. Start him.
• **Friday Injury to Justin Forsett has us pulling the plug on our recommendation of starting the Seattle Running back. Instead take a look at Matt Fotre or Jamaal Charles, neither player is a fantasy gem, but the match-ups this week are worth giving these bench warmers a decent shot at respectable  numbers.
• Sleeper RB Rock Cartwright- Cartwright made his fourth career start in Week 12 against Philly as he continues to be the man with Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts out. The Saints are off a huge win and may be caught sleeping in a nothing game.
• Terrell Owens- Rookie Darrelle Revis showed up T.O. in the first match-up and will try once more on Canadian soil. Terrell Owens is very competitive and loves the spotlight, expect a big night with his new quarterback and a coach who has nothing to lose.
• Brandon Marshall- Marshall caught six passes in last weeks game for a total of 86 yards, he is overdue for a touchdown and has a great match-up. Rank’em high…very high.
• Sleeper T.J. Houshmandzadeh- How much do you think T.J. is regretting his off-season signing with the Seahawks, especially since the Bengals are kicking ass? Housh had a terrible week against the Rams and is way too passionate for the game to just collect easy paychecks. A bounce back game is in store. Start him.
• Tony Gonzalez- The Eagles always have trouble against receiving tight ends, and Gonzo is one of (if not) the best TE’s there is. He will find the end zone.
• Sleeper TE Dustin Keller- Sanchez has hit his go-to tight end at least 4 times in each of the Jets last four games. Keller has had a spike in fantasy value lately, and Gridiron Experts likes him on Thursday Night.

Sit’em

• Jay Cutler- Flogging a dead horse. Cutler is garbage in fantasy football this season, swallow your pride and start someone else.
• Beanie Wells- The Vikings are an excellent defensive headache, and rookie Wells will be lucky if he cracks 60 yards. Of course there is always a chance he gets red zone touches, but more likely the Cardinals will use Hightower this weekend, as a quick audible at the line could involve blocks, quick outs, and no-rookie mistakes.
• Donald Driver- A weekly starter here in our start’em sit’em article, but Driver is about to have a tough week. The Ravens are going to double this veteran wide receiver and force Rodgers to look at other options all the while avoiding the pass rush. Rest him for your fantasy playoffs.

Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 11

Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.

Start’em

• Ben Roethlisberger- Easiest way to forget about multiple failed redzone attempts is taking a road trip to Kansas City. The Chiefs will be without star receiver D.Bowe and have cut Larry Johnson leaving a long list of nobodies to square off against the Steelers Def. There should be a lot of  3 and outs and turnovers giving big Ben many opportunities. (250+ yards 2-3 TD)
• Kurt Warner- Do you think after this long Warner looks at a match up against the Rams as just another game…hell no. It would be like showing off your hot new arm-candy girlfriend to the nagging ex. Warner will throw all day and burn the Rams with every chance he gets. Last year, Warner passed for 343 yards and 2TD in St.Louis…and the Rams maybe worse this year= Start him (300 yards 3 TD)
• Matt Schaub- The bye week off should have patched up any wounds from the close loss to the Colts. Matt Schaub will want to get back on track quickly with his Texan squad, and with the coaches a little more prepared without Owen Daniels in the line-up we expect to see the potent offense kill the playoff miracle hopes for Titans. (300+ yards 2 TD)
• Sleeper Chad Henne- The Wildcat will need to be re tooled giving Henne a great shot at being…well, a quarterback. Up until now Henne has be a Quarterback/ Blocker but without Ronnie Brown the Cat should curl up and take a nap. (230+ yrds 1-2TD)
• Ray Rice- The guy is becoming Mr. everything, more carries and more receptions have increased each week in the offense. With this game such an important turning point for the Ravens season we expect the to use him a ton. (120+ total yards 1-2TD)
• Ricky Williams- Ricky won’t have huge numbers, but more carries could mean you have found a nice sleeper this week. The Panthers are turning it around as of late, but their run defense has been getting slashed. The Panthers currently rank near the bottom for rushing yards per game on defense and have  allowed 9 rushing TD’s. Start’em if your other match-ups are ugly (75-100 yards, 1 TD)
• Steve Slaton- Head coach Gary Kubiak doesn’t want to see his young star running back fail, but fumbles have been a problem. Expect the coach to give Slaton a chance to reignite the fire in the backfield. start him MNF (120+ total yards 1 td)
• Ladell Betts- We’ll admit we were wrong last week, the Redskins moved the ball well on the ground against a tough Broncos team. The Cowboys have had problems stopping the run in the last couple weeks and playing in a dome might pay off for Betts. (75-100 yards 1TD)
• Sleeper Jason Snelling- Odd’s are the Falcons will rest Turner this week even if he can go, giving Jason Snelling a chance to see what he can do. The game expects to be high scoring, and if your lucky a couple TD’s might fall into the 225 lb RB’s lap.
• Sidney Rice- Rice had seven catches for 201 yards Sunday against the Lions. Rice has now gone five games without scoring a touchdown, but he has three of his past four games with at least 135 receiving yards.
• Terrel Owens- One of the major reasons why Dick Jauron was fired was the lack of effort put into getting T.O the ball. This week should be a chance to shake up the play calling and let the QB fire down field. Start-him (80 yards 1-2TD)
• Double Sleeper: Jason Avant & Roy E Williams- Each player is on a team in which a defense will completely forget about them, due to the fact that the number one receiver is a big-game threat and can add 6 points on any play (D-Jack & M. Austin) not a bad start in a bind.

Sit’em

• Matt Hasselbeck- The Seahawks are not having the best season and  facing a Vikings defense on the road should kill any hope the starbucks city has at catching the Cardinals for the division. The pass rush will get to the injured QB often. bench him
• Matt Forte- The Chargers torched the Eagles on the ground last week but with a few regular starters returning to the Eagles line-up and the fact the coach called out his defense during the week, Forte may struggle. He is a OK option if you have nothing else but we’d suggest looking at elsewhere. (60-90 yrds)
• Braylon Edwards- While Edwards has looked alright in New York, his match-up is terrible. The Patriots are going to take their frustrations out on Sanchez making most of the Jets receiving core a tough play.

Gridiron Experts Start’em Sit’em Week 9

Most sites recycle imaginary fantasy numbers with yards and touchdowns and quick blurbs on how great Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson is going to do, but you already know that. We here at Gridiron Experts are not about to insult your fantasy football intelligence by posting the obvious numbers, instead we go out on a limb and try spotting great fantasy match-ups that many people might be overlooking. Star players will always perform, but key players can thrive in one week situations through either an offensive game plan or an excellent match-up. Our goal is to zone in on these perfect match-ups and offer advice that might make your life a little easier. It always comes down to you making the last minute call with your line-up, but hopefully we can help.

Start’em

• Vince Young (TEN): We’re not hopping on the bandwagon with VY just yet, but for those who have quarterback problems this week, you might want to start him against the 49er’s. The Titans have nothing to lose these day, as it would take a miracle for them to make the playoffs. With the monkey off their backs after beating a divisional opponent last week, the Titans could put the hurt on the 49er’s this weekend. San Francisco is allowing on average 252 yards per game through the air, and with the mobile quarterback extending plays the Titans might look different this weekend. VY has been riding the bench for too long and is starting to look like a good fantasy option.

• Matt Hasselbeck (SEA): The Lions are coming to town this weekend, and you can bet the Seahawks are going to want to get their offense back on track before taking off on a brutal three game road trip, which in reality could make or break their season. The Lions, despite only one win less than the Seahawks, are terrible and should get lit up on the road.
• Kurt Warner (ARZ): The Cardinals were surprised by the Panthers last week in a match-up many are dubbing an “overlook game”. The Bears game could be an important win (or loss) in the standings and not one the Cardinals are going to want to screw up. Warner isn’t a flake and will bounce back for a big fantasy day. Start him.

• Rashard Mendenhall (PIT): The Broncos are a tough match-up for the Steelers running game, but don’t steer clear. Mendenhall is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and has had a week off to game plan for Monday Night Football.

• Joseph Addai (IND): The Texans seem to pee their pants every time they face the divisional juggernaut Colts. Addai should get another week without the rookie looking over his shoulder. Great match-up.

• Jonathan Stewart (CAR): The Panthers look like they have finally figured out that J-Stew is a power back, and is great around the goal line. The Saints should run up the score, but it’s as if the Panthers are finally realizing their strength is in their running game as they aren’t putting the game in Delhomme’s hands anymore.

• DeSean Jackson (PHI): Have you been taking your fantasy advice from ESPN and (can you believe it) benching this kid the last two weeks? Jackson is a nightmare for defensive coordinators along with fantasy owners who have to face him. The Eagles are on a hot streak and