Who's Hot and Who's Not for Week 11

It's week 11, and there are no byes this week or any weeks going forward!  We're closing in on the playoffs, so start checking out your matchups for weeks 14-16, dependent on when your playoffs lie, especially focusing on the championship game.

Due to time restrictions these days (if only I could write this blog for a living), the entries may not be as long as they used to be, but the advice is just as sound!


Start 'Em!

Quarterback:

Matthew Stafford (DET) vs. Cleveland

All that really needs to be known here is that Stafford is facing the Cleveland Browns.  That team is bad mix of sad, pathetic and confused.  In addition, Stafford's chemistry with star receiver Calvin Johnson seems to be back in play after last week's great outing between the rookie and Megatron.  Expect Stafford to post better numbers than the below-mentioned David Garrard, Joe Flacco and Jay Cutler this week at the very least.

The Line: 34 attempts, 25 completions, 246 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns


Running Backs:

Brandon Jacobs (NYG) vs. Atlanta

The Giants Big Bad Bruiser should enjoy a grand day against the not-so-great Falcons defense.  Once touted as an up-and-coming threat defensively, the Falcons have failed to live up to such ideals.  Though he'll still be sharing time with Ahmad Bradshaw, Jacobs should still punish the Atlanta defensive line and grab a touchdown to boot.

The Line: 15 carries, 62 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns

Beanie Wells (ARI) vs. St. Louis

This talented rookie should be more widely owned.  He's clearly the more talented back for Arizona, who is capable of breaking tackles and bouncing around like a human pinball to get the score.  With the dreamiest of matchups against St. Louis, Wells should be used extensively once the game gets to its later stages.  He is certainly better at clock control football than Tim Hightower and continues to improve in the passing game, though that is definitely where he loses touches to Hightower.  I would play Wells over any back who has a scary matchup this week, such as the ones listed below as sits.

The Line: 17 carries, 103 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 2 receptions, 20 yards receiving

Ricky Williams (MIA) vs. Carolina

Bye-bye Ronnie Brown.  We will miss you.  Hello Ricky!  Moving forward from the season-ending injury to Brown, the Dolphins will likely be looking to Williams as their primary ball-carrier, with Lex Hillard stealing some of the work.  It will be a different ball game without the pass threat of Ronnie Brown, but ol' Ricky has proven himself a more than capable feature back this season.  His matchup against Carolina this week is a good one, especially since Miami will have to avoid passing even more than usual against the surprisingly tough Panthers pass defense.  This week will determine if Williams is a top-10 back going forward, so pay attention if you own him.

The Line: 22 carries, 96 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown


Wide Receivers:

Steve Breaston (ARI) vs. St. Louis

Though everyone talks about Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Breaston is creeping up the ranks as an unbelievably strong third option.  Fantasy players have gotten some great outings from him and should feel free to play Breaston against St. Louis.  While the Rams are busy trying to blanket Fitzgerald and Boldin, Breaston will be running free.  It wouldn't be surprising at all if Breaston posted 70+ yards and a touchdown.

The Line: 5 receptions, 72 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown

Nate Burleson (SEA) vs. Minnesota

The Minnesota defense may crush the run, but that means there is some sacrifice through the air, as teams are forced to throw the ball.  Expect that to be advantageous towards Burleson who has become a definite second option to T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  He should post playable numbers this week and should overtake other number two options on the boards who have tougher matchups.

The Line: 6 receptions, 87 yards receiving


Tight End:

Brent Celek (PHI) vs. Chicago

The experts certainly called it right when they said Celek was the major sleeper at tight end this year.  He's been a consistent producer who has a few big games here and there to further his value.  There's no good reason not to play Celek over big names such as Antonio Gates and Jason Witten.  To top it all off, the Bears have trouble with tight ends, further increasing Celek's value and placing him in must-start territory for the tight end position.

The Line: 8 receptions, 91 yards receiving


Sit 'Em...

Quarterback:

David Garrard (JAC) vs. Buffalo

A lot of players have got Garrard sitting on their team and use him for matchup play.  I want to officially put an end to this idea.  I've purged Garrard from all my team due to his striking inconsistencies.  The Jaguars offense will have to keep it on the ground against an interception heavy Bills defense.  Garrard may see the end zone once, but his chances of throwing picks are much stronger, especially with the ball-hunting rookie Jairus Byrd in the secondary for Buffalo.

The Line: 29 attempts, 14 completions, 184 yards passing, 3 interceptions, 3 carries, 10 yards rushing


Running Backs:

Marshawn Lynch (BUF) vs. Jacksonville

While the Jaguars defense can be picked on from time to time, at home they can be a tough unit, especially on the ground.  It seems that Fred Jackson is the more exciting back for Buffalo, while Lynch is simply the higher-paid option.  Though Lynch may be seeing a heftier workload in traditional forms, Jackson is the go-to back for the Wildcat formation, which should be a bigger factor for the Bills going forward.  This week, Lynch will look even more mortal than usual between losing touches and facing a stout front seven.

The Line: 12 carries, 35 yards rushing

Ryan Grant (GB) vs. San Francisco

The Packers offense is obviously pass-centric with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.  Though Grant is the obvious starter for them, he is losing touches to Ahman Green and Brandon Jackson.  In the red zone, things are rather unpredictable and San Francisco is a tough team to run against.  This week, bench Grant in favor of a better matchup play or strong second-stringer, such as Jonathon Stewart or Ahmad Bradshaw.

The Line: 18 carries, 67 yards rushing, 2 receptions, 9 yards receiving

Joseph Addai (IND) vs. Baltimore

Addai is a tough back to play already, due to his unpredictability, but this week you can lean on the stingy Ravens defense to put a stopper on the back.  It's unlikely that Addai will see significant gains against Baltimore and the Colts will have to keep the ball in the hands of their holiest treasure, Peyton Manning, in order to secure their 11th win.  Unless Addai suddenly becomes the front man for a Wildcat formation, only play him in tasty matchups.

The Line: 11 carries, 38 yards rushing, 1 reception, 16 yards receiving


Wide Receivers:

Roy Williams (DAL) vs. Washington

This receiver just puts a bad taste on the tongue of every fantasy football player.  Though he did offer up some surprises, there is no good reason to gamble on Williams against the stalwart Washington pass defense.  Williams will have a rough day against the divisional rival and could be shut down entirely, even with Miles Austin suffering double-coverage.  Don't gamble on the Dallas Diva.

The Line: 2 receptions, 30 yards receiving

Devin Hester (CHI) vs. Philadelphia

One of the main reasons to bench Hester is due to his quarterback this week.  Cutler is coming off of a horrendous performance and now has to face the Eagles defense.  The likelihood of him forcing passes and throwing interceptions is the same likelihood that Adrian Peterson has yet another successful fantasy outing for owners.  It's going to happen, with his receiving corps suffering along with him.  Hester should be very limited in his unfavorable matchup versus Asante Samuel.  There are better options out there, so sit Hester.

The Line: 3 receptions, 42 yards receiving


Tight End:

Kellen Winslow (TB) vs. New Orleans

Sure he's a star and all that good stuff, but the going will be tough for the Bucs against the Saints this week.  While the Saints seem to fluctuate from week to week, they won't underestimate Josh Freeman and company, which means bad things for Winslow.  Though he'll still likely see some targets and receptions, his day won't be as productive as most others, making him a flex play at best.

 The Line: 4 receptions, 33 yards receiving