Week 2 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em
By Jamey Eisenberg | Senior Fantasy Writer Follow JameyFollow CBS Fantasy Football
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is our weekly look at the best and worst matchups from around the NFL and how they might affect lineup decisions for your Fantasy Football team. We are not in the business of stating the obvious, so you won't be reading here why you need to start Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson or any other top-tier players.
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| START OF THE WEEK |
 Adrian Peterson , RB, Minnesota: Peterson's debut against Atlanta in Week 1 couldn't have gone any better. He had 19 carries for 103 yards and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass on a screen. It's what everyone was hoping for from the rookie, and now he gets another favorable matchup with the Lions. In two games against Detroit last year, the Vikings ran for 307 yards and four touchdowns. With Chester Taylor dealing with an injured oblique, Peterson is expected to get the majority of carries again, so don't be surprised when he has another big outing. |
| SIT OF THE WEEK |
 Larry Johnson , RB, Kansas City: It might be time to start worrying about Johnson and his prospects for this season. He was limited in Week 1 against Houston with 10 carries for 43 yards and seven catches for 44 yards. Now he gets the Bears, who last week held LaDainian Tomlinson to 17 carries for 25 yards and a touchdown and seven catches for 51 yards. He also threw a touchdown, but let's not kid ourselves, Johnson's not throwing any passes in Herm Edwards' vanilla offense. After this, Johnson has Minnesota, San Diego and Jacksonville, which all play the run well. But this week against the Bears might be the toughest of all, so consider putting Johnson on your bench. |
| QUARTERBACKS -- START 'EM |
 Brett Favre (at NYG): Favre was a potential candidate for Start of the Week with this matchup. In his past four meetings against the Giants, Favre passed for 833 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. And last week against Dallas, the Giants allowed Tony Romo to throw four touchdowns and pass for 336 yards. The Giants defense is also banged up, so Favre could have a big day. Jake Delhomme (vs. HOU): I'm back on the Delhomme bandwagon. He threw three touchdown passes last week against St. Louis, and he has a good history against the AFC. In his past five games against the AFC, Delhomme has seven touchdown passes. Tony Romo (at MIA): Romo had a great season-opener last week against the Giants with 336 yards passing, four touchdowns and one interception. Now he gets a Dolphins defense that is banged up in the secondary without arguably its best defensive back in Yeremiah Bell (torn Achilles' tendon). Expect another good week for the Dallas QB. Drew Brees (at TB): For some reason I've been getting a lot of e-mails wondering about Brees still being a top-notch quarterback after a poor outing against the Colts. Well the answer is yes, and he will prove it this week. In two meetings against Tampa Bay last year, Brees passed for 485 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Matt Hasselbeck (at ARI): This game could be all about Shaun Alexander, but Hasselbeck still has a favorable matchup. In his last game at Arizona, Hasselbeck passed for 243 yards and three touchdowns. One-week sleeper: Trent Green (vs. DAL). In his last meeting against the Cowboys in 2005, Green had 340 yards passing and a touchdown as a member of the Chiefs. While the Dallas defense is different from then, the Giants managed to pass for 314 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1. Green certainly isn't as capable a passer as Eli Manning, but he might be serviceable enough this week against a porous Cowboys secondary. |
| QUARTERBACKS -- SIT 'EM |
 Matt Schaub (at CAR): Schaub was impressive in his debut with the Texans, passing for 225 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Kansas City. But the Panthers defense is better than the Chiefs, and Carolina limited the Rams to 162 yards passing and a touchdown. Jason Campbell (at PHI): Campbell failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in eight games as a starter in Week 1 against Miami and finished with two interceptions. Now he faces the Eagles, who didn't allow a touchdown pass against Green Bay last week and sacked Brett Favre four times. Steve McNair (vs. NYJ): McNair is as tough as they come for quarterbacks, but he is dealing with an injured groin that forced him out of his season-opener against Cincinnati. The Jets pass defense looked awful against New England in Week 1, allowing 297 yards and three touchdowns, but McNair was equally disappointing against the Bengals before getting hurt. He threw an interception and lost three fumbles. Philip Rivers (at NE): For the second week in a row Rivers has a difficult matchup. Against the Bears in Week 1, he passed for only 190 yards with no touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble. The Patriots allowed two touchdowns against the Jets in Week 1, but they also had five sacks. In last year's playoff loss against New England, Rivers had 230 yards passing, with no touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble. One-week bust: Marc Bulger (vs. SF). The 49ers defense was impressive in Week 1 against Arizona, but that's not the reason to sit Bulger this week. He will be without three starting offensive linemen, including stud left tackle Orlando Pace. And, in seven career games against the 49ers, Bulger has just two 300-yard outings and has never thrown for more than two touchdowns in any meeting. Bulger has also never passed for more than 236 yards against the Niners in St. Louis. |
| RUNNING BACKS -- START 'EM |
 Rudi Johnson (at CLE): Johnson faced a ferocious Baltimore defense in Week 1, and how he gets a favorable matchup against the Browns in Week 2 after Cleveland allowed Pittsburgh to rush for 206 yards last week. Johnson has rushed for 125-plus yards in four of his last five games against the Browns and has nine touchdowns in nine games vs. Cleveland, including at least one touchdown in six of his past seven meetings. Deuce McAllister (at TB): I know, McAllister let me down in Week 1, but I'm going to the well again. He's looking for his third game in a row with a touchdown run against Tampa Bay, and in his past seven division games he has eight rushing touchdowns. Besides, he can't be as bad as he was in Week 1 against the Colts, right? Travis Henry (vs. OAK): Henry had 139 yards rushing against Buffalo in Week 1 and is looking for his fourth consecutive 100-yard game dating back to last year. The Raiders allowed 108 yards rushing and a touchdown last week against the Lions, who don't run the ball as well as Denver. Marion Barber (at MIA): The Dolphins run defense is one of the best in the NFL, but Washington still managed to gain 191 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. Barber might not get you many yards, but he knows how to find the end zone. He had 11 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 29 yards against the Giants last week. He also has scored a touchdown in 12 of his past 16 games and has four touchdowns in his past three outings against the AFC. Maurice Jones-Drew (vs. ATL): Some will say Jones-Drew struggled in Week 1 against Tennessee, but he only got the ball seven times for 32 yards. He still managed 4.6 yards per carry, and he should bounce back against the Falcons, who allowed 139 yards rushing last week against Minnesota. One-week sleeper: Brandon Jackson (at NYG). Jackson was average in his NFL debut against Philadelphia with 15 carries for 40 yards and four catches for 35 yards. Now he gets to face the Giants, who are banged up on defense and allowed 142 yards rushing and two touchdowns last week against Dallas. Jackson might have to share carries if Vernand Morency (knee) is able to play, but he should still do enough to warrant a spot in your starting lineup. |
| RUNNING BACKS -- SIT 'EM |
 Marshawn Lynch (at PIT): Lynch had a great NFL debut when he rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against Denver in Week 1. But now he faces the Steelers, who are tied for first in run defense after allowing only 46 yards on the ground last week against Cleveland. Warrick Dunn (at JAC): The Jaguars were embarrassed last week against Tennessee when the Titans ran for 282 yards and a touchdown, leaving Jacksonville last in the NFL in run defense. That will turn around this week against the Falcons, which means a bad start for Dunn and Jerious Norwood. Last week against Minnesota, Dunn and Norwood combined for 27 carries for 88 yards, with Dunn doing most of the work (22 carries for 55 yards). Thomas Jones (at BAL): In his only start against the Ravens in 2005 with the Bears, Jones had 25 carries for 139 yards. That won't happen again. Jones only had 14 carries for 42 yards last week against the Patriots and will likely struggle again this week. Tatum Bell (vs. MIN): Bell looked good last week against Oakland with 15 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown. But the Vikings defense is among the best at stopping the run, and last week against Atlanta they only allowed 96 yards rushing. Bell might make some plays catching the ball, but his yards on the ground will be limited this week. Ahman Green (at CAR): The Panthers run defense was outstanding in Week 1 against the Rams, allowing 76 yards rushing and limited Steven Jackson to just 58 yards rushing and two fumbles. Green, who had 16 carries for 73 yards and four catches for 23 yards in Week 1 against Kansas City, didn't fare too well in his last meeting against Carolina in 2005. He had 14 carries for 36 yards and four catches for 23 yards with the Packers. One-week bust: Laurence Maroney (vs. SD). Maroney struggled in Week 1 against the Jets with 20 carries for 72 yards and no touchdowns. He also shared time with Sammy Morris (11 carries for 54 yards) and lost out on a touchdown to fullback Heath Evans. The Chargers held the Bears to 80 yards rushing in Week 1. In last year's playoff victory against the Chargers, Maroney had just five carries for five yards and one catch for six yards. |
| WIDE RECEIVERS -- START 'EM |
 Javon Walker (vs. OAK): In three career games against the Raiders, Walker has 10 catches for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Oakland allowed 284 yards passing and three touchdowns against Detroit in Week 1, and Walker had nine catches for 119 yards against Buffalo. Donald Driver (at NYG): The Giants allowed four passing touchdowns against Dallas last week, with No. 1 wide receiver Terrell Owens catching two of them. Driver had six catches for 66 yards in Week 1 against the Eagles and appears to be 100 percent after being limited in the preseason with a foot injury. Joey Galloway (vs. NO): Galloway has to be hoping Saints cornerback Jason David is on him after watching the Colts receivers run past David last week. Galloway is looking for his sixth-consecutive game against the Saints with a touchdown catch, and he has seven touchdowns in his past five meetings overall. In two games against the Saints last year, Galloway had eight catches for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Chambers (vs. DAL): The last time Chambers faced Dallas in 2003, he had five catches for 96 yards and three touchdowns on Thanksgiving. Chambers had six catches for 92 yards in Week 1 against Washington, which was a better output than all but one game in 2006. The Cowboys also gave up 314 passing yards and four touchdowns against the Giants last week. Calvin Johnson (vs. MIN): For the Lions to have success this week, they will have to throw, and that bodes well for Johnson, who had a great debut against Oakland with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Vikings defense is stout, but Johnson will still get plenty of opportunities to make plays. One-week sleeper: Bernard Berrian (vs. KC). Three of Berrian's six touchdowns last year came at home. He started off this season with five catches for 83 yards against San Diego, and last week against Houston, the Chiefs allowed Andre Johnson to catch seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. Johnson also had a long of 77, and Berrian is known to go deep. |
| WIDE RECEIVERS -- SIT 'EM |
 Ronald Curry (at DEN): Curry came on at the end of last season with 33 catches for 339 yards and a touchdown in his final four games and carried that into this year with 10 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against Detroit. But now he gets Denver and those great cornerbacks in Champ Bailey and Dre Bly, who limited Lee Evans to two catches for five yards. Last year against Denver, Curry had two catches for 11 yards. Laveranues Coles (at BAL): The last time Coles faced the Ravens in 2005, he had one catch for 16 yards. Chad Pennington is banged up, which doesn't bode well for Coles, and the Ravens are fired up after getting beat by Cincinnati in Week 1. Vincent Jackson (at NE): In last year's playoff loss against the Patriots, Jackson was limited to two catches for 43 yards. He also had just three catches for 28 yards in Week 1 against Chicago. This is just another bad matchup for Jackson. Drew Carter (vs. HOU): Carter had a nice game with three catches for 19 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 against St. Louis. But he was only thrown to three times, and take away the touchdowns and he had a poor game. It's unlikely he will score twice again even with a favorable matchup, so keep him reserved. Joe Horn (at JAC): Horn had a miserable debut in Week 1 against Minnesota. Not only did he have only one catch for 14 yards, he was only thrown to three times. The Jaguars looked bad against the run in Week 1 against Tennessee, but they only allowed 68 passing yards. One-week bust: Plaxico Burress (vs. GB). Burress had eight catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 against Dallas and has scored a touchdown in 12 of his past 17 games. But the Packers secondary allowed just 180 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Eagles, and Burress might be without Eli Manning (shoulder) this week. |
| TIGHT ENDS -- START 'EM |
 Jason Witten (at MIA): The Dolphins did a good job against Washington TE Chris Cooley in Week 1, holding him to one catch for 10 yards. But Witten had six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Giants last week and appears to be the Cowboys' No. 2 option behind Terrell Owens with Terry Glenn out. |
| TIGHT ENDS -- SIT 'EM |
 Alge Crumpler (at JAC): Crumpler is dealing with a sore knee and struggled in Week 1 against Minnesota with four catches for 40 yards. The Jaguars come into the game No. 1 in pass defense with only 68 yards passing allowed in Week 1 against Tennessee. Chris Cooley (at PHI): Cooley was a one-week bust in Week 1 against Miami with one catch for 10 yards. Now he faces an opponent he has struggled against in the past. Cooley has never scored a touchdown against the Eagles and last season had seven catches for 85 yards against Philadelphia in two games. His career total against the Eagles is 23 catches for 275 yards in six games. Chris Baker (at BAL): It should be another quiet week for the Touchdown Maker. He had two catches for 29 yards in Week 1 against New England, and facing the Ravens won't be an easy task. One-week bust: Tony Gonzalez (at CHI). Gonzalez has now gone five games without a touchdown going back to last year. He had five catches for 29 yards in Week 1 against Houston, but the Bears have enough team speed to stay with Gonzalez. If you're optimistic, last week against San Diego, TE Antonio Gates had nine catches for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Bears, but I don't think Gonzalez will put up similar stats this week. |
| KICKERS -- START 'EM |
 Jeff Reed (vs. BUF): Reed started off 2-of-2 on field goals against Cleveland in Week 1. The Bills appeared susceptible to kicks when Jason Elam had five field goal attempts against them in Week 1 with three conversions. Shaun Suisham (at PHI): In his last game against the Eagles, Suisham was 4-of-4 on field goals with a long of 45. He started off the season against Miami by converting all three field goal attempts, including the game-winner in overtime. Joe Nedney (at STL): Nedney started the season 2-of-2 on field goals in Week 1 against Arizona. He was 3-of-4 on field goals against the Rams in two games last year, and Nedney was 8-of-9 on field goals indoors in 2006. One-week sleeper: Ryan Longwell (at DET). Longwell was 3-of-3 against the Lions last year and was 11-of-13 on field goals indoors in 2006. He started off this year 1-of-1 against Atlanta. The Lions allowed three field goal attempts in Week 1, although none were converted by Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski. |
| KICKERS -- SIT 'EM |
 Rian Lindell (at PIT): Lindell missed his only attempt in Week 1 against Denver. He was 1-of-2 on field goals against Pittsburgh in his last meeting in 2004, and the Steelers did not allow a field goal attempt in Week 1 against Cleveland. Sebastian Janikowski (at DEN): Janikowski is 2-of-4 on field goals in his past two visits to Denver. He missed all three field goal attempts in Week 1 against Detroit. Mike Nugent (at BAL): Nugent did not attempt a field goal in Week 1 against New England. In his only meeting against the Ravens in 2005, he was 1-of-1 on field goals, and the Ravens won't give the Jets many scoring opportunities this week. One-week bust: Mason Crosby (at NYG). The Packers should be able to move the ball against the Giants this week and put up points, but I'm concerned about Crosby in his first road game. He had a great debut in Week 1 against the Eagles, going 3-of-3 with a long of 53 and hitting the game-winner at the end of regulation. But Giants Stadium could be a tricky place for kickers, so he might be the only Green Bay player worth reserving this week. |
| DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS |
 START 'EM: The Jaguars DST (vs. ATL): Don't get excited if you drafted the Jaguars DST hoping for a big year and were shocked by what happened in Week 1 against the Titans. Tennessee served as a wake-up call for Jacksonville, and the Falcons will pay for it. The Jaguars will harass Joey Harrington and will prove their worth this week. The Packers DST (at NYG): The Packers DST is going to surprise many Fantasy owners this year. They scored a touchdown in Week 1 against the Eagles and did a good job in limited Donovan McNabb and Co. This week Green Bay gets a banged up Giants offense, so expect good things. The Steelers DST (vs. BUF): This is a great matchup for the Steelers, who will limit Bills RB Marshawn Lynch and come after QB J.P. Losman. Buffalo managed less than 200 yards of total offense in Week 1 against Denver with an interception and two sacks. One-week sleeper: The Bengals DST (vs. CLE). The Bengals were thought to have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, but they were a huge surprise in Week 1 against Baltimore. They had four fumble recoveries, two interceptions and scored a touchdown against the Ravens, and now they get the Browns. Cleveland will have a new starting QB in Derek Anderson, and last week against Pittsburgh the Browns had just 221 yards of total offense. SIT 'EM: The Chargers DST (at NE): The Patriots will struggle to run the ball against San Diego, which allowed Chicago just 80 yards rushing in Week 1, but Tom Brady should have success throwing the ball. The Patriots aerial attack had 297 yards passing and three touchdowns in Week 1 against the Jets. The Giants DST (vs. GB): The Giants will be without star DL Osi Umenyiora (knee) and are banged up in the secondary with Brett Favre coming to town. Favre has a good history against the Giants, who allowed 478 yards and 45 points in Week 1 against Dallas. The Buccaneers DST (vs. NO): In two games against the Saints last year, the Bucs allowed 55 total points in two losses. Last week against Seattle, the Bucs allowed 20 points and 343 total yards. With New Orleans looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss against Indianapolis, this could be a bad game for Tampa Bay's defense. One-week bust: The Vikings DST (at DET). The Vikings defense was a menace in Week 1 against Atlanta with two defensive touchdowns, six sacks and two interceptions in a 24-3 victory. The Vikings will limit the Lions ground game, harass Lions QB Jon Kitna and probably force a couple of interceptions. But look for the Lions to score in this one, which will limit how good the Vikings do this week. |
Do you agree with Jamey's picks? Send your thoughts to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com and we'll post the best responses. Be sure to put Attn: Start 'Em and Sit 'Em in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.
