Week 9 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em

Start 'Em and 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

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego: Rivers has been great at times (four games of at least two touchdowns this year), and he's been terrible (three games of no touchdowns). He has one 300-yard game this season and four games under 200-yards passing. But things are in place for Rivers to have a big game and a solid rest of the season. The addition of Chris Chambers will open up the offense, as evidenced by last week's game against Houston when Rivers had 130 yards passing and three touchdowns. Against the Vikings, Rivers will likely have to throw for the Chargers to have success. Minnesota is No. 3 against the run, but the Vikings are last in the NFL in pass defense. Two of the past three quarterbacks Minnesota has faced -- Donovan McNabb and Brian Griese -- have passed for more than 300 yards. Tony Romo was the other quarterback, and he had 277 yards passing.

SIT OF THE WEEK

Willis McGahee, RB, Baltimore: It's hard to sit McGahee with the way he's played recently. He has either 100 total yards or a touchdown in every game this season and is coming off his best game in Week 7 at Buffalo with 19 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown. But the Steelers are No. 4 against the run with only one rushing touchdown allowed, which was to Edgerrin James in Week 4. The Steelers have shut down Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, Shaun Alexander, Travis Henry and Kenny Watson this season. McGahee will likely be the next running back to suffer against the Steel Curtain this week.

QUARTERBACKS -- START 'EM

Derek Anderson (vs. SEA): If you didn't know it by now, Anderson is No. 2 in touchdown passes this season with 17. He does have eight interceptions, but in his past two games against Miami and St. Louis, Anderson has six touchdowns and no picks. The Seahawks are No. 16 in pass defense with eight interceptions and 23 sacks, but Anderson is playing so well right now he should still excel. Jay Cutler (at DET): The Lions actually lead the NFL with 13 interceptions, but they are still No. 30 in pass defense with 13 touchdowns allowed. Cutler had his first game this season without an interception last week against Green Bay and has four touchdowns in his past two games. Cutler may turn the ball over here, but he should also rack up plenty of yards. Jason Campbell (at NYJ): Campbell hasn't played well the past two weeks against Arizona and New England with 293 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions combined. But the Jets and their No. 26 pass defense could be just the right cure. New York has allowed 12 touchdowns with only six interceptions and eight sacks. The last time Campbell faced a secondary like this was Week 5 against Detroit when he had 248 yards passing and two touchdowns. Drew Brees (vs. JAC): The Jaguars are No. 19 in pass defense and do well against opposing quarterbacks with eight interceptions and 19 sacks, but they will miss the push up front from DL Marcus Stroud (suspension). Brees has been hot lately with eight touchdowns and one interception in his past three games. And he hasn't been sacked since September, so the Saints offensive line is playing well. Matt Hasselbeck (at CLE): Hasselbeck could have some healthy wide receivers this week with the possible return of Deion Branch and D.J. Hackett. But even without them, expect a high-scoring game against Cleveland. The Browns are No. 31 in pass defense and are tied for first with 18 touchdowns allowed. Hasselbeck has four touchdowns and two interceptions in his past two games. One-week sleeper: J.P. Losman (vs. CIN). Losman came on in relief of an injured Trent Edwards last week against the Jets and finished 3-of-5 passing for 113 yards and a touchdown. Lee Evans, who caught the touchdown, is glad to have Losman back after he was hurt in Week 4 and lost his job. Losman has a chance to keep the position with a solid outing against the Bengals, who are No. 28 in pass defense and tied with the Browns for most touchdowns allowed at 18. Edwards getting hurt happened at a great time for Losman.

QUARTERBACKS -- SIT 'EM

Vince Young (vs. CAR): Young has been a huge disappointment this season with the Titans becoming a running team. Young hasn't thrown or run for a touchdown in his past three games, and he has just 319 yards passing in that span. The Panthers are No. 23 in pass defense, so Young has a favorable matchup, but it's just too hard to trust him right now. Steve McNair (at PIT): McNair played well against the Steelers last year with four touchdowns and two interceptions in two meetings. But this year McNair has two touchdowns and two interceptions combined in four games while dealing with injuries. The Steelers are No. 4 in pass defense and will make things tough for the Ravens offense this week. David Carr (at TEN): In Carr's two starts for the Panthers he has 274 yards passing, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He doesn't understand the main responsibility as Carolina's quarterback -- get the ball to Steve Smith. In the three games where Carr has taken significant snaps this year against Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Indianapolis, Smith has 11 catches for 97 yards and no touchdowns. The Titans also are No. 18 in pass defense and do a good job rushing the passer. Kellen Clemens (vs. WAS): In his first start for an injured Chad Pennington in Week 2, Clemens had 260 yards passing, one touchdown and two interceptions. He came on in relief of Pennington last week against Buffalo and added another two picks. Clemens may be good some day, but I don't see it happening this week. The Redskins, despite being picked apart by Tom Brady and being banged up in the secondary, have a solid defense. And Clemens could be without his best receiver in Laveranues Coles (concussion), who missed practice Wednesday. One-week bust: Kurt Warner (at TB). This is one of those games where you expect Warner to play well since he's healthy and coming off a bye week. But don't be surprised if the Bucs, who are No. 2 in pass defense with six touchdowns allowed, seven interceptions and 16 sacks, do enough to frustrate Warner into some mistakes. Warner is able to play with his left elbow injury, but in his last game at Washington he still threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.

RUNNING BACKS -- START 'EM

Kevin Jones (vs. DEN): After watching Ryan Grant rush for over 100 yards against the Broncos last week, Jones has to be giddy. He has been playing well since returning from a foot injury and has scored a touchdown in four of five games. Last week, Jones had 23 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown against Chicago. Denver is last in the NFL in run defense with six touchdowns allowed. Shaun Alexander (at CLE): I know, Alexander has been awful this season, but this is his week to break out of the funk. Cleveland is No. 29 in run defense and hasn't stopped any opposing running back this year. Before last week against the Rams, every starting running back the Browns have faced -- Willie Parker, Rudi Johnson, LaMont Jordan, Willis McGahee, Sammy Morris and Ronnie Brown -- all ran for 100 yards. And Steven Jackson (eight carries for 41 yards and a touchdown) probably would have reached the mark had he not got hurt in the first half. Marshawn Lynch (vs. CIN): Lynch is still looking for his first 100-yard rushing game this season, and he's getting closer with at least 80 yards in each of his past two games. Had he not got hurt against the Jets last week, he probably would have reached the mark. The Bengals are No. 28 against the run with five touchdowns allowed, so Lynch should get 100 yards this week. LenDale White (vs. CAR): White has been on a tear the past two weeks with 52 carries for 237 yards and a touchdown against Houston and Oakland. The Panthers are No. 19 in run defense with seven touchdowns allowed, and last week Joseph Addai had 100 yards rushing and three total touchdowns against Carolina. Expect White to continue his hot streak. Clinton Portis (at NYJ): Portis is still looking for his first 100-yard rushing game this season, and this is a good opportunity to reach the mark. The Jets are No. 27 against the run with nine rushing touchdowns allowed. He should be in line for a big game in this matchup. One-week sleeper: Rudi Johnson (at BUF). It's hard to call Johnson a sleeper, but he hasn't done much this season, mostly because of a hamstring injury. But he practiced Wednesday and Thursday and should be able to play this week against the Bills, who are No. 24 against the run. Buffalo has improved its defense following a tough start, but Johnson could still find the end zone. It appears safe to get Johnson back in your lineup.

RUNNING BACKS -- SIT 'EM

DeShaun Foster (at TEN): Foster had 19 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown last week against the Colts. But Foster will find running against the Titans a much tougher task. Tennessee is No. 1 in run defense with only three touchdowns allowed. Julius Jones (at PHI): Jones actually had 26 carries for 100 yards at Philadelphia last year. No, I'm serious, he did. He hasn't rushed for 100 yards in 10 games going back to last year, and he only has one touchdown on the season. The Eagles also are No. 8 in run defense with two touchdowns allowed. Willie Parker (vs. BAL): Parker has been one of the best running backs this season, but he struggles against the Ravens. In his past five meetings against Baltimore, Parker has 55 carries for 173 yards and no touchdowns. Last year, Parker had only 51 yards rushing in two games against the Ravens, who are No. 2 in run defense. Fred Taylor (at NO): Taylor had a season-high 24 attempts last week against Tampa Bay, but he's still sharing carries with Maurice Jones-Drew and now LaBrandon Toefield. Taylor hasn't rushed for 100 yards this season and hasn't scored a touchdown either. The Saints are No. 10 in run defense with four touchdowns allowed. Thomas Jones (vs. WAS): Jones has played well at home, with at least 100 total yards in three of four home games this year. But he has yet to score a touchdown and now faces a tough run defense in the Redskins. Washington is No. 9 against the run with six touchdowns allowed and should be able to contain Jones. One-week bust: Ryan Grant (at KC). If only Grant could play the Broncos every week. Before rushing for 104 yards against Denver last week, Grant barely sniffed the field. Now he's starting for the Packers, but the Chiefs are No. 17 against the run with three touchdowns allowed. Grant will find running against Kansas City a more difficult task than against Denver.

WIDE RECEIVERS -- START 'EM

Chris Chambers (at MIN): The Vikings pass defense is terrible and are ranked last in the NFL with 10 touchdowns allowed. Chambers got released from prison when the Dolphins traded him to San Diego, and his first game with the Chargers last week against Houston he had two catches for 35 yards and a touchdown. Look for Philip Rivers to continue going to Chambers in this favorable matchup. Lee Evans (vs. CIN): Evans has his quarterback back and is finally showing signs of life. In his past two games against Baltimore and the Jets, Evans has 10 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown. And with the Bengals offering little pass defense, Evans should continue his hot streak. In two career games against Cincinnati, Evans has 10 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Marshall (at DET): Marshall has at least 72 yards receiving in all but two games this year, including three in a row. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4 at Indianapolis, but he should find the end zone this week. The Lions are among the league leaders with 13 touchdowns allowed. Wes Welker (at IND): The Colts have the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, but they will struggle this week against Tom Brady and all his weapons. And his best one might be Welker. We know Randy Moss has been the best wide receiver in the NFL this year, but Welker has enjoyed playing in Moss' shadow. Welker also has played better than Moss recently. In his last five games, Moss has 25 catches for 376 yards and six touchdowns. Over that same span, Welker has 36 catches for 392 yards and five touchdowns. Indianapolis will try to take away Moss, which will only help Welker and Donte Stallworth again this week. Santana Moss (at NYJ): Moss had six catches for 41 yards last week against New England, which was his third-best game of the season. He has yet to score a touchdown this year, and Fantasy owners are extremely disappointed. But now he faces his former team for the first time, so expect a big performance. The Jets are No. 26 in pass defense, and Moss will try and put on a show in New York. One-week sleeper: Patrick Crayton (at PHI). You know the Eagles are going to do whatever they can to prevent Terrell Owens from doing anything in his second return to Philadelphia since he left. Last year at Philly, Owens had three catches for 45 yards. With Owens drawing plenty of attention, that should open things up for Crayton and tight end Jason Witten. Crayton has 13 catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns in his past three games and has played well this year. That should continue this week against the Eagles, who are No. 15 in pass defense.

WIDE RECEIVERS -- SIT 'EM

Jerricho Cotchery (vs. WAS): Cotchery only has one touchdown this season, and that was on a Hail Mary at the end of the game against the Bengals in Week 7. He could be in line for more passes in his direction if Laveranues Coles (concussion) is out, but he also could draw more coverage as well. With Kellen Clemens starting, Cotchery's tough season should continue this week. Nate Burleson (at CLE): The matchup favors all the Seahawks receivers since the Browns are No. 31 in pass defense. But with the possibility of Deion Branch and D.J. Hackett returning this week, Burleson could find playing time scarce. If Branch and Hackett remain out, Burleson's value will increase, but it could be a roll of the dice that's not worth the reward. Roddy White (vs. SF): The Falcons will look to throw in this game, which should benefit White against the No. 21 secondary of the 49ers. But White will likely be in a matchup with Nate Clements, which will hurt White's production. White had eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in his last game, but prior to that he had only seven catches for 119 yards and no touchdowns in his previous two outings. Donald Driver (at KC): There was a time when Driver would have 12 catches for 117 yards in one game. But that is his previous three games combined, and he hasn't scored a touchdown in four straight games. Brett Favre has developed a nice rapport with Greg Jennings and James Jones, which has hurt Driver's production. And the Chiefs have a solid secondary, which is ranked No. 10. Ronald Curry (vs. HOU): Since Daunte Culpepper was named the starting QB in Week 4 at Miami, Curry has just 14 catches for 179 yards and one touchdown in four games. He hasn't broke 50 yards in his past two games. And Houston's defense, while shaky, is No. 14 against the pass, so Curry could struggle this week, despite Culpepper being replaced by Josh McCown. One-week bust: Marques Colston (vs. JAC). Colston had eight catches for 85 yards and three touchdowns last week at San Francisco, and that's not likely to happen again this week. I think the Saints will be able to throw on the Jaguars, who are No. 19 in pass defense, but Colston likely has a tough matchup against DB Rashean Mathis. Colston also is still looking for his first 100-yard game of the season, and prior to last week's game he only had eight catches for 78 yards and a touchdown in his three previous outings.

TIGHT ENDS -- START 'EM

Chris Cooley (at NYJ): Cooley isn't putting up much yardage this season (219 yards), but he does have five touchdowns and has scored in five of his past six games. The Jets are No. 26 in pass defense, and QB Jason Campbell likes to look in Cooley's direction a lot. He has been thrown at 40 times this year, which is only four less than Santana Moss and one more than Antwaan Randle El. Vernon Davis (at ATL): Davis appears to be back, which is a good thing for the 49ers, who are last in the NFL in passing offense. Davis had six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown last week against New Orleans, and Atlanta is No. 20 in pass defense with nine touchdowns allowed. Owen Daniels, Jeremy Shockey and Eric Johnson each had five receptions against the Falcons this year. Dallas Clark (vs. NE): When teams take away Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, which the Patriots seem to do, Clark finds a way to excel. That's what happened in last year's AFC Championship Game, when Clark had six catches for 137 yards, and it should happen again this week. The Patriots might be No. 5 in pass defense, but they've still allowed 10 passing touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns went to Antonio Gates, Kellen Winslow and Chris Cooley, which bodes well for Clark. One-week sleeper: Will Heller (at CLE). Heller scored two touchdowns in his last game in Week 7 against St. Louis. With Marcus Pollard unlikely to play this week, Heller could be in line for another decent outing against Cleveland's No. 31 pass defense. He won't catch many passes -- he has only five catches on the season -- but he could be a good option near the goal line.

TIGHT ENDS -- SIT 'EM

Jeff King (at TEN): King had 10 catches for 82 yards last week against the Colts. But prior to that game he had just five catches for 59 yards and no scores in three outings. The Titans linebackers should have no problem staying with King, and don't forget David Carr is still his quarterback. Kyle Brady (at IND): Benjamin Watson is expected to return this week, which means Brady goes back to blocking. He didn't score last week against Washington, and Brady will probably continue to lose touchdowns to linebacker Mike Vrabel. The Colts also are No. 1 in pass defense, not that it will matter much this week, but still keep Brady reserved. Leonard Pope (at TB): Pope had three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown in his last game against Washington in Week 7. It's unlikely he will score again, since his previous touchdown was Week 2 against Seattle. Tampa Bay is No. 2 in pass defense, and the Bucs have linebackers who should be able to stop Pope. One-week bust: Visanthe Shiancoe (vs. SD). Shiancoe had five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown last week against the Eagles. In his previous two games, Shiancoe had no catches. He is too inconsistent to help your Fantasy team, and the Chargers are improving on defense despite being ranked No. 27.

KICKERS -- START 'EM

Adam Vinatieri (vs. NE): He's facing his former team, he's at home (where he hasn't missed a field goal in two years) and it should be a high-scoring game. Start him in all leagues. Josh Brown (at CLE): The Browns have the worst defense in the NFL and allow 29 points per game. That should mean plenty of opportunities for Brown this week. Jason Hanson (vs. DEN): Hanson is 6-of-8 on field goals at home this year, and he should be in line for plenty of chances against the Broncos. The Broncos are allowing 26 points per game and are No. 25 in total defense. One-week sleeper: Rian Lindell (vs. CIN). The Bengals are No. 31 in total defense and allow over 30 points per game. Lindell has missed only two field goals this season, but one was from 50-plus yards against Dallas in Week 5. The Bills offense is improving, and Lindell should be in line for a good outing this week.

KICKERS -- SIT 'EM

Neil Rackers (at TB): Rackers has missed five field goals this season, and three of them have come on the road. The Bucs also are No. 5 in total defense and have allowed only 16.8 points per game. John Kasay (at TEN): Since Jake Delhomme got hurt in Week 3 at Atlanta, Kasay has had two games where he did not attempt a field goal. In his two other games without Delhomme, he was 7-of-8, but I don't like the offense with David Carr as the starter. On top of that, the Titans are No. 5 in total defense and allow 16.7 points per game. Shaun Suisham (at NYJ): I like the matchup for the Redskins this week, but there's something about kicking in the Meadowlands that's tricky for kickers. Suisham is just 2-of-5 on field goals in his past four games and hasn't made a kick in three games. Let him prove himself before you start using him again. One-week bust: Nate Kaeding (at MIN). You might want to call Kaeding a bust for the whole season. He has only attempted eight field goals for the season and has no made kicks in his past two games. He could go off this week against the Vikings, who are No. 27 in total defense with almost 20 points per game allowed. But since the Chargers are scoring touchdowns in the red zone and not field goals, keep Kaeding reserved for now.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS

START 'EM: The Redskins DST (at NYJ): The Jets are turning to Kellen Clemens at quarterback, and he could be without star wide receiver Laveranues Coles (concussion). That will help the Redskins beat up secondary. Forget about what happened against the Patriots, Washington's defense is good and will bounce back this week against the Jets, who have turned the ball over 18 times with 20 sacks. The Titans DST (vs. CAR): David Carr will start for the Panthers again, and that will benefit the Titans. The Panthers have scored less than 17 points in three of their past four games since Jake Delhomme got hurt, with Carr playing in all three games. The Titans are No. 1 in run defense and No. 18 in pass defense with 11 interceptions and 15 sacks. The Chargers DST (at MIN): Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is likely to return for the Vikings, and that's good for the Chargers DST, which has scored three touchdowns in the past three games, including two last week against Houston. Jackson has two touchdowns and five interceptions for the season, and the Vikings are No. 23 in total offense. One-week sleeper: The 49ers DST (at ATL). The Falcons are still dealing with injuries on the offensive line, which should help the 49ers get after quarterback Joey Harrington. San Francisco is No. 22 in total defense, but this is a good matchup for the 49ers. The Falcons offense is terrible. SIT 'EM: The Colts DST (vs. NE): It's the Patriots. New England is averaging 41.4 points per game with eight sacks allowed. The Seahawks DST (at CLE): The Browns are No. 6 in total offense and have scored 68 points the past two weeks against Miami and St. Louis. While those are two of the worst defenses in the NFL, the Browns are averaging 31.5 points per game at home. Seattle is No. 13 in total defense, but this game should be a shootout. The Packers DST (at KC): Green Bay is coming off a short week, and Arrowhead Stadium is a tough place to play. Damon Huard is a much better quarterback at home, with three touchdowns and one interception compared to three touchdowns and six picks on the road. Larry Johnson also is playing well with 231 yards and two touchdowns his past two games. He should make it three in a row against the Packers, who are No. 11 in run defense but will struggle in this matchup. One-week bust: The Vikings DST (vs. SD). The Vikings DST is best at defending the run, but stopping LaDainian Tomlinson will be hard to do. On top of that, with Chris Chambers joining the Chargers, the passing game clicked last week against Houston. It will be hard for the Vikings to stop San Diego, even at home, so look for another option at DST this week.

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