To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor on a scale from 1-5 stars (with five stars suggesting can't-miss; a player or unit without any stars suggests you probably shouldn't start him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute. An asterisk next to a player's name denotes an injury concern, and that is taken into consideration with the player's ranking.You should be able to compare the ratings for the players on your team and make an educated pick on who should start -- and sit -- in your lineup.
CBSSports.com Fantasy Football video
Looking for more Fantasy advice from our own Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard? Our weekly Fantasy Football video shows are loaded with timely analysis for Week 15. Start 'Em/Sit 'Em | Move Makers | Who's Hot/Who's Not
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans
Thursday, 8:00 pm, Reliant Stadium
The Broncos' offense has caught fire over their last four games, averaging three touchdowns per game. Jay Cutler has been mostly good in that stretch, totaling eight passing TDs including four in a romp over the Chiefs. He's starting to be more selective with where he's throwing the football and has gotten some nice play from Brandon Marshall (four TDs in last four) and Brandon Stokley (248 yards over last four). The running game has also rebounded to give the Broncos a balanced attack. Judging by the playcalling, it looks like Selvin Young is the guy to have on your Fantasy team; he's seen the majority of the significant reps over Denver's last two games, and he was pulled before the fourth quarter of Denver's blowout win vs. Kansas City. Young should be gold against the Texans, who have allowed two rushing touchdowns in each of their last two games and will be playing on a short week. Offensively, Houston is expected to be without Ron Dayne, which leaves versatile RB Darius Walker to shoulder the load. Sage Rosenfels has been awesome at home, throwing seven of his 11 touchdowns at Reliant Stadium. Denver's secondary is mortal after all, yielding six passing scores in their last four games, and Andre Johnson is practically a lock to score every time he takes the field. With both defenses tired and working on three days rest, expect a moderately high-scoring game.
The Bengals' passing offense has gone missing over the last two weeks. Is it because they've been playing in inclement weather, or is there something more to it? We know T.J. Houshmandzadeh is playing hurt, Chad Johnson is playing inconsistently, Chris Henry is barely making a dent in the stat book, and yet Carson Palmer's completion percentage is still impressive (except for the mudbowl at Pittsburgh). Palmer, Houshmandzadeh and Johnson are still too valuable to sit, especially against the Niners, but Chris Henry is benchable. Besides, Rudi Johnson has been finding the end zone and should show people that the Niners' clamping on the Vikings' run game last week was an aberration. The only Niner worth talking about is Frank Gore, who must find a way to play well to give the team a chance. He faces a Bengals defense that hasn't been entirely awful against the run of late (only one rushing TD allowed to a running back in their last four games). Figure Gore to be good as a No. 2 Fantasy RB, and be the only Niner worth a look as their quarterback options dwindle and their season goes down the tubes.
Any team that plays the Dolphins looks like the 1999 Rams. Last week, the Dolphins allowed two 100-yard rushers and four passing touchdowns. They allowed three rushing touchdowns the week before. Bottom line: Willis McGahee should put on a show in his hometown. Kyle Boller looks like a great sleeper, but his decision-making skills are way too sketchy. Unless you're desperate, look elsewhere. Derrick Mason is fine as a No. 2 choice. For the Dolphins, Cleo Lemon is expected to start, which is good since he gives them a chance to win, but the Ravens defense matches up well with Miami (as opposed to what happened last week). Samkon Gado isn't good as anything more than a very low-end No. 3 RB. The Ravens should continue to keep the Dolphins winless.
This one is going to be ugly. With the Chiefs' linebacker corps thin and the team unable to put the brakes on the run, LenDale White should post really solid numbers, with teammate Chris Brown also a sneaky Fantasy play as a low-end No. 3 desperation option. I doubt that the Titans will have to throw much, and that means they won't throw much, so Vince Young and his receivers shouldn't be counted on. Know who will have to throw a lot? Brodie Croyle. The Chiefs' RB corps is thin ( Kolby Smith might miss the game with a knee injury), and they'll likely be behind. Good news for Tony Gonzalez? Probably, although the Titans had an ailing Antonio Gates bottled up for three quarters last week. What about Dwayne Bowe? He's been slowing down, but still getting a 20-yard catch in four of his last five games. Expect the Titans to control the ball on offense and defense.
Before we get carried away in speculating how much the Patriots are going to win by, keep your eyes on the skies. Many reliable weather forecasters are expecting a big storm to hit the Northeast this weekend, making for a potential snowy, windy game at Foxboro. That would put a big damper on Tom Brady throwing all over the field, and that would impact deep-threat receivers like Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney. However, Wes Welker and Benjamin Watson are reliable short-area targets that they'd be fine regardless of the weather. But, the weather might force New England to run more than they have been. Is it enough to make for an even playing field? Get real! New England's run defense has been shaky since LB Rosevelt Colvin was iced, but they shouldn't have any problems with Thomas Jones. Jones has played a little better of late, but I just don't like his chances here, especially since the Pats have allowed one rushing touchdown and no 100-yard runners vs. the Jets since Eric Mangini went 'green.' The Jets won't be able to compete through the air, especially if the weather stinks. Finally, it might be a real good idea to stash Heath Evans on your roster in case the weather is completely blustery, because he'd likely see a lot of grind-the-clock work for the Pats. He does have a great history of scoring touchdowns in December.
Look for the Packers to use a similar formula this week like they had last week, meaning that Ryan Grant is going to be busy. The Rams run defense got gashed by the Bengals last week and has had trouble all season long, making Grant a must-start No. 1 Fantasy RB (not bad for a waiver wire pickup). Brett Favre is tough to bench, but if he doesn't hit that 80-yard bomb to Greg Jennings, both he and Jennings would have had very bland Week 14 numbers. The Packers ran 36 times and threw 23 times in a blowout last week, but this week doesn't promise to be the same with Marc Bulger expected to have a shot at playing. St. Louis' offense is always a threat to score at home, especially when they're healthy. The Packers' defense is very good on the ground -- they've only allowed four rushing touchdowns this season -- so the Rams would be wise to take to the air to put up their points (20 pass TDs allowed by Green Bay).
Call me crazy, but I think most of the Falcons players are going to be happy without Bobby Petrino around. I expect them to rally around interim coach Emmitt Thomas and try and give the Bucs a game. That said, these are still the Falcons, a team with a weak running game and a pass attack that will have trouble against the Bucs. Their best weapon, Roddy White, has 14 catches for 202 yards in five games against the Bucs including four catches for 28 yards in their previous 2007 meeting. White also has yet to score outdoors. With an NFC South championship in store with a win, expect Tampa Bay to not fool around like they did last week when they abandoned Earnest Graham once they fell behind by seven with tons of time to play. The Falcons have fallen to 27th vs. the run, so Graham should be fine. Jeff Garcia should too; he tossed two TDs vs. the Falcons in his earlier meeting, and Atlanta has allowed 20 passing touchdowns this year. The Falcons probably have one more win left in them, but it's not going to be this week.
The blueprint for competing with the Browns, based on their recent games, is to run the ball early and often. Lo and behold, the Bills can run the ball well with two backs, Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, so expect them to be in the game. Furthermore, Lee Evans had two scores last week and plays in his hometown of Cleveland against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. The Bills looked like the Patriots last week, and they'll look about as strong this week. You've got to consider Trent Edwards if your No. 1 QB has a terrible matchup. The Browns haven't scored fewer than 21 points since Week 5, and the Bills defense won't be able to stop them. There isn't anyone to sit on their side. Jamal Lewis should be great as Buffalo has allowed five rushing touchdowns over its last three, including two last week to Dolphins runner Samkon Gado.
We're about to find out just how good David Garrard is. The Steelers are known for their tough run defense, which is bad news for Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. They're going to have a tough week, which means it's going to come down to Garrard playing efficient football. The Steelers' pass defense got beat up by the Patriots and might have given the Jaguars some ideas. Garrard was awesome against the Colts two weeks ago, a team with a real good defense, and had two touchdowns and missed on five passes. Note that the Steelers have allowed two or more passing touchdowns in three games this season (Jay Cutler, Derek Anderson and Tom Brady did it). Ben Roethlisberger hasn't topped 200 passing yards in his last four games with only one multi-TD game in that span. Jacksonville has allowed only one multi-TD passer in its last five games (Peyton Manning), so Roethlisberger will have his work cut out for him. The Jags are also good against the run (no 100-yard rushers since Week 1), so Willie Parker's going to have his work cut out for him. Expect a tight, low-scoring game, making both DSTs valuable options.
Both teams should throw at will, making for a high-scoring game. However, Edgerrin James might find it tough to get going, because the Saints run defense isn't that bad. They've allowed one 100-yard rusher since Week 1 and two rushing touchdowns in their last 10 games! James has reverted to being sub 4.0-yard per carry RB in all but two games since Week 3, and has 20-plus carries in two of his last six games. Don't expect large numbers from him this week, but Kurt Warner should be on fire -- the Saints have allowed 23 touchdowns through the air. Larry Fitzgerald (groin) is playing hurt but is still effective, and Jerheme Urban is the second option with TE Leonard Pope out for the year. The Saints will also be pass-happy, attacking Arizona's weakness while hiding their weakness at running back. Aaron Stecker is an OK play as a top-end No. 3 Fantasy RB, but the game should be competitive and might limit Stecker's rushing attempts -- but he'll still get some catches. Marques Colston is a must, and David Patten is a little iffy even though he played well last week, but with points coming in bunches, he's worth a flier as a desperation No. 3 WR.
This game shouldn't be close, but I can't help but dwell on the whole 'Seattle flying across the country and playing at 10 a.m. their time' factor. They've played two 1 p.m. ET games this year, winning two (at St. Louis, at Philly) and getting drubbed in one (at Pittsburgh). Give Seattle the benefit of the doubt. The Panthers have given up 10 passing touchdowns in their last five games, so Matt Hasselbeck should hammer them. Bobby Engram, Deion Branch and Nate Burleson should find their way into Fantasy lineups as No. 1, 2 and 3 WRs, respectively. There's a shot Shaun Alexander delivers a 70-yard, one-touchdown performance as the 'Hawks will build a big lead and run the ball. Just something to keep in mind. The Panthers continue to be a mess offensively, and the Seahawks' defense is starting to peak (nine takeaways, six sacks in their last two games). No one on Carolina is a safe start this week, making the Seahawks DST is the money play.
Pass all over the Raiders? The Colts could do it, but Oakland's run defense is so bad that it's going to be hard for Indy to resist just handing off to Joseph Addai 25 times. But the Colts throw very well and it's not enough of a deterrent to bench Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne or Dallas Clark. Anthony Gonzalez is fine as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy WR. Do keep in mind that the Raiders boast a good secondary. A good offense, not so much. The Raiders will split QB duties, meaning that JaMarcus Russell will take some reps. That kills the Fantasy value of any Oakland QB, not that you'd start them. Let's focus on Justin Fargas, who finally slowed down last week. The Colts have a solid run defense even though Fred Taylor is two weeks removed from putting up over 100 yards. I don't like Fargas' chances to have a strong outing, especially with his bruised ribs.
Trying to predict the Lions' offense has been an exercise in futility. Last week they weren't expected to run much, but they got an A-plus effort from their offensive line and had three rush TDs. The Chargers' run defense should be ripe with Shawne Merriman out, so go with Kevin Jones; the passing game has fallen to mediocre status. The Chargers pass defense has been awesome over their last two games (one pass TD allowed, five interceptions), but it's come against the Chiefs and Titans. The Lions will provide enough of a challenge. The only question is, will Detroit's defense keep them in the game? LaDainian Tomlinson should wipe the floor with them. The Chargers have gone 7-2 in their last nine games, and Tomlinson has topped 20 carries in all but one of the wins and 16 carries in the losses. Expect a lot of him and a little of everyone else in powder blue.
Brian Westbrook has three touchdowns in his last four against the Cowboys along with over 100 total yards in three of those four. With Dallas' run defense beaten up over the last two weeks, he has to be salivating over the chance to play the Cowboys. He'll be good, but I can't trust Donovan McNabb. The inconsistency/lack of ability of his receiving corps has shown up in his stat line, throwing two picks and one score in his previous meeting with Dallas. Don't use him, and try to avoid his receivers. The Cowboys' regular studs still need to go. Marion Barber (three TDs in his last four vs. Philly) is a must-start, but Patrick Crayton has never scored on the Eagles and has maxed out at three receptions and 46 yards over his last three games, though he did score twice in one of those. There are better No. 3 WR options available.
Clinton Portis hasn't topped 70 rush yards in any of his last four games (topping 100 total yards twice) with one touchdown. The long rest certainly helped him, but the Giants run defense is up to seventh in the league and should continue to hold Portis in check. The Redskins are having a hard time generating points, and that's probably going to continue with Todd Collins in at quarterback. Your best Fantasy option here is Chris Cooley. The Giants are heading in the opposite direction as Plaxico Burress played very nicely last week and the team hopes he can continue to be a key target for Eli Manning to count on. So long as he's playing well and Brandon Jacobs isn't sidelined, the Giants offense will pound the tired Redskins.
Chicago turns to Kyle Orton at quarterback, something the team is excited about even though it signals an end to their playoff hopes. Orton has a strong arm and hasn't played in a long time, so judging him by his 2005 numbers when he was an inexperienced rookie probably isn't a good idea. He should do about as well as Rex Grossman, minus the fumbles but with the same penchant for interceptions. He can get the ball deep, so Bernard Berrian's value doesn't completely fall off. The story with the Vikings is always the same: Strong versus the run, strong running the ball. That's bad news for Chicago's Adrian Peterson and very good news for Minnesota's Adrian Peterson. "AD" had three touchdowns and over 220 rush yards in his previous meeting and sent the Bears on their defensive tailspin. He and Chester Taylor should see enough carries to do plenty of damage; forget about what you saw from Peterson last week.
