Week 16 Fantasy Football Matchups

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 0-5 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. 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 .

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday, 8:15 pm, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium

The Colts are expecting Joseph Addai back but will likely aim to ease him into running the ball. That keeps Dominic Rhodes in play as a runner capable of doing a healthy amount with a dozen or so total touches. He should make more of an impact than Addai. And with the Jaguars secondary banged up and not playing very well, Peyton Manning should put a hurting on them. Jacksonville will treat this game as their Super Bowl, and it could be a game head coach Jack Del Rio will need to win to keep his job. Maurice Jones-Drew has scored in every single game he's played against the Colts and shouldn't have too much trouble totaling big yardage here. With the running game in motion, David Garrard can take some mid- and deep-level shots to Reggie Williams and Dennis Northcutt to try and make this a game. The Colts secondary might just be the difference here as they've been good against most receivers they faced; they allowed a bunch of yards to Calvin Johnson last week but the Jags don't have anyone like him on their roster.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Peyton Manning	*****	QB	David Garrard	**
Dominic Rhodes	***	RB	Maurice Jones-Drew	****
Joseph Addai	**	RB	Alvin Pearman
Reggie Wayne	****	WR	Dennis Northcutt	*
Anthony Gonzalez	**	WR	Reggie Williams	*
Dallas Clark	****	TE	Marcedes Lewis
Adam Vinatieri	*****	K	Josh Scobee	**
Colts	**	DST	Jaguars	*

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys Saturday, 8:15 pm, Texas Stadium

If the Ravens are going to score, it's going to have to come through Joe Flacco throwing the ball and getting them in a position to score. The Cowboys have been great against the run over the last two weeks and shouldn't have a tough time with LeRon McClain even though McClain has plenty of familiarity with 3-4 defenses. Flacco's been off the mark over his last two games, and with the Cowboys pass rush and secondary playing very good football of late, the whole Baltimore offense could struggle. The Cowboys will likewise find running the ball a tough task against the Ravens, but like the Giants, they have a big, strong offensive line to open some gaps for Tashard Choice and/or Marion Barber. After Choice topped 140 total yards against the Steelers and Giants in consecutive weeks, you can't exactly write him off, especially since the Cowboys offense dictates very few eight-in-the-box looks from the opposing defense. The Cowboys will give Choice and Barber some work, but like the Ravens, it will have to be Tony Romo making plays to help put points on the board. I don't like the matchup for Terrell Owens as the Ravens have been very good against receivers all year and Owens isn't getting force-fed the ball. He's been a really good decoy for much of the season, including last week. Romo did get other players involved last week, and that will force the Ravens to be prepared for all of the Cowboys. That in turn should lead to Romo spreading the ball around again. It won't mean a bonanza of stats for Romo and any one receiver, but it should result in Dallas putting up enough points to keep the Cowboys ahead.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Joe Flacco	*	QB	Tony Romo	****
LeRon McClain	**	RB	Tashard Choice	**
Willis McGahee		RB	Marion Barber	**
Derrick Mason	**	WR	Terrell Owens	***
Mark Clayton	*	WR	Roy E. Williams
Todd Heap	**	TE	Jason Witten	***
Matt Stover	**	K	Nick Folk	****
Ravens	****	DST	Cowboys	*****

San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams Sunday, 1:00 pm, Edward Jones Dome

Whether it's Frank Gore or DeShaun Foster, whoever gets the lion's share of the carries for the Niners will do well against the Rams. St. Louis didn't do well against Seattle last week and hasn't done well against the run all year. Similarly, Shaun Hill should be able to solve the St. Louis secondary, especially without much of a pass rush to deal with. The Niners could post as many as four touchdowns this week (they had five at home vs. the Rams in Week 11), and it makes Hill, Isaac Bruce and Foster (if he starts) very appealing Fantasy options. The Rams will counter with -- what else? -- a heavy dose of Steven Jackson. He should make a dent in the Niners' run defense and contribute on check-downs, giving the Rams a chance to work play-action and attack through the air. You cannot count on Marc Bulger to be successful, but after Torry Holt and Donnie Avery were OK against Seattle a week ago, they could be counted on for 50 or so yards with a chance to score. Nevertheless, the 49ers should outscore the Rams and be better yardage-wise as well.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Shaun Hill	****	QB	Marc Bulger	*
DeShaun Foster	***	RB	Steven Jackson	****
Michael Robinson		RB	Antonio Pittman
Isaac Bruce	****	WR	Torry Holt	**
Bryant Johnson	*	WR	Donnie Avery	*
Vernon Davis	*	TE	Joe Klopfenstein
Joe Nedney	**	K	Josh Brown	**
49ers	***	DST	Rams	*

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Sunday, 1:00 pm, Cleveland Browns Stadium

The timing is great for the Bengals, who are coming off a win and are facing a beatable divisional opponent on a short week. The Browns are still giving an effort defensively, but it's hard to expect them to hang in there for 60 minutes when their offense can't put up points. The Bengals could tilt their offense a little more toward passing in an effort to give one last hurrah to T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson against their in-state rival. Do not be surprised to see one or both receivers score. And if the Bengals can build a lead much like everyone who has played the Browns this season, Cedric Benson could clean up on the ground and come away with over 100 total yards. The Browns will also view this as a game they can win, but their offensive talent is going to be a problem. I like Braylon Edwards' matchup, especially if he can get lined up on third-string corner David Jones. Ken Dorsey proved last week that he can get the ball to Edwards and make him a productive receiver, and we can assume that unless the Browns build a lead, Edwards will see action head his way. The rest of the Browns offense can't be trusted.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Ryan Fitzpatrick	**	QB	Ken Dorsey
Cedric Benson	**	RB	Jamal Lewis	**
James Johnson		RB	Jerome Harrison
Chad Johnson	***	WR	Braylon Edwards	**
T.J. Houshmandzadeh	***	WR	Josh Cribbs
Reggie Kelly		TE	Martin Rucker
Shayne Graham	*	K	Phil Dawson
Bengals	***	DST	Browns	*

Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots Sunday, 1:00 pm, Gillette Stadium

Not only will the Cardinals trek across the country to take on a desperate Patriots team, but they'll be playing outdoors and potentially in a windy snow storm. Not what a West Coast team from the desert wants at this point. Moreover, the Cardinals are locked into a No. 3 or 4 seed and have only so much motivation other than staying healthy. That's not to say they won't try to win -- far from it -- but if New England comes out in their usual physical and aggressive style, the Cardinals could be hard-pressed to match it. That said, Arizona's going to be forced to throw since their running game has been reduced to two yards and a cloud of dust. The Patriots will know this and surely blitz out of their nickel and dime packages quite a bit. It could be a tough day for Kurt Warner & Co. Meanwhile, the Patriots should get by with a similar game plan as they had last week -- pass to get the lead and then kill the clock with the run. Now if the weather is bad, it will be tougher for the Patriots to accomplish this. But with the ultimate short-area receiver in Wes Welker on his side, Matt Cassel should get close to 250 yards with three-touchdown potential. The Patriots' run game shouldn't have much trouble with Arizona, either. In fact, if the weather hampers their passing game, we'll see a lot of Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan. The Patriots DST won't be as bad of a play as you may think.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Kurt Warner	****	QB	Matt Cassel	*****
Tim Hightower	*	RB	Sammy Morris	***
J.J. Arrington	*	RB	LaMont Jordan	*
Larry Fitzgerald	****	WR	Wes Welker	****
Anquan Boldin	****	WR	Randy Moss	****
Leonard Pope		TE	Benjamin Watson
Neil Rackers	**	K	Stephen Gostkowski	*****
Cardinals		DST	Patriots	****

San Diego Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Raymond James Stadium

This is essentially a playoff game with the loser being either eliminated or on the brink of elimination from the postseason. The Chargers have made three West-to-East trips and haven't topped 14 points in any of them. They also have only two road wins. So why might they have a shot against the Buccaneers? They got a great spark in their incredible win at Kansas City last week and catch Tampa Bay without as many as four defensive starters, including both defensive tackles, strong safety Jermaine Phillips and linebacker Derrick Brooks. That opens the door for the Chargers to move the chains, be it with LaDainian Tomlinson churning for modest yardage or Philip Rivers attacking down field with Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson, both of whom are much bigger than anyone in Tampa's secondary. Given the state of the Bucs defense and the Chargers' need for a win, they're OK to bank on. The Bucs will likely throw a ton here to take advantage of San Diego's weak secondary, and they should be successful. Not only is Antonio Bryant a great option, but sleepers include Ike Hilliard, Jerramy Stevens (even with limited reps) and whoever starts at quarterback for Tampa Bay. Warrick Dunn might actually do more working out of the backfield rather than on handoffs.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Philip Rivers	****	QB	Brian Griese	**
LaDainian Tomlinson	***	RB	Warrick Dunn	**
Darren Sproles		RB	Cadillac Williams	*
Vincent Jackson	***	WR	Antonio Bryant	*****
Chris Chambers		WR	Ike Hilliard	*
Antonio Gates	****	TE	Jerramy Stevens	*
Nate Kaeding	**	K	Matt Bryant	***
Chargers	**	DST	Buccaneers	***

Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, 1:00 pm, Arrowhead Stadium

Strong winds and cold temperatures are in store for this game -- not what the Dolphins want to deal with. If the wind is strong, it's going to make life tough on Chad Pennington, since arm strength is questionable. This is a good matchup for Miami to run anyway, so expect a split between Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams as they each get around a dozen carries against a Chiefs defensive front that hasn't done well consistently. Pennington could pass for a score or two, but the Chiefs secondary has been good when they haven't been forced to play a ton of snaps in a row late in games (like last week vs. the Chargers). Kansas City will likely recognize the defensive front Miami gives and will attack with their strength, the pass. While this will limit Larry Johnson's effectiveness, it should result in a good amount of passing. So long as the Chiefs do a good job of keying in on Joey Porter, Tyler Thigpen should top 200 yards for the first time in three games and continue adding totals on the ground. Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez should continue to pad their stats -- both have a shot at topping 1,000 yards on the season in this game.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Chad Pennington	**	QB	Tyler Thigpen	****
Ronnie Brown	***	RB	Larry Johnson	**
Ricky Williams	*	RB	Jamaal Charles
Davone Bess	**	WR	Dwayne Bowe	****
Ted Ginn Jr.	*	WR	Mark Bradley
David Martin	*	TE	Tony Gonzalez	*****
Dan Carpenter	***	K	Connor Barth	*
Dolphins	***	DST	Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans Sunday, 1:00 pm, LP Field

The Steelers catch the Titans at the right time and should win the battle at the line of scrimmage with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth sidelined. With that weakness exposed, we could see the Steelers utilize Willie Parker more than in past weeks -- by doing so, they take the pressure off of Ben Roethlisberger to throw against a healthy and talented Titans secondary. The Steelers could watch how the Texans took apart the Titans with Andre Johnson, but they don't have a guy like that on their roster, so running against a unit missing its best run stuffer could be their best option. That's not to say they won't pass, but they shouldn't have to do a ton of it. That goes double when you consider the Steelers run defense, which should do a good job on the Titans' rushing duo. Tennessee tried to come out throwing last week; they're going to have to throw this week as the Steelers' 3-4 scheme will be too fast for Chris Johnson and equally physical for LenDale White. Given the way the Steelers' secondary has been playing, the Titans' chances to score points aren't good unless their defense can pick up some turnovers. Strong winds with showers are in the forecast, further limiting any passing potential.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Ben Roethlisberger	***	QB	Kerry Collins	*
Willie Parker	***	RB	Chris Johnson	**
Mewelde Moore	*	RB	LenDale White	**
Hines Ward	***	WR	Justin Gage	**
Santonio Holmes	**	WR	Justin McCareins
Heath Miller	**	TE	Bo Scaife	*
Jeff Reed	*	K	Rob Bironas	****
Steelers	*****	DST	Titans	***

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions Sunday, 1:00 pm, Ford Field

With their newfound running game, the Saints should be more balanced this week. While the Lions secondary is atrocious, their run defense is even worse, and Pierre Thomas should work behind his offensive line and bowl over the Lions for at least 100 total yards and a score. The guy should be in a starting lineup in every league this week. Naturally, Drew Brees can play off of Thomas (and throw to him) and connect on short slants with Lance Moore and longer routes with Marques Colston and Devery Henderson. Interestingly enough, the Lions will be able to do the same thing; the New Orleans run defense isn't strong and its pass defense is also a mess. They won't have an answer for Calvin Johnson, they won't be able to establish a pass rush on Dan Orlovsky and they'll struggle containing Kevin Smith. If the Lions can win the time of possession and turnover battles, they'll have a shot at winning. This could very well end up being a high-scoring, entertaining game.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Drew Brees	*****	QB	Dan Orlovsky	**
Pierre Thomas	*****	RB	Kevin Smith	***
Deuce McAllister		RB	Rudi Johnson
Marques Colston	****	WR	Calvin Johnson	*****
Lance Moore	***	WR	Keary Colbert
Devery Henderson	*	WR	John Standeford
Jeremy Shockey	***	TE	Casey FitzSimmons
Garrett Hartley	****	K	Jason Hanson	*
Saints	***	DST	Lions

Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos Sunday, 4:05 pm, Invesco Field at Mile High

Having Trent Edwards back will help the Bills offense a bunch, but they should simply focus on Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson as much as possible against the Broncos' shaky front seven. But with ex-quarterback Turk Schonert calling the plays, that's not going to happen. Expect a slight tilt toward the run and Edwards being efficient with the pass. He'll save Lee Evans from being a complete waste, especially since Evans' speed and Edwards' timely release should get him more yards than he's been getting. It won't stop the Broncos from trying to force the issue and stack eight in the box against the Bills (like they did for much of last week at the Panthers). On offense, the Broncos will probably continue to be pass-oriented, relying on their running game on a limited basis and with three different players involved. That's a mess, which is why Fantasy owners should simply just trust the regulars in Denver. The Bills have been good against tight ends, though, so Tony Scheffler shouldn't be counted on for any more than, say, 40 yards.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Trent Edwards	**	QB	Jay Cutler	*****
Marshawn Lynch	****	RB	P.J. Pope	*
Fred Jackson	*	RB	Tatum Bell	*
Lee Evans	**	WR	Brandon Marshall	****
Josh Reed	*	WR	Eddie Royal	**
Robert Royal		TE	Tony Scheffler	**
Rian Lindell		K	Matt Prater	***
Bills	*	DST	Broncos	**

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders Sunday, 4:05 pm, Oakland Coliseum

The Texans are motivated and playing well. The Raiders are in the tank. How can you not like Steve Slaton leading the charge for the Texans against the Raiders' leaky and thinned-out front seven? Slaton should steamroll, giving Matt Schaub plenty of balance to throw over the top to Andre Johnson and underneath to Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels. They'll also try to steer clear of Nnamdi Asomugha, much like the Patriots did last week. So long as they do that, they should have no problem scoring. Oakland can make waves running the ball, and Darren McFadden seems like their best option. He saw a boost in his workload last week and did well, and the Texans do not match up well against rushers like him. Oakland may also try and take a cue from the Titans' game plan against the Texans last week and throw deep, but they don't have the best personnel to do that. If they did, then JaMarcus Russell would be a dandy of a sleeper this week.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Matt Schaub	****	QB	JaMarcus Russell	*
Steve Slaton	*****	RB	Darren McFadden	**
Ryan Moats		RB	Justin Fargas	*
Andre Johnson	*****	WR	Ashley Lelie
Kevin Walter	**	WR	Johnnie Lee Higgins
Owen Daniels	***	TE	Zach Miller	*
Kris Brown	*	K	Sebastian Janikowski	*
Texans	**	DST	Raiders	**

N.Y. Jets at Seattle Seahawks Sunday, 4:05 pm, Qwest Field

With a playoff spot guaranteed so long as they win, the Jets will make taking care of the football a top priority -- especially after last week when they nearly lost to Buffalo thanks in part to a pair of Brett Favre interceptions. Worse yet, they're playing on the West Coast, where they are 0-3, and Favre has three touchdowns vs. five interceptions (games against the Chargers, Raiders and 49ers -- not exactly stud secondaries). With that in mind, count on the Jets to play it safe and do plenty of running and short-area passing. That will hurt Favre's numbers but make Thomas Jones and Dustin Keller enticing Fantasy options as both should help move the ball. The Jets' run defense hasn't been bad on these West Coast roadies (no 100-yard rush games allowed) and should put a cap on the Seahawks' run game. Seneca Wallace has shown some nice ability over the last two weeks, but the Jets secondary matches up well with the Seahawks' receivers and should limit the total number of points they put up.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Brett Favre	**	QB	Seneca Wallace	*
Thomas Jones	****	RB	Maurice Morris	*
Leon Washington	*	RB	Julius Jones
Laveranues Coles	*	WR	Deion Branch	**
Jerricho Cotchery	*	WR	Bobby Engram
Dustin Keller	***	TE	John Carlson	****
Jay Feely	***	K	Olindo Mare
Jets	****	DST	Seahawks	*

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins Sunday, 4:15 pm, FedEx Field

I didn't like Brian Westbrook's production in Week 15, but I like that he didn't play a full game. That should help him here as the Eagles will bring back their run-first mentality and try to move the chains with a heavy dose of Westbrook and some manageable third downs, much like they've been doing in their last three games. They'll also spend time this week working on their goal-line packages, many of which will include Westbrook, especially with tall receiver Hank Baskett missing the game. The Redskins will focus on slowing Westbrook down but it won't mean they'll be successful -- see what Cedric Benson did to them just last week. Like Philly, Washington will try to run, but with a banged-up offensive line and a quarterback who isn't throwing as well as he did at the beginning of the season, the easy plan for the Eagles is to stuff Clinton Portis and blitz Jason Campbell. They should be successful, forcing the Redskins to throw more, and that aspect of their game has gone downhill. Chris Cooley rocked the Eagles earlier this season and will surely be a part of what the Redskins do on Sunday, but it's not likely to be enough. Rain is in the forecast, which could hamper both teams' passing games.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Donovan McNabb	****	QB	Jason Campbell	*
Brian Westbrook	*****	RB	Clinton Portis	***
Lorenzo Booker		RB	Ladell Betts
DeSean Jackson	**	WR	Santana Moss	*
Kevin Curtis	**	WR	Antwaan Randle El	*
L.J. Smith	*	TE	Chris Cooley	***
David Akers	***	K	Shaun Suisham
Eagles	*****	DST	Redskins	*

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings Sunday, 4:15 pm, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

The Falcons were going to run Michael Turner at the Vikings regardless of who Minnesota lined up at defensive tackle, but with the meaty Pat Williams out, the matchup is all the better. Even with the Vikings selling out to stop the run and take their chances with Matt Ryan throwing, Michael Turner has to be expected to put up moderate yardage with the likelihood of a touchdown. Ryan's matchup isn't great -- it seems like teams have done a nice job of taking away Roddy White over the last couple of weeks (no TDs in his last five) and disrupt Ryan's timing. The Vikings can do some of these things on passing downs with Jared Allen coming off the edge. Also, this Vikings secondary has yielded just 13 touchdowns, so they're not all bad. Meanwhile, Minnesota's offense should continue to be run-focused with Adrian Peterson leading the charge. Not exactly breaking news there, but if the Falcons sell out to stop the run much like the Cardinals did last week, Tarvaris Jackson will take advantage. Figure that Atlanta learned from Arizona's mistakes and will not stuff the box to stop Peterson on every single down. But they will do it on running downs, which could lead to some deep attempts to Bernard Berrian and friends, who will be playing on the fast surface in the Metrodome.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Matt Ryan	***	QB	Tarvaris Jackson	**
Michael Turner	****	RB	Adrian Peterson	*****
Jerious Norwood		RB	Chester Taylor	**
Roddy White	*****	WR	Bernard Berrian	***
Michael Jenkins		WR	Bobby Wade
Justin Peelle		TE	Visanthe Shiancoe
Jason Elam	*****	K	Ryan Longwell	***
Falcons	**	DST	Vikings	****

Carolina Panthers at N.Y. Giants Sunday, 8:15 pm, Giants Stadium

Between both teams boasting stiff defenses and physical running games, and with the weather expected to be lousy (rain/snow and wind), this won't be a high-scoring game unless turnovers play a huge role. Both teams should play ball-control offense and take care of not turning the ball over. The Panthers have an edge in the passing game as they can utilize Steve Smith on screens and fade routes to combat the Giants good but not dominant cornerbacks. He'll surely draw double coverage, which will mean that Jake Delhomme, when he throws, will need to hook up with Muhsin Muhammad for more than the three or so catches he's been getting of late. That won't mean a big stat day for Moose, just that he'll need to be involved to help the Panthers. Naturally, look for Carolina to ride its strong offensive line and lean on their running backs to move the chains, and the Giants will do the same. Brandon Jacobs is ideally who the Giants can count on as their best rushing weapon, especially in the wake of their loss at Dallas when Derrick Ward couldn't get going. The larger issue for New York will be combating Panthers end Julius Peppers in an effort to keep Eli Manning effective. Manning will have trouble against the Panthers secondary as they match up well with the current makeup of the Giants receiving corps, but a couple of deep shots could loosen things up and make the Panthers a little wary of Manning's arm. Nonetheless, Jacobs is the key to the Giants' success on Sunday night.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Jake Delhomme	**	QB	Eli Manning	**
DeAngelo Williams	****	RB	Brandon Jacobs	***
Jonathan Stewart	**	RB	Derrick Ward	*
Steve Smith	****	WR	Domenik Hixon	*
Muhsin Muhammad	*	WR	Amani Toomer
Jeff King		TE	Kevin Boss	**
John Kasay	**	K	John Carney	***
Panthers	***	DST	Giants	****

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears Monday, 8:30 pm, Soldier Field

Ryan Grant has had some good success against the Bears, topping 100 rush yards and a touchdown in each of his last two meetings. The Packers can enter the game confident that Grant can give them a rushing presence and therefore can utilize play-action to Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. The emergence of James Jones last week will also strike some fear into the Bears' secondary, which is already thin. All of this should add up to a good game for Aaron Rodgers. Looking at the Packers defense, there isn't a strong spot out there, so the Bears should roll. With the Packers' front seven a mess, Matt Forte should see a lot of touches and yardage. From there, the Bears can pass and should fare well, as the Packers have allowed some big games over their last four overall. Devin Hester could be a sleeper this week, especially considering how many catches he's been getting.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Aaron Rodgers	****	QB	Kyle Orton	**
Ryan Grant	****	RB	Matt Forte	****
Brandon Jackson		RB	Adrian Peterson
Greg Jennings	*****	WR	Devin Hester	**
Donald Driver	***	WR	Rashied Davis
Donald Lee	*	TE	Greg Olsen	**
Mason Crosby	****	K	Robbie Gould	***
Packers	**	DST	Bears	***