Week 12 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em

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, Adrian Peterson or any other top-tier players.

Jason Snelling is taking advantage of his chance to be a starting running back, and you should also. It might not last for long.

With Michael Turner out in Week 11 with a sprained ankle, Snelling filled in at the Giants with 25 carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns and three catches for 13 yards. In Week 10, when Turner first got injured at Carolina, he had 18 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 32 yards.

This week, Snelling should have another big game against Tampa Bay, and he's our Start of the Week. As long as Turner doesn't make a miraculous recovery -- he did practice Wednesday on a limited basis -- then Snelling should shine.

The Buccaneers have allowed 10 running backs to reach double digits in Fantasy points this year. Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas combined for 167 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week against Tampa Bay, and Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams had 184 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 10.

Snelling could lose some carries to Jerious Norwood, who is expected to return after being out the past five games with a hip injury, but Snelling's only deterrent would be Turner. If Turner remains out, then Snelling should be a quality Fantasy starter this week.

And even if Turner does come back, here's something to consider: The Panthers (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart), Dolphins and Saints each had two running backs reach double digits in Fantasy points against the Bucs in the same game. That bodes well for Snelling to have a solid performance.

Sit of the Week

Matt Forte has been a nightmare for Fantasy owners. Every time you show faith in him, he lets you down.

Forte had a solid three-game stretch heading into Week 11 against Philadelphia. He reached double digits in Fantasy points each game against Cleveland, Arizona and San Francisco, with his receiving skills leading the way against the Cardinals and 49ers.

Then against the Eagles, the disappointing Forte was back. He was limited to 14 carries for 34 yards and caught four passes for 20 yards, leaving him with seven Fantasy points. It was his fifth game this season where he has seven Fantasy points or less.

He's been fine in leagues where receptions count with 42 catches for 399 yards, but his rushing stats have been horrible. He only has 157 carries for 516 yards (3.3 yards per carry) with three touchdowns, and it could get worse this week.

Forte plays at Minnesota, and he's our Sit of the Week. The Vikings, behind that dominating defensive line, have stuffed opposing running backs this year.

They are No. 3 in run defense, and only two running backs have scored against them with Ray Rice scoring twice in Week 6 and Justin Forsett last week. Only four running backs have reached double digits in Fantasy points against Minnesota this year.

Forte played well against Minnesota last year with 152 rushing yards and a touchdown and six catches for 46 yards and a touchdown in two games. But Forte hasn't scored a touchdown on the road this year, and he's having a prolonged sophomore slump.

If you can afford to bench Forte this week then that's probably a safe move based on his play and his opponent.

Quarterbacks

Start 'Em

Brett Favre (vs. CHI): There are plenty of stats that jump out when looking at Favre, but this one is glaring -- his start percentage. Favre is only being started in 57 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com despite being the No. 5 quarterback in standard-scoring formats. That's amazing. This week, Favre should continue his outstanding season. He's at home, where he has 13 touchdowns, one interception and is averaging 281 passing yards in five games. He's facing the Bears, who have allowed 12 passing touchdowns in three of their past five games. Favre has seven games with at least 18 Fantasy points this year, including four of his past five outings and three in a row, so keep him active while he's hot.
Carson Palmer (vs. CLE): Palmer has three games this season with more than 20 Fantasy points, including Week 4 at Cleveland when he had 230 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception with 20 rushing yards. The Browns have allowed three, 300-yard passing games and four games with multiple passing touchdowns. Last week, rookie Matthew Stafford passed for 422 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions against Cleveland. Palmer has 14 touchdowns in his past five meetings with Cleveland, and he should have his fourth game this season with double digits in Fantasy points.
Matt Hasselbeck (at STL): Hasselbeck has done well this year with favorable matchups. Against St. Louis, Jacksonville, and Detroit he has combined for eight touchdowns and three interceptions and has at least 17 Fantasy points in all three games. The Rams have struggled in pass defense all year. Six quarterbacks have thrown for multiple touchdowns against St. Louis, including three of the past four games against Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Kurt Warner. Hasselbeck also has 10 touchdowns and four interceptions in his past five games against the Rams, and he has six touchdowns and one interception in his past three games at St. Louis.
Matt Ryan (vs. TB): Ryan played last week at the Giants the way we hoped he would all season. He had 268 passing yards and two touchdowns with a lost fumble. You'll take those 21 Fantasy points every week, and that's only the fourth time he's been over 20 Fantasy points this year. He doesn't have a great history against the Bucs with no touchdowns and four interceptions in two games last season, but Tampa Bay's defense has fallen apart, which is why defensive coordinator Jim Bates was fired. Six quarterbacks have reached at least 20 Fantasy points against the Bucs, and they have allowed eight quarterbacks to throw for multiple touchdowns, including two of the past three games. It would be nice to see Ryan build on what he did last week.

Sleeper alert: Alex Smith (vs. JAC): Smith has been inconsistent since taking over for Shaun Hill. In his first three starts against Indianapolis, Tennessee and Chicago he had three touchdowns and five interceptions with only one game over 200 passing yards. Then last week he came out at Green Bay and passed for 227 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, which was good for 25 Fantasy points. Let's hope he can build on that this week since the Jaguars have struggled in pass defense this year. They have allowed six quarterbacks to reach at least 18 Fantasy points, and they won't have standout cornerback Rashean Mathis (groin) for another game. Smith has the chance for a solid performance this week, so consider him a good starting option. Some other sleepers to consider this week include Ryan Fitzpatrick (vs. MIA), Josh Freeman (at ATL) and Vince Young (vs. ARI).

Sit 'Em

Tony Romo (vs. OAK): Romo has looked lost the past three weeks against Philadelphia, Green Bay and Washington with three touchdowns, three interceptions and a fumble, and now he's dealing with a bad back. Romo has struggled this year against every good pass defense he has faced, including the Giants, Carolina, Denver, Philadelphia, Green Bay and Washington, which all rank in the Top 10. He has four touchdowns, seven interceptions and two fumbles in those matchups with only one 300-yard game against the Eagles. The Raiders come into this game at No. 12 in pass defense and are among the league leaders with only eight passing touchdowns allowed. Only Eli Manning -- in a half -- has passed for multiple touchdowns against the Raiders, and they limited Philip Rivers, Kyle Orton, Matt Schaub, Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer to one passing touchdown or less in six games. Teams run all over the Raiders, so look for Marion Barber to carry the Dallas offense in this game.
Eli Manning (at DEN): Manning played better than we expected last week with a career-high 384 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception against the Falcons, but that was at home against a bad secondary. The Broncos, even with Brian Dawkins (neck) banged up, have done well in pass defense all season. Only Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger have passed for multiple touchdowns against Denver, and Roethlisberger is the only one to have more than 20 Fantasy points. Manning has two touchdowns, three interceptions and a fumble in his past two road games at New Orleans and Philadelphia, and he will likely have limited production in this matchup.
Joe Flacco (vs. PIT): Flacco is due for a breakout game, which could happen this week against a Steelers defense that has struggled without Troy Polamalu (knee). But you have to be safe when setting your lineup, and look at Flacco's production the past four games. He has one touchdown and three interceptions over that span with only one game over 200 passing yards and one game with double digits in Fantasy points. In two games against the Steelers last year he had one touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble with a combined 307 passing yards. Flacco should be viewed as a No. 2 Fantasy quarterback this week.
Jay Cutler (at MIN): Cutler looked awful against Philadelphia last week with 171 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, and you have to worry about his confidence level. He has 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, and he only has four games with more touchdowns than interceptions this year, with only one of those in his past five outings. He has the chance to play well against the Vikings, who only have one interception in their past five games, if he can survive Minnesota's pass rush. But it's just too hard to count on Cutler right now. The only reason to trust Cutler is if you have no other quality options on your roster.
David Garrard (at SF): It's the same story with Garrard on the road again. He only has one passing touchdown in five road games, and his last trip to the West Coast was a disaster with 188 passing yards, no touchdowns and two fumbles at Seattle. The 49ers pass defense isn't great, but they have done well at home. Matt Ryan is the only quarterback to pass for multiple touchdowns in San Francisco, and the 49ers have only allowed three passing touchdowns with eight interceptions at home. Garrard won't be horrible this week, but you can expect another game with less than 15 Fantasy points. The key will be his ability to get Mike Sims-Walker the ball since he has become a must-start option every week.

Bust alert: Donovan McNabb (vs. WAS): The Redskins have done a good job against McNabb in his career. He has five touchdowns and no interceptions in his past five meetings, which includes a four-touchdown game in 2007. The other touchdown came earlier this season in Week 7 when he passed for just 156 yards. Washington remains a good team in pass defense. Only Kyle Orton has passed for multiple touchdowns against the Redskins, and no quarterback has reached 20 Fantasy points this year. McNabb is coming off an impressive two-game stretch at San Diego and at Chicago with 694 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, but he struggled in his last home game against Dallas in Week 9 with one touchdown and two interceptions. It's hard to bench McNabb, but his history with the Redskins suggests you might want to consider doing just that this week.

Running backs

Start 'Em

Brandon Jacobs (at DEN): Fantasy owners have lost faith in Jacobs this year, which is understandable. He only has three touchdowns on the season and struggled through the first six games. But in his past four games he has three with double digits in Fantasy points, including two touchdowns. And this week he likely will get a few extra carries with Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) expected to be out. Jacobs, who is fine after hurting his knee in Week 11, also has a favorable matchup. The Broncos have allowed a running back to reach double digits in Fantasy points in their past five games. He is only being started in 67 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com, and that number should rise this week.
Marion Barber (vs. OAK): Like Jacobs, Barber is being looked at in a negative light by Fantasy owners. He is only being started in 60 percent of leagues since he has only one game with double digits in Fantasy points in his past six outings. But last week against Washington was a positive sign with 20 carries for 99 yards even though he lost a fumble. With Tony Romo struggling and dealing with a back injury, he should get a healthy amount of touches again, and this is a great matchup for him. The Raiders have allowed a running back to reach double digits in Fantasy points in every game this season, including Jamaal Charles and Bernard Scott the past two weeks. Barber is in line for a breakout game, and even Felix Jones and Tashard Choice should be considered as sleepers.
Joseph Addai (at HOU): Addai continues to have an amazing season, and he produces each week. He has reached double digits in Fantasy points in every game but one (Week 2 at Miami), and he has a touchdown rushing, receiving or passing in his past eight games. Addai had 112 total yards and two touchdowns against the Texans in Week 9, and he has eight touchdowns in his past five games against Houston. Donald Brown has become a non-factor, so keep Addai active in all leagues.
LeSean McCoy (vs. WAS): McCoy has done a great job replacing the injured Brian Westbrook (concussion). He has five games with at least 10 carries, and in four of those games he's had at least 100 total yards or a touchdown. The one game he didn't reach that mark was Week 7 at Washington, which was the game Westbrook first got hurt. McCoy had 14 carries for 37 yards and five catches for 30 yards, and he will look to make up for that performance this week. The Redskins have allowed three running backs (Michael Turner, Knowshon Moreno and Marion Barber) to gain over 100 total yards in three games since that meeting, and McCoy should follow suit. He remains a quality starting Fantasy option.
Bernard Scott (vs. CLE): The key for Scott will be the health of Cedric Benson (hip), who missed last week's game at Oakland and could be limited again. If Benson is out that would allow Scott another chance to start. He played great against Oakland last week with 21 carries for 119 yards and three catches for 32 yards, and should do well against the Browns. Only one running back has failed to reach double digits in Fantasy points against Cleveland this year, which was Benson in Week 4 when he had 86 total yards and no touchdowns. Scott should be able to get double digits in Fantasy points even with Larry Johnson and Brian Leonard taking away some carries.

Sleeper alert: Rock Cartwright (at PHI): Cartwright will start for the Redskins with Clinton Portis (concussion) and Ladell Betts (knee) out, and he could be worth double digits in Fantasy points this week. The Eagles have allowed five running backs to reach double digits in Fantasy points, and they have allowed opposing running backs to score nine touchdowns (seven rushing, two receiving) this year. Cartwright came on for Betts last week at Dallas and finished with 13 carries for 67 yards and seven catches for 73 yards. He is one of several backup running backs who could play well this week depending on the health of the starting options. In Buffalo, if Marshawn Lynch (shoulder) is out or limited then consider Fred Jackson (vs. MIA) a sleeper. The same goes for Justin Forsett (at STL) if Julius Jones (rib) is out. And we also like Mike Bell (vs. NE) if Reggie Bush (knee) is out. Some other sleepers to consider this week include Tim Hightower (at TEN), Jonathan Stewart (at NYJ), Cadillac Williams (at ATL) and Laurence Maroney (at NO).

Sit 'Em

Kevin Smith (vs. GB): Smith lived up to his billing as the Start of the Week against Cleveland last week with 149 total yards and a touchdown, but now he faces a tougher opponent. The Packers have only allowed one running back to score a rushing touchdown against them, and it was Adrian Peterson twice in two different games. They have allowed only two 100-yard rushers but none since Week 3, and they held Smith to 61 rushing yards in Week 6. Smith has one touchdown in three meetings with Green Bay but has yet to gain 100 total yards in any of those games. He's also dealing with a hip injury, and Daunte Culpepper could be Detroit's starting quarterback with Matthew Stafford (shoulder) injured. And the Browns game was his first game with double digits in Fantasy points since Week 4.
Jamaal Charles (at SD): The Chargers run defense might be starting to improve. Only one running back has reached double digits in Fantasy points in the past six games, which was Justin Fargas in Week 8. Otherwise they have done well in limiting the Fantasy production of opposing running backs, and Charles could have a letdown after two stellar games against Oakland and Pittsburgh. He'll get his share of touches as the main cog in the backfield for the Chiefs, but San Diego could make this game lopsided by building an early lead, which would negate the running game. Charles qualifies as a flex option this week, but don't plan on starting him in the majority of leagues.
Jamal Lewis (at CIN): Lewis, as we said last week, was a sleeper against the Lions. He had 75 rushing yards, caught one pass for 13 yards and scored on a two-point conversion. It was only his second game with double digits in Fantasy points this year, but now he should return to mediocrity. The Bengals have only allowed four running backs to score against them this season and are No. 2 in run defense. Lewis missed the first meeting with the Bengals in Week 4, which was the game when Jerome Harrison burst out of nowhere with 121 rushing yards and five catches for 31 yards. Don't expect Lewis to post those stats since he only has one game with 100 yards rushing this season.
Justin Fargas (at DAL): Fargas has been the best running back for the Raiders this season, and he has at least nine Fantasy points in three of his past five games, including two in double figures. He has been a useful Fantasy running back as a flex option during the bye weeks and with all the injuries at running back the past few weeks. But this is a tough matchup for him since the Cowboys have been stellar in run defense. Dallas has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher, and only one running back (Michael Turner in Week 7) has scored against the Cowboys since Week 1. The Cowboys are No. 7 in run defense overall so plan on sitting Michael Bush and Darren McFadden as well.
Knowshon Moreno (vs. NYG): If you look at Moreno's rushing totals the past two weeks the stats look good. He had 18 carries for 97 yards at Washington in Week 11 and 10 carries for 80 yards against San Diego last week. But he hasn't reached double digits in Fantasy points since Week 4, and fumbles are ruining his overall production. The Giants have allowed a running back to score a touchdown in six of the past seven games, but it's hard to count on Moreno finding the end zone. With Kyle Orton (ankle) less than 100 percent, look for the Giants to crowd the line of scrimmage in an effort to contain Moreno.

Bust alert: Rashard Mendenhall (at BAL): Mendenhall doesn't have good memories from his lone meeting with the Ravens last year. He hurt his shoulder in that game in Pittsburgh and was lost for the season. Things have changed for Mendenhall since then and Baltimore's run defense isn't as good as in past years, but this could be a tough matchup for him. For starters, the Steelers just lost left guard Chris Kemoeatu (sprained MCL) for this game, which will weaken their offensive line, especially if Baltimore defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is 100 percent. And Mendenhall has struggled against tough run defenses this year. He had 69 rushing yards and lost a fumble against Minnesota in Week 7 and 36 rushing yards in Week 10 against Cincinnati. It's hard to bench Mendenhall, but just don't expect a big outing in this matchup.

Wide receivers

Start 'Em

Greg Jennings (at DET): Here is an email exchange I had last week with a reader who writes to me on a regular basis. Question: Assuming Kyle Orton is out, I don't feel good about starting Brandon Marshall. For a second starter at wide receiver would you go with Roy E. Williams or Greg Jennings? Sidney Rice is starting for me for sure. Thanks much. Answer: I think Jennings has a breakout game this week. Just a hunch. I said the same thing on Fantasy Football Today on Sunday, and Jennings came through with five catches for 126 yards and a touchdown against San Francisco. He should play well again this week against the Lions, and he has two touchdowns and two 100-yard games in his past four meetings with Detroit. Start Donald Driver this week also since the Lions are last in the NFL in pass defense.
Terrell Owens (vs. MIA): As we said in our first half review, I liked what was ahead for the Bills' passing attack in the second half of the season with games against Tennessee, Jacksonville, Miami and Kansas City, which means Owens and Lee Evans have the chance to play well. The Bills also found a quarterback who Owens seems to like in Ryan Fitzpatrick. Owens had one of the best games of his career last week at Jacksonville with nine catches for 197 yards and a touchdown. He has at least eight Fantasy points in his past three games, and he had three catches for 60 yards in Week 4 at Miami. The Dolphins have two rookie cornerbacks in Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, and they have allowed a wide receiver to score in seven consecutive games.
Nate Burleson (at STL): Burleson had his first productive Fantasy outing on the road last week at Minnesota with six catches for 100 yards. He is still looking for his first touchdown on the road, and he hasn't scored since Week 5 against Jacksonville. He only has three touchdowns on the season, but one of those was against the Rams in Week 1 when he had seven catches for 74 yards. Burleson has at least six catches in six games, and he's a solid Fantasy option against a Rams defense that has allowed 15 passing touchdowns this year. Look for Burleson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh to play well this week.
Michael Crabtree (vs. JAC): Crabtree picked a good time to score his first touchdown last week at Green Bay heading into a great matchup this week against the Jaguars. With Rashean Mathis (groin) out, Crabtree can take advantage of a depleted secondary. The Jaguars have allowed 15 touchdowns to opposing wide receivers, and nine wide receivers have reached double digits in Fantasy points. They have allowed a wide receiver to score in every game this season, so Crabtree has good odds to find the end zone two weeks in a row.

Sleeper alert: Chris Chambers (at SD): We always look for players who have extra motivation on a given week, and Chambers falls into that category in this matchup. The Chargers cut Chambers after Week 8, and San Diego coach Norv Turner felt Chambers wasn't as good as Malcom Floyd or Legedu Naanee. The Chiefs picked up Chambers right away, and he has 10 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns in three games. Floyd and Naanee have combined for 16 catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns over that span. Granted, Chambers wasn't playing at this level with the Chargers, but he also wasn't getting the same opportunities. He's the No. 1 wide receiver in this offense with Dwayne Bowe (suspended) out, and Matt Cassel will continue to look in his direction. Consider Chambers a decent starting option heading back to San Diego. Some other sleepers to consider this week include Devin Hester (at MIN), Robert Meachem (vs. NE), Pierre Garcon (at HOU), Steve Smith (at DEN) and Laveranues Coles (vs. CLE).

Sit 'Em

Miles Austin (vs. OAK): Austin stats are heading in the wrong direction after his hot start, and this week he has a tough matchup with Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Austin had one catch for 49 yards and a touchdown at Philadelphia in Week 9, four catches for 20 yards at Green Bay in Week 10 and four catches for 47 yards against Washington. You should also keep Roy E. Williams reserved this week since he's too inconsistent to count on, but Austin gets the unenviable task of facing Asomugha.
Santana Moss (at PHI): Moss hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4, and he's had some bad games recently, including two catches for 8 yards two weeks ago against Denver and five catches for 38 yards last week at Dallas. Moss hasn't scored against the Eagles in his past five meetings, and his best game with Philadelphia in his past three matchups was in Week 7 when he had six catches for 74 yards. Moss only has one touchdown on the road this season in Week 3 at Detroit. The Eagles did not allow a wide receiver to score a touchdown last week against Chicago.
Jerricho Cotchery (vs. CAR): Cotchery has become the go-to receiver for Mark Sanchez, and he has nine catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns the past two games against Jacksonville and New England. Cotchery has at least 68 receiving yards in every full game he's played this season, but the Panthers have done well against opposing wide receivers. They have only allowed three wide receivers to score this year and have limited DeSean Jackson, Santana Moss, Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Marques Colston to minimal production. Keep Braylon Edwards reserved as well since both receivers will probably finish with less than 10 Fantasy points this week.
Donnie Avery (vs. SEA): You might want to keep Avery reserved this week with Kyle Boller replacing the injured Marc Bulger (leg). Boller started in Week 4 at San Francisco, and Avery was limited to three catches for 47 yards. He also had six catches for 46 yards and a fumble in Week 1 against Seattle when he was just coming back from a foot injury. Avery also hasn't scored a touchdown in three games against the Seahawks in his career, and the emergence of Brandon Gibson has taken away some of Avery's production.
Austin Collie (at HOU): Collie's Fantasy value has plummeted over the past five games. He had eight catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans in Week 5, but since then he has 19 catches for 185 yards and one touchdown in five games. The Colts are using Pierre Garcon as the No. 3 option in the passing game behind Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and Collie only had one target last week against the Ravens. He also only had two catches for 26 yards in Week 9 against the Texans.

Bust alert: Steve Smith (at NYJ): Smith has a tough matchup this week with Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. It's hard to bench Smith, but Revis could give him problems. Smith has four touchdowns in his past four games, and he has three games with at least 12 Fantasy points over that span. He's finally starting to play like a starting Fantasy option after a dismal start, but Revis could give him a slight setback. Remember, Revis has done well against Andre Johnson, Marques Colston and Randy Moss this year, so if you start Smith this week just lower your expectations and don't expect an outstanding performance.

Tight ends

Start 'Em

Greg Olsen (at MIN): Olsen remains a safe starting option for the Bears, especially this week since the Vikings have struggled against opposing tight ends. Minnesota has allowed seven touchdowns to tight ends this year, and four have reached double digits in Fantasy points. Olsen scored against the Vikings last year and has 18 catches in his past three games. He's become the go-to target in this offense, and hopefully he can find the end zone again after not scoring the past two weeks.
Kellen Winslow (at ATL): The Falcons are now the worst team against opposing tight ends after Kevin Boss torched them for five catches, 76 yards and two touchdowns last week. Atlanta has allowed six touchdowns to opposing tight ends, and three tight ends have reached double digits in Fantasy points. Winslow has two games with double digits in Fantasy points in his past three games, and he has done well with rookie quarterback Josh Freeman. Hopefully that will continue in this favorable matchup.
Visanthe Shiancoe (vs. CHI): Shiancoe has matched his career high with seven touchdowns set last year, and he still has six games to go. Shiancoe scored at Chicago last season and has five catches for 88 yards in his past two games with the Bears. Chicago has allowed six touchdowns to opposing tight ends, and Brett Favre continues to look for Shiancoe in the red zone.

Sleeper alert: Jermichael Finley (at DET): The Lions lead the NFL with touchdowns allowed to opposing tight ends with nine. Washington and Green Bay were the only teams where a tight end did not score against Detroit this year, but Finley will look to change that this week. He had five catches for 54 yards against the Lions in Week 6, and he looks to be at 100 percent again after missing three games with a knee injury. He returned last week and had seven catches for 54 yards against San Francisco, and he was targeted 10 times. Consider Finley a No. 1 Fantasy option in this matchup. Some other sleepers to consider this week include Zach Miller (at DAL), Fred Davis (at PHI), Tony Scheffler (vs. NYG) and Dustin Keller (vs. CAR).

Sit 'Em

Brent Celek (vs. WAS): The last time Celek faced the Redskins in Week 7 he was held to three catches for 8 yards. He's having a great season, but this is a tough matchup for him. Washington allowed Tony Gonzalez to catch five passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in Week 9, but he's the only tight end to get double digits in Fantasy points against the Redskins. They have held Kevin Boss, Kellen Winslow and Jason Witten to minimal production, and Celek might not play well against Washington again.
Jason Witten (vs. OAK): Witten is dealing with a foot injury on top of his poor production this season, and he also has a tough matchup this week. The Raiders and Saints are the only teams who have yet to allow an opposing tight end to score a touchdown this season. Oakland has limited Antonio Gates (twice), Owen Daniels and Brent Celek to less than 10 Fantasy points this year. Witten hasn't reached double digits in Fantasy points once this season and only has one touchdown.
Jeremy Shockey (vs. NE): Shockey has disappeared the past three weeks and was outplayed by backup David Thomas last week at Tampa Bay. In his past three games Shockey has eight catches for 85 yards and no touchdowns. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 6 against the Giants and has only two games with double digits in Fantasy points this year. The Patriots have limited tight ends most of the season, and they have not allowed one tight end to reach double digits in Fantasy points, including Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow and Dallas Clark. That doesn't bode well for Shockey having a good game.

Bust alert: Kevin Boss (at DEN): Boss had an outstanding game last week against the Falcons with five catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns, and he has four touchdowns in his past three games. He is finally playing as a starting Fantasy option, but don't plan on starting him in this matchup. The Broncos have only allowed three touchdowns to opposing tight ends, but no tight end has reached double digits in Fantasy points this year, including Antonio Gates (twice), Zach Miller, Heath Miller and Jason Witten. Boss only has one touchdown on the road, and he could be limited to less than 10 Fantasy points in this matchup.

Defense/Special teams

Start 'Em

Cowboys (vs. OAK): Bruce Gradkowski might have played well taking over for the ineffective JaMarcus Russell last week in a win against Cincinnati, but he still had two turnovers. He will likely be turnover happy again. The Cowboys defense has stepped up the last five games with double digits in Fantasy points each week. They have two touchdowns, 16 sacks, five interceptions and six forced fumbles over that span, including limiting Washington to six points last week. The Raiders have four games with less than 10 points this year.

Other DSTs with good matchups: Chargers (vs. KC), Carolina (at NYJ), Seahawks (at STL), Falcons (vs. TB) and Packers (vs. DET)

Sit 'Em

Bears (at MIN): The Bears defense has actually posted solid stats recently with double digits in Fantasy points in three of the past four games, including two in a row against San Francisco and Philadelphia. They have played well despite losing Brian Urlacher (wrist) for the season. But Brett Favre has been turnover free the past three games and has only three interceptions and one fumble on the season. Adrian Peterson, who has four fumbles, could always cough up the ball, but don't look for Chicago to do much on defense in this matchup. There's always the chance of a special teams touchdown, but the Bears DST has only scored two touchdowns on the season.

Kicker

Start 'Em

Rob Bironas (vs. ARI): Bironas is back as a No. 1 Fantasy kicker, and it comes at a good time with the Titans offense playing at a high level. Tennessee has won four games in a row, and Bironas has four games with double digits in Fantasy points. He's attempted at least three field goals in three of those games and also has three games with at least three extra points. The Cardinals have only allowed one kicker to reach double digits in Fantasy points in Week 8 against John Kasay, but six kickers have attempted two field goals in a game this year. The Titans should be able to move the ball and score against Arizona, so look for Bironas to make it five games in a row with double digits in Fantasy points.

Other kickers with good matchups: Shayne Graham (vs. CLE), Nick Folk (vs. OAK) and Dan Carpenter (at BUF)

Sit 'Em

Kris Brown (vs. IND): Brown's confidence level is low heading into this game. He's missed three field goals in his past two games, including two game-tying kicks. One of those was against the Colts in Week 9, so his nightmare is coming back to haunt him. Brown has two games with double digits in Fantasy points this year, but he's missed six field goals on the season. He has the potential to be a No. 1 Fantasy kicker in this offense, but Brown just isn't getting it done. He's also not worth starting in any Fantasy league but his start percentage on CBSSports.com coming into Week 12 is still at 25 percent. Even that is too high. You have to wonder if this original member of the Texans will return in 2010.

You can email your Fantasy Football questions to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Start 'Em and Sit 'Em in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state, and we'll get to as many as we can. Also, follow me on Twitter @jameyeisenberg.