Because who needs Thanksgiving anyway? Let’s be serious, Thanksgiving is always the same. You eat your own weight in Turkey meat, the Cowboys play some shitty team and we get to watch the Lions gets blown out. I can see why Christmas ads are already playing. So the countdown is on. Let’s check the picks…
QBs
Start:
Matt Hasselbeck (@DET): I know Hasselbeck’s had a couple shitty games since being back but he’s going against a weak Detroit defense. Look for him to put up huge numbers on Sunday
Aaron Rodgers (@TB): Aaron Rodgers plus the Bucs defense equals an easy win and a big day for The Pack
Matt Schaub (@IND): In what seems like the same story every season, Bob Sanders finds something new to hurt and is out for the rest of the season. The Colts’ secondary is already weak before he went down, Schaub will lead the Texans to a big victory
David Garrard (@KC): Garrard hasn’t had a good game, fantasy-wise, in a few weeks but this game against the Chiefs should be a good bounce back for him.
Sit:
Jake Delhomme (@NO): I hope nobody is starting him but if you’re league is deep you might have him on your team. I’m not even gonna talk about all the picks he’s thrown so far this year but he’s going against a top 5 defense in the Saints. He’ll have a rough game on Sunday
Jay Cutler (@ARI): Arizona has been quietly winning on defense the past few weeks and Cutler’s shown that once he gets rattled he falls apart.
Kyle Orton (@PIT): Orton had a miserable game last week. Defenses have figured out the Broncos offense so look for the Steelers to use a lot of pressure to disrupt Orton’s timing
Eli Manning (@SD): Eli hasn’t been playing well since having to face good teams. The Chargers have been stepping up their D the past couple weeks too.
RBs
Start:
Michael Turner (@WAS): The Skins are in the bottom third in terms of run defense in the league and Turner had a huge game against the Saints last week. Look for him to keep the momentum going
Maurice Jones-Drew (@KC): MJD has been the Jags entire offense for the last few weeks and the Chiefs were lucky to get one win. Jones-Drew will definitely blow up this week
Pierre Thomas/Mike Bell (@CAR): The Panthers have a terrible run defense and either one of these guys will blow up. Despite the propensity to fumble a lot, either one is a good option for your team
Ryan Grant (@TB): I feel like this should be common sense but Tampa is just an embarrassment right now and Ryan Grant is a wicked good RB
Sit:
Matt Forte (@ARI): The Cardinals have the number 8 run defense in the league and their doing it very much under the radar. Forte hasn’t been producing like his owners have wanted so I’d suggest sitting him this week
Cedric Benson (@BAL): The Ravens have been stepping up their D this season. I don’t know if you’ve seen the highlight of Ray Lewis blowing up Chad Ochocinco and knocking his helmet off. That sums up the Baltimore D this year. Here’s the clip:
Chris Johnson (@SF): I know this sounds crazy but the Niners have the second best Run D in the NFL. They’re also getting back stars Takeo Spikes and Nate Clements. San Fran will be ready for Smash & Dash this week
Whoever the Patriots throw out there (@MIA): When Joey Porter talks, he produces. When he said that “Matt Cassel is not Tom Brady” he had six tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. He’s coming to play so the Fins D will be flying around the ball on Sunday
WRs
Start:
Andre Johnson (@IND): He’s a beast, no question. With a weak secondary, Schaub will be finding him a lot on Sunday
Calvin Johnson (@SEA): Seattle doesn’t have an outstanding pass defense but when you have a guy who led the league in TD catches last season by catching it from nobodies, then you have to start him. Stafford is back and healthy so he should have a good game
Chad Ochocinco (@BAL): He got blown up last time they played but he’s found his rhythm with Palmer and he’s putting up the numbers that made him a pro bowler
DeSean Jackson (@DAL): Jackson is known for breaking huge plays. Deep passes, reverses or kick returns, he finds the end zone. Against a weak Cowboys secondary, he’ll add more clips to his highlight reel
Sit:
Vincent Jackson (@NYG): The lone bright spot for the G-men the last few weeks has been their pass defense, which is ranked third in the NFL. If they can get to Rivers up front then the guys deep will get some picks
Hines Ward (@DEN): Ward had a few good games so far but he’s going against two of the best to ever play the secondary, Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey. If a 35 year old Ty Law can be effective then Ward will be relegated to blocking duty
Steve Smith (CAR)(@NO): Darren Sharper is a pick-6 machine. He has seven picks and three of them for TDs. I’d stay away from Smith
Miles Austin (@PHI): Philly has a ball hawk of their own, Asante Samuel. With Miles Austin the clear number one, those two will be matched up and if Romo makes a mistake then Samuel will make him pay.
D/ST
Start:
Green Bay Packers (@TB): The Bucs don’t have anyone explosive on offense so the Pack will have an easy time shutting them down
New England Patriots (@MIA): They won’t let the Wildcat surprise them again. They had the bye week to work out some defensive kinks against the Wildcat and they’ll shut down Ronnie Brown and Co.
Baltimore Ravens (@CIN): Though Palmer and 85 are finally on the same page. Refer to the video above to see why you should start the Ravens this week
New York Giants (@SD): The front seven is tough and the secondary can play well. If they can get to the QB, then they’ll put up points for you
Sit:
Carolina Panthers (@NO): Drew. Brees. He’s playing out of his mind this year and can throw to ball to pretty much anyone and it’ll be a TD.
Washington Redskins (@ATL): Matty Ice came close to leading a comeback against the Saints last week and has shown he can put up points at will. He has a lot of weapons at his disposal
Dallas Cowboys (@PHI): DeSean Jackson can go for a TD every time he touches the ball and the new found run game with LeSean McCoy is a dangerous combo against “America’s Team”
Chicago Bears (@ARI): Warner and Fitzgerald can go off and they have an emerging two headed monster in Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. The Bears are still feeling the effect of missing Urlacher.
Waiver Wire:
Ryan Moats (RB, Houston Texans)(@IND): Moats had a pretty good coming out party last week with Slaton on the bench. All reports say that he’ll be splitting carries with Chris Brown but he’ll still put up numbers because Brown isn’t really that good to begin with
Jamaal Charles (RB, Kansas City Chiefs)(@JAC): With Johnson out for at least one game, Charles will get the majority of the carries and hopefully establish himself as the number one
That’s all I got kids. Leave it in the comments. Until next week…