Fantasy Football Start or Sit: Jerricho Cotchery vs. Santonio Holmes

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Santonio Holmes opened the season with a bang, catching nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.  Since then, while he’s had some solid days, his numbers have been more like a whimper, failing to find the end zone a single time.

Like I said, it is not like he hasn’t had some good days:

• Five catches for 83 yards in Week Two
• Five catches for 104 yards in Week Six
• Six catches for 93 yards in Week Nine

Those are all solid games, but the lack of putting six points on the board puts a serious limit on his value.  This week, you have to be asking yourself: Is this the week?

He has proven that he is too good of a player to simply not be able to score.  He had five TDs last season and eight in 2007.  It really is just a matter of time, especially with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm of what has matured into a pass happy offense.

In Week 10 Holmes will face off against the Bengals, a team that has allowed 241.6 yards per game through the air, among the 10 worst in the league.  However, yardage does not always mean scores, as the Bengals are tied for 17th with 10 TDs allowed.  Four of those came at the hands of Matt Schaub, so it certainly is possible for them to get burned.

In Jerricho Cotchery, you get a player who is still working his way back from injury.  He had three catches for 70 yards in his first game back, prior to last week’s bye.  The injury is the only thing that has derailed him, having at least 70 yards in almost every game he’s played (outside of his one catch, four-yard performance in Week Five).

However, he too has only found the end zone once this season and certainly puts his success in significantly less dependable hands.  Who would you rather have throwing you the ball, Roethlisberger or rookie Mark Sanchez?

Like Cincinnati, the Jaguars give up significant yardage, allowing 242.2 yards per game, but they have been burned for 15 TDs through the air.  Rashean Mathis, the team’s best weapon in the secondary, missed some time with a broken finger but returned to the lineup last week.

The question is: Is that a good thing?  He’s a well-known gambler, and if the risk doesn’t pay off, it could lead to a wide receiver for the Jets going the distance.

So, with a look at the matchups, which way do you go?  For me, the two players are evenly matched (and both have a second skilled receiver on their team to battle for touches), especially when you consider the opponents in Week 10.  The biggest difference is the quarterback, however.

I’d much rather take the gamble on the guy who has Roethlisberger throwing him the ball, as opposed to a rookie whose team utilizes the run to protect him.  It’s close, but if I have to choose, I’m going with Holmes this week.

What about you?  Which player would you use in Week 10?  Why?

Previous Week 10 Start or Sit:

• Johnny Knox vs. Terrell Owens

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