Fantasy Football Week 8: Sunday Morning Start 'Em or Sit 'Em Thoughts

Just hours before the start of Week 8 I know many people have questions running through their heads.  Who should I start?  Who should I sit?

Let’s take a look at a few situations to try and settle things:

Beanie Wells—Running Back—Arizona Cardinals

AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban said on Friday, “If Beanie gets real hot early, he could be in the 30-carry range assuming the Cards have success.”  Having been named the starter already, that’s the type of thing that fantasy owners love to hear.

Of course, Tim Hightower’s presence may make it difficult to see that happen.  He may no longer be the starter due to fumble issues, but all the talk out of Arizona is that he is still going to be a factor in the offense.  Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but until Hightower fully becomes an afterthought you have to take him into account.

Then again, with Arizona having a struggling quarterback and facing a Buccaneers defense that has allowed the second most rushing yards per game this season (157.7 yards), there should be more than enough opportunities to keep both backs happy.

The matchup is there. The opportunity appears to be there. This could finally be the 2010 coming out party for Wells and depending on your other options he certainly is worth playing. 

Verdict: Start ‘Em if you are in need of a running back

Brett Favre—Quarterback—Minnesota Vikings

The Favre situation is a tough one for fantasy owners, as he has an extremely appealing matchup against a weak New England Patriots secondary.  The problem is you have absolutely no clue if he’s going to play.  ESPN quoted Favre as saying, “My expectations are to play and play well enough for us to have a chance to win this game.”

Given Favre’s history, that would generally be enough to convince us to rely on him one more time.  However, we have not gotten the same Brett Favre in 2010.  He’s completing just 58.1 percent of his attempts compared to 68.4 percent in 2009.  He has already thrown 10 INTs compared to just seven TDs.  Last season he was at 33 TDs and seven INTs.

He also has already lost four fumbles.  Over the past three seasons he lost a total of seven fumbles and only twice since 2002 has he lost more than four (his career high is seven in 2005).

If he had been playing well then maybe I could see depending on him in one-quarterback formats, but that’s clearly not the case.  At this point it also wouldn’t surprise me if he did start, but if he plays poorly early on he easily could be pulled in favor of Tarvaris Jackson.  He’s just too big of a risk to trust in one-quarterback formats. 

Verdict: Sit ‘Em as the risk is too high

Jonathan Stewart—Running Back—Carolina Panthers

Darin Gantt of The Rock Hill Herald/Charlotte Observer is reporting (via Twitter) that DeAngelo Williams did not make the trip to St. Louis.  That leaves Jonathan Stewart in line to get full-time duty in the Panthers backfield.

Stewart has not been good this season, averaging just three yards per carry, but this is his opportunity to make fantasy owners forget all about that.  The Rams are allowing over 100 rushing yards per game and we all know how dynamic Stewart potentially is.

I wouldn’t call him a must-start by any stretch, but if you are in need of a fill-in he’s certainly worth rolling the dice on. 

Verdict: Start ‘Em if you are in need of a running back

Michael Hoomanawanui—Tight End—St. Louis Rams

With Danario Alexander being forced out for a few weeks due to a torn meniscus, the problems for the Rams wide receivers just continue to mount.  It leaves no clear-cut option for fantasy owners to depend on.

Danny Amendola has the best chance to shine, as he currently leads the team with 39 receptions and 351 yards.  Laurent Robinson (seven receptions for 42 yards) and Mardy Gilyard (six receptions for 63 yards) also have potential, but let’s not forget about Michael Hoomanawanui, who had a monster preseason but missed Week 2 through Week 5 due to injury.

He had nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown in the preseason and looks like he could easily emerge as a red-zone target for Sam Bradford.  At 6’4”, 264 lbs. and the sheer number of injuries Rams have endured certainly make his stock rise.  He’s not a must-play this week and is a huge risk, but if you are in a deeper league and are in need of a tight end he’s certainly worth watching closely. 

Verdict: Start ‘Em if you are absolutely desperate for a tight end

What are your thoughts on these players?  Would you play or bench them?  Why or why not?

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s Week 8 Rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 15 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers
• Top 15 Defenses
• Waiver Worthy
• Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em
• Sunday Sleepers

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