Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Who Will Come Through in Week 14
Week 14 of the NFL regular season is upon us, which means that crunch time is fast approaching for fantasy football owners.
With the playoffs fast approaching and fantasy league bragging rights on the line, the stakes of every move, every waiver wire claim, are magnified.
So who should you start this week to rack up points? Who should you sit to make sure you're not lagging behind?
Read on to find out!
Start: Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns
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Peyton Hillis has been an absolute revelation for Cleveland this season and is one of the big reasons Josh McDaniels is no longer the head coach in Denver.
Since being traded away by the Broncos for peanuts, Hillis has piled up 962 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 436 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Not bad for a guy who played sparingly during his first two years in the league.
Expect the former Arkansas Razorback to go hog-wild against the Buffalo Bills, who sport the NFL's worst rushing defense, allowing upwards of 170 yards on the ground per game.
Sit: Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants
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A similar line of reasoning would have Ahmad Bradshaw sitting this week out in the fantasy football world.
Like Hillis, Bradshaw has been terrific in an expanded role, currently placing as the NFL's seventh-leading rusher with 1,013 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 239 yards in the passing game.
However, this week may not be the best time to have the little guy from Marshall in the starting lineup with Leslie Frazier's Viking defense as the next opponent.
The Vikes' defense, led by end Jared Allen, currently sports the league's fourth-best mark against the run, giving up a mild 92 yards per game.
With the roll Minnesota has been on ever since ownership handed the reigns to Frazier, don't anticipate Bradshaw and the Giants to do much on the ground this week.
Start: Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals
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Keeping with the theme of running backs and the defenses they like to punish, Tim Hightower seems primed to have a field day on Sunday in Phoenix.
That's because he and the Cardinals will be facing off against the Broncos, who, with or without Josh McDaniels, sport the league's second-worst mark against the run, giving up a shade over 145 yards per game to opposing 'backs.
Combine that with the recent resurgence of Hightower, who posted 81 yards on 15 carries against St. Louis last week, and "Tiny" Tim is looking like a good bet to come through for fantasy owners this week.
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Sit: Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs
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First quarterback up to sit is Kansas City's Matt Cassel, whom fantasy owners should avoid this week despite his brilliant season thus far.
Cassel, with his remarkable efficiency (23 touchdowns to only four interceptions) will be put to the test this Sunday against a Chargers defense that leads the NFL in passing defense and ranks fifth in rushing defense.
San Diego's propensity for turnovers could play a crucial role in Cassel's fantasy value, as he may have more opportunities for touchdowns but not as good a shot at racking up yardage.
Start: Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
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Keeping things out West is San Francisco's Michael Crabtree, who looks like a good bet to come up big in the fantasy world this weekend.
Crabtree and the 49ers will match up on Sunday with the Seahawks, who sport a passing defense that has thus far yielded 20 touchdowns and 268.1 yards per game (third worst in the NFL).
Some would say to avoid Crabtree this week, what with Alex Smith set to return and all. However, the Smith-to-Crabtree has proven to be a rather fruitful one for fantasy owners in the past.
And don't expect that to change against one of the league's most porous defensive backfields.
Sit: Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
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Matt Cassel isn't the only former Trojan quarterback who should be riding the fantasy pine this Sunday.
Fresh off of a 45-3 fricassee in Foxboro, Mark Sanchez and the Jets are set to take on the Miami Dolphins, a team that yields a measly 201.3 yards per game and has already piled up 29 sacks on the season.
And with only one touchdown against four interceptions to go along with 165 yards per game in his last two contests, don't expect Sanchez to heat up this week against the NFL's fifth-best pass defense.
Start: LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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As cold as Sanchez has been for the Jets, LeGarrette Blount has been just as hot for Tampa Bay of late.
The undrafted rookie out of Oregon has emerged as a wrecking ball in the backfield for the Buccaneers after piling up 103 yards and a touchdown against the NFC South division-leading Atlanta Falcons this past week.
With the Washington Redskins on tap for this weekend, expect Blount to come through in a big way against the league's fifth-worst rushing defense.
Sit: Arian Foster, Houston Texans
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Houston's Arian Foster has trampled over the competition this season to the tune of 1,230 yards and 13 touchdowns, both of which lead the league.
That being said, Foster may find himself in a world of hurt on Monday night as the Texans take on the Baltimore Ravens at Reliant Stadium.
Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, and the rest of the Ravens' defense has been more than sturdy against the run, letting up 97.8 yards per game–good for sixth-best in the NFL.
So what happens when an unstoppable force like Foster meets an immovable object like the Ravens' defensive line?
More than likely, a sub-par night for Foster.
Start: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
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On the flip side, Baltimore's Joe Flacco looks like he'll have a pleasant evening in Houston on Monday night.
The Texans are dead last in the NFL in pass defense, having given up 27 touchdowns and 287.4 yards per game through the air.
Combine Houston's ineptitude at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks with Flacco's recent performance (1,071 yards and seven touchdowns with only two interceptions over the last four games), and Flacco looks like a sure thing to blow up this week.
Especially if the likes of Todd Heap, Anquain Boldin and Dante Stallworth can get free against the Texans' defensive backs.
Sit: Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings
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There are a number of factors working against Minnesota's Sidney Rice this weekend.
Despite putting up 105 yards and two touchdowns against Buffalo, Rice will likely find replicating such results to be a tall order against the New York Giants, who bring with them the league's second-stingiest pass defense.
Add in the Vikings' uncertainty at quarterback–will Brett Favre be healthy enough to talk or will Tarvaris Jackson get the nod?–and Sid the Kid looks less and less attractive to fantasy owners this weekend.
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