Fantasy Football Week 15: 10 Starters You Must Bench Now To Win Your Playoffs

It's fantasy football playoff time which only means one thing: Win or go home!

While conventional wisdom says that you should stick with the guys who got you this far, that's not always the wisest strategy. In fact, it would be downright foolish in several cases. So to help you from acting out of blind loyalty to your guys, we're counting down the Top 10 Starters You Have To Bench Now To Win Your Playoffs!

Note: This list excludes kickers and defenses/special teams. The players are ranked in terms of how crucial it is to bench them.

10. Kellen Winslow

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SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 21: Kellen Winslow #82 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is hit by Dashon Goldson #38 and Nate Clements #22 of the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on November 21, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Ima

The Skinny: Winslow hasn’t had more than 65 receiving yards in a game since Week 5, and there are games where he seems to completely disappear. While he does have a plus matchup against Detroit, there are likely better options available.

Projected Points: 5

Better Play: Owen Daniels—Remember him? He made his return last week and racked up five catches for 91 yards against the Ravens. Daniels plays in a prolific passing offense, and he’s likely to be heavily involved against Tennessee.

9. Chris Cooley

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Deon Grant #34 of the New York Giants forces a fourth quarter fumble against Chris Cooley #47 of the Washington Redskins on December 5, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defe

The Skinny: With Rex Grossman at quarterback, all Washington skill players should be downgraded, and Cooley is no exception. Cooley is one of the more overrated fantasy tight ends seeing as how he hasn’t had a 100-yard game all season and hasn’t found the end zone since Week 4.

Projected Points: 5

Better Play: Kevin Boss—Boss has emerged as an important part of the New York passing attack, especially now that they’ve been decimated by injuries at wide receiver. After a slow start to the season, Boss has four touchdowns in the past six weeks.

8. Matt Cassel

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Matt Cassel #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs in action during the game against the Denver Broncos on December 5, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Skinny: This may be the only time you’ll ever see a recommendation to sit a guy who’s thrown 23 touchdowns against four interceptions on the season. However, Cassel is still recovering from an appendectomy, and he’s not guaranteed to play. Even if he does, he’ll be at less than 100 percent, and the Chiefs are likely to employ a run-first attack. The St. Louis defense has allowed an opposing QB rating of only 81.2.

Projected Points: 11

Better Play: Josh Freeman—Freeman plays a must-win game for Tampa Bay at home against a sub-par Lions secondary. Freeman should be good for at least a pair of touchdowns.

7. Rashard Mendenhall

Karl Walter/Getty Images

ORCHARD PARK, NY - NOVEMBER 28: Rashard Mendenhall #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers rushes against the Buffalo Bills during their game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 28, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images)

The Skinny: Mendenhall is part of a severely slumping Steelers offense that has scored just one offensive touchdown in the last 11 quarters. Combine that with a tough match up against the Jets, and Mendenhall is a player to avoid. He’s averaged under 3.8 yards per carry in three of the last four weeks and has failed to find the end zone in each of the last two weeks.

Projected Points: 7

Better Play: Ryan Torain—Torain ran for a career-high 172 yards on 24 carries against the Bucs last week after missing four games due to injury. The Redskins should continue to feed him the ball, especially with Rex Grossman starting at Dallas.

6. Sidney Rice

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MINNEAPOLIS - JANUARY 17: Wide receiver Sidney Rice #18 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on January 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minn

The Skinny: Through no fault of his own, Rice’s value has fallen off the table this week because of Minnesota’s quarterback situation. The Vikings are likely to start Joe Webb, who was actually drafted as a QB/WR, and all Minnesota players should be downgraded. They are playing a Chicago defense that was embarrassed by New England last week and needs to redeem itself before the playoffs.

Projected Points: 5

Better Play: Kenny Britt—The sneaky play of the week, Britt should benefit by going up against a woeful Houston secondary. Britt probably has more upside than either Nate Washington or Randy Moss, and he should be started confidently with the dream matchup that is the Houston defense.

5. Tim Hightower

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 26: Runningback Tim Hightower #34 of the Arizona Cardinals rushes the football against Ricky Brown #27 of the Oakland Raiders during the third quarter of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 26, 2010 in

The Skinny: Most of Hightower’s points came in garbage time against the Broncos last week, so don’t go chasing points. Beanie Wells is more likely to be involved this week and could vulture the goal line carries. The Arizona offense is too inept to get excited about Hightower, even if they are playing the Panthers.

Projected Points: 6

Better Play: Danny Woodhead—Though he often takes a backseat to BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Woodhead remains an important part of the New England offense. New England has the best offense in the league, hence there are more touchdowns to go around. Bottom line: Go with a New England running back over an Arizona running back.

4. Kyle Orton

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GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 12: Quarterback Kyle Orton #8 of the Denver Broncos is sacked by Clark Haggans #53 of the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeate

The Skinny: Benching Orton probably goes without saying more than any other player on the list (I considered leaving him off the list simply because it seems too obvious that he should be benched). The Broncos have completely fallen apart, both on offense and as a whole, leaving little to no upside for Orton. Owners who cashed in on Denver’s surprisingly explosive offense in the first half of the season have been severely disappointed in three of Denver’s last four games. Denver has also shown more of a commitment to running the football since Josh McDaniels was fired. With Tim Tebow lurking, Orton is a shaky play even in Two-QB leagues.

Projected Points: 9

Better Play: David Garrard—Lost in the shadow of Maurice Jones-Drew, Garrard has quietly been having a great season. He’s playing a must-win game against a Colts defense that can stop anyone. Garrard is available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues.

3. Chad Ochocinco

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Chirstopher Owens #21 of the Atlanta Falcons nearly picks off this pass intended for Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Skinny: There’s just not a lot of upside with Ochocinco anymore. Carson Palmer has played poorly (despite a relatively high touchdown total), and the Bengals are mired in a 10-game losing streak. He’s gone over 100 yards just twice this season and has scored only four touchdowns. He’s also listed as probable with an ankle injury.

Projected Points: 5

Better Play: Austin Collie—You’d be taking a calculated risk by starting Collie, but it could be one worth taking. Collie is clearly Indy’s second-best receiver when healthy and he has a great matchup against a poor Jacksonville secondary. Look for him to find the end zone at least once.

2. Cedric Benson

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CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 05: Jonathan Vilma #51 and Sedrick Ellis #98 of the New Orleans Saints tackle Cedric Benson #32 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the NFL game at Paul Brown Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Saints won 34-30.

The Skinny: Benson is averaging fewer than 3.0 yards per carry in four of his last five games and has just two 100-yard games all season. With the Bengals going nowhere this season, it may make more sense for the team to get some carries to Bernard Scott. Cleveland’s defense is underrated, and Benson has very marginal upside.

Projected Points: 6

Better Play: Mike Goodson—Goodson continues to split reps with Jonathan Stewart, and he has a prime matchup against a miserable Arizona run defense. With Carolina’s inept passing attack, the only choice for the Panthers to win may be a heavy dose of Goodson and Stewart. Goodson has scored a touchdown in three straight games.

1. Brandon Lloyd

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BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 10: Fabian Washington #31 of the Baltimore Ravens breaks up a pass intended for Brandon Lloyd #84 of the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. Players wore pink in recognition of Breast Can

The Skinny: Lloyd isn’t the same fantasy beast that he was when the season started. The Josh McDaniels regime has crumbled, and Denver has looked awful on offense the past two weeks. To make matters worse, Lloyd is listed as questionable with a calf injury, and Lloyd will probably be covered by Nnamdi Asomugha.

Projected Points: 4

Better Play: Deion Branch - All of a sudden, Branch has become an integral part of the NFL’s most explosive offense. After watching what he and the Pats could do in a blizzard last week, imagine what he’s going to do in a home game, where the Patriots always dominate (snow or no snow).