Fantasy Football: Week 11 IDPs Start/Sit

By Sean Haugh

Thanks to Chad for pulling double duty last week and covering for me during my busiest work week of the year.  I paid for it too in a couple leagues with lineup calls which sounded good at the time but obviously merited greater scrutiny—like starting Ray Rice and sitting Julius Peppers.

That I still would’ve gone 1-1 in the games where I sat Peppers is no consolation.  At least I had to start him in our Maniaxs dynasty league since LaMarr Woodley was out, which helped my Durham Regulators triumph over the Sack-Attack and finally stake a very tenuous hold on first place.  As in, I have the tiebreaker over one team, with two more only a half game out.

Here’s hoping you are reading this while feeling the excitement of a title hunt of your own.  Even a squad at 3-7, such as my home keeper team the Carolina Huddle, isn’t out of it yet.  Close out the season with four wins and even if you don’t keep playing after that, at least you’ll take comfort knowing...you ruined the dreams of some of your best friends.

There’s a terrible responsibility that comes with writing such a column.  For instance, the last time the Cowboys and Redskins played, and I said start all Cowboys and all Redskins; some people actually followed that advice.  Can you believe that?  One poor fool in the forums even started Devin Thomas.

I felt terrible.  As if I didn’t already have enough motivation to stop recommending Andre Carter, I will keep this transparently insane superstition to myself from now on.  There shall be no further mention of any Cowboys or Redskins today.

Thursday Night Special

The Jets and Patriots square off for AFC East supremacy.  I can’t believe I just said that.  I find it easier to believe the Dolphins are playoff bound.  The Jets just really haven’t impressed me as a great team in the games I’ve seen.

And yet the scores and statistics do not lie. The Jets have somehow managed to bag the second highest number of sacks in the league and are facing a team in the Patriots that still allows three sacks a game.  Make sure you get DE Shaun Ellis and DT Kris Jenkins into your lineup.

Other Defensive Ends to Start

I’ve had to eat crow on DE Dwight Freeney.  Ever since Troy Aikman retired, Freeney has been my poster child for great football players who aren’t great fantasy plays.  (Which explains why I am a fool and sometimes sit Julius Peppers.)  But he has put up four top scoring games so far this year.

One of those was against the Texans, who come to visit Indianapolis again this week.  What Freeney did to Matt Schaub he can do double to Sage Rosenfels.

So who is the lucky DE who gets to play Big Ben the Tackling Dummy this week?  That would be San Diego’s Luis Castillo.

One DE I am very much looking forward to starting this week is Tampa Bay’s Gaines Adams who gets to annoy Gus Frerotte.  It just smells right.

Defensive Ends to Sit

The Broncos and Chargers continue to make their QBs look great with excellent offensive line play.

Indeed, the QB and OL are the only pieces working in Denver right now. Since Atlanta’s John Abraham has fallen from stud status with only one great game since week five, I feel safe saying sit him this week against Denver.

Meanwhile, San Diego will show Pittsburgh and Aaron Smith how to pass protect.

Linebackers to Start

Getting back to the accursed Ray Rice—between two teams there are six RBs who get a ton of carries and there’s only one decent fantasy start among them.

Besides the Ravens, I am also thinking of the Giants.  The Raiders and even the Broncos these days can only dream of such a triple headed attack that will let them run a ton.

And what do you know?  The Ravens and Giants play each other this week.  Ray Lewis will get lots of tackle opportunities.  For those of you who picked Chase Blackburn playing pin the tail on the fill in when Antonio Pierce went down, give yourselves a...

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