Fantasy Football Game of the Week: Denver at Carolina

The Week 15 version of your fantasy football scorefest will bring us to Carolina, as the Panthers try to duplicate their brilliant performance as they steamrolled the Tampa Bay Bucs.

The Broncos look to put up some more points through their brilliant air attack. As we roll into the fantasy playoffs, the outcome of this game could be the difference between you advancing or going home.

I have seen few better displays of running the football against a good team than what the Panthers did to Tampa on Monday night. It didn’t matter if it was DeAngelo Williams or Johnathan Stewart, the Panthers were chewing up huge chunks of yardage nearly every time they ran the ball.

The Broncos rank 26th in the league against the run, allowing nearly 140 yards per game on the ground so you should see another solid game out of the Panthers’ terrific twosome in the backfield.

You have to expect that Williams will have the better game, and should break 100 yards, but I think there is a good chance that Stewart will be able to break 75 yards.

It is hard to predict that both guys will score once again (nevermind twice again), and if I had to pick who gets the TD I would definitely pick Williams. Unless you have two studs, Stewart should be a reliable option.

Steve Smith is a must-start every week. This should not be news. I’m not going to go on and on about Smith. If you have him, play him without a thought.

His quarterback, Jake Delhomme on the other hand, has become an inconsistent option. However, the Denver defense is just as bad against the pass than it is vs. the run, so if you have Delhomme he should perform better than he has in recent weeks.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s going to air it out for 300 yards and three TDs, but he could get over 225 and maybe two scores. No one else on the Carolina offense is worth consideration for starting this weekend.

The Broncos will always go as far as the arm of Jay Cutler will take them. This is partly due to the fact that they have been decimated by injury at the running back position.

When Peyton Hillis was injured and was ruled out for the season, Tatum Bell became the seventh running back Denver used this season. Considering this fact, the running game of the Broncos hasn’t been that bad.

Bell showed some signs last week against the Chiefs, but then again it was against the Chiefs. He will find the running considerably tougher this week against Carolina, but I still think he can approach 75 yards, but I would be somewhat surprised if he scored.

The Panthers are viewed as an incredible defense, but they are only 17th against the run, and have allowed 11 rushing TDs in 13 games. Carolina knows that they have to focus on stopping one man, however, and that is Jay Cutler.

He has taken a giant step forward this season, from world of potential to budding superstar. Cutler has the arm and the moxie to be an elite fantasy quarterback right now, and has been a steal for owners who most likely drafted him as a second QB.

Brandon Marshall has taken an even bigger step forward, as he has become one of the five best receivers in the NFL. He’s big, his hands are soft as a baby’s butt, and he is a bear to tackle.

Like Steve Smith, Marshall is someone that you start every week, no questions asked. Eddie Royal has been the best rookie receiver in the NFL and is someone that should be in your lineup in most weeks. He has been somewhat inconsistent, but he is a a rookie after all, and outside of a few (Ryan, Forte, C. Johnson), that is what rookies are.

He might not be the best play against the Panthers this week, but as always it depends on your roster. After weeks of injury and ineffectiveness, Tony Scheffler is back on the tight end radar, and if you don’t have one of the elite, Scheffler is worth a play.

As always, your comments and questions are welcome at [e-mail]. I guarantee a response within 18 hours.