Week 16 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Drew Brees and LeSean McCoy, or to bench Seneca Wallace and Joseph Addai in your championship game? The network bozos specialize in that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 16 of the 2011 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons at Saints. With seven TD passes and no interceptions over the past two weeks, Ryan is among the hottest QBs in the land. He’ll need to keep up the blistering pace on Monday night as he duels Drew Brees in what is sure to be a fantasypalooza.

Ryan Mathews, RB, Broncos at Lions. Coming off a week in which he gashed the Ravens’ elite defense for 90 yards and two scores, Mathews now gets to pick on Detroit’s vulnerable run defense. He could score as a rusher and receiver in this high-flying contest.


Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seahawks vs. 49ers. Call it a hunch, or pure confidence in a tailback who hasn’t failed to reach the end zone since Week 3. Not only wouldn’t I sit Lynch against the NFL’s top-ranked run defense; I’ll bet he posts the first rushing score of the year on them.

Plaxico Burress, WR, Jets vs. Giants. The cross-town smack talk is in full swing, but the Giants’ porous secondary won’t be able to muzzle the chatter, or the scoring. Look for Burress to penetrate the end zone at least once against his former team, and add some nice yardage along the way.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles at Cowboys. He’s been hindered in recent weeks by hamstring and shoulder injuries, but Maclin appears reliably healthy now. He notched 54 yards and a TD in the teams’ first meeting, and similar or better production awaits in what should be a high-scoring rematch.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Matt Stafford, Cam Newton, Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Matt Moore, Tim Tebow; RBs Michael Bush, Reggie Bush, Kevin Smith, Willis McGahee, Rashard Mendenhall, C.J. Spiller, Shonn Greene, Cedric Benson, Beanie Wells; WRs A.J. Green, Nate Washington, Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith, Mike Williams (Bucs), Percy Harvin, Dwayne Bowe, Stevie Johnson, Jordy Nelson, Santonio Holmes.

Roll ‘em back

Rex Grossman, QB, Redskins vs. Vikings. Grossman is at the top of many sleeper lists this week since he’ll be facing Minnesota’s generous secondary. That might make sense if (a) he hadn’t underachieved in other juicy matchups, and (b) he didn’t have the capacity to implode at any given moment. Don’t pin your title hopes on one of the most unreliable passers on the planet.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers vs. Buccaneers. In three of his last four games, Williams has scored at least once and rushed for 61 or more yards. But he stunk it up in the other contest, in Tampa Bay. Unless Williams breaks another long TD run Sunday, you may be left cursing Cam Newton for stealing all the goal-line glory.

Roy Helu, RB, Redskins vs. Vikings. A lower leg injury presumably was the cause of his poor productivity last week, and it could limit his touches on Sunday, too. You know how skittish Mike Shanahan can be with his rushers. Evan Royster could be this week’s favored son. Helu comes with considerable risk against a solid run defense.

Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens vs. Browns. With news that Anquan Boldin is out due to knee surgery, Smith will be the primary receiver in this matchup. That means he’ll be blanketed by Joe Haden, who is playing at an elite level.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, Rams at Steelers. Whether or not Sam Bradford (ankle) suits up, Lloyd can’t be trusted against the stingiest pass defense in the league.

More thumbs down: QBs Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Matt Hasselbeck, Alex Smith, Kyle Orton, Carson Palmer; RBs Marion Barber, Steven Jackson, Donald Brown, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Toby Gerhart, Jonathan Stewart, Peyton Hillis, Jackie Battle, Ben Tate, Brandon Jacobs; WRs Eric Decker, Greg Little, Steve Breaston, Reggie Wayne, Denarius Moore.

Taking a flier

Kahlil Bell, RB, Bears at Packers. Looking for a sneaky flex play? Marion Barber is quickly wearing out his welcome in Chicago, and he’s been sitting out practice this week with a calf injury. Green Bay has coughed up at least one rushing TD per game for six straight weeks. Bell is a decent bet to make it seven.

Don’t be the bonehead who…heads out for last-minute Christmas shopping and forgets that Saturday is the new Sunday. A full slate of 13 games will be played on Christmas Eve this year. Be sure to lock in your championship game lineup by Saturday morning.

Stop screaming; it’s merely a flesh wound

Remember the scene in The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo is frozen in carbonite in mid-scream? That’s how I pictured Mike Vick’s owners, myself included, upon hearing that he’d broken his hand while taking another pummeling on Sunday.

Now, I realize the Star Wars reference only reinforces the image of the stereotypical fantasy “geek,” but I’m not worried about being bullied. It’s Vick’s broken bones that could hurt me.

Fortunately, the news isn’t as bone-chilling as first reported. Vick’s non-throwing right hand is bruised and badly swollen, but not broken. He’ll be iffy heading into this weekend, but a month-long absence is no longer in the cards.

But you can’t help wondering if Vick is playing on borrowed time, given the heavy punishment he keeps absorbing. While his extended loss wouldn’t necessarily cause an offensive tailspin like that experienced by the Manning-less Colts, those counting on DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin must be concerned. Whether the underachieving Vince Young or the inexperienced Mike Kafka took over, the Eagles’ wide-open offense wouldn’t be nearly as explosive. Opposing defenses would shift their attention squarely on budding superstar LeSean McCoy, who might find his running lanes much more clogged.

But Vick’s owners aren’t the only ones sporting the Solo shriek these days. Run into a Chris Johnson or Arian Foster owner lately? They’re easy to spot with the dark cloud hovering over their heads.

Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson is feeling so good, he’s pledged $5,000 for every touchdown he scores to help at-risk youth through his All Day Foundation. The “Football for Good” campaign, launched this weekend in tandem with Hollywood A-listers Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, is the rare off-field story you like to hear from a star athlete. Jackson and Dallas Clark have even agreed to match Peterson’s pledges.

In appreciation for the three touchdowns Peterson has already delivered in two of my leagues, the Chief Fool has pitched in at the online fundraising site (www.crowdrise.com/football). Imagine the difference 25 million fantasy fanatics could collectively make by “giving back” to Peterson’s cause? Hey, it might even help shed our nerdy image…


FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, it helps to start with a great draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is also important. Here's a look at players worth considering, and others who would look better in someone else's lineup.

Catch ‘em while you can

Kendall Hunter, RB, 49ers. Owners of Frank Gore will want to hedge their bets with Hunter, who totaled 38 yards and a touchdown after the starter injured his ankle. Following the game, Gore talked like a guy who didn’t expect to play in Week 4. The Niners have not had much success on the ground thus far, though; so Hunter is only a stop-gap measure.

Bernard Scott, RB, Bengals. With Cedric Benson headed for a three-game suspension, Scott will be the Bengals’ interim starter. Though Brian Leonard should see some carries as well, Scott is the more explosive back. More important, if Scott gets hot, Benson’s starting job might not be waiting for him in Week 7.

Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens. When you rack up 133 yards and three scores on your first three NFL receptions, you attract a measure of attention. The speedy rookie won’t jump ahead of Lee Evans (ankle) into a starting job overnight, mostly due to his reputation for inconsistency; but he has surely secured a spot on Joe Flacco’s radar.

Nate Washington, WR, Titans. Just as I was preparing to recommend Matt Hasselbeck, who currently ranks tenth among fantasy passers, Kenny Britt suffered what appears to be a season-ending knee injury. While Hasselbeck’s stock takes a hit with the loss of the AFC’s leading receiver, Washington’s soars. He tallied eight receptions for 92 yards and a TD on Sunday.

Don’t be fooled

Vince Young, QB, Eagles. If Vick sits out the Week 4 contest with the 49ers, Young could get the starting nod. But Kafka was called upon after Vick went down Sunday, so perhaps he’ll be the man. Young hasn’t been fantasy-relevant since his rookie year in 2006. Kafka has 107 passing yards and two interceptions on his NFL resume. I’ll turn to my bench for help this week.

Roy Williams, WR, Bears. Three weeks ago, I set the over/under on Williams losing his starting job to Johnny Knox at five weeks. If you took the under, you’re sitting pretty. After dropping every pass he touched on Sunday, Williams should be on your waiver wire today.