Week 17 Starters & Benchwarmers

Hopefully this isn’t your championship weekend and you’re just playing for fun. But since all bets are off in Week 17, some obvious choices are suddenly not so obvious. Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 17 of the 2011 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills at Patriots. He torched the Patriots for 369 yards and two TDs when these teams met way back in Week 3. Though Fitzpatrick has been mediocre most of December, he has a great chance to finish on a high note as he faces the worst pass defense in the league.

Ben Tate, RB, Texans vs. Titans. With its postseason seeding set in stone, the Texans will surely rest Arian Foster. That should leave the backfield to Tate, assuming he also isn’t reserved. Tate posted 104 yards rushing against Tennessee’s mediocre defense in Week 7, even though Foster started and played well.

Felix Jones, RB, Cowboys at Giants. With everything on the line and his quarterback nursing a bruised hand, Jones will be leaned on heavily in this favorable matchup. He’s had plenty of time to rest his bum hamstring, so look for a heaping helping of Jones in Sunday night’s showdown. He collected 137 combined yards in the last meeting between the division rivals.

Robert Meachem, WR, Saints vs. Panthers. New Orleans still has a bye week on the line, so the starters should get a decent amount of action. With Lance Moore likely to sit out due to a hamstring injury, Meachem has a great chance to prosper against the Panthers’ porous secondary.


Malcom Floyd, WR, Chargers at Raiders. A groin injury will likely sideline Vincent Jackson for the finale, giving Floyd an ideal opportunity to reach the end zone for the third consecutive week. Oakland’s pass defense has been pretty awful, so it should be a nice day all around for those participating in the San Diego aerial attack.

More thumbs up: QBs Michael Vick, Cam Newton, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Matt Stafford; RBs Maurice Jones-Drew, Kahlil Bell, Rashard Mendenhall, Marshawn Lynch, Beanie Wells, C.J. Spiller, Michael Bush, DeAngelo Williams; WRs Reggie Wayne, Brandon Marshall, Percy Harvin, Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Nate Washington, Stevie Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Miles Austin, Laurent Robinson, Denarius Moore.

Roll ‘em back

Tim Tebow, QB, Broncos at Chiefs. Kansas City has played outstanding defense over the past two weeks, most notably against Aaron Rodgers in Week 15. Tebow generally makes up for his passing deficiencies with rushing scores, but those will be tough to come by as well. These teams are heading in opposite directions lately, making Tebow a very risky play in rowdy Arrowhead.

Chris Johnson, RB, Titans at Texans. In Week 7, Houston held Johnson to a paltry 45 combined yards. Though he’s broken out of his early-season doldrums, Johnson is now dealing with a nagging ankle injury on which he’s having trouble cutting. Though the Titans still have a shot at the postseason (provided they get a lot of help), it’s hard to expect a full game, or meaningful production, from “CJ1K” against the stout Texans run defense.

Steven Jackson, RB, Rams vs. 49ers. As predicted here, and virtually nowhere else, Marshawn Lynch finally punctured the 49ers’ defense for its first rushing TD of the season last weekend. Jackson won’t make it two in a row. He was held to 30 combined yards when these teams met in Week 13. It should be another ugly day to finish an ugly season for the Rams.

Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers vs. Lions. Even if Green Bay’s regular starters are allowed to play a quarter or more, Nelson should be resting comfortably on your bench. He lives and dies on big plays and limited targets, so his risk is amplified further when an early exit seems assured.

Andre Johnson, WR, Texans vs. Titans. He’s expected to return from his on-again off-again hamstring injury, but he’ll be on a strict snap count. With nothing at stake for the Texans, and his fellow starters leaving early, Johnson should remain on your bench.

More thumbs down: QBs Aaron Rodgers, Matt Moore, Mark Sanchez, Matt Hasselbeck, Rex Grossman, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco; RBs Donald Brown, Arian Foster, LeGarrette Blount, Mike Tolbert, Kevin Smith, Willis McGahee, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Jackie Battle, Ryan Grant; WRs Plaxico Burress, Vincent Jackson, James Jones, Lance Moore, Greg Little, Demaryius Thomas, Brandon Lloyd, Antonio Brown.

Taking a flier

Stevan Ridley, RB, Patriots vs. Bills. The rookie led his team in rushing the last time they faced the Bills, and Ridley has gotten the most carries in the Patriots’ backfield committee over the last two games. Against the NFL’s 28th-ranked rush defense, Ridley is well positioned to have the best game of his young NFL career on Sunday.

Don’t be the bonehead who…wages your title game in Week 17 again next year. Talk to your commissioner and fellow owners now, and agree to change the schedule so you’re not stuck in this same situation next season. Championships should not be contested while many of your best players are wearing baseball caps.

Week 17 Starters & Benchwarmers

You don’t need me advising you to start Chris Johnson and DeSean Jackson, or to bench Keith Null and David Clowney. So I’ll leave the obvious recommendations to the network bozos and focus instead on players typically on the bubble of most fantasy lineups. Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 17.

Watch ‘em roll

Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles at Cowboys. He’s riding a two-game streak of 300-plus passing yards into a monster showdown with Dallas for the divisional crown. Look for more aerial fireworks as both teams find greater success passing than rushing.

Donald Brown, RB, Colts at Bills. Joseph Addai is unlikely to play much, if at all, in this contest, giving the rookie a chance to rack up big numbers against the NFL’s worst rush defense. Indy is likely to stick to its ground game to keep the heat off QB Curtis Painter, so Brown should see an abundance of carries.

Matt Forte, RB, Bears at Lions. His 74-yard outing against the Vikings on Monday night was hardly awe-inspiring, but it was better than most expected. Meanwhile, the leading candidate for 2009 Bust of the Year “honors” had his only 100-yard game of the season against Detroit in Week 4. Give Forte one more chance against the Lions.

Fred Jackson, RB, Bills vs. Colts. Regardless of who takes the snaps, Buffalo should lean on its running game against Indy’s backup defenders in the frigid confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium. Jackson is the team’s workhorse, and he should have little trouble finding the end zone for the first time since Week 13.

Derrick Mason, WR, Ravens at Raiders. Baltimore needs a win to secure a playoff birth, and Mason needs to atone for last week’s dropped TD pass. Oakland is unlikely to stand in the way of either objective.

More thumbs up: QBs Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton, Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Favre, Matt Schaub, Tom Brady; RBs Jonathan Stewart, Justin Snelling, Frank Gore, Knowshon Moreno, Mike Bell, Darren Sproles, Brandon Jackson, Quinton Ganther, Jerome Harrison; WRs Mike Sims-Walker, Santonio Holmes, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Sidney Rice.

Roll ‘em back

Drew Brees, QB, Saints at Panthers. The Saints have locked up the NFC’s top seed, rendering this game meaningless. Meanwhile, they’re facing a Carolina defense that has held the Giants, Vikings, Bucs and Patriots to 10 points or fewer over the last four games. Even if Brees plays more than a half (which would be somewhat surprising), he’ll have a tough time posting his first multi-touchdown game since Week 14.

Cadillac Williams, RB, Buccaneers vs. Falcons. He was limited to 30 rushing yards in his last meeting with Atlanta, though he took his only reception eight yards for a score. The Falcons’ run defense has been suffocating its opponents recently, so don’t expect Cadillac to follow-up last week’s impressive outing with another.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles at Cowboys. Now that Brian Westbrook is back, the rookie is stuck in a full-fledged committee backfield. Factor in Dallas’ fifth-ranked run defense, which has turned up the heat down the stretch, and both Philly backs belong on your bench.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs at Broncos. The last time these teams met, Matt Cassel played so poorly he was benched. He hasn’t done much better since; and with Denver still fighting for their playoff lives, their stingy secondary will blanket Bowe throughout this contest.

Chad Ochocinco, WR, Bengals at Jets. He’s talking a lot of smack (surprise!), but don’t expect him to back it up this time. Not only is Ochocinco likely to be pulled early in a mostly meaningless game for his team, but Darrelle Revis will be all over him as the Jets seek a victory and a postseason berth.

More thumbs down: QBs Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer; RBs Joseph Addai, Pierre Thomas, Arian Foster, Laurence Maroney, Tim Hightower, LaDainian Tomlinson, Cedric Benson, all Raiders; WRs Reggie Wayne, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Bryant, Devery Henderson, Roy Williams, Chris Chambers, Hines Ward.

TAKING A FLIER

Devin Aromashodu, WR, Bears at Lions. Even though Devin Hester is expected to return for the finale, Aromashodu will have another grand opportunity to shine. Jay Cutler has targeted the shooting star a whopping 31 times over the last three games, including last week’s overtime winner. Johnny Knox’s knee injury is likely to keep him on the sidelines, opening the way for Aromashodu to continue his impressive audition for a 2010 starting job against the toothless Lions.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…schedules your league’s championship game in Week 17 again next season. Play it in Week 16, as Pete Rozelle intended, and wage a “Free for All Bowl” over the final weekend instead.