Week 4 Starters & Benchwarmers

Wondering whether or not to start Aaron Rodgers and Wes Welker, or to bench Curtis Painter and Chaz Schilens? 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 4 of the 2011 season.

Watch ‘em roll

Jay Cutler, QB, Bears vs. Panthers. Cutler may not face a softer secondary all season than the Panthers. Throw out Blaine Gabbert’s performance in last week’s monsoon, and Carolina’s pass defense has been a wreck. This should be one of Cutler’s occasional “up” weeks.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, Buccaneers vs. Colts. Blount has returned to his workhorse role (24 carries in Week 3), and he should get plenty of cracks at the end zone in this matchup. Indy’s run defense isn’t as good as they appeared against Pittsburgh last week.

Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals vs. Bills. In a bit of a surprise, Benson now appears on track to start in Week 4, since the NFL has not ruled on his suspension appeal. The Bills can be run on, and Benson will be leaned on heavily. If his appeal is denied, Bernard Scott is a quality proxy.

Denarius Moore, WR, Raiders vs. Patriots. New England’s pass defense is downright sieve-like this season, having coughed up 1,163 passing yards and 7 TDs in just three games. That’s good news for Jason Campbell (who is hard to trust) and Moore, who has scored in consecutive outings. The rookie could pay big dividends this week.

Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers vs. Broncos. He has scored in two of three games thus far, while emerging as the undisputed No. 2 wideout in Aaron Rodgers’ arsenal. Denver can’t match up with Green Bay’s aerial fire power, while the Packers’ rushing game is in flux at present. All of which combines to make Nelson a terrific start.

More thumbs up (excluding the no-brainers): QBs Eli Manning, Matt Stafford, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Ryan; RBs Fred Jackson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Matt Forte, Tim Hightower, Joseph Addai, Darren Sproles, James Starks, Ryan Mathews; WRs Dwayne Bowe, Nate Washington, Mike Williams (Bucs) Stevie Johnson, Johnny Knox, Lance Moore, Brandon Lloyd, Santana Moss, Percy Harvin.

Roll ‘em back

Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens vs. Jets. Flacco has alternated up and down performances, and this week’s matchup looks like another downer. New York has given up just two passing scores to date, with seven interceptions to their credit. Sunday night’s contest should be a defensive slugfest.

Jahvid Best, RB, Lions at Cowboys. He’s nursing a bruised thigh and heading into a matchup with one of the NFL’s stingiest run defenses. Best should contribute as a receiver, but probably not enough to justify starting him; unless your options are very limited.

Willis McGahee, RB, Broncos at Packers. He has benefited from Knowshon Moreno’s absence the last two weeks, but he’ll likely have to share the load this weekend against the league’s top rush defense. No, thank you.

Marques Colston, WR, Saints at Jaguars. The Saints have a history of easing their injured receivers back into the rotation slowly, as we saw most recently with Lance Moore in Week 2. Colston is unlikely to get a full complement of snaps in his first action since injuring his collarbone in the opener. Give him a week to get back in the groove.

Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys vs. Lions. He is still struggling with his bruised thigh, and his quarterback is clearly far from 100 percent. Meanwhile, Detroit’s pass defense has been stellar to date. I don’t like Bryant’s chances this week.

More thumbs down: QBs Mark Sanchez, Chad Henne, Sam Bradford, Tony Romo, Matt Hasselbeck; RBs DeAngelo Williams, Shonn Greene, Beanie Wells, Dexter McCluster, Thomas Jones, Daniel Thomas, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Ben Tate; WRs Reggie Wayne, Malcom Floyd, Jeremy Maclin, Michael Crabtree, Mike Sims-Walker, Plaxico Burress, Torrey Smith, Julio Jones, Victor Cruz, Donald Driver, Pierre Garcon, Chad Ochocinco.

Taking a flier

Kyle Orton, QB, Broncos at Packers. On paper, this game should be a blow-out; which means Denver will likely abandon the run early and put the game in Orton’s hands. With Brandon Lloyd healthy and Eric Decker cementing his role as a reliable target, Orton could put up some gaudy numbers. After all, everybody else has against Green Bay’s 31st-ranked pass defense.

Don’t be the bonehead who…fails to get Steven Jackson back in your lineup Sunday. He ran sparingly in his return to the field in Week 3 against the Ravens, while successfully test-driving his ailing quad. But a healthy Jackson is a must-start against any defense, especially a Redskins squad that just surrendered 155 total yards to Felix Jones, his highest output since 2009.

Week 4 Starters & Benchwarmers

You don’t need me advising you to start Peyton Manning and Chris Johnson, or to bench JaMarcus Russell and David Clowney. So I’ll leave the obvious recommendations to the network bozos and focus instead on the players typically on the bubble of most fantasy lineups. Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 4.

Watch ‘em roll

Brett Favre, QB, Vikings vs. Packers. It seems inconceivable to me that the Vikings won’t allow Favre to do his thing in the Monday night grudge match with the Packers, especially after his solid performance against the 49ers (301 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT). He may force some throws and get a couple picked off, but you can bet he’ll pile up the yards and find the end zone twice or more, too. Don’t forget, even Kyle Boller notched two TDs against Green Bay last week.

Glen Coffee, RB, 49ers vs. Rams. Everybody runs roughshod over the Rams. Why should the talented rookie be any different? While Frank Gore is sidelined, Coffee will get the majority of the carries, including at the goal-line, which the 49ers figure to visit frequently.

Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks at Colts. Indy’s run defense is among the league’s weakest, and its pass rush took a major hit with the loss of Dwight Freeney. Jones has been surprisingly effective thus far as a rusher, and he’s scored twice as a receiver as well. Most important, even if Seattle trails early, Jones will remain in the game.

Kevin Walter, WR, Texans vs. Raiders. Not only was he targeted as many times (seven) as Andre Johnson in his ’09 debut, he posted better stats than Houston’s top wideout. Walter is fully healthy again, and he should find plenty of room to roam Sunday while Oakland’s secondary double-teams his counterpart.

Braylon Edwards, WR, Browns vs. Bengals. He has scored five touchdowns in his last four games against Cincinnati, all thrown by Derek Anderson, who will start again Sunday. Cleveland will likely be playing catch-up in this game, meaning plenty of downfield heaves by Anderson to his favorite weapon.

More thumbs up: QBs Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer, Matt Schaub, Eli Manning; RBs Matt Forte, Cedric Benson, Steve Slaton, Tashard Choice, Knowshon Moreno; WRs Chad Ochocinco, Devin Hester, Torry Holt, Mario Manningham.

Roll ‘em back

Tom Brady, QB, Patriots vs. Ravens. I know you’re wondering if Brady can rack up points against such a stingy defense. Normally I would tell you not to worry; but right now, I can’t. Brady is clearly struggling (one TD in the last two games), and there’s little reason to think he’ll turn it around against Baltimore. Reserve him if you have a safer option.

Steven Jackson, RB, Rams at 49ers. He’s coming off two consecutive 100-yard games, but he still hasn’t crossed the goal-line this season. San Francisco’s rush defense is the NFL’s fourth-toughest, and it held Adrian Peterson under 100 yards without a TD last week. For what it’s worth, Jackson hasn’t scored against the 49ers since 2006.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills at Dolphins. He returns from suspension to a full-fledged backfield rotation with Fred Jackson, who has performed admirably in his stead. Miami’s run defense is stout, so don’t rush Lynch into your starting lineup just yet.

Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos vs. Cowboys. His best production of the season came in Week 2 when he amassed a whopping 20 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Brandon Marshall has gotten back into the groove while both Brandon Stokley and Jabar Gaffney have out-performed last year’s rookie sensation. Another week or two of this and Royal will be waiver fodder.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Seahawks at Colts. He has yet to crack the end zone this season, and that streak isn’t likely to end against the tough Indy secondary. With Seneca Wallace under center, Seattle’s passing attack is just so-so.

More thumbs down: QBs Joe Flacco, Matt Cassel; RBs Larry Johnson, Fred Taylor, Thomas Jones, Ryan Grant; WRs Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams, Devery Henderson, Dwayne Bowe.

TAKING A FLIER

Jason Campbell, QB, Redskins vs. Buccaneers. Though he was the losing quarterback in the Week 3 matchup with the Lions, Campbell’s 340-yard, 2-TD, 1-INT performance was more than respectable. Washington could easily lose to the woeful Bucs too, but Campbell will likely find statistical success against their awful defense.

DON’T BE THE BONEHEAD WHO…forgets to account for his bye-week players. The Falcons, Cardinals, Eagles and Panthers are all resting in Week 4. Make sure you have enough warm bodies to fill in your starting lineup.