NFL Football - Starts and Sits

Welcome to Championship Week! This is where the men separate from the boys; the cheese from the grill; the Prom Kings from the Key Club.

In addition to some start/sits, here is my guide to winning a playoff fantasy league. The place to start is with the teams themselves. Choose 1 AFC and 1 NFC team. These teams have to play 3 games each just to make it worth it. Yes, you are putting all your eggs in two baskets, but it is about maximizing your team. A player could score 25 points one game, but if his team loses, then that’s all you get.

A wild card team on fire is a great place to start. Get all of those players you possibly can. Don’t worry about overspending since this is one basket. Pay attention to home records as they will help give you an idea. For a wild card team, look at their road record.

Once you have all those players, draft backups to other teams.

Now onto the week 17 start/sit. If you are unsure of a player’s playing time sit them. Don’t risk it. Play the guys that got you here, unless that team has nothing to play for.

Starts

Denarius Moore – Carson Palmer looks to him a lot. The Raiders have something to play for, and that is good enough for me.

Matthew Stafford – There is a big difference between playing the Saints or Giants/Cowboys. The Lions should play hard and the Packer’s defense is suspect. Get him in there. That Pro Bowl snub will help fuel him.

Steven Jackson – Yes, the 49ers have a good defense. But in a game that may not matter, Jackson is the cowbell.  2 coaches who need a win have to know who their best player is, right?

Jonathan Stewart – The Saints will be playing hard, but have a hard time tackling in space. Screen pass anyone?

Jeremy Maclin – The thing that hurt the Eagles the most was lack of chemistry during the offseason. They will be a force next year!

Damian Williams – The Titans have a lot to prove. He consistently has more targets than Nate Washington.

Aaron Hernandez – If you need someone to replace Jermichael Finley, go with Hernandez. If the Bills can somehow slow down Rob Gronkowski then he could be in for a huge day.

Sits

Roy Helu – Beware of the Shanny.

All Packers – Nothing to play for. What will the playing time be? Stay away.

Michael Turner – Not sure what will go on here, but the Falcons will want to pound the ball in the playoffs. That means rest for their bruiser.

Ben Roethlisberger – Rumor has it he will only play a half.

Tony Romo – It is quite a task to ask a team to shut it down one week and be back up to speed the next. I don’t think the Cowboys play well this Sunday.

As always, good luck this week! Hit me up on Twitter if you have any questions: @FD_Bass