Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

We’ve already looked at the players who could struggle this week (click here for article). Now I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough match-ups.

Kyle Orton, QB, Denver Broncos
If you are in a league that plays the season out, Orton is a decent option for Week 17. He takes on Kansas City, who’s in the bottom half with 22 passing TDs allowed. Brandon Marshall was quiet last week against the Eagles, for look for him to break out as the Broncos vie for a playoff spot.

Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans
The Titans playoff hopes were dashed by the Chargers last week, but VY is still playing for next year. Luckily for him, he gets to close out with Seattle who has one of the league’s worst passing defenses giving up 262.7 passing yards per game and 26 passing TDs.

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Smith is another resurection project that should finish the season on a high note. He takes on the lowly Rams, who have allowed 246.1 passing yards per game and 21 TDs.

Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears
Cutler will try to salvage a forgettable 2009 season with a big game against the Lions, who are 31st with 274.9 passing yards allowed, and dead last with 31 passing TDs given up.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver Broncos
Moreno should close a solid Rookie season with a big day against the Chiefs. They rank 31st in the league with 161.3 rushing yards allowed. They have also given up 16 scores on the ground.

Jason Snelling, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Michael Turner will likely sit this one out, which should lead to a big day for Snelling against Tampa Bay. The Bucs are 30th in the league with 156.5 rushing yards allowed. They also have allowed 16 rushing TDs.

Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Joseph Addai will likely get another early exit, leaving Donald Brown to carry the load against the Bills’ league-worst run defense (165.1 ypg). Buffalo has given up 18 rushing scores.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Housh has had a regretable 2009 season. Signing with the Vikings would have been a much better decision. He gets a chance to close on a high note though as he takes on Tennessee’s league-worst pass defense (278.1 ypg, 30 TDs).

Mike Sims-Walker, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Sims-Walker has had bad games in four of the last five weeks. That should change though, as he takes on the suddenly resurgent Browns (263.1 ypg, 20 TDs).

Justin Gage, WR, Tennessee Titans
Gage has played well the past couple of weeks and should take it to the Seahawks.

John Carlson, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Carlson has scored in three straight weeks and has a good chance of keeping the streak alive against Tennessee.

Billy Cundiff, K, Baltimore Ravens
Cundiff has five FGs in his past three games and takes on Oakland, who has allowed a league-high 30 FGs.

Jeff Reed, K, Pittsburgh Steelers
Reed has eight FGs in his past three games and takes on Miami, who has also allowed 30 FGs this year.

San Francisco 49ers Defense/Special Teams
The Rams are just looking for this dreadful 2009 season to finish up. The Niners should give them one last whoopin’.

Chicago Bears Defense/Special Teams
It’s been pretty miserable in the Windy City, but things are looking up as they finish up in the Motor City. They should stomp the Lions.

Atlanta Falcons Defense/Special Teams
The Falcons should be one of the top defenses this week as they take on Tampa Bay.

Denver Broncos Defense/Special Teams
If the Broncos can keep Jamaal Charles (aka Chris Johnson Lite) in check, they’ll be one of the higher scoring defenses this week.

Tennessee TitansDefense/Special Teams
Pride will be on the line as the Titans look to take their frustrations out on the Seahawks.

Before we get started, check out my Week 16 NFL picks.

Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

We’ve already looked at the players who could struggle this week (click here for article). Now I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough match-ups.

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Alex Smith has a chance at fantasy immortality as he takes on Detroit’s league-worst pass defense. They have allowed 268.6 yards per game and 23 passing TDs. Smith 10 TDs in his last five games.

Jerome Harrison, RB, Cleveland Browns
If Harrison’s record-setting performance didn’t ensure him of a heavy workload this week, I will openly question Mangini’s sanity. I don’t see him coming anywhere near what he did last week, but he should be able to produce against the league’s 28th ranked run defense that’s allowing 148.9 yards per game along with a league-worse 20 rushing TDs.

Jason Snelling, RB, Atlanta Falcons
I don’t want to hear about Michael Turner for the rest of the year. Twice they rushed him back. If they just let his ankle heal, he’d be exploiting the Bills’ league-worst run defense. They have allowed 165.6 yards per game and 18 TDs. Snelling should be a force in the fantasy football championship.

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Beanie is really beginning to his his stride with 189 yards (226 total) and 2 TDs in his last two games. He faces a terrible Rams run defense that is 27th in the league with 140.4 yards allowed. They have also given up 19 rushing scores.

Terrell Owens, WR, Buffalo Bills
T.O. has struggled for the better part of this season, but Atlanta’s porous secondary brings some relief. They rank 30th with 265.9 yards allowed, and have given up 24 passing TDs.

Josh Morgan, WR, San Francisco 49ers
After Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree get their goodies, there still should be enough for Morgan to be a decent play against the lowly Lions.

Jermichael Finley, TE, Green Bay Packers
Finley has become a force for the Packers. He’s so big and athletic that he’s a very difficult cover. He faces Seattle, who ranks 28th with 262.0 passing yards per game and 26 passing TDs allowed.

Phil Dawson, K, Cleveland Browns
The Browns are actually moving the chains and scoring some points lately. Dawson has back-to-back multiple FG games. He takes on Oakland this week, who has allowed 27 FGs to date.

Shayne Graham, K, Cincinnati Bengals
Graham has ten FGs in his last four games and 22 on the season. He takes on Kansas City this week, who has also allowed 27 FGs.

San Francisco 49ers Defense/Special Teams
The Niners have to be salivating at their Week 16 opponent (Detroit). They will be a force at home against the sorry Lions.

Cincinnati Bengals Defense/Special Teams
The Bengals take on an improving Kansas City team, but still should be a high-end fantasy defense this week.

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Before we get started, check out my Week 15 NFL picks.

Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough match-ups.

Jason Campbell, QB, Washington Redskins
Campbell has played relatively well the past three weeks 273.3 yards and 2.3 TDs. He faces a reeling Giants team that ranks 26th with 23 passing TDs allowed. Fred Davis, who has four TDs during that three-game stretch, should be able to exploit the G-Men over the middle.

Brady Quinn, QB, Cleveland Browns
Quinn has alternated stinkers with impressive performances. If the pattern stays true, he’s up for a big one. I wouldn’t put too much stock in that pattern, but will factor in his opponent. He faces Kansas City who is 24th in the league in pass yards and passing TDs allowed.

Quinton Ganther, RB, Washington Redskins
Ganther played well last week as the lead back against Oakland. He’ll have a stiffer test this week against the Giants. They don’t give up a lot of rushing yards, but are tied for 29th with 17 rushing TDs allowed. He’s not a bad play if you’re in a bind.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans
It appears that it’s Foster’s turn on the Texans RB merry-go-round. He’s got a great week to show his stuff as they face St. Louis, who ranks 27th in rushing yards allowed (147.2) and 31st in rushing TDs allowed.

Tim Hightower/Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Beanie and Hightower have been splitting carries evenly this year, which limits their fantasy value. With the Lions on tap though, both RBs can be used this week. Detroit ranks 25 in rushing yards allowed and 23 in rushing TDs allowed.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Bowe returns from his four-game suspension this week with a fantasy-friendly match-up against Cleveland. The Brownies are 25th in the league with 238 passing yards allowed per game. Plus, Chris Chambers should keep defenses from keying in on him.

Kevin Walter, WR, Houston Texans
Andre Johnson hogged all of the passes last week, though not nearly as bad as Brandon Marshall. There wan’t much left for Walter, but that should change this week when he faces the Rams.

Antonio Bryant, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bryant struggled last week against Darrelle Revis, but should find Seattle’s secondary much more to his liking. They rank 28th with 252.8 passing yards and 28th with 24 passing TDs allowed.

John Carlson, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Carlson has struggled of late, but did find the end zone last week against Houston. He’s a decent play against a Tampa Bay team that ranks 28th with 24 passing TDs allowed.

Neil Rackers, K, Arizona Cardinals
Rackers should have a busy day against Detroit, who is tied for 29th with 25 Field Goals allowed.

Ryan Succop, K, Kansas City Chiefs
Succop has six multiple Field Goal games on the year, and has a nice match-up against Cleveland, who has allowed 24 FGs on the year.

Arizona Cardinals Defense/Special Teams
The Cardinals should have their way against the lowly Lions.

Houston Texans Defense/Special Teams
The Texans are primed to put a hurting on the Rams.

Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough match-ups.

I told you about the guys who could struggle this week (click here for the article). Now, let’s look at some guys you can plug into your fantasy lineups as you look to advance in the fantasy playoffs.

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Smith has thrown eight TDs the past three weeks and faces Arizona’s 30th ranked (257.8 yards allowed per game). Vernon Davis is having an unbelievable year and Michael Crabtree is developing into a big time WR. They are going to have to throw to keep up with Arizona making Smith a nice sleeper play for the opening round of the fantasy playoffs.

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Flacco has regressed after starting the season off with a bang. He should be able to relive some of that early-season glory this week as he faces Detroit’s league-worst pass defense. They have allowed more passing  yards (274.8) and passing TDs (28) than any other team.

Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans
Who would have ever imagined that Alex Smith and Vince Young would be viable fantasy options in Week 14 when the season started? They couldn’t even beat out Kerry Shaun Hill and Kerry Collins respectively. VY faces St. Louis this week and he should produce with his arm and his feet. They just don’t have the athletes to keep up with him.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Charles has produced every week since taking over the starting gig. He should continue his strong play against the league’s worst run defense (172.1 ypc). The Bills are also 30th in the league with 16 rushing TDs allowed.
Laurence Maroney, RB, New England Patriots
The Pats are getting healthy at RB, but Maroney remains the lead back. He has eight rushing TDs on the year, and is a good bet to score on Carolina, who is 22nd in the league with 12 rushing TDs allowed. The Panthers are 26th in rushing yards allowed (133.3 ypg).

Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch, RBs, Buffalo Bills
The Bills face Kansas City’s 27th ranked run defense (143.8 ypg). After Lynch’s strong showing last week against the Jets, both Jackson and Lynch could be factors this week. It’s hard to gamble on either one as an RB3, but they both make solid flex position plays this week.

Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough matchups.

David Garrard, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Garrard has a decent match-up this week against Houston’s middle-of-the road passing defense. That’s not what makes him a decent play this weekend. He truly is a different player at home, where the Jags happen to play this week.

Home:  5 games, 283.8 yards per game, 7 TD, 4 INTs
Away:  6 games, 198.5 ypg, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Smith has back-to-back multiple TD games for the Niners. With Seattle on deck, who is 25th in passing yards allowed (238.1)and 27th in passing TDs allowed (20), Smith is a good bet to make it three straight.

Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears
I’m sure by now his fantasy owners have lost faith in Cutler, but feel free to trot him out there against the Rams. St. Louis is 22nd against the pass with 225.6 yards per game. Now if Cutler can just remember which team to throw to.

Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills
Jackson was heavily utilized last week by Interim Coach Perry Fewell, and appears to have replaced Marshawn Lynch as the team’s feature back. He faces the Jets’ 13th ranked run defense, which has been more susceptible of late.

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver Broncos
Knowshon should build upon his Thanksgiving performance we he faces the Chiefs’ 27th ranked run defense (134.5 ypg). Moreno has averaged 88.3 rushing yards the past three weeks.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers
J-Stew should bounce back from a couple of down weeks as he faces Tampa Bay’s 30th ranked run defense (160.4 ypg). The last time the Panthers faced the Bucs, he ran for 110 yards and a score.

Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant, WRs, Philadelphia Eagles
It’s unlike that DeSean Jackson’s concussion will allow him to play this weekend, which elevates both Maclin and Avant’s fantasy values. Aside from the extra looks they should receive, they face Atlanta’s 27th ranked pass defense (252.6 ypg).

Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, WRs, Indianapolis Colts
Peyton continues to spread the ball around, and both of these WRs have to potential to produce against theTitan’s 31st ranked pass defense (266.7). Garcon has been the better play of late, but Collie had a pair of TDs the last time they squared off with Tennessee.

Dante Rosario, TE, Carolina Panthers
Dante has caught four passes in each of his past two games, and is a good sneaky play this week as he faces Tampa Bay.

Rob Bironas, K, Tennessee Titans
Bironas faces the Indianapolis Colts who have allowed two Field Goals a game this season. Bironas has hit 1.6 FGs per game with five straight multiple FG games.

Olinod Mare, K, Seattle Seahawks
Mare faces San Francisco, who is tied for 26th with 20 FGs allowed. Mare has made 19 FGs on the year. They play in Seattle where he averaged 2.2 FGs per game.

Buffalo Defense/Special Teams
The Bills play the Jets at home. The last time they faced Mark Sanchez, he threw five Interceptions. While I don’t expect him to reach that mark, a multiple INT game isn’t out of the question.

Chicago Bears Defense/Special Teams
Da Bears get to stop the bleeding by facing the Rams at home. Multiple Sacks and turnovers should be in order.

Putting the final piece of your fantasy football puzzle together

I’ve uncovered some guys you can plug in if you are dealing with an injury or tough matchups.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Matt struggled last week against the Vikings, but almost everyone they faced this year has struggled against them. Life should be much easier for them this week when they take on St. Louis, who is giving up 236.7 passing yards and 1.5 passing TDs per game.

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Matt bounced back last week after five consecutive mediocre starts. This week he takes on Tampa Bay, who is 30th in the league with 22 passing TDs allowed. Matt is also playing at home where he’s been far more effective.

Home: 4 games, 192.3 yards per game, 8 TDs, 4 INTS
Away: 6 games, 251.2 yards per game, 8 TDs, 8 INTs

Justin Forsett, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Shame on me for piling on the poor Rams, but I’m going to do just that. They are 28th against the run allowing 146.4 yards per game. They are also tied for 29th with 14 rushing TDs allowed. Forsett should contribute both on the ground and through the air.

Jason Snelling, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Michael Turner will likely miss another game so it should be all systems go for Snelling once again. He’ll face Tampa Bay, who is dead last against the run with 168.9 yards per game allowed. They are also one of a dozen team to allow at least 12 TDs this year so far.

Antonio Bryant, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Provided that his knee is healthy, Bryant makes a sneaky play this week. He faces Atlanta, who has allowed 253.4 passing yards and 1.6 TDs per game this year.

Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego Chargers
As long as the game doesn’t quickly get out of control, Floyd should have a solid showing as the Chargers face the Chiefs. Kansas City has allowed 250.9 passing yards and 1.7 TDs on the year so far.

Chris Chambers, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Chambers has quickly established himself as the Kansas City’s top option in the passing game. The Chiefs will likely be playing from behind most of the game so they’ll be forced to throw early and often.

Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Crabtree hauled in his first NFL TD last week against the Packers. He’ll look to do the same this week against Jacksonville, who has allowed 244 passing yards and 1.7 TDs this year.

Kevin Boss, TE, New York Giants
Boss has been lighting up the last three weeks with four TDs and 54.3 yards per game. Look for Eli to ride the hot hand.

Fred Davis, TE, Washington Redskins
Davis hasn’t delivered like many thought he did after he filled in so admirably for Chris Cooley in Week 7. He takes on the Eagles again, who have been vulnerable to Tight Ends this year.

Rian Lindell, K, Buffalo Bills
This looks like a perfect recipe. Lindell is averaging 1.7 Field Goals per game. Miami is dead last with 2.4 Field Goals allowed per game. Seems like a match made for fantasy owners.

Josh Scobee, K, Jacksonville Jaguars
This match-up isn’t as cushy, but still could produce a multiple FG game. Scobee has 11 FGs in ten games. He faces San Francisco, who has allowed 19 FGs already.

Dallas Cowboys Defense/Special Teams
Dallas is used to the short week and the extra attention that comes with a Thanksgiving game. Oakland is not. I’d feel better if it were JaMarcus Russell under Center for the Raiders, but Dallas’ defense should be solid this week.

Green Bay Defense/Special Teams
The short week couldn’t come at a worse time for the Lions. If Matthew Stafford can’t go, it’s Daunte Culpepper time, which won’t be pretty. Green Bay should have a field day.

San Diego Defense/Special Teams
The Chargers continue their surge by facing the Kansas City Chiefs. Look for San Diego to put plenty of pressure on Matt Cassel to force him into some mistakes.

Atlanta Falcons Defense/Special Teams
This is a great week for defenses. Atlanta faces Tampa Bay at home, which should allow them to put up a big fantasy number.

Cincinnati Bengals Defense/Special Teams
Cincinnati looks to bounce back after their tough loss to the Raiders. They get to take on the pathetic Browns.