Fantasy soda: Good times for Vick may crash quickly against Bears

Fantasy owners cannot get enough of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. A week after he was praised for a career performance, Vick helped his club past the Giants in an important NFC East matchup. He leads all passers in QB Rating and has yet to throw his first interception of the year. The year has been good to Vick ... but not this week, not in hostile Chicago against a Bears defense that has given up just six passing scores all season. For this reason, Vick is my STUD TO SIT for Week 12. Just one passer has thrown for more than 250 yards against the Bears in the past seven weeks, and Chicago allows the fewest yards per attempt of any defense in the league. Outside of the Giants, Vick hasn't faced an elite pass defense this year. Consider Chicago a crash course.

CALL ME CRAZY but I plan to find room in my lineup for Kevin Boss this week. The Giants tight end offered fantasy owners very little last week (two catches for 22 yards) but has a much more favorable matchup in Week 12. The Jaguars have given up 20 touchdowns (tied for 28th) and have struggled to contain most of the tight ends they've faced (Cleveland's Evan Moore had 69 yards Sunday). Boss is only one week removed from an 81-yard, one-touchdown effort against Dallas. There is reason to believe he can produce similar numbers this week.

I like the SHORT ODDS, so give me the following running backs to gain 100 or more yards this week: Rashard Mendenhall, LaDainian Tomlinson and Danny Woodhead.

It's been a frustrating year in the desert, and rarely has there been a week when more than one Arizona player satisfied the demands of fantasy owners. But this week I say DOUBLE DOWN on wide receivers Steve Breaston and Larry Fitzgerald. Both should do well against a San Francisco defense that allows opponents to complete 66.2 percent of their passing attempts. And both receivers have achieved success against San Francisco in past years. One of Breaston's best games came against the 49ers (124 yards in 2008), while Fitzgerald has registered at least one touchdown in four of his last five games against the division rival.

A little BASIC MATH tells us Matt Schaub should have a huge week against Tennessee. In his last three outings against the AFC South foe, Schaub has averaged 315.3 yards passing and has thrown seven touchdowns without an interception. And in each of those three contests the Texans quarterback has attempted the same number of passes -- 39.

THE BREAK ROOM (industry experts share their thoughts): Name a Thanksgiving Day player who will leave fantasy owners disappointed.

"I'm looking for Jon Kitna to leave fantasy owners with a case of indigestion," says John T. Georgopoulos, senior editor of SportsGrumblings.com.

Says Georgopoulos, "Coming off his stunning performance in Week 11, I'm sure that several fantasy owners will be tempted to start Kitna against the Saints." Kitna had three passing scores against the Lions and rushed 29 yards for the game's final touchdown.

But the Saints own a fairly stout pass defense, says Georgopoulos, who adds, "... and I'm not counting on Kitna scooting for any more rushing touchdowns this century."

NFL.com Fantasy Editor Michael Fabiano says there is no question who the Thanksgiving Day fantasy "turkey" will be this week -- Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.

Having to face the Jets premier cornerback Darrelle Revis should leave Ochocinco speechless for a change.

"Last season against Revis, Ochocinco was held without a single catch," says Fabiano. "I remember that well -- Ochocinco and I engaged in a Twitter war when he saw that I told fantasy owners to bench him. Regardless, Ochocinco hasn't been a truly elite fantasy wideout over the last two seasons -- and facing Revis makes him extremely unattractive."

Sucker trade of the week

Michael from New Jersey writes: "A month ago I sent Ryan Torain to my father for Maurice Jones-Drew. Winner, winner, chicken dinner." ... Clearly, Michael, you are a better fantasy player than you are a son. I can only hope that one day your father is able to forgive you.

Mike Beacom is a contributing writer for FootballDiehards.com. Send him your questions and "sucker trade" entries at fantasysoda@yahoo.com. Include a full name and your home state, please.