Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Week 15

12/14/09 -- Dear Diary,

Special shout-out to Brandon Marshall for setting a new record for receptions during a week when I recommended sitting him. Don't worry, though, I'm not Randy Moss, so I won't be quitting on the season. Actually, I can't think of one way I'm like him except that our first names rhyme.

Here are my starts.

Jason Campbell -- Apparently Campbell didn't realize the importance of a contract year until Week 12. He now has eight total TDs and 820 passing yards over the past three games. Meanwhile, the Giants have allowed 282.6 passing yards per game and 19 TD passes over their last eight.

Donovan McNabb -- McNabb has at least one TD toss in eight straight and has 13 total TDs over that span. The 49ers have allowed seven QBs to throw for at least 288 yards this season, and they'll be traveling cross-country on a short week for an early kickoff.

Matt Schaub -- He could have thrown for 500 yards last week if Houston kept passing. It was his seventh 300-yard game and eighth multi-TD game this season. Schaub will have a field day against St. Louis.

Kurt Warner -- Sure, he was as effective as the Tiger Woods Fidelity Handbook on Monday night, but the Lions give up the most fantasy points to opposing QBs.

Jamaal Charles -- After his best game of the season (181 total yards), it's fair to say that Charles is in charge. If there's anything better than Scott Baio humor, I haven't found it. Charles has scored in five straight and faces a Browns defense yielding the second most points to fantasy RBs.

Chris Jennings -- Rumor has it Jennings' light workload two weeks ago was due to a shoulder injury as opposed to a newfound belief in Jerome Harrison. Regardless, Jennings is a solid flex play against a Chiefs defense that has surrendered at least 86 total yards to 12 running backs in the last 10 contests.

Thomas Jones -- That's now 10 straight with either 100 yards or a TD from Jones. The Jets are surging while the Falcons are circling the drain, so look for another strong game from T.J.

Laurence Maroney -- With 22 carries last week, Maroney remains in control of the Pats backfield. That's good news facing a Buffalo defense that has allowed 16 rushing TDs over its last 11 games and 12 RBs to rush for at least 85 yards.

Knowshon Moreno -- Even after his struggles last week, Josh McDaniels maintains that Moreno will get goal-line work. McDaniels also maintains he can get into R-rated movies without his parents, but I'm skeptical. With Correll Buckhalter injured and a weak Oakland run defense on tap, Moreno should at least achieve the 91.8 total yards he's averaging over the last three.

Ray Rice -- Rice could easily have challenged the 300-total-yard mark had he remained in the game against Detroit, but I prefer to think he was just saving some for the Bears. Chicago has allowed seven RBs to rush for over 75 yards in the past eight games along with six rushing TDs.

Miles Austin -- He's scored in three straight and has nine TDs in his last nine games. The Saints have survived with a makeshift secondary, but they've allowed seven WRs to gain at least 82 yards over the last nine contests despite facing some of the league's worst passing offenses.

Anquan Boldin -- With Larry Fitzgerald gimpy, somebody is bound to blow up against the porous Lions secondary. By somebody, I mean Boldin.

Kenny Britt -- His TD streak was stopped at three, but he's still a big-play threat. The Dolphins also had a streak stopped as they kept opposing WRs out of the end zone for the first time in 10 games. Expect both streaks to start back up on Sunday.

Antonio Bryant -- Sure, his QB has thrown eight picks in two games, but I haven't seen a Seattle DB in position to defend a receiver in weeks.

Donald Driver -- It's no secret that the Steelers have struggled against the pass without Troy Polamalu, but their pass rush is still good enough to limit the deep routes of Greg Jennings, which means Driver should get plenty of targets.

Pierre Garcon -- With Indy's regulars expected to play the full game, I like Garcon's chances against a Jacksonville pass defense yielding the fourth most points to fantasy wideouts.

DeSean Jackson -- Concussions aren't good for your head, but Jackson showed they don't take away your speed. He's a threat to take it to the house every time he touches it, and the SF pass defense has been vulnerable without Nate Clements.

Fred Davis -- So what if he has a boring name, he's got four TDs in three games. The Giants have allowed the most yards to opposing TEs and surrender the second most fantasy points to the position.

Vernon Davis -- The Eagles allow the most points to tight ends, and Davis has TDs in four straight.

Goodnight, diary...

CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE TO SEE THIS WEEK'S SITS

12/15/09 - Dear Diary,

I preface this with the fact that I am über-competitive, but if you sign up for a league, play out the whole season. Just because you're out of the playoff hunt, keep setting your lineup instead of rolling over and letting lesser teams rack up wins while you start multiple inactive players. That makes people (me) dislike you.

Here are my sits.

Brett Favre -- After throwing three picks in the first 11 games, Favre has matched that total in his last two while averaging 233.5 passing yards. Look for a ton of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor this week against a horrible Carolina run defense.

Carson Palmer -- Palmer had another ugly game with 94 passing yards against Minnesota. Cincinnati has no big-play receivers outside of Chad Ochocinco, and while it doesn't matter against Cleveland and Detroit, it will get you beat by San Diego.

Ben Roethlisberger -- Simple rule: you lose to the Browns, I don't trust you.

Alex Smith -- He came back down to Earth with 144 yards and 4.1 yards per attempt against Arizona. Things get even tougher against a blitzing Eagles scheme that has 20 interceptions on the season.

Matt Forte -- Take out games against Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis, and Forte has 139 carries for 383 rushing yards (2.8 YPC) and zero TDs in 10 games. I invented the word pathabysdous to describe it. In case you're scoring at home, that combines pathetic, abysmal, and horrendous.

Quinton Ganther -- The pair of fourth quarter TDs were huge, but overall Ganther tallied 50 yards on 14 carries against one of the league's worst run defenses in Oakland. On the other hand, the Giants have allowed 344 yards on 119 carries (2.9 YPC) to opposing RBs in the last five games.

LeSean McCoy -- Over the last three games, Leonard Weaver outgained McCoy on the ground despite receiving 13 fewer carries. He even has the same amount of receiving yards on seven fewer catches.

Rashard Mendenhall -- I'm going green and recycling my comment from last week on the Packers defense, which has now allowed just one RB to gain over 61 rushing yards in their last 10 games. Mendenhall has just one rushing TD in his last seven games.

Jason Snelling -- Maybe Michael Turner will be back, but if you're the Falcons, what do you have to gain? The Jets have remained strong against the run even without Kris Jenkins, and only one RB has rushed for over 77 yards against them in the last seven games, where they are yielding 3.7 YPC.

Dwayne Bowe -- A matchup with the Browns is enticing, but it's unclear whether Bowe will play a full complement of snaps in his first game back from suspension. I'm hesitant to pin my playoff hopes on a guy who hasn't played in four weeks.

Percy Harvin -- He'll likely be back this week, but the Panthers have given up just one TD to a WR in the past seven games.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh -- Housh has become matchup proof. Even against a generous Tampa Bay secondary, how do you recommend starting a guy who has broken 52 yards once in the past eight games with one TD?

Randy Moss -- It's entirely possible he goes off this week, but you have to at least consider benching him. He has 11 receptions and 183 yards in the last four, and Buffalo gives up the second fewest points to fantasy WRs. I also like that he's been too gutless to answer for his performance this week, letting his coach and QB do their best to hide what a tool he is.

Mike Sims-Walker -- MSW has six catches for 64 yards over the last three games, has less than 50 yards in five of seven, and is playing with an injured calf. Other than that, he's a great option.

Roddy White -- It's been feast or famine for White this year with four games of 98 yards or more, but he's registered fewer than 58 yards in the other nine. Against Darrelle Revis, I think he makes it ten.

Kevin Boss -- Boss isn't a huge yardage guy (fewer than 45 yards in eight of 12 games he's played), so you need him to score to be startable. Washington has surrendered two TDs to TEs and none in the past five games.

Greg Olsen -- He has four catches and 15 yards in his last two games, and he hasn't scored since Week Nine. He's also been held to 45 yards or less 10 times. Sound good?

Goodnight, diary...