Week 16 QB, RB & WR Rankings

So we've finally reached Fantasy Championship week.  Kinda depressing, isn't it?  I mean we probably only get 2 more Sundays of laying around doing nothing but watching football before the wives start in with the Honey-Do lists, right?  Let's enjoy the rest of the season and win a championship or two this weekend, huh?  As has been the case all season, use the player ranked closest to #1 in the case of a Sit/Start dilemma.  You can always hit me up on Twitter for some personal touch analysis too.  Here we go:

RB

1) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
2) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
3) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
4) Matt Forte, Chicago
5) Frank Gore, San Francisco
6) Reggie Bush, Detroit
7) Alfred Morris, Washington
8) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
9) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
10) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
11) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
12) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
13) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
14) Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay
15) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
16) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
17) Shane Vereen, New England
18) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
19) Andre Brown, NY Giants
20) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
21) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
22) Rashad Jennings, Oakland
23) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
24) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
25) Dennis Johnson, Houston
26) Jordan Todman, Jacksonville
27) Ray Rice, Baltimore
28) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
29) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
30) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
31) Lamar Miller, Miami
32) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
33) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
34) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
35) Stevan Ridley, New England
36) Joique Bell, Detroit
37) Bryce Brown, Philadelphia
38) Montee Ball, Denver
39) Mike Tolbert, Carolina
40) Roy Helu, Washington

I can change.  Ryan Mathews is probably as close to must start as you can get outside the Top 10.  If you have him, play him.  He's on a roll.

I love the workload Bobby Rainey could potentially see.  The game means nothing between Tampa and St. Louis, we're indoors, and Rainey has been predictable depending on the matchup.  St. Louis is a plus matchup.  Use him without too much fear.

I don't trust the Buffalo offense at all, and I don't know what to make of their RB situation.  Fred Jackson is a spot higher because I trust him around the goal line.  We need TDs this week.

I don't like any of the weapons in the New Orleans-Carolina game, but I have a sneaking suspicion that DeAngelo Williams could win a championship for his owners this week.  If you're dealing with a Steven Jackson or Lamar Miller type in your flex, you may want to roll the dice on DeAngelo.

Bryce Brown will see substantial work this week against a terrible Bears run D.  I'm not betting the farm on him, but it's a plus situation in a game that could be salted away with the run.  If Philly is smart, they'll run 40 times on the Bears.

WR

1) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
2) Dez Bryant, Dallas
3) AJ Green, Cincinnati
4) Pierre Garcon, Washignton
5) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
6) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
7) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
8) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
9) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
10) Keenan Allen, San Diego
11) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
12) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
13) Andre Johnson, Houston
14) Eric Decker, Denver
15) Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
16) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
17) Julian Edelman, New England
18) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
19) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
20) Mike Wallace, Miami
21) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
22) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
23) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
24) Marques Colston, New Orleans
25) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
26) Danny Amendola, New England
27) Andre Caldwell, Denver
28) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
29) Roddy White, Atlanta
30) Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota
31) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
32) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
33) Rod Streater, Oakland
34) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
35) Steve Smith, Carolina
36) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
37) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
38) James Jones, Green Bay
39) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
40) Ace Sanders, Jacksonville
41) Golden Tate, Seattle
42) Michael Floyd, Arizona
43) Brian Hartline, Miami
44) Marvin Jones, Cincinnati
45) Justin Hunter, Tennessee
46) Brandon LaFell, Carolina
47) Marquise Goodwin, Buffalo
48) Earl Bennett, Chicago
49) Andre Holmes, Oakland
50) Terrance Williams, Dallas

Chicago will feast on Philly's secondary.  This could be the highest scoring game of 2013 folks.  We are in a "If you have them, use them" scenario.  Don't get cute now.

I normally like Calvin Johnson in bounce back spots, and I feel a little bad putting him at #8, but I'm just not smelling anything huge.  70-80 and a score will suit his owners just fine.

I am higher on Greg Jennings with Matt Cassel, and he is a true #1 type target this week.  Play him over your normal middling options.

Doug Baldwin will score this week.  Book it now.  Play him if you're dealing with the Steve Smiths and Harry Douglas' of the world.

Andre Holmes is a nice little sleeper play this week in a game that could be reasonably high scoring.  I liked what I saw on Thanksgiving Day and I like him this week.

QB

1) Peyton Manning, Denver
2) Jay Cutler, Chicago
3) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
4) Philip Rivers, San Diego
5) Tony Romo, Dallas
6) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
7) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
8) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
9) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
10) Kirk Cousins, Washington
11) Cam Newton, Carolina
12) Drew Brees, New Orleans
13) Tom Brady, New England
14) Russell Wilson, Seattle
15) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
16) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
17) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
18) Alex Smith, Kansas City
19) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
20) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
21) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee
22) Matt McGloin, Oakland
23) Matt Schaub, Houston
24) Matt Cassel, Minnesota
25) Matt Flynn, Green Bay

Jay Cutler will only fail in your lineup if he gets hurt.  This is where Cutler shines.  Start him with confidence.

Andy Dalton is a for real option this week against a terrible Minnesota secondary at home.  He's been awesome at home.  I only like 2 QBs more this week.

I'm high on San Fran's offense, so Colin Kaepernick is extremely safe this week in a game they should control.

Russell Wilson is great at home (he's never lost there), but I think the game sets up as a defensive struggle.  Don't get cute.

I didn't mean to rank 4 Matts in a row at the end, but if you're this far down, I like them in that order.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6 and let's win some championships!

Week 15 QB, RB & WR Rankings

The list is going to seem a little short this week without all the Broncos and Chargers, but after watching Thursday's game, you probably are already behind your team projection if you had anyone but Keenan Allen, Ryan Mathews or Andre Caldwell.  I didn't see any of the expert sites taking a flier on Caldwell, but instead throwing their respective kudos in the direction of Jacob Tamme.  I like Jacob Tamme, but if you took a flier on a backup TE because it was assumed he was taking over Wes Welker's job for a week, you probably deserve to be behind.

Anyways, 2nd to last rankings of the year.  It's semi-finals week for the majority of fantasy players, so let's get you to a championship game.  Start the player ranked closest to #1 in any Sit/Start problems you're having.

RB

1) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
2) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
3) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
4) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
5) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
6) Matt Forte, Chicago
7) Shane Vereen, New England
8) Frank Gore, San Francisco
9) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
10) Alfred Morris, Washington
11) Ben Tate, Houston
12) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
13) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
14) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
15) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
16) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
17) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
18) Chris Ogbonnaya, Cleveland
19) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
20) Reggie Bush, Detroit
21) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
22) Toby Gerhart, Minnesota (Questionable)
23) Ray Rice, Baltimore
24) Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay
25) Rashad Jennings, Oakland
26) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
27) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
28) Andre Brown, NY Giants
29) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
30) Andre Ellington, Arizona
31) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
32) Joique Bell, Detroit
33) Jordan Todman, Jacksonville
34) Lamar Miller, Miami
35) Daniel Thomas, Miami
36) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
37) Stevan Ridley, New England
38) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta
39) Marcel Reece, Oakland
40) Mike Tolbert, Carolina

Rob Gronkowski's departure for the season opens up the door for the already heavily targeted Shane Vereen to see a workload like no other week of his short career.  Miami already is a terrible run stuffing unit, and the fact that Vereen is seeing double digit targets leads me to believe we have as strong a possibility as ever for an enormous game.  Rumors of Stevan Ridley's resurgence are just that.  Vereen has Belichick's trust.

I like Zac Stacy a lot this week in what smells like a trap game.  We all knew the Saints would struggle in road contests against New England and Seattle, and they did.  After an emotional prime time win against division rival Carolina last week, I can see the Saints overlooking the Rams entirely in preparation of next week's rematch.  Stacy is the beneficiary.

I'll never be this high on a Cleveland running back again, but everything lines up for Chris Ogbonnaya this week.  Terrible run defense, time share mate already ruled out, weather looking a bit treacherous.  He's a desperation play, yes,  but he's as good a desperation play as there is.

Speaking of desperation plays, I'm not a fan of any offensive weapon in the NY Jets-Carolina Panthers game.  If you have Chris Ivory and you don't have other options, how are you still alive in the playoffs?

Jordan Todman makes for an interesting play this week against fading Buffalo.  Just 3 short weeks ago, I was seeing Buffalo touted as the fantasy defense to own heading down the stretch.  They've lost 2 straight games since then and have a trap game of their own against the suddenly competitive Jacksonville Jaguars.  No MJD opens the door for everyone to see what Jordan Todman can do.  He's a Hail Mary play, but if you're in a jam, he's going to get touches.

I don't want to dive head first into Adrian Peterson's Questionable tag.  I don't think he's playing, but if he does, you play him.  Plain and simple.  AP is a robot.

WR

1) Dez Bryant, Dallas
2) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
3) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
4) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
5) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
6) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
7) Andre Johnson, Houston
8) Roddy White, Atlanta
9) Pierre Garcon, Washington
10) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
11) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
12) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
13) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
14) AJ Green, Cincinnati
15) Marques Colston, New Orleans
16) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
17) Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota
18) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
19) Mike Wallace, Miami
20) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
21) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
22) Golden Tate, Seattle
23) Julian Edelman, New England
24) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville (Questionable)
25) Steve Smith, Carolina
26) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
27) Victor Cruz, NY Giants
28) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
29) Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
30) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
31) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
32) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
33) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
34) Brian Hartline, Miami
35) James Jones, Green Bay
36) Michael Floyd, Arizona
37) Nate Burleson, Detroit
38) Rod Streater, Oakland
39) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
40) Danny Amendola, New England
41) Terrance Williams, Dallas
42) Kenny Stills, New Orleans
43) Nate Washignton, Tennessee
44) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
45) Jacoby Jones, Baltimore
46) Jerricho Cotchery, Pittsburgh
47) Brandon LaFell, Carolina
48) Da'Rick Rogers, Indianapolis
49) Marvin Jones, Cincinnati
50) Marlon Brown, Baltimore

Calvin Johnson is not #1 for me this week because Baltimore might be the only team that can withstand free bulletin board material.  I'm expecting a tough game for Calvin this week, and while he is completely un-sittable, a small yardage, 1 TD game is what I'm feeling.  I hope you're ahead already on Monday.

Brandon Marshall, Josh Gordon and Alshon Jeffery are bunched at 4-6 with bad weather on the horizon, but I can't see going anywhere else this week, and I actually think all 3 get in the end zone this week.  Don't let weather screw with your decision making.

I am higher on Greg Jennings this week than I have been all season.  He has performed admirably with Matt Cassel as his QB and he draws the defense giving up the most fantasy points to WRs.  He lines up to have a good day, even though I think Cordarrelle Patterson is the Viking to own this week.

Larry Fitzgerald, Victor Cruz and Anquan Boldin are all as far down as they've been all season on my list for the same reasons: MATCHUPS.  I think Fitz's TD streak comes to and end against Tennessee, Victor Cruz is a fantasy disappointment because his offensive teammates are terrible, not to mention he draws Seattle, and Anquan Boldin will likely be a victim of game flow, as I don't think San Fran struggles with Tampa.

You can do better than Vincent Jackson this week.  I don't want to put my playoff hopes on praying for a garbage TD.

QB

1) Drew Brees, New Orleans
2) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
3) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
4) Tony Romo, Dallas
5) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
6) Cam Newton, Carolina
7) Jay Cutler, Chicago
8) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
9) Tom Brady, New England
10) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
11) Kirk Cousins, Washington
12) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
13) Russell Wilson, Seattle
14) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
15) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
16) Alex Smith, Kansas City
17) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
18) Matt Cassel, Minnesota
19) Matt Flynn, Green Bay
20) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
21) Carson Palmer, Arizona
22) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee
23) Case Keenum, Houston
24) Eli Manning, NY Giants
25) EJ Manuel, Buffalo

This late in the season, your QB situation should be sewn up tightly.  This ranking isn't necessarily a prediction of who will score the most fantasy points.  It is a combination of matchups and TRUST.  I think the Saints-Rams game is a trap for the Saints, but I trust Brees in all situations.  Read the list that way, and it will make total sense.

I'm also saying play Matt Ryan big time this week.  There is another team that has given up more than Falcons, and they're going to be in Atlanta this week!

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6

Week 14 QB, RB & WR Rankings

So we've made it to the Fantasy Football playoffs.  Similarly to the NFL Playoffs, you just have to get in and anything can happen.  I'm posting the rankings for this week a little earlier than usual because I'm going on a family trip this weekend, so make sure you consult your favorite injury report for any of the news that breaks today or tomorrow.  I've put players I have injury related concerns about in boldface italics.  Hit me up on Twitter if you have any Sit/Start questions, and as always, start the player ranked closest to #1 on this list.

RB

1) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
2) Matt Forte, Chicago
3) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
4) Reggie Bush, Detroit
5) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
6) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
7) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
8) Andre Brown, NY Giants
9) Ray Rice, Baltimore
10) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
11) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
12) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
13) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
14) Alfred Morris, Washington
15) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
16) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
17) Shane Vereen, New England
18) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
19) Frank Gore, San Francisco
20) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
21) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
22) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
23) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
24) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
25) Lamar Miller, Miami
26) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
27) Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay
28) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
29) Montee Ball, Denver
30) Joique Bell, Detroit
31) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
32) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
33) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
34) Andre Ellington, Arizona
35) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
36) Rashad Jennings, Oakland
37) Willis McGahee, Cleveland
38) Stevan Ridley/LeGarrette Blount, New England
39) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta
40) Jonathan Dwyer, Pittsburgh

Ray Rice cracks my Top 10 because I feel he's still capable of exploiting plus matchups.  Minnesota has been extremely friendly to opposing RBs all season, allowing at least one 10 point performer in all but one game.  If you're still alive with Rice on your team, use him now!

Shane Vereen is the only Patriot RB I'm willing to trust and I have him as a Top 20 back this week because he's starting to see legit carries to go along with his targets in the passing game.  Cleveland is tough against the run, with only two backs going over 10 points in the last 5 games, but Vereen should see plus field time and plenty of action.  Conversely, since I never know who Belichick is going to activate, Ridley and Blount carry an equal ranking to me, so if Ridley is active, he's my #38 RB.  If Ridley is inactive again, Blount is no better than #38.

I don't like any of the RBs in the Carolina-New Orleans games, so take that for what it's worth.  I'd be surprised if you made the playoffs riding any of the inconsistent backs on these teams.

I'm down on Danny Woodhead this week despite the Giants being friendly matchup for pass catching backs.  His playing time is slipping as trust in Ryan Mathews grows.  Wood head is still an RB2 for PPR owners, but he is falling into the low end, TD-dependent flex options for standard league owners.

Even if Andre Ellington plays, I still think Mendenhall is the better Cardinal back this week.  Take it for what it's worth.

WR

1) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
2) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
3) AJ Green, Cincinnati
4) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
5) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
6) Wes Welker, Denver
7) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
8) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
9) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
10) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
11) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
12) Dez Bryant, Dallas
13) Keenan Allen, San Diego
14) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
15) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
16) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
17) Eric Decker, Denver
18) Victor Cruz, NY Giants
19) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
20) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
21) Julian Edelman, New England
22) Pierre Garcon, Washington
23) Michael Floyd, Arizona
24) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
25) Roddy White, Atlanta
26) Mike Wallace, Miami
27) Marques Colston, New Orleans
28) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
29) Nate Burleson, Detroit
30) Danny Amendola, New England
31) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
32) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
33) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
34) Golden Tate, Seattle
35) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
36) Steve Smith, Carolina
37) Nate Washington, Tennessee
38) Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
39) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
40) James Jones, Green Bay
41) Miles Austin, Dallas
42) Jacoby Jones, Baltimore
43) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
44) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
45) Brian Hartline, Miami
46) Andre Holmes, Oakland
47) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
48) Tavon Austin, St. Louis
49) Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay
50) Terrance Williams, Dallas

Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are starting to resemble Roddy White and Julio Jones from last year, with predictable home/road splits.  Marshall has 9 TDs on the season, 7 of them coming at home and only one home game (the storm game vs. Baltimore) where he hasn't scored.  Jeffery has 5 TDs on the season with 4 of them coming on the road.  The Bears host the Cowboys this week and I think the trend continues.  The home fans love to celebrate TDs with Brandon in the end zone!

Victor Cruz at 18, Hakeem Nicks at 35 & Rueben Randle at 44 in a plus matchup vs. San Diego is an indicator of their QB play in plus matchups.  If Eli had performed adequately in any of the excellent matchups he's had this year, these three would all be Top 30 WRs this week.

Mike Wallace is at 26 because I like players going against their former team.  Pittsburgh has also gotten torched plenty in the passing game recently.  Wallace carries WR2 upside this week.

The San Francisco-Seattle game isn't going to be a good study for those interested in successful passing games.  I expect this to be a low scoring slug-fest, similar to Carolina-San Fran a few weeks back.  Exercise caution in starting your 49er and Seahawk offensive weapons this week.

Andre Holmes showed some athleticism and good hands on Thanksgiving Day against Dallas.  I think he is the Raider to own and play this week.

QB

1) Drew Brees, New Orleans
2) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
3) Peyton Manning, Denver
4) Cam Newton, Carolina
5) Philip Rivers, San Diego
6) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
7) Tony Romo, Dallas
8) Josh McCown, Chicago
9) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
10) EJ Manuel, Buffalo
11) Tom Brady, New England
12) Eli Manning, NY Giants
13) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
14) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee
15) Carson Palmer, Arizona
16) Alex Smith, Kansas City
17) Russell Wilson, Seattle
18) Robert Griffin III, Washington
19) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
20) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
21) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
22) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
23) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
24) Matt McGloin, Oakland
25) Ryan Tannehill, Miami

I figure Jimmy Graham will be the primary beneficiary, but coming off the embarrassment of Monday Night in Seattle, I wouldn't want to own any QB over Drew Brees this week.  In my league of record, the Brees owner is on bye this week and he'll likely miss out on a 30+ point game.

Tony Romo is ranked higher on some other sites, but I look at Romo's history against the Bears and on Monday Night and I suggest exercising some caution.  The Bears are most easily beaten via the run and with the explosive quality of Chicago's offense, I expect Dallas to try and be a dominant running team.  That being said, Romo has Dez, and the Bears have struggled against dominant #1 types this season.

Joe Flacco will not have a better matchup this season.  If you're a Russell Wilson, RGIII, or Matt Ryan owner, you may want to take the upside this week and start Flacco against a Viking defense that has allowed 9 multiple TD games to QBs and gave up 15+ points to Matt Flynn a few weeks back.

EJ Manuel is someone I'm extremely high on this week.  Tampa Bay has been terrible against opposing passers this year, and Manuel has been told to take more chances and lead the Buffalo offense.  Tampa has allowed a QB to throw for 2 or more TDs in 9 of 12 games, including 8 straight.  If you're in a 4 point TD, 1 point INT league, there is very little downside to Manuel this week.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6.

Week 13 QB, RB & WR Rankings

Thanksgiving is behind us, and as I suspected, I didn't have any of the fantasy difference makers on any of my rosters.  I was against Reggie Bush, Le'Veon Bell, Emmanuel Sanders, and Torrey Smith in different leagues while I sent out Turkey Day duds Tony Romo, Antonio Brown, Jason Witten and (GULP) Matt Flynn (in my 2 QB league).  Rough day for yours truly, but we can fix that with the rest of the games.  If you were lucky enough to avoid the Thanksgiving studs and are having lineup questions because of the lack of depth in the remaining games, use the player ranked closest to #1 in your Sit/Start scenarios.

RB

1) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
2) Matt Forte, Chicago
3) Andre Brown, NY Giants
4) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
5) Frank Gore, San Francisco
6) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
7) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
8) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
9) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
10) Shane Vereen, New England
11) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
12) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
13) Alfred Morris, Washington
14) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
15) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
16) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
17) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
18) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
19) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
20) Ben Tate, Houston
21) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
22) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
23) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
24) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
25) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
26) Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay
27) Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
28) Bilal Powell, NY Jets
29) Lamar Miller, Miami
30) Toby Gerhart, Minnesota
31) Stevan Ridley, New England
32) Brandon Bolden, New England
33) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
34) Chris Ogbonnaya, Cleveland
35) Mike Tolbert, Carolina
36) Montee Ball, Denver
37) Andre Ellington, Arizona (Questionable)
38) Trent Richardson, Indianapolis
39) Dennis Johnson, Houston
40) Benny Cunningham, St. Louis

When I see a favorable matchup on tap for CJ Spiller this year, I have usually ducked it, because we've seen failures multiple times.  This week, however, I'm backing Spiller to be the preseason monster we all thought he could be.  I expect Buffalo to be in firm control of this contest, and Spiller and Jackson should both put up beastly numbers.

Lots of injury stuff this week that ended up flaking out.  Knowshon Moreno should see a normal workload, but I would expect Montee Ball to get his shot at some carries, making him a viable flex play.  Ryan Mathews is listed as Probable, so I had to bump Danny Woodhead down a few spots.  Zac Stacy was feared to be missing the 49ers game, but it looks like he'll go and see his usual amount of work.  I don't like Benny Cunningham anyways, but that kills most of his potential value.  DeAngelo Williams is out for Carolina, but I wouldn't be rushing to plug in Stewart or Tolbert.

I'm tired of chasing the Jacksonville matchup at RB, but if you're desperate, I like Chris Ogbonnaya better than the other Cleveland backs.

If you've seen the Bears play defense lately, it's been hysterical how bad they are at tackling.  That being said, I'm liking the chances for Toby Gerhart this week.  AP has been banged up and after he breaks the rushing record in the 1st quarter, Gerhart might see a few more carries.  I'm betting on a TD for Toby on Sunday.

WR

1) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
2) AJ Green, Cincinnati
3) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
4) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
5) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
6) Andre Johnson, Houston
7) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
8) Wes Welker, Denver
9) Pierre Garcon, Washington
10) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
11) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
12) Victor Cruz, NY Giants
13) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
14) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
15) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
16) Danny Amendola, New England
17) Keenan Allen, San Diego
18) Michael Floyd, Arizona
19) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
20) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
21) Eric Decker, Denver
22) Percy Harvin, Seattle
23) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
24) Marques Colston, New Orleans
25) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
26) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
27) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
28) Julian Edelman, New England
29) Mike Wallace, Miami
30) Brandon LaFell, Carolina
31) Roddy White, Atlanta
32) Steve Smith, Carolina
33) Michael Crabtree, San Francisco
34) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
35) Golden Tate, Seattle
36) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
37) Lance Moore, New Orleans
38) Brian Hartline, Miami
39) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
40) Greg Little, Cleveland
41) Marquise Goodwin, Buffalo
42) Kenbrell Thompkins, New England
43) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
44) Marvin Jones, Cincinnati
45) Dexter McCluster, Kansas City
46) Eddie Royal, San Diego
47) Justin Hunter, Tennessee
48) Nate Washington, Tennessee
49) Andre Roberts, Arizona
50) Ted Ginn, Carolina

Anquan Boldin already got St. Louis for 90 and a score in Week 4 and I like him to outdo that this week as Michael Crabtree returns to the 49er lineup.  Colin Kaepernick will be the main beneficiary here, but Boldin stands to see less double coverage and St. Louis has been carved up by physical WRs all season.

Kendall Wright is going to be a big time factor in the 2013 Fantasy Playoffs.  His game matches up perfectly with Ryan Fitzpatrick's game, and I see a lot of action for Wright down the stretch starting with this huge divisional showdown with the slumping Colts.  Wright is still available in a lot of leagues.  Make the add and play him this week.

I have Brandon LaFell ahead of Steve Smith for a couple reasons.  Darrelle Revis will likely shadow Smith as he did in their first meeting and Tampa has been getting torn up by 2's all season long.  It's a gamble, but I like LaFell best out of the Carolina group if you're digging this deep.

I think Buffalo and Atlanta's WRs are all good, not great, but my lottery ticket shot this week is on Marquise Goodwin.  I can see him hanging around behind the Atlanta secondary most of the afternoon.

Remember Marvin Jones?  He's had 11 yards over the past two weeks, but in an underrated shootout potential game vs. San Diego, I like Jones to be viable again, if for one week only.

QB

1) Peyton Manning, Kansas City
2) Tom Brady, New England
3) Drew Brees, New Orleans
4) Cam Newton, Carolina
5) Philip Rivers, San Diego
6) Josh McCown, Chicago
7) Carson Palmer, Arizona
8) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
9) Eli Manning, NY Giants
10) Robert Griffin III, Washington
11) Russell Wilson, Seattle
12) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
13) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
14) Brandon Weeden, Cleveland
15) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
16) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee
17) EJ Manuel, Buffalo
18) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
19) Case Keenum, Houston
20) Alex Smith, Kansas City
21) Christian Ponder, Minnesota
22) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
23) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
24) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
25) Geno Smith, NY Jets

Josh McCown has been awesome for fantasy owners since taking over during Jay Cutler's injury, and I like him to have a huge game against a terrible Minnesota defense.

Carson Palmer gets a plus matchup with Philly, and I like the shootout potential of this game.  Nick Foles has it a bit rougher than Palmer does from the matchup side of things, but I expect both QBs to be pretty good.

I have been a huge Andrew Luck supporter this year, but I'm down on him this week.  Tennessee has been a shut down pass defense for a lot of this season, allowing only 1 opposing passer to throw for multiple TDs.  I think this game is of the 17-14 variety.

Case Keenum should be throwing for a lot of the 2nd half, so he has that going for him.  This is the last week I'm showing any confidence in Houston's offense.

I didn't rank Kellen Clemens on the Top 25 because there is only 26 QBs remaining after Thursday's games, and I prefer the upside turnover machine Geno Smith offers.  If you're down this far, I'm sorry.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6.

Week 12 QB, RB & WR Rankings

The bye weeks are almost over.  After this week, every player on your team will be available and hopefully you're either clinched up and still in the hunt for a playoff spot.  Let's get to it for Week 12.  As always, in the case of a Sit/Start problem, start the player ranked closest to #1.

RB

1) Matt Forte, Chicago
2) Frank Gore, San Francisco
3) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
4) Ben Tate, Houston
5) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
6) Reggie Bush, Detroit
7) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
8) Andre Brown, NY Giants
9) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
10) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
11) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
12) Alfred Morris, Washington
13) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
14) Stevan Ridley, New England
15) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
16) Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay
17) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
18) Shane Vereen, New England
19) Rashad Jennings, Oakland
20) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
21) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
22) Ray Rice, Baltimore
23) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
24) Andre Ellington, Arizona
25) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
26) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
27) Chris Ogbonnaya, Cleveland
28) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
29) Lamar Miller, Miami
30) Montee Ball, Denver
31) Trent Richardson, Indianapolis
32) Shonn Greene, Tennessee
33) Brian Leonard, Tampa Bay
34) Mike Tolbert, Carolina
35) Joique Bell, Detroit
36) Dennis Johnson, Houston
37) James Starks, Green Bay
38) Kendall Hunter, San Francisco
39) Daniel Thomas, Miami
40) Bilal Powell, NY Jets

A matchup with the Chicago Bears defense is indeed a "get right" matchup for RBs, proven by Ray Rice rising from the dead last week and 5 of the last 6 RBs to face the Bears scoring 20 or more fantasy points.  Zac Stacy should see extensive work, and barring injury, should be a Top 5 performer.  There are very few RBs I'd rather have this week than Stacy.

The Houston Texans have settled on Case Keenum as their QB and this week, I think they go back to what made them successful the last few seasons: a strong running game and play action passing.  Ben Tate is healthy and Houston should have no problem running the ball agains tthe bottom ranked run defense of the Jaguars.  I even like Dennis Johnson to see enough work to be a Hail Mary flex play this week.

Bobby Rainey's performance in Week 11 may have been a fluke, but when you look at it, he showed great vision, good burst, and followed his blocking successfully.  If he scores half of what he did last week, the numbers are still staggering.  Trust Rainey as a legit RB2.

Shane Vereen was not eased back in on Monday Night.  He saw a full compliment of snaps and led the Patriots in targets, catches and receiving yards.  In a can't fail shoot out with the Denver Broncos, Vereen is a great play this week.

The Miami Dolphin run defense is atrocious.  Unfortunately, a matchup with the Carolina Panthers this week doesn't give fantasy owners a clear point of exploitation.  I have DeAngelo Williams at #23 and Mike Tolbert at #34 because of the matchup, but I don't think either of them are more than a flex play at best.  I suggest playing better options if you have them, but know that this is a matchup to exploit.

WR

1) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
2) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
3) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
4) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
5) Dez Bryant, Dallas
6) Andre Johnson, Houston
7) Victor Cruz, NY Gaints
8) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
9) Wes Welker, Denver
10) Danny Amendola, New England
11) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
12) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
13) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
14) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
15) Eric Decker, Denver
16) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
17) Pierre Garcon, Washington
18) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
19) Keenan Allen, San Diego
20) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
21) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
22) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
23) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
24) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
25) Michael Floyd, Arizona
26) Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay
27) Santonio Holmes, NY Jets
28) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
29) Jerricho Cotchery, Pittsburgh
30) Steve Smith, Carolina
31) Mike Wallace, Miami
32) James Jones, Green Bay
33) Aaron Dobson, New England
34) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
35) Nate Washington, Tennessee
36) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
37) Terrance Williams, Dallas
38) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
39) Eddie Royal, San Diego
40) Miles Austin, Dallas
41) Julian Edelman, New England
42) Rod Streater, Oakland
43) Nate Burleson, Detroit
44) Brian Hartline, Miami
45) Dexter McCluster, Kansas City
46) Brandon LaFell, Carolina
47) Greg Little, Cleveland
48) Chris Givens, St. Louis
49) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
50) Ted Ginn Jr., Carolina

Wes Welker is probable off a concussion.  He plays his former employer in a Prime Time showdown on Sunday Night.  I love revenge games, and Welker is primed to have a big game.

Anquan Boldin is also in Prime Time with a tasty matchup against Washignton's porous secondary.  I trust Colin Kaepernick to shine in a plus matchup, and Boldin should be the beneficiary.

Dwayne Bowe is back as a major presence in the low powered Kansas City passing game, and with back to back double digit target games already under his belt, I look for KC to get right against a terrible San Diego defense.

A lot of people are higher on Torrey Smith this week then I am, and I don't quite know why.  I think he's a locked in WR2, but I'm looking for a low scoring affair with two resurgent defenses looking for a win.  Smith will be an OK WR2 play, but I'm not expecting a huge game.

Jerricho Cotchery is a legit red zone threat in Pittsburgh's offense and Big Ben looks for him in these pressure spots.  He is slippery, runs good routes, and won't have Joe Haden in his back pocket.  I think Cotchery keeps up his recent pace this week and is a great fill in for those missing DeSean Jackson or AJ Green this week.

QB

1) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
2) Peyton Manning, Denver
3) Tom Brady, New England
4) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
5) Tony Romo, Dallas
6) Robert Griffin III, Washington
7) Cam Newton, Carolina
8) Case Keenum, Houston
9) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
10) Eli Manning, NY Giants
11) Josh McCown, Chicago
12) Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee
13) Carson Palmer, Arizona
14) Philip Rivers, San Diego
15) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
16) Scott Tolzien, Green Bay
17) Alex Smith, Kansas City
18) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
19) Christian Ponder, Minnesota
20) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
21) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
22) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
23) Kellen Clemens, St. Louis
24) Geno Smith, NY Jets
25) Jason Campbell, Cleveland

Matthew Stafford owners have been drooling for a week like this.  You're set to clinch a playoff spot or you're trying to lock up your seeding and your QB is set to face the brutal Tampa Bay secondary indoors coming off a devastating loss where he threw for over 300 yards and 2 scores.  You're starting Stafford every week, but this is one of those weeks where he can go berzerk.

Manning vs. Brady will be a shootout.  You have no worries with either QB this week.

RG3 seems to be trending downwards, but at home on Monday Night, I expect Griffin to put up enough of a line to be Top 10.

If Eli Manning can't get it together against Dallas's leaky defense, I don't know that he will this season.

Josh McCown and Ryan Fitzpatrick are great streamer options for those missing out on bye week QBs Russell Wilson or Nick Foles, or others who are still missing Aaron Rodgers.  I like McCown especially because his offensive system sets him up for great success.

Big Ben comes back to earth after his 4 TD performance last week.  Cleveland vs Pittsburgh will be a slug fest with some inclement weather possible.  Take the under.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6.

Week 11 QB, RB & WR Rankings

On paper, Week 11 looks like a really tough week at every position.  In fact, this week features 13 of the 14 games with over/under numbers in the 40s, so Vegas is not expecting a ton of offense.  My rankings will definitely reflect the only game with an over/under in the 50s (Washington at Philadelphia), as I am extremely high on the prospects of the weapons in that game.  Let's get to it...in the case of a Sit/Start issue, start the player ranked closest to #1.

RB

1) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
2) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
3) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
4) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
5) Reggie Bush, Detroit
6) Matt Forte, Chicago
7) Frank Gore, San Francisco
8) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
9) Alfred Morris, Washington
10) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
11) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
12) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
13) Andre Ellington, Arizona
14) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
15) Andre Brown, NY Giants
16) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
17) Stevan Ridley, New England
18) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
19) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
20) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
21) Ben Tate, Houston
22) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
23) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
24) Lamar Miller, Miami
25) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
26) Shane Vereen, New England
27) Ray Rice, Baltimore
28) Rashad Jennings, Oakland
29) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
30) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
31) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
32) Brian Leonard, Tampa Bay
33) Bernard Pierce, Baltimore
34) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
35) Roy Helu, Washington
36) Joique Bell, Detroit
37) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta
38) James Starks, Green Bay
39) Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
40) Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay

I don't really buy coach-speak, so when Bruce Arians said that Andre Ellington's 13 touches were "plenty", I'm not necessarily a believer.  Arians will learn very quickly that to win consistently in the NFL, you need your best weapons to touch the ball as much as possible.  Even with the possibility of 12-15 touches as it stands, I like Ellington as a strong RB2 this week against a porous Jacksonville Jaguars defense.

Andre Brown got 31 touches in his first week back from a broken leg when he was supposed to be a snap count.  Fire him up if you have him.  Your only fear with Brown rest of season is re-injury.  You can't predict that though, and with the Giants pass game struggling mightily, Brown should settle the game down for Eli Manning.

I really like Chris Ivory this week despite a less than stellar matchup on paper with Buffalo's run defense.

Baltimore Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh hinted that the hot hand will get backfield touches going forward.  Ray Rice has what looks like a "get-right" matchup against a suddenly bad and injury depleted Chicago defense, but I don't trust that he's healthy.  If Bernard Pierce gets it going early, he could take over duties on a full time basis.  A situation worth monitoring.

Owners struggled with who to add in the Tampa Bay running game with Mike James breaking his ankle last Monday Night.  I suggest that Brian Leonard is the one to own due to a higher floor, but Bobby Rainey possesses the type of upside you look for in a back.  Watch this situation unfold, but if you're missing DeMarco Murray or Zac Stacy this week, Leonard is my recommended plug in.

WR

1) Pierre Garcon, Washington
2) Andre Johnson, Houston
3) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
4) Wes Welker, Denver
5) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
6) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
7) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
8) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
9) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
10) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
11) AJ Green, Cincinnati
12) Golden Tate, Seattle
13) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
14) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
15) Eric Decker, Denver
16) Keenan Allen, San Diego
17) Victor Cruz, NY Giants
18) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
19) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
20) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
21) Danny Amendola, New England
22) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
23) Percy Harvin, Seattle
24) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
25) Marques Colston, New Orleans
26) Mike Wallace, Miami (Questionable)
27) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
28) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
29) Steve Smith, Carolina
30) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
31) Roddy White, Atlanta
32) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
33) Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay
34) Denarius Moore, Oakland
35) Santonio Holmes, NY Jets
36) Marquise Goodwin, Buffalo
37) Lance Moore, New Orleans
38) Aaron Dobson, New England
39) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
40) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
41) Marvin Jones, Cincinnati
42) Michael Floyd, Arizona (Questionable)
43) James Jones, Green Bay
44) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
45) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
46) Rishard Matthews, Miami
47) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
48) Andre Roberts, Arizona
49) Jerricho Cotchery, Pittsburgh
50) Brian Hartline, Miami

Larry Fitzgerald has widely been a fantasy disappointment again this season, but if you have him, this is the kind of week where you plug him in and deal with it.  The matchup doesn't get much better.

I am once again high on Golden Tate this week.  The return of Percy Harvin, whether on a snap count or not, makes an opposing defense play honestly, and if you're getting single coverage against the Vikings secondary at home in a winnable matchup, you exploit it.  Tate has only put up double digit fantasy points once at home, but the attention forced to Harvin will give Tate a great opportunity to shine.

The Riley Cooper-Nick Foles connection is for real.  Despite a low target count (11 in the last two weeks), Cooper has 5 TDs and two straight 100 yard performances.  Ignore these numbers in what will be the premier shoot out on the NFL this weekend.

I had Mike Wallace at #20 when I initially wrote up my rankings, but his Questionable tag forced me to drop him into the WR3 level.  I was high on the prospects on Wallace breaking out of his slump against a poor San Diego defense at home, but I have calmed down on those prospects.  Start him if you have to, but if I'm starting a Miami WR this weekend, I'd rather have Rishard Matthews coming off a break out performance.

I prefer Jarrett Boykin to James Jones until Aaron Rodgers returns.  Similarly to Cooper-Foles, you can't overlook scout team chemistry.  Jones is also too TD dependent for my liking as it is.

Buffalo is down their top two WRs this weekend, opening up a sliver of hope for rookie speedster Marquise Goodwin.  I knew Robert Woods was going to be out earlier this week and I had Goodwin at #39 when my first draft came out, but with the news of Stevie Johnson sitting it out this weekend, I bumped him up to WR3 play-ability.  I have him ranked under Mike Wallace by 9 spots, but I would almost rather have a lotto shot in Goodwin than a player with a middle of the road floor in Wallace.

QB

1) Robert Griffin III, Washington
2) Russell Wilson, Seattle
3) Peyton Manning, Denver
4) Drew Brees, New Orleans
5) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
6) Case Keenum, Houston
7) Philip Rivers, San Diego
8) Cam Newton, Carolina
9) Tom Brady, New England
10) Carson Palmer, Arizona
11) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
12) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
13) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
14) Eli Manning, NY Giants
15) Alex Smith, Kansas City
16) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
17) Geno Smith, NY Jets
18) Josh McCown, Chicago
19) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
20) Colin Kaeprnick, San Francisco
21) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
22) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
23) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
24) Scott Tolzien, Green Bay
25) Jason Campbell, Cleveland

The Washington Redskins find themselves at 3-6, similarly to where they were after 9 games in 2012.  Just as they did last season, Washington gets Philly in game 10, and in that game, Griffin threw for 200 yards, ran for 84 more and threw for 4 TDs.  I don't know about the rushing yardage, but I think a line like this is completely feasible.  You're not sitting Griffin this week.

Nick Foles and Case Keenum have thrown the same amount of INTs as I have this season.  Considering I have yet to see game action this season, I'm excited about their combined prospects this weekend.  Foles has the challenge of being the first Philly QB to win at home since September 30th, 2012.  Keenum has the challenge of winning his first ever start.  Both have winnable fantasy matchups, and that's why they're both ranked highly this week.

Carson Palmer has this shot to be a Top 10 QB and then he probably falls back into the late teens, early twenties for the rest of the season.  Just as is the case with Larry Fitzgerald, the matchup is not going to get better.

I like Matthew Stafford a ton.  As far as he goes this week, I don't like the fact that Pittsburgh, has allowed only 2 passing TDs at home and no passer has thrown for more than 201 yards at Heinz Field.  Stafford could very easily have a good game this weekend.  His offense is probably way better than any offense that has come to Pittsburgh this season.  I do expect this game to be controlled on the ground, however, and Stafford probably gets you an OK fantasy line, but I'm not high on his chances.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6.

Week 10 QB, RB & WR Rankings

The bye weeks don't hurt so bad from here as 4 teams sit this week, 2 next week, and 4 in Week 12.  This week is one of the easier bye weeks to navigate because you probably aren't relying heavily on any of the teams sitting out this week.  This week features some deeper lists than the last few weeks, so if you're dealing with some tougher Sit/Starts, choose whomever is closest to #1 and let's take some chances this week:

RB

1) Matt Forte, Chicago
2) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
3) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
4) Reggie Bush, Detroit
5) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
6) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
7) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
8) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
9) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
10) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
11) Frank Gore, San Francisco
12) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
13) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
14) Mike James, Tampa Bay
15) Lamar Miller, Miami
16) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
17) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
18) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
19) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
20) Andre Ellington, Arizona
21) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
22) Ben Tate, Houston
23) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
24) Trent Richardson, Indianapolis
25) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
26) Shonn Greene, Tennessee
27) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
28) Ray Rice, Baltimore
29) Rashad Jennings, Oakland
30) Mike Tolbert, Carolina
31) Peyton Hillis, NY Giants
32) Joique Bell, Detroit
33) Daniel Thomas, Miami
34) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
35) James Starks, Green Bay
36) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
37) Andre Brown, NY Giants
38) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta
39) Dennis Johnson, Houston
40) Montee Ball, Denver

I love the way Matt Forte is playing the running back position right now, and I think he visits the end zone multiple times on Sunday.  Reggie Bush isn't going to get shown up too much though, so let the fireworks in that game commence.

San Diego will likely be in catch up mode at some point on Sunday, and when that starts, Danny Woodhead stays on the field.  If you have Woodhead on your roster, he needs to be in your lineup every week, but none more than this week.

I liked what Mike James showed two Thursdays ago against Carolina before the game got out of hand, and I obviously loved what he did last week IN Seattle.  With Doug Martin placed on IR Friday, James is going to get a legit audition.  I think he takes advantage.

I dislike Ray Rice.  I am hoping that dropping him out of the Top 25 is some sort of reverse jinx, but I am starting to think Rice might not be that good anymore.  He runs behind a brutal offensive line, he has a hip injury, and his coaching staff refuses to game plan around him.  You can do better this week.

I have Tolbert higher than his teammates because I think he is the only Panther RB who can score a TD and be effective against a physical 49ers defense.  I am not excited that Stewart is back, as an already sucky situation gets suckier.

Peyton Hillis gets the start for the Giants with Andre Brown getting worked back in.  It won't take long for Brown to be the starter, but he's going to need a TD this week to be worth a lineup spot, because I'm projecting him at 30-35 yards.

WR

1) Wes Welker, Denver
2) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
3) Victor Cruz, NY Giants
4) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
5) Keenan Allen, San Diego
6) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
7) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
8) Dez Bryant, Dallas
9) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
10) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
11) Eric Decker, Denver
12) Golden Tate, Seattle
13) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
14) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
15) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
16) AJ Green, Cincinnati
17) Andre Johnson, Houston
18) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
19) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
20) Denarius Moore, Oakland
21) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
22) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
23) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
24) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
25) Terrance Williams, Dallas
26) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
27) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
28) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
29) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
30) Mike Wallace, Miami
31) Lance Moore, New Orleans
32) Marques Colston, New Orleans (Questionable)
33) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
34) James Jones, Green Bay
35) Roddy White, Atlanta (Questionable)
36) Steve Smith, Carolina
37) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
38) Marvin Jones, Cincinnati
39) Vincent Brown, San Diego
40) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
41) Michael Floyd, Arizona
42) Nate Washington, Tennessee
43) Mike Brown, Jacksonville
44) Marlon Brown, Baltimore
45) Chris Givens, St. Louis
46) Brian Hartline, Miami
47) Kenny Stills, New Orleans
48) Eddie Royal, San Diego
49) Kris Durham, Detroit
50) Jermaine Kearse, Seattle

I have 3 Broncos WRs in the Top 11.  Trust me, if you have 1 or more of the 3, you're not considering benching them at any point going forward.  I just happen to believe they all get theirs this weekend.

Calvin Johnson at #7?  Here's his receiving stat lines against the Bears in Chicago since he came into the league (receptions-yards-TDs): 2-44-0, 8-94-1, 8-133-0, 4-45-0, 7-81-0, 3-34-0.  He has had two relevant fantasy performances in Soldier Field since coming into the NFL.  In a revenge game, I expect the Bears and Charles Tillman to make Johnson's day extremely difficult.  He's still at #7 and you're not benching him against a Bears defense that has been terrible lately.  Just temper your expectations.

I like Seattle's passing game this weekend against an Atlanta defense that just doesn't generate any pressure.  Russell Wilson is going to have clean pockets to work with, and I like the spot that Tate and Baldwin are in.  Kearse is a great long shot flier for a longer TD if you're desperate.

AJ Green has never scored a TD against Baltimore and he averages 40.7 yards per game against them.  I'm not suggesting he'll do that this weekend, but his lack of prior success gives me great backup for placing him outside my Top 10.  I'm actually expecting 6-64-0.  But you won't have options with more upside than Green.

The Green Bay WRs are heading for rough sledding.  Nelson is the most talented and will get his targets.  Jones is a product of the respect defenses paid to Aaron Rodgers and his surrounding WRs.  The sort of space Jones has been afforded is no longer available.  Jarrett Boykin isn't playable, and I think he can be outright dropped.

Marques Colston and Roddy White both carry the questionable tag and I would actually feel OK with Colston, but he's playing Sunday Night.  This is such a strong matchup for New Orleans and a great chance for Colston to break out of his season long slump, but it's risky.  I'm not crazy about Roddy White, but if he is ACTIVE, his rankings reflects my respect for his upside.

QB

1) Peyton Manning, Denver
2) Drew Brees, New Orleans
3) Russell Wilson, Seattle
4) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
5) Philip Rivers, San Diego
6) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
7) Tony Romo, Dallas
8) Jay Cutler, Chicago
9) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
10) Eli Manning, NY Giants
11) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
12) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
13) Cam Newton, Carolina
14) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
15) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
16) Terrelle Pryor, Oakland
17) Jake Locker, Tennessee
18) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
19) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
20) Case Keenum, Houston
21) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
22) Carson Palmer, Arizona
23) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
24) EJ Manuel, Buffalo
25) Seneca Wallace, Green Bay

Matthew Stafford is going to have a big number in the yardage column.  He usually struggles to avoid mistakes playing in Chicago.  I think his Top 5 day is built through the screen game.  Bush and Bell can be big contributors with strong YAC, and Stafford will benefit.

In that same game, Jay Cutler has always put up useful fantasy lines against the Lions.  The health of his groin tear will scare potential suitors, but if Marc Trestman is putting Cutler out there, it means he is medically cleared.  Coach Trestman has pushed all the right buttons this year on offense for the Bears this year, and sometimes you have to feel the groove a coach is in to fully understand a situation.  I believe in Cutler this week and if you have Matt Ryan or Terrelle Pryor as your QB and Cutler is available on the Wire, make the move!

A Green Bay QB at #25?  Wow.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6 and let's go get Week 10 together.

Week 9 QB, RB & WR Rankings

So we've got another brutal bye week on our hands with 6 teams sitting it out this week.  This is likely the week where your backup QB or WRs will finally see action.  In the instance of a Sit/Start Question, take the player ranked closer to #1:

RB

1) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
2) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
3) Ray Rice, Baltimore
4) Alfred Morris, Washington
5) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
6) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
7) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
8) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
9) Darren McFadden, Oakland
10) Stevan Ridley, New England
11) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
12) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
13) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
14) Matt Forte, Chicago
15) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
16) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
17) Arian Foster, Houston (Questionable)
18) Trent Richardson, Indianapolis
19) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
20) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
21) Ben Tate, Houston (Questionable)
22) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
23) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
24) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
25) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
26) Willis McGahee, Cleveland
27) Mike Tolbert, Carolina
28) Mike James, Tampa Bay
29) Roy Helu, Washington
30) Bilal Powell, NY Jets
31) CJ Spiller, Buffalo (Probable)
32) Brandon Bolden, New England
33) James Starks, Green Bay
34) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
35) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta
36) Chris Ogbonnaya, Cleveland
37) Joseph Randle, Dallas
38) Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
39) Bryce Brown, Philadelphia
40) Fozzy Whittaker, Cleveland

Baltimore has a history of feeding their RBs early and often following their bye week.  I like Rice, who has proclaimed himself completely healthy, to see a full workload this week in Cleveland.

Marshawn Lynch had a terrible outing on national television on Monday Night.  With Sidney Rice on the shelf due to a torn ACL, look for Beast Mode to be fully unleashed against a Tampa Bay defense (and team for that matter) that has seemingly given up on their head coach.

Two San Diego RBs in the Top 15?  I expect a full blown shoot out in our nation's capital this Sunday and I expect both Mathews and Woodhead to be extremely active.

Houston's RB situation is a little up in the air this weekend with Foster listed as a full blown game time decision and Tate listed as questionable, but planning to play.  Unless you own both, I'm advising to sit both.  If you have them both, plan on Foster until you hear whether or not he's playing.

I like players who are matching up against former teams, which explains why I have Chris Ivory in my Top 25.  I expect a TD at some point in this game either early on or after New Orleans already has a healthy advantage.

I'm starting to analyze the late season lotto ticket possibilities out there in Fantasyland, and the more I see him, the more I like Fozzy Whittaker as a potential stash.  I suggest grabbing him on deeper rosters and waiting out his situation.

WR

1) Dez Bryant, Dallas
2) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
3) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
4) Pierre Garcon, Washington
5) Keenan Allen, San Diego
6) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
7) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
8) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
9) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
10) Andre Johnson, Houston
11) Terrance Williams, Dallas
12) Denarius Moore, Oakland
13) James Jones, Green Bay (Questionable)
14) Golden Tate, Seattle
15) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
16) Danny Amendola, New England
17) Nate Washington, Tennessee
18) Steve Smith, Carolina
19) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
20) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
21) Darrius Heyward-Bey, Indianapolis
22) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
23) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
24) Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay
25) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
26) Eddie Royal, San Diego (Questionable)
27) Marques Colston, New Orleans (Questionable)
28) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
29) Lance Moore, New Orleans
30) Roddy White, Atlanta (Questionable)
31) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
32) Brandon LaFell, Carolina
33) Vincent Brown, San Diego
34) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
35) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
36) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
37) Ted Ginn, Carolina
38) Julian Edelman, New England
39) Kenny Stills, New Orleans
40) Rod Streater, Oakland
41) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
42) Austin Pettis, St. Louis
43) Drew Davis, Atlanta
44) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
45) Jacoby Jones, Baltimore
46) Jerricho Cotchery, Pittsburgh
47) Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota
48) Cole Beasley, Dallas
49) Kenbrell Thompkins, New England
50) Jermaine Kearse, Seattle

I think Josh Gordon might be a QB-proof fantasy option.  Baltimore allows the 2nd most 40+ yard passing plays in the NFL.  Do the math.

Vincent Jackson is at #9 because he is frankly a better option than those listed behind him.  However, I'm tempering my expectations overall with no help in the passing game and a brutal matchup against Seattle's secondary.  You can't ignore the possibility of 15+ targets though.

If James Jones plays, I expect him to be able to fully contribute.  In a matchup with an all of a sudden porous Chicago secondary, Green Bay stands to turn this into a route.  Jarrett Boykin is still viable whether Jones plays or not.

Marques Colston didn't practice Friday and looks to be a game time decision, similarly to Roddy White.  If they play, I have them as upside WR3s.

No Percy Harvin and no Sidney Rice leaves the door open for Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse to get some playing time.  I prefer Baldwin, but I love Kearse's upside as the deep threat.

Rod Streater is a bit of a deep sleeper for me.  He is definitely boom or bust in a run first offense, but Philadelphia can't stop anyone from imposing their will against them, so if you're in a pinch due to the byes, Streater is a great option.

QB

1) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
2) Cam Newton, Carolina
3) Drew Brees, New Orleans
4) Philip Rivers, San Diego
5) Tony Romo, Dallas
6) Robert Griffin III, Washington
7) Terrelle Pryor, Oakland
8) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
9) Jake Locker, Tennessee
10) Russell Wilson, Seattle
11) Alex Smith, Kansas City
12) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
13) Josh McCown, Chicago
14) Tom Brady, New England
15) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
16) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
17) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
18) Christian Ponder, Minnesota
19) Case Keenum, Houston
20) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
21) Geno Smith, NY Jets
22) Jason Campbell, Cleveland
23) Kellen Clemens, St. Louis
24) Whoever starts at QB for Buffalo

Cam Newton is catching fire the way I thought he could when the season started.  I had him as my preseason #1, but with Peyton Manning set to destroy records left and right, Newton can still be #2.  Atlanta is allowing QBs to do pretty much whatever they want.

Terrelle Pryor and Jake Locker are two mobile QBs in my Top 10 this week because of their matchups.  If you're missing a Manning, Stafford, or Kaepernick, either of these two can help your team big time this week.

Josh McCown will perform as a product of his system this week.  I expect Green Bay to score a ton, and McCown might throw 40-50 times.  That kind of volume, turnovers aside, is great for fantasy purposes.  Green Bay just doesn't let teams run on them, as evidenced by their 10th best output against fantasy RBs.

I dislike every option after #16 this week.  Unless you're in a 2 QB league, I hope you aren't stuck with one of these options.  Buffalo's situation is an absolute disaster.  They want Thad Lewis to start, but if he does, he stands very little chance against the Chiefs defense.  Their backups are somehow worse.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6 and let's beat Week 9 together.

Week 8 QB, RB & WR Rankings

Week 8 is brutal.  There is a ton of fantasy goodness missing in action this week, either via injury or the 6 teams on bye.  If you have a team filled with empty spots, you're definitely digging deep for some fill ins.  Here are my Week 8 QB, RB & WR rankings.  In the case of a Sit/Start question, start the player ranked closest to #1.

RB

1) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
2) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
3) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
4) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
5) Frank Gore, San Francisco
6) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
7) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
8) Reggie Bush, Detroit
9) Alfred Morris, Washington
10) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
11) DeMarco Murray, Dallas (Questionable)
12) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
13) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
14) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
15) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
16) Darren McFadden, Oakland
17) Stevan Ridley, New England
18) Lamar Miller, Miami
19) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
20) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
21) Roy Helu, Washington
22) Andre Ellington, Arizona
23) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
24) Joique Bell, Detroit
25) Willis McGahee, Cleveland
26) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
27) Peyton Hills, NY Giants
28) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
29) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta
30) Daniel Thomas, Miami
31) Kendall Hunter, San Francisco
32) Chris Ogbonnaya, Cleveland
33) Tashard Choice, Buffalo
34) Joseph Randle, Dallas
35) Khiry Robinson, New Orleans
36) Bilal Powell, NY Jets
37) Brandon Bolden, New England
38) Montee Ball, Denver
39) Robert Turbin, Seattle
40) Anthony Dixon, San Francisco

DeMarco Murray returns this week to start for Dallas in a pretty tasty matchup with the Detroit Lions.  If for some reason Murray can't go (all signs point to him starting), bump Joseph Randle up to about #17 for workload alone.  With or without Murray, I think the Dallas RB situation is a tough one to gauge this week, but the price you paid for Murray means you're using him if you don't have 2-3 options better than him.

Call me crazy, but I think this is a week where MJD gives us an MJD-ish performance of old.  The game won't be out of hand until late in all likelihood, so I like MJD to get owners 100 yards and a score, possibly more.  He is one of those guys who produces in matchups against stout defenses.  You would normally think to sit him, but I say play him.  I think I'm the only one out there.

I wasn't super high on Steven Jackson coming into this year (He was #16 on my Final Preseason RB Rankings), but the price Jackson's owners paid to draft him makes them at least luke-warm to the idea of putting him back in.  If he's truly healthy, I like him to handle a Top 15 workload.  We'll see how much he can produce with that many touches.

If Jimmy Graham is out for New Orleans, I consider Pierre Thomas a Top 15 play and I would slide him right behind Sproles and ahead of Steven Jackson.

I really like Peyton Hillis's chances this week against the Eagles.  I think the Giants might head into their bye week with a little momentum, and maybe he's the guy who sparks it.  Either way, with the bye next week and Andre Brown's return right around the corner, Hillis has one last chance to earn an NFL job.  I think he takes advantage of it.

It's tough to predict garbage time, but I think Anthony Dixon has a chance to score a goal line TD late in a lop-sided SF win.  If you need 6 points from your RB spot, he's as good a place to find it.

WR

1) Dez Bryant, Dallas
2) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
3) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
4) Victor Cruz, NY Giants
5) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
6) Wes Welker, Denver
7) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
8) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
9) Marques Colston, New Orleans
10) AJ Green, Cincinnati
11) Pierre Garcon, Washington
12) Eric Decker, Denver
13) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
14) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
15) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
16) Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville
17) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
18) Michael Floyd, Arizona
19) Danny Amendola, New England (Questionable)
20) Terrance Williams, Dallas
21) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
22) Golden Tate, Seattle
23) Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay
24) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
25) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
26) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
27) Denarius Moore, Oakland
28) Brian Hartline, Miami
29) Julian Edelman, New England (Questionable)
30) Kris Durham, Detroit
31) Cole Beasley, Dallas
32) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
33) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
34) Mike Wallace, Miami
35) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
36) Sidney Rice, Seattle
37) Jeremy Kerley, NY Jets
38) Lance Moore, New Orleans
39) Robert Woods, Buffalo
40) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City (Questionable)
41) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
42) Jerricho Cotchery, Pittsburgh
43) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
44) Leonard Hankerson, Washington
45) Kenbrell Thompkins, New England
46) Greg Little, Cleveland
47) Brandon Gibson, Miami
48) Jerome Simpson, Minnesota
49) Stephen Hill, NY Jets
50) Kenny Stills, New Orleans

Victor Cruz didn't score last time the Eagles and Giants played.  I expect him to go off on Sunday.

I'm not one of those people high on Kenny Stills because of Jimmy Graham being limited/possibly out.  I like the returning Lance Moore better than Stills, but I feel that if Graham is out, Colston, Sproles and Pierre Thomas pick up Graham's slack while Moore and Stills fight for WR2 playing time.  If Graham suits up, he may produce, but I like him as the ultimate decoy.  Either way, Marcus Colston gets off the schneid this week.

I'm low on Cleveland as a whole with Jason Campbell at QB facing the top defense in the NFL on the road, but I think Josh Gordon still has a Top 20 level chance to produce based on talent alone.  Five WRs have scored double digit points against the Chiefs this year, with four of those performances at Arrowhead.  It is possible is all I'm saying.  Campbell won't get sacked on EVERY drop back.

Cole Beasley.  Remember who is the highest on Beasley when he has himself a game this week.  I have him at 31, which is 2 spots higher than any of the ranking pros at FantasyPros.com.  I really believe this game lines up as a big time shootout, and Detroit is a kind matchup for opposing WRs, having allowed 6 different players to reach double digits in their last 4 games.  I like his chances.

I have Brian Hartline and Donnie Avery ranked ahead of their respective WR1s this week for essentially the same reason.  Hartline is a better play than Mike Wallace because Wallace will draw the returning Aqib Talib.  Avery is a better play than Dwayne Bowe because Bowe has been on the injury report all week and probably draws Joe Haden.

QB

1) Peyton Manning, Denver
2) Drew Brees, New Orleans
3) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
4) Robert Griffin III, Washington
5) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
6) Tony Romo, Dallas
7) Russell Wilson, Seattle
8) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
9) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
10) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
11) Eli Manning, NY Giants
12) Carson Palmer, Arizona
13) Michael Vick, Philadelphia
14) Tom Brady, New England
15) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
16) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
17) Terrelle Pryor, Oakland
18) Alex Smith, Kansas City
19) Christian Ponder, Minnesota
20) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
21) Geno Smith, NY Jets
22) Thaddeus Lewis, Buffalo
23) Jason Campbell, Cleveland
24) Kellen Clemens, St. Louis

You know it's a bye week when Big Ben is in my Top 10.  In his last 2 games against Oakland, he has thrown for 329.5 yards per game and 7 touchdowns.  These are games from 2010 and 2012, so this is recent stuff.  Last year's game in Oakland was the highest scoring game Pittsburgh was involved in, and I look for more of the same.

Carson Palmer, you have to get it going this week.  Atlanta creates zero pressure, has holes in coverage, and isn't a great road team.  This will probably be the last time you're a viable QB1 if you don't make it happen this week.

Get a good look at Jason Campbell and Kellen Clemens being ranked because it won't happen again this season.  Both of these QBs might not make it to next week.  These are only viable starting options if you are in a 2 QB league and both of your starters are on bye.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6.  I answer every Sit/Start Question sent to me on Sunday mornings.

Week 7 QB, RB & WR Rankings

Week 7 brings a pretty light Bye Week set up with only the Saints and Raiders sitting it out this week.  Yes, you're missing Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Terrelle Pryor and others, but this should be a great week to not worry too much about the dreaded bye week fill ins.  Next week is another story, as 6 teams will be out of action.  Let's get on to Week 7's positional rankings.  As always, in the case of a Sit/Start quandary, use the player ranked closest to #1.

RB

1) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia

2) Matt Forte, Chicago

3) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota

4) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City

5) Alfred Morris, Washington

6) Ray Rice, Baltimore

7) Reggie Bush, Detroit

8) Doug Martin, Tampa Bay

9) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati

10) Knowshon Moreno, Denver

11) Trent Richardson, Indianapolis

12) Frank Gore, San Francisco

13) Bilal Powell, NY Jets

14) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh

15) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina

16) Lamar Miller, Miami

17) Fred Jackson, Buffalo

18) Danny Woodhead, San Diego

19) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay

20) Joseph Randle, Dallas

21) Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants

22) Zac Stacy, St. Louis

23) Arian Foster, Houston

24) Ryan Mathews, San Diego

25) CJ Spiller, Buffalo

26) Stevan Ridley, New England

27) Willis McGahee, Cleveland

28) Chris Johnson, Tennessee

29) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville

30) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta

31) Mike Tolbert, Carolina

32) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati

33) Joique Bell, Detroit

34) Chris Ivory, NY Jets

35) Chris Ogbonnaya, Cleveland

36) Donald Brown, Indianapolis

37) Bernard Pierce, Baltimore

38) Ben Tate, Houston

39) Michael Bush, Chicago

40) Phillip Tanner, Dallas

This is probably as high as I'll be on Giovani Bernard all season.  Detroit has been it's usual terrible self against the run, allowing 6 separate ball carrier to reach double digit fantasy points on the season and the only week they didn't allow a double digit scorer (Week 5 vs. Green Bay), Eddie lacy still rushed for 99 yards.  RBs have rushed for 5 TDs on the ground and caught 3 via the air against them.Bernard and Green-Ellis could both reach pay dirt this weekend.

Bilal Powell is still the unquestioned lead back for the Jets, and with Mike Goodson out for the year with an ACL tear, coupled with New England's defensive injuries, he could easily reach 80-90 total yards and a TD.  I like him as a strong RB2 this week.

I'm lower on Arian Foster than every documented expert at FantasyPros.com and I think I'm going to be correct here.  Kansas City has yet to allow a RB to score a touchdown at Arrowhead Stadium and Foster has not yet scored a TD away from Reliant Stadium.  He may get you 10 points in total yardage this week, but I have him at #23 as I feel he is a back end RB2 this week.  You probably can't sit him, but you have to lower your expectations this week.

I was really tempted to have Jacquizz Rodgers higher on this list, but I just couldn't do it.  He's among my best Flex options this week with Steven Jackson out again and Jason Snelling probably seeing a reduced role as he returns from a concussion.

Chris Ogbonnaya is a sneaky good play this week, as he has seen 5 or more targets out of the backfield in 3 of the last 4 weeks and reached paydirt in 2 of his last 3.  If not for a concussion-related departure in Week 5, we might be talking more about him.  Give him a look in PPR formats.

WR

1) Dez Bryant, Dallas

2) Brandon Marshall, Chicago

3) AJ Green, Cincinnati

4) Victor Cruz, NY Giants

5) Wes Welker, Denver

6) Demaryius Thomas, Denver

7) Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis

8) Pierre Garcon, Washington

9) Josh Gordon, Cleveland

10) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia

11) Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville

12) Calvin Johnson, Detroit

13) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh

14) Keenan Allen, San Diego

15) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay

16) Mike Wallace, Miami

17) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay

18) Eric Decker, Denver

19) TY Hilton, Indianapolis

20) Alshon Jeffrey, Chicago

21) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants

22) Steve Smith, Carolina

23) Greg Jennings, Minnesota

24) Terrance Williams, Dallas

25) Julian Edelman, New England (Questionable)

26) James Jones, Green Bay (Questionable - Likely Out)

27) Mike Williams, Tampa Bay

28) Andre Johnson, Houston

29) Torrey Smith, Baltimore

30) Rueben Randle, NY Giants

31) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo

32) Brian Hartline, Miami

33) Vincent Brown, San Diego

34) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco

35) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh

36) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville

37) Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay

38) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia

39) Harry Douglas, Atlanta

40) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City

41) Donnie Avery, Kansas City

42) Kenbrell Thompkins, New England

43) Brandon LaFell, Carolina

44) Jerome Simpson, Minnesota

45) Leonard Hankerson, Washington

46) Aaron Dobson, New England

47) Davone Bess, Cleveland

48) Austin Pettis, St. Louis

49) Drew Davis, Atlanta

50) Chris Givens, St. Louis

Keenan Allen is for real folks.  I was on him the week he went off, I hyped him up further last week, and I am full blown on the bandwagon now.  Expect Tier 1 production from him going forward.  On the same note, if Eddie Royal is for some reason limited or unable to go, give Vincent Brown a bump from 33 to 26.

Green Bay is trying to make Cleveland believe that James Jones is going to play.  I don't expect him to, but if he does, I think he's an appropriate WR3.  If Jones is unable to go, Jarrett Boykin does not receive an additional bump up this list.

Roddy White will miss a game for the first time in his NFL career this week, and despite his absence and the season-ending injury to Julio Jones, neither of the new Atlanta starting WRs (Douglas and Davis) are anything more than prayers.  Douglas is ranked where he is because he's the only WR target that has shown any flash in the past, although he has never scored a TD as a starter in the NFL.

I'm low on the passing game of Houston this week, which is why we find Andre Johnson at 28.  He's a WR3 this week with Case Keenum starting against a ferocious Kansas City defense trying to prove they are legit.

Anquan Boldin is as low as he's going to be all season at 34 this week because Tennessee has been downright awful for opposing WRs.  They have not allowed a starting receiver to reach 100 yards or the end zone since Week 2, when DeAndre Hopkins did both.  San Fran is going to have to get a big game from Vernon Davis or do their dirty work on the ground to beat the Titans this weekend, which I think they will do.

QB

1) Peyton Manning, Denver

2) Tony Romo, Dallas

3) Cam Newton, Carolina

4) Philip Rivers, San Diego

5) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis

6) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay

7) Jay Cutler, Chicago

8) Matthew Stafford, Detroit

9) Tom Brady, New England

10) Nick Foles, Philadelphia

11) Eli Manning, NY Giants

12) Matt Ryan, Atlanta

13) Robert Griffin III, Washington

14) Ryan Tannehill, Miami

15) Josh Freeman, Minnesota

16) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay

17) Chad Henne, Jacksonville

18) Sam Bradford, St. Louis

19) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati

20) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco

21) Brandon Weeden, Cleveland

22) Alex Smith, Kansas City

23) Thaddeus Lewis, Buffalo

24) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh

25) Joe Flacco, Baltimore

Jay Cutler is a bonafide QB1 in the fantasy game under Marc Trestman's direction.  He has delivered 240+ yards and multiple TD passes in 5 of 6 games and faces a Washington Redskins defense that has allowed multiple TD passes 3 times in 5 games and 350+ yards passing twice.  The Bears are a legitimate offense in this league and I say start Cutty with confidence.

Nick Foles might win the Eagles' starting job permanently after this week.  Michael Vick has a mysterious hamstring injury and Foles might just be the better fit for Chip Kelly's offense after all.  I expect an Eagles win this weekend coupled with QB1 numbers for the 2nd year QB.

Josh Freeman is at 15 because of his matchup.  I don't know how well he is grasping Minnesota's offense (although turn around and hand it to 28 shouldn't be too tough to learn), and I don't know how his chemistry has developed with his targets.  I do know that the Giants stink, and that might be enough to get Freeman Top 15 numbers.

Baltimore-Pittsburgh will probably be a slug fest, 16-13 kind of game, and I don't see a lot of value in either signal caller.  You can do better this week.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6 and let's slay this week together.

Week 6 QB, RB & WR Rankings

Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffrey, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Rueben Randle, Jay Cutler, Eli Manning.  When you remove these names from the available player pools, it really thinned things out a bit.  There are some WRs that I dug deep for as quality plays this week.  Here's my position by position rankings.  As always, in case of sit/start questions, use the play closest to #1 to solve your crisis.

RB

1) Arian Foster, Houston
2) Doug Martin, Tampa Bay
3) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
4) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
5) DeMarco Murray, Dallas
6) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
7) Ray Rice, Baltimore
8) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
9) Trent Richardson, Indianapolis
10) Alfred Morris, Washington
11) Frank Gore, San Francisco
12) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
13) Reggie Bush, Detroit
14) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
15) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
16) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
17) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
18) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
19) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
20) Chris Johnson, Tennessee
21) Willis McGahee, Cleveland
22) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
23) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
24) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
25) Joique Bell, Detroit
26) Stevan Ridley, New England
27) Zac Stacy, St. Louis
28) Ben Tate, Houston
29) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
30) Andre Ellington, Arizona
31) Marcel Reece, Oakland
32) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
33) Bilal Powell, NY Jets
34) Ronnie Hillman, Denver
35) Brandon Bolden, New England
36) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
37) Donald Brown, Indianapolis
38) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
39) Mike Tolbert, Carolina
40) Roy Helu, Washington

Houston is desperate, Matt Schaub is on a short leash, and the Rams are in town.  It's as good a week as any to have Arian Foster.  I'm expecting one of those Foster-esque games that have earned him top billing the last few years.

Darren McFadden is not ranked because I really don't know if he's going to play.  I heard conflicting reports yesterday, and I was under the impression Run DMC was going to sit out through the Raiders' Week 7 bye.  If he plays vs. KC (in KC), I guess I would have him as a Top 30 option, ahead of Andre Ellington.  That would bump Marcel Reece from 31 to 37.  Either way, I'm not crazy about McFadden or the Raider run game as a whole this week.

Ryan Mathews is also not ranked, as he didn't practice all week until Friday.  If he is Active Monday Night, I don't know if I'd play him anyways, unless you're desperate.  Danny Woodhead, with or without an Active Mathews, is firmly planted at #19 this week.  I like Woodhead to be busy all night, as he has carved out a really great role in the resurgent San Diego offense.

I have Ronnie Hillman at #33 this week because, like everyone else, I expect there to be some garbage time points in the Denver-Jacksonville game.  Do I think there will be enough to be a high end RB #2?  No.  If you're in need of some upside, or you have McFadden and Mathews on your roster, Hillman might be available on your Waiver Wire and would be a safer play than both of those options.

WR

1) Dez Bryant, Dallas
2) AJ Green, Cincinnati
3) Randall Cobb, Green Bay
4) Andre Johnson, Houston
5) Pierre Garcon, Washington
6) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
7) Wes Welker, Denver
8) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
9) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
10) Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
11) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
12) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
13) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
14) Marques Colston, New Orleans
15) Danny Amendola, New England
16) Eric Decker, Denver
17) James Jones, Green Bay
18) Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville
19) TY Hilton, Indianapolis
20) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
21) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
22) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
23) Julian Edelman, New England
24) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
25) Steve Smith, Carolina
26) Keenan Allen, San Diego
27) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
28) Denarius Moore, Oakland
29) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
30) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
31) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
32) Vincent Brown, San Diego
33) Golden Tate, Seattle
34) Mike Williams, Tampa Bay
35) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
36) Kenbrell Thompkins, New England
37) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo
38) Chris Givens, St. Louis
39) Terrance Williams, Dallas
40) Nate Washington, Tennessee
41) Eddie Royal, San Diego
42) Michael Floyd, Arizona
43) Jeremy Kerley, NY Jets
44) Robert Woods, Buffalo
45) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
46) Kendall Wright, Tennessee
47) Leonard Hankerson, Washington
48) Santana Moss, Washington
49) Jerome Simpson, Minnesota
50) Davone Bess, Cleveland

Calvin Johnson is gimpy and gets Joe Haden on his back all day.  I'm not saying bench Megatron, but he's not a Top 10 option this week.

Miles Austin is not ranked despite reports that he will play Sunday Night against Washington.  If that game was a 1:00 EST start, I'd have him around 35-40.  Austin is always a re-injury candidate coming off these hamstring ailments.  I'd stash him for the next 4-5 weeks, but I'm not plugging him in.  If Austin were out, I would move Terrance Williams into the Top 25.

If Vick starts over Foles for Philly (which is not supposed to happen), I would move DeSean Jackson up from #22 to #20.  Jackson will still be heavily targeted regardless of QB, but I think his success will be limited by Revis.  Don't poke the bear.

Stevie Johnson has been a huge question all week and is now a full blown Game Time Decision.  If Johnson can't go, bump Woods from #44 to #33.  I'd take a heavily targeted WR over Golden Tate any day.

QB

1) Peyton Manning, Denver
2) Tony Romo, Dallas
3) Andrew Luck, Indianapolis
4) Drew Brees, New Orleans
5) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
6) Philip Rivers, San Diego
7) Robert Griffin III, Washington
8) Russell Wilson, Seattle
9) Cam Newton, Carolina
10) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
11) Tom Brady, New England
12) Matt Schaub, Houston
13) Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
14) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
15) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
16) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
17) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
18) Terrelle Pryor, Oakland
19) Alex Smith, Kansas City
20) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
21) Brandon Weeden, Cleveland
22) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
23) Geno Smith, NY Jets
24) Sam Bradford, St. Louis
25) Carson Palmer, Arizona

Green Bay's secondary has been a sieve all season and now Clay Matthews is out with a thumb injury.  Joe Flacco should have a nice clean pocket all afternoon at home.  I think this Baltimore-Green Bay game offers some points, so start those QBs with confidence, especially Flacco.

Matt Schaub is on his last straw.  I'm all in on Houston this week against St. Louis, and I think Schaub shows everyone why a QB switch in Houston would be a bad decision.  I think this game ends up with an ugly final score.  Start your Texans!!!

I think Chad Henne is a higher upside starter than those he's ranked ahead.  I am in no way advocating you start him expecting QB1 numbers though.  He's going to turn the ball over.  In order to get a useful score from Henne, you need Denver to be up by 20 or more at some point in the first half.  Henne needs to cross the 300 yard mark to be worth your time.

If Michael Vick goes, move him to #16 and Foles out.  Do I think Vick will play?  No.  Do I trust him if he does.  Absolutely no.

Follow me on Twitter @BernacK6 and let's kill it this week.