Thumbs Up:
Jason Campbell (QB, Oakland Raiders) – As I wrote earlier this week, any player in a potential shootout needs to be started. Oakland has topped 30 points in each of the past two weeks, while New England scored 31 last week even with Tom Brady throwing four picks. The defenses are suspect and the offenses are explosive, so watch for another game in the 30-point range. Even though Oakland is a run-first team, Campbell will be forced to match New England’s tempo and go with the quick-strike scores. I expect several passing plays of over 30 yards for the Raiders.
Rex Grossman (QB, Washington Redskins) – He looked like the old, pitiful Rex Grossman last week, but he’ll bounce back against the hapless Rams. St. Louis gives up the fourth most fantasy points in the league to opposing quarterbacks, and Grossman will keep it going on Sunday.
Santana Moss (WR, Washington Redskins) – Quick, name a Rams defensive back! Sorry, time’s up – and unless you’re a diehard Rams fan, I’m going to assume you couldn’t think of anyone. That’s because none of them are any good. The veteran combo of Grossman and Moss will pick apart this defense come Sunday.
Pierre Garcon (WR, Indianapolis Colts) – This is my big sleeper of the week. In the week three recap, I wrote that Colts’ backup-to-the-backup quarterback Curtis Painter looked in Garcon’s direction over and over late in their game against the Steelers. Garcon finished with over 80 yards, and he could top 100 against the Buccaneers this week. If you’re desperate for a third wide receiver this week, give Garcon a chance.
LaGarrette Blount (RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – As much as I like Garcon, I still believe that the Bucs will win the game. What the Colts did last week against the Steelers was encouraging, but I firmly believe that Tampa Bay’s offensive line is better than Pittsburgh’s defensive front seven. Once the Bucs grab a sizable lead, it will be nothing but Blount for the rest of the game – hopefully quarterback Josh Freeman doesn’t steal his rushing touchdown as he did last week.
Kendall Hunter (RB, San Francisco 49ers) – I know that Frank Gore has been practicing this week, but a sprained ankle is a very touchy injury. If he takes one wrong step he’ll be yanked from the game, and Hunter will reap the benefits. He scored a touchdown last week, and it’s clear that he is Gore’s primary backup.
Greg Olsen (TE, Carolina Panthers) – Olsen returns to Chicago this week, the team that drafted him in 2007 and then traded him this offseason. As great as the Bears linebackers are, it is still very possible to pass against them. A speedy, talented tight end like Olsen should find the end zone at least once, especially if this game turns into another Cam Newton-highlight reel.
Atlanta Falcons defense – Any time you can start the defense playing against Tarvaris Jackson, you do it. Jackson is a turnover machine, and he will be forced to throw the ball once the Falcons’ offense takes a big lead early in the game. With Jackson at the helm this means interceptions a plenty, and hopefully even a defensive touchdown for the dirty birds.
Thumbs Down:
Joe Flacco (QB, Baltimore Ravens) – He had the most points in week three, but that came against the atrocious Rams secondary. This week Flacco squares off against the Jets stout defense in the Sunday night game. Flacco will have to battle both the cold of the night and New York’s defensive backs, most likely spelling disaster for the Ravens signal-caller. I predict at least two Flacco interceptions courtesy of Jets head coach Rex Ryan’s defensive schemes.
Any Saints running back – If you have to start one it should probably be Darren Sproles, but I wouldn’t feel anything special about that. The Saints match up with the Jaguars this week, who have held opposing running backs to roughly three yards per carry and only one total touchdown. Combine those numbers with the roulette wheel chances of choosing the right Saints running back (Sproles, Mark Ingram, and Pierre Thomas) and you see why it’s wise to bench them all this week.
Shonn Greene (RB, New York Jets) – The Ravens linebackers might be long in the tooth, but they still make plays. Even in Baltimore’s one loss this year (to Tennessee in week two), they limited Chris Johnson to only 53 rushing yards on 22 carries. There’s no doubt CJ’s output has slipped relative to previous years, but he still has more talent that Greene. With LaDainian Tomlinson still siphoning carries off Greene’s total, I would look to find a better running back option for week four.
Dez Bryant (WR, Dallas Cowboys) – What we saw last Monday night was deceptively uninspiring. Bryant caught four passes for 63 yards, almost half of which came on the Cowboys final drive. The bad news for Bryant’s owners is that quarterback Tony Romo only targeted him those four times total on the night. If the number one receiver on the team (Miles Austin) is out, wouldn’t you expect more than four targets? The Cowboys play the Lions this week (the sixth-ranked pass defense in the league), and he’ll need more than four targets to put up big fantasy points for your team. There’s also the an injury issue, as Bryant’s battle with a thigh bruise may not only affect his performance but shelve him in week four.