Week 11 Start/Sit: Let Beanie Wells Lead The Way

Start

Matt Schaub, QB HOU - Much like the beginning of the season, the stretch leading up to the playoffs is about putting the right matchups into your starting lineup. Despite his recent woes against Buffalo and Indianapolis and the lack of Owen Daniels, Schaub still is my start recommendation against a weak pass defense in Tennessee. They lead the league in passing touchdowns allowed, and the Texans are very capable of moving the ball through the air. Expect to see Schaub rebound nicely this week and put up the kind of stats you are used to seeing after his name.

Beanie Wells, RB ARI - I told you earlier this week in my mailbag column that Wells was my start of the week. The Cardinals have really made a move in his direction on offense lately and this week against the Rams, he will find himself in position to get on Sportscenter a lot. The dude is physical, agile, and determined. Hightower will still get touches, but as has been the case in recent weeks, Wells will simply do more with his chances.

Pierre Garcon, WR IND - Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are going to probably be covered well this week against the Ravens. The Ravens defense always does a great job of taking away what the quarterback wants, and they make you pay if you try and force it. The pass rush from the Ravens will dictate the flow of the passing game as it always does. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Peyton Manning is usually the smartest guy on the field. He won’t wait for Reggie Wayne or Dallas Clark to come open all day. Instead, he will find Garcon underneath or outside. If the Colts get it done this week, it will be because Garcon has a huge day.

Fred Davis, TE WAS - It is rivalry week for Dallas and Washington. Jason Campbell will be under pressure all day and will be forced to target Davis even more than usual. Davis is a very athletic receiver with above average hands. If they get into a rhythm early, Davis could break 100 yards easily.

Cincinnati Bengals, DEF - I have one rule of thumb in fantasy football when it comes to defenses: If a quarterback is making his first start of the year (and his name is not Manning, Brees, or Brady), you simply must start the opposing defense. Oakland has a few good running backs in their stable, but the Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is going to make Bruce Gradkowski beat them through the air. It says here that Gradkowski will come up short in that effort.

Sit

Joe Flacco, QB BAL - I have been very careful to keep myself from calling Joe’s recent troubles a “sophomore slump”. But the longer he struggles, the more obvious it becomes. The game against the Browns was just a tough one to watch. If you can’t get it going against Cleveland, something is wrong. Keep Flacco on the bench until he works through his slump. Thankfully for all you Ravens fans, the defense still scores points.

Laurence Maroney, RB NE - The amount of focus on the controversial call on 4th down last week against the Colts is very misleading. If Maroney does not fumble on the goal line late in that game, the Patriots probably cruise to a victory. Probably. Maroney has his own room in Belichick’s doghouse, and I am confident he is being held there indefinitely. Look for Kevin Faulk to increase his workload this week, as Belichick trusts Faulk a great deal.

Brandon Marshall, WR DEN - As we saw last week in Washington, the Broncos’ passing offense is simply horrendous with Chris Simms at the wheel. He has had a week of practice so he should be able to get the ball out of his hands, but you can bet the Chargers are going to take away his first choice all day and make him check down to beat them. Outside of a few quick hitters and WR screens, Marshall will probably be shut down.

Benjamin Watson, TE NE - I have been sitting tight ends against the Jets all year, and for good reason: they handle tight ends better than most defensive units. Only two tight ends have scored on the Jets all season. Add to that Watson’s recent struggles (he really hasn’t had a great fantasy week since Week 1) and you have the perfect recipe for a sit recommendation.

New York Jets, DEF - Just because I don’t think the Jets will let Benjamin Watson do much against doesn’t mean I think they are going to have a great week on defense. In fact, I worry that this is going to be a blowout. I see Bill Belichick turning Tom Brady loose all day in the hopes that with a 40 point lead late in the game, he won’t be faced with any mind-blowing decisions. If you have another defense to start this week, do yourself a favor and go in that direction.