Fantasy Football Week 14 Advice: Sit/Start Projections For QBs

Week 14 of the 2011 NFL season picks back up with a full slate of action on Sunday following Thursday's Steelers-Browns battle. This marks the first week of the playoffs for most fantasy football leagues, which means picking the right QB is absolutely crucial. If you do not have an Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees or Tom Brady, among others, you will potentially have some interesting alternatives.

Over the last month, Tim Tebow has developed into a very solid fantasy QB option, thanks primarily to his rushing abilities. He put up strong passing numbers last week, but generally speaking, his rushing is where it is at. This week he faces a tough, athletic Bears defense. It's tempting to sit him if you have a comparable option, but he has shown a consistent ability to take care of business. Are you prepared to ditch that trust in your most important game of the year?

An intriguing option on Sunday is 49ers QB Alex Smith. The 49ers passing game is a bit up and down, but they face an inconsistent Arizona Cardinals pass defense. The 49ers work to establish the run, but as they showed against the St. Louis Rams last week, there is some big play potential there. If you are dealing with injury issues (Cutler, Schaub owners), Smith is an intriguing option.

One player that is potentially on some folks' radar is Colts QB Dan Orlovsky. He put together a monster day last week against New England, throwing 353 yards and two touchdowns. He is at home against the Tennessee Titans who have a better defense than the Patriots. The Titans aren't spectacular, but I would not get sucked in by this matchup.