The Starts

Matt Ryan – Ryan has not played well as of late, there’s no doubt about that. After a hot start to the season, he’s tailed off. This week should be his elixir, as the Buccaneers are coming to down, and Ryan loves the Bucs, throwing 6 touchdowns in his last two home games against them. I like his odds to increase that total this week.

Andy Dalton – This information is so secret, not even the employees at the daily fantasy sports sites know it, nor use it to win more money: The Steelers pass defense is not very good. Another not-so-well-kept secret: Andy Dalton is having a phenomenal year, leading the Bengals to a 6-0 record while throwing 14 touchdowns against 2 interceptions. Not to mention that the Bengals have an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions. Start Dalton if you’ve got him.

Todd Gurley – The first running back off the board in this year’s NFL draft, Gurley has been lighting it up lately, rushing for at least 125 yards in each of his last 3 games. Yes, the 49ers were a tough draw in the past, but the once proud defense in San Francisco is now giving up 22 points per game to the running back position, and we know that the Rams will run the ball, and will continue to run the ball as long as Jeff Fisher is their head coach.

Alshon Jeffery – When this guy is healthy, he is a beast, he put up 147 yards and a touchdown in his last game, against the Lions before the bye week, and has victimized the Vikings to the tune of 25 catches for 418 yards and 3 touchdowns in his last 3 games against them. That’s an average of 8 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown per game. If that’s not incentive enough to play him, I’m not sure what is

The Sits

Derek Carr – I’d say Derek Carr is a good start most weeks, as he’s in the middle of a terrific year for the Raiders, putting them in decent position to earn a… dare I say it?…. Wildcard spot in the playoffs? Okay, maybe a little soon for that, but I don’t like his chances this week against a very good New York Jets defense that makes life difficult on the best passers the NFL has to offer. Put Carr in Park this weekend, and don’t forget the E-Brake.

Melvin Gordon – The other first round rookie running back is not having quite as much success as his counterpart in St. Louis, as he has developed a fumbling problem, and both Danny Woodhead and Brandon Oliver are taking meaningful snaps away from him, not to mention that the Chargers are not a very good football team right now. This is a bad combination for a young running back to have success, especially in a fairly tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens

Colts WRs – This is going to be a rough game for Indianapolis, the Panthers defense has been on a tear lately, only bested by the Denver Broncos impenetrable wall of a defense. The Colts offensive line play, along with a possibly not fully-healthy Andrew Luck will lead to a tough matchup for this position group, and as good as TY Hilton is, Josh Norman has been lights out this year, so I wouldn’t look for much from him either.

Heath Miller – One of the least celebrated good tight-ends in the league, probably because he’s not normally a great contributor to the fantasy world, but if you’re streaming TEs. Miller is reliable. The matchup this week however, he’s been reliably mediocre, only scoring 4 touchdowns in 18 career games against the Bengals. Even with Big Ben coming back this week, I don’t like Miller’s odds to be a contributor this week.

The Risks

Matt Stafford – Stafford has looked great since his benching a few weeks ago, he’s averaged about 26 points a game over his last two, and the matchup looks good against the Kansas City Chiefs. Here are the issues: The Chiefs still boast a pass rush with Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, the Lions offensive line still isn’t great, and the game is in London for a 9:30am kickoff. Only strange things happen in that timeslot

Darren McFadden – McFadden appeared to take the lead in the “Dallas Starting Running Back Derby” (It’s not the Kentucky Derby, but outside of the Breeder’s Cup this weekend, what can even come close?) last week after his phenomenal performance. However, this is still Darren McFadden, he could stub his toe getting off the bus and be out for 6 weeks, or he could put up 180 yards and 2 touchdowns, you just never know with him. The matchup against the Seahawks doesn’t help either, as they seem to be getting their mojo back after slumping early in the season.

Randall Cobb – Cobb is the best receiver in the Packers offense, which is great if you were smart enough to draft him, the bad news is he plays against the Denver Bronco’s juggernaut of a defense. Jeremy Maclin, Steve Smith, Calvin Johnson, Amari Cooper, Stephon Diggs, and Travis Benjamin, the top receivers for each of Denver’s opponents this year, were held to a total of 33 catches for 398 yards and zero touchdowns. That’s an incredible level of defense that Cobb might fall victim to, however, Aaron Rodgers is still the quarterback, so there’s always a chance for a good game from Cobb.

Falcons D/ST – As improved as the Falcons defense has been this year, it still doesn’t produce a lot of sacks, they do tend to get turnovers, and with a rookie QB coming to town, the stars seem aligned for a great game for this defense to have a big day. However, Doug Martin is still in the backfield for the Bucs, and Atlanta has struggled against running backs this year (even though they have a highly rated run defense. The matchup looks good, but Doug Martin and Mike Evans could ruin an otherwise great day for this defense.