Hot
- Start'em if ya Got'em
QB – Matt Ryan – Matty Ice is hot as Fire right now. Over his last 4 games he is averaging 291 yards and has a total of 9 tds with only 2 picks. The Falcons are in the thick of the wild card race and ready to pounce in the south if the Saints slip, especially with a game between the two left. Considering Ryan’s recent stats, a primetime game on NFL network and at home in the dome, where he just doesn’t lose, Start Matt Ryan unless you have a top 5 QB.
RB – Cedric Benson – Benson faces a Rams run defense that ranks last in the league giving up 157 yards per game. The Rams are coming off a short week in which they gave up 115 yards and a td to Marshawn Lynch.
RB – Ben Tate – Arian Foster should have so much success that breathers are all that Tate needs to be worth flex consideration against the Panthers who rank 24th against the run and who just before last week put their starting DT’s on IR. Tate is averaging 5.6 yards per carry over his last 3 games. With the Texans locking up the division look for Foster to get some rest too and not pushed.
WR – Santana Moss / Jabar Gaffney – The Redskins are facing the New York Giants who have been getting worked on the back end. NYG are tied for the most TD’s allowed, 4th most yards and 2nd most points to WR’s. Last week against New England who has just as bad of a secondary allowed Gaffney to go for 6 catches 92 yards and 1 Td. Both are WR3’s.
Not
- Nate Dogg: "Hold up;..... Wait"
QB – Michael Vick – Last week against Miami Vick was 15 of 30 for 208 yards with 1 td and 1 int. This week he faces a similar defense in the New York Jets who are 6th against the pass and allow 214 yds. They also allow the 5th fewest points and 3rd fewest tds. Want more? Vick has 1 td in the 4th quarter and only 3 in the second half; all year!!
RB – Michael Turner – Turner has only gone over 100 yards once in the last 6 games and he only has 2 tds in that time. He also is only averaging 60 yds in his last 3 games on 18 carries for a 3.3 yard per carry average in that time. He is a threat to punch it in from the goal line, but the only thing burning lately from Turner the Burner is the pants rubbing between those big ol’ plodding legs.
WR – Steven Jackson – Cincinnati is 7th against the run and Jackson only has 1 td in his last 6 games. And that one td came last week after the Rams and Josh McDaniels finally stopped banging their head against the wall at the 1 yard line with pass, pass, pass and pass etc. Perhaps this is a get back, get right game for Sjax; but the matchup and his recent history suggest that even if he is force fed, the results might not be there.
WR – Mike Wallace - With the Steelers heading out west and center Pouncey and QB Big Ben hurting, this is not a matchup for Mike Wallace to be productive. Wallace has to hit a home run to be productive because Antonio Brown has become Big Ben’s go to receiver. Don’t risk your playoff lives on 60 minutes.