Where to Put 'em is the Fantasy Football Nerd's look at the best and worst matchups for the week. Decisions are based upon the FFN rankings and matchup analysis. Given the known conditions, these matchups are the ones to watch and/or avoid for Week 4 of the 2011 NFL season.
This list does not generally include the elite players that you are going to start regardless of matchup. You don't need us to tell you to start Aaron Rodgers, Andre Johnson, or Adrian Peterson. Where to Put 'em takes a look at other players on your team that we believe either have great matchups or should be avoided for multiple reasons. Factors like opposing defense, performance trending, and peer comparisons may influence our decisions.
Put 'em In The Game: Eli ManningThe passing punching bag so far this year has been the secondary of the Arizona Cardinals. They can be thrown on and they can be thrown on for a LOT of yards. Eli Manning is coming off a monster game against the Eagles whose secondary is one of the best in the business. Eli threw for 254 yards and 4 TD's. We're expecting him to keep on rolling this week.
Put 'em In The Game: Cam NewtonCam Newton came back down to Earth last week throwing for just 158 yards and 1 score, but that was in what was at times a torrential downpour. This week he'll be in the Windy City facing a Bears defense that is giving up an average of 295 yards through the air and 2 passing TD's. Chicago allows the 8th most fantasy points to opposing QB's according to Fleaflicker.com. Joe from FFN is famous for saying that "if the NFL were an Austin Powers movie, Michael Vick would be Dr. Evil and Cam Newton would be Mini-Me". Newton should be very evil this week.
Put 'em In The Game: Kyle OrtonThe Green Bay secondary, bolstered by guys like Charles Woodson, is not the same dominant force that it was in 2010. The Packers are fantastic on offense which usually forces their opponents to take to the air to catch up. This helps explain why Green Bay gives up 384 passing yards, 2 scores, and 30 fantasy points each week (2nd most) to opposing QB's. Kyle Orton should follow suit and put up some respectable numbers this week.
Put 'em In The Game: Cedric BensonApparently Cedric Benson will not be suspended this week for his off-field troubles while the league was in lockout mode. For Benson-owners, that's good news as he faces a Bills defense that ranks in the bottom third for stopping the run.
Put 'em In The Game: Tim HightowerThe change of scenery has been good for Tim Hightower. Believe it or not, he is close to becoming a Top-10 fantasy back. The Rams give up the 3rd most yards on the ground to opposing rushers (195.33 yards/game) and the 5th most fantasy points according to Fleaflicker.com. Hightower should do quite well against the Rams making him a great RB2 this week.
Put 'em In The Game: Daniel ThomasUPDATE: Daniel Thomas did not travel with the team and is likely OUT Reggie who? Daniel Thomas is clearly the main back in that Miami offense. Thomas is averaging 4.9 yards a carry and has averaged 119.5 all-purpose yards in the past two games. He also finally saw the endzone last week. San Diego has a pretty stout run defense, but we're expecting to see a healthy dose of Daniel Thomas which should translate to some healthy fantasy points.
Put 'em In The Game: Hakeem NicksYou wouldn't normally see a guy like Hakeem Nicks on this list at all (remember we try to stay away from obvious studs), but his play as of late doesn't really warrant the "stud" label. Tom Coughlin said today that Nicks has some swelling in his knee, but both he and Nicks have said that Nicks should play. With Mario Manningham back and helping to spread the field, Eli and company should be able to carve up the Cardinals. Check the injury report Sunday morning to make sure that Nicks is a Go.
Put 'em In The Game: Denarius MooreMoore was a great waiver wire pickup after Week 2. If you picked him up and stashed him last week, you can put him in your lineup this week. You couldn't really expect much last week against a very strong Jets secondary, but this week Denarius Moore gets to face the Pats who have been torched through the air. Run DMC will find some holes and Campbell and Moore will find some healthy yards through the air.
Put 'em In The Game: Eric DeckerWe like Eric Decker this week for the same reasons we like Kyle Orton above. The Pack gives up a ton of yards through the air (avg. 384 passing yards and 2 TD's each week) and Decker has definitely been clicking with Orton. Once the Packers take the lead, Denver is going to have to go to the air to catch up. With no respectable running game, Denver's passing game becomes the only real option for them.
Put 'em In The Game: Santonio HolmesIt's pretty difficult to run against the Baltimore Ravens, but wide receivers do surprisingly well. Baltimore will most likely shut down Shonn Greene and LT so Sanchez is going to have to throw it. The Ravens give up the 9th most fantasy points to opposing WR's and we're pretty sure Karma is looking down on Holmes in a favorable light (see Davis above). Holmes has a nice history playing against Baltimore from his days as a Steeler and we're anticipating that trend to continue.
Put 'em In The Game: Vernon DavisSometimes Karma can be a real #$@!. Just when we say to sit Davis because he just isn't as involved in the passing game as he should be, Davis sits down with Jim Harbaugh, vents, and comes out to a 114 yard receiving day. Alex Smith has a great passing completion percentage (when he's allowed to throw) and Davis is the only real passing option in that offense. The Eagles are average against TE's and Davis should do well. Alright Karma - are you happy now?
Put 'em In The Game: Jimmy GrahamWe're getting ready to put the "STUD" label on Jimmy Graham here soon. With Colston coming back this week (2 weeks early), some may think that this will hurt Graham's value. We think guys like Meachem will lose a little bit of value, but the impact on Graham should be negligible. He's a Top 5 fantasy TE and his matchup this week against the Jaguars is very favorable.
Put 'em In The Game: Jason HansonSome of the best kickers are the old veterans. Jason Hanson leads all kickers in fantasy points and yet he's still available in 53% of all Fleaflicker leagues. He's had double-digit weeks the past two games and he should continue to do well as long as the Lions continue their offensive ways.
Put 'em On The Bench: Josh FreemanMany had hoped for a big year out of Josh Freeman and he has failed to live up to any sort of expectations. He doesn't really get going until the 2nd half, and even then it's a lackluster effort. When he faces the Colts on Monday night, they're not going to let him throw wherever he wants. In fact, while the Colts may sputter on offense without Peyton, they do a pretty decent job on defense shutting down the passing game. Freeman is too risky of a play to warrant a starting spot right now, particularly because there are a large number of better options out there.
Put 'em On The Bench: Tony RomoTony Romo put in two of the gutsiest performances over the past two weeks. After cracking a rib and puncturing a lung, the Wisconsin native has earned a ton of respect. Unfortunately, that Cowboys team looked absolutely dysfunctional last week. With Miles Austin out and Dez Bryant nursing his injury, Romo has his work cut out for him against a pretty solid Detroit Lions. Maybe Romo gets you by this week, but we're putting our money elsewhere.
Put 'em On The Bench: Sam BradfordJust like Josh Freeman above, Sam Bradford has failed to live up to the expectations placed upon him prior to the season. He should have veteran Steven Jackson back, but the rest of his supporting cast is questionable. The Redskins defense is no slouch giving up only a handful of fantasy points per game and averaging less than 1 passing TD per game. Sit Bradford until further notice.
Put 'em On The Bench: Shonn GreeneDidn't we see this play out last year? Shonn Greene was supposed to be the featured back with LT rotated in when necessary? LT is outplaying Greene again. With a reduced role and a worsening yards/rush average, it's tough to start Greene with any sort of confidence. The Ravens give up the 2nd fewest fantasy points to opposing RB's and when you combine the facts above, the case to sit Greene is pretty clear.
Put 'em On The Bench: Reggie BushAfter a monstrous Week 1, Reggie Bush has landed squarely behind Daniel Thomas as the Dolphins' featured back. He has had just 1 reception each of the last two games and has averaged a pathetic 2.4 yards/carry since Week 1. With Thomas coming into his own, look for Bush to become less and less of a factor in that offense.
Put 'em On The Bench: Knowshon MorenoKnowshon Moreno has quickly become "No Show" Moreno. Even if Moreno was playing well and Willis McGahee was on the sidelines more often, this wouldn't be the week to play Moreno anyway. While it's true that you can pass on the Packers this year, running on them is a different story. A good back has difficulty doing that, so there's no reason to expect Moreno to do much.
Put 'em On The Bench: Mike WilliamsMike Williams (TB) is in the dreaded sophomore slump. Josh Freeman can't seem to get things going, and even when he can move the ball, he's not targeting Williams (to his own detriment). The Colts defense will pressure Freeman all night which doesn't bode well for his fantasy performance.
Put 'em On The Bench: Anquan BoldinAnquan Boldin has been a nice surprise so far. His talents are being used in this offense, but this isn't the week to play him. Two words: Revis Island. Pundits often try to portray Revis Island as a lonely place, and they don't have to try very hard. Historical stats prove it. Darrelle Revis is so talented that the elite WR's often go with little to no catches. Boldin, while good, is not in the elite category. He will have difficulty.
Put 'em On The Bench: Kellen WinslowIt probably seems like we're piling up on the Bucs, but Freeman, Williams, and Kellen Winslow are not warranting starts in any formats right now. Winslow is a big, fast guy, but like Williams, if he isn't being targeted and thrown to, his fantasy value plummets. Winslow is averaging 8 points per game in PPR formats and 4 points per game in standard scoring with all numbers on the decline. Until he and the rest of his Tampa Bay teammates start showing some life, it's tough to recommend him.
Put 'em On The Bench: Dallas ClarkAcross the field from Kellen Winslow will be Dallas Clark, once an elite fantasy TE now relegated to fantasy backup status. Without Peyton Manning, that offense is a shell of its former self. Clark could not put up anything close to resembling last year's numbers with Kerry Collins throwing the ball, so why should anyone expect Curtis Painter (who may very well start Monday night) to help that situation? Clark and Tamme are simply bad options right now until that Indy offense starts firing on all cylinders.
Put 'em On The Bench: Alex HeneryWe pegged Alex Henery to be one of the sleepers this year among kickers, and we still think he has that potential, but potential alone doesn't win games. The offense hasn't been quite the potent threat that we all expected and the 49ers are a tough team on paper to kickers.
