Start:
Andrew Luck – The Patriots’ passing defense showed signs of improvement early in the year, but their gaping holes have resurfaced. While the Colts-Patriots matchup no longer features a duel between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, rookie sensation Andrew Luck gets his first crack at reigniting the rivalry and putting his name on the map against a future Hall-of-Famer. Count on Luck to post over 300 passing yards as the Colts look to reshape the AFC’s power structure.
Stevan Ridley – Owning a Patriots’ running back can be frustrating at times. Bill Belichick mixes and matches multiple backs and is not afraid to ride the hot hand. And yet, Stevan Ridley is one of the more reliable backs in a league where players who receive a heavy workload are few and far between. In his sophomore season, Ridley has earned at least 15 carries in each of his past six games and can be trusted to start weekly.
Darrius Heyward-Bey – The Saints have won four of their past five contests, but their defense is still abysmal. They yield a league-high 469.3 yards per game, placing them in danger of becoming the worst defense ever. With running back Darren McFadden doubtful to play this Sunday, Oakland’s passing game should reap the rewards of squaring off against New Orleans’ porous defense. Darrius Heyward-Bey has rallied from a slow start to become a solid fantasy option worth plugging in this weekend.
Sit:
Andy Dalton – After ripping apart the Giants last week, some fantasy owners might feel inclined to insert Andy Dalton into their Week 11 lineups. If he can obliterate Big Blue, then the abysmal 1-8 Chiefs should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong. The Chiefs are collectively awful, but their passing defense ranks seventh best in the NFL with 214 passing yards allowed per game while the Giants have surrendered 257.8 yards per contest. With a rough schedule looming ahead, now is the ideal time to put Dalton on the trading block.
Shonn Greene – Just when Jets fans and fantasy owners appeared ready to give up on their lackluster running back, Shonn Greene delivered an inspired performance in Week 6. Greene rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts to secure his starting job in New York and fantasy lineups across the globe. Too bad he has failed to top 100 rushing yards in any of the Jets’ other nine games and is averaging 3.7 yards per carry this season.
Torrey Smith – Torrey Smith has amassed several big plays for the Ravens, already notching seven receiving touchdowns this season. Despite his success, he faces the Steelers next, who own the league’s top passing defense. Expect the divisional foes to compete in one of their typical low-scoring affairs void of the big play that Smith relies on to provide useful numbers.
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agould1@ramapo.edu
