Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the weekly NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Sleeper alert features an under-the-radar player who could produce good numbers. Owners beware features a regular fantasy starter who could fail to meet expectations based on the strength of his opponent. Obvious fantasy starters like Aaron Rodgers and Arian Foster will not be featured in this column. For your final lineup decisions, check our lineup rankings.
Start of the week
Vincent Jackson vs. New Orleans Saints: Jackson went off against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, recording 66 yards and two touchdowns. He has now found the end zone in three of his last four games, and this week's game against the Saints is favorable for both Jackson and teammate Mike Williams. New Orleans has allowed the third-most fantasy points to wideouts.
Start 'em
Reggie Wayne vs. Cleveland Browns: Wayne has a tough matchup on paper this week against Browns cornerback Joe Haden, but how tough is it exactly? After all, A.J. Green posted 135 yards and two touchdowns against him last week. Since the Browns have given up the second-most fantasy points to wideouts overall, I find it tough to bench Wayne in this matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Hakeem Nicks vs. Washington Redskins: Nicks scored 25.90 fantasy points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. In this other two games, Nicks has a combined 8.20 points. Still, he's a solid start (barring a setback with his knee) against the Redskins. Their defense has given up the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, so don't be afraid to start him.
Kenny Britt at Buffalo Bills: Britt had his best stat line of the season in Week 6, posting 12.20 fantasy points in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now that he's re-gained confidence in his legs and is seeing more targets in the offense, it's time to get Britt back in your starting lineup. It also doesn't hurt that the Bills have been terrible against the pass.
Sleeper alert - Denarius Moore vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Moore has quietly averaged better than 11 fantasy points in his last three games. That includes a 104-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. The Jaguars have allowed an average of more than 25 fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts on the road, so Moore is a nice option.
Sit of the week
Antonio Brown at Cincinnati Bengals: Brown has had a mediocre start to the season, ranking 42nd in fantasy points among wide receivers. And while it's tough to bench him, keep in mind that his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, has not thrown for more than one score in Cincinnati since 2008. The Bengals have also allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts.
Sit 'em
Brandon Lloyd vs. New York Jets: Cornerback Darrelle Revis might be out for the season with an injured knee, but his Jets teammate, Antonio Cromartie, has been pretty tough in his absence. That's bad news for Lloyd, who could see plenty of him in what will be an important AFC East matchup. Overall, the Jets have surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers.
James Jones at St. Louis Rams: Jones has been one of the hottest wide receivers in fantasy football, so you shouldn't bench him unless you have a solid alternative. Owners should keep in mind, though, that Jones and Jordy Nelson have to face a tough duo of cornerbacks in Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins and a Rams defense that has been hard on wide receivers.
Andre Roberts at Minnesota Vikings: Roberts has scored four touchdowns this season, but look at his totals. Outside of a hgue game against the Miami Dolphins, Roberts has scored single-digit fantasy points in four of his last five games. That's not good, and neither is a matchup against a Vikings defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts.
Owners beware - Steve Smith vs. Dallas Cowboys: Chances are you have to start the Panthers' Smith with six teams on a bye. Just keep your statistical expectations in check against the Cowboys and their solid pass defense. Outside of Brandon Marshall, no other No. 1 wide receiver from an opposing team has scored double-digit fantasy points against Dallas' talented cornerbacks.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
