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 Adrian Peterson will not be featured. For your final lineup decisions, check our lineup rankings.
Start of the week
Keenan Allen at Washington Redskins: Allen was on serious fire before the Chargers' bye week, scoring a combined 40.90 fantasy points in his previous three contests. He's a good bet to treat owners to some solid statistics this week against the Redskins, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points (25.1 PPG) to wide receivers at home. (Maximum value: Mid WR1)
Waiver wire: WRs catching on
Michael Fabiano's Week 9 waiver wire list has a distinct wide receiver flavor, starting with Terrance Williams. More ...
Start 'em
Josh Gordon vs. Baltimore Ravens: Did you know that Gordon is one of the top five wide receivers in fantasy football based on points per game average? He'll continue to be highly targeted against the Ravens, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points (28.12 PPG) to wideouts on the road. Gordon is now a must-start in most leagues. (Maximum value: Low WR1)
Pierre Garcon vs. San Diego Chargers: Garcon hasn't been great in standard leagues, but he can give you double-digit fantasy points on a regular basis in PPR formats. That should continue to be the case this week against the Chargers, who have surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points (30.87 PPG) to opposing wide receivers on the road. (Maximum value: High WR2)
Steve Smith vs. Atlanta Falcons: Smith might not be the same fantasy superstar he was a few years ago, but he can still get the job done when the matchup is favorable. That's the case this week, as he faces a Falcons defense that struggles against wideouts and has surrendered 100-plus yards to Smith in each of their last two home meetings. (Maximum value: Mid WR2)
Sleeper alert - Denarius Moore vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Based on the numbers, no wide receiver has a better matchup than Moore in Week 8. The Eagles have allowed more fantasy points (37.92 PPG) to wideouts on the road than any other NFL team, making Moore an attractive option. He's also scored double-digits in two of his last three games. (Maximum value: Mid WR2)
Sit of the week
Torrey Smith at Cleveland Browns: It's tough to bench a wideout of Smith's caliber -- especially during the bye weeks -- but owners do need to temper their statistical expectations when he faces the Browns and CB Joe Haden. The shutdown corner has been a fantasy trick to the value of opposing wide receivers in the stat sheets all season. (Maximum value: High WR2)
Sit 'em
Marques Colston at New York Jets: How's this for a stat? Over the last four weeks, a total of 104 wide receivers have scored more fantasy points than Colston. No, that's not a misprint! And with a matchup against a Jets defense that is much tougher against the pass at home than on the road, Colston is clearly a big risk this weekend. (Maximum value: Low WR3)
Dwayne Bowe at Buffalo Bills: Bowe has a fantastic matchup against the Bills, but is that enough to start him in fantasy leagues? I say no, as the Chiefs offense -- and Alex Smith's tendency to dink and dunk rather than look downfield -- makes Bowe a major risk regardless of the opposition. He's just so tough to trust, even in the bye weeks. (Maximum value: Mid WR3)
Steve Johnson vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Johnson has been anything but consistent, scoring double-digit fantasy points just once in his last four games. So while he's still tough to bench during the bye weeks in some leagues, the Chiefs do have one of the league's more formidable defenses against wide receivers. Maximum value: Low WR3)
Owners beware - Danny Amendola vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Amendola scored just 1.50 fantasy points in his return to the gridiron last week, and he's scored double-digit fantasy points just once all season long. When you couple those stats with a matchup against a tough Steelers pass defense, and it's clear Amendola should be on your bench. (Maximum value: Mid WR3)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
