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
Alex Henery vs. Chicago Bears: Henery has been a start 'em in back-to-back weeks now, and I like him to post another nice stat line against the Bears. No team has given up more fantasy points (10.3 PPG) to kickers on the road than Chicago, so Henery is in a good position to find success. He's also a free agent in most NFL.com leagues. (Maximum value: High K1)
Start 'em
Phil Dawson vs. Atlanta Falcons (Mon.): Dawson has been on absolute fire for fantasy leaguers, scoring a combined 50 fantasy points over the last four weeks. His success in the stat sheets should continue against the Falcons, who have surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points (10.1 PPG) to opposing kickers on the road this season. (Maximum value: High K1)
Mason Crosby vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: One of the most consistent kickers in the land, Crosby has scored eight or more fantasy points in four of his last five games overall. The veteran also has a nice matchup against the Steelers, who have surrendered an average of close to nine fantasy points per game to opposing kickers this season. (Maximum value: Mid K1)
Sleeper alert - Nick Novak vs. Oakland Raiders: Looking for a hot kicker? Take a chance on Novak, who has scored no fewer than nine fantasy points in four of his last five games. The matchup is a favorable one too, as the Raiders have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points (10.2 PPG) to opposing kickers over the last four weeks. (Maximum value: Mid K1)
Sit of the week
Matt Bryant at San Francisco 49ers (Mon.): Bryant has alternated good and bad stat lines over the last four weeks, and he's due for a stinker in Week 16 if this trend continues. The matchup isn't very good either, as the Niners have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points (5.8 PPG) to opposing kickers on their home field in 2013. (Maximum value: High K2)
Targets/Touches: Wright. Now.
Jason Smith likes what Kendall Wright's future holds. He's also pretty big on Wright's current fantasy value. More ...
Sit 'em
Jay Feely at Seattle Seahawks: Feely was in the start 'em portion of this column last week, and he rewarded owners with 13 fantasy points. It's tough to trust him this week, though, as a matchup in Seattle makes him a bust candidate. No team in the league has allowed fewer fantasy points (4.6 PPG) to kickers on their home field in 2013. (Maximum value: High K2)
Sebastian Janikowski at San Diego Chargers: SeaBass has been a disappointment this season, scoring fewer than nine fantasy points in four of his last six games overall. He'll be hard-pressed to find very much success in San Diego, as the Chargers have surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points (5.7 PPG) to opposing kickers at home. (Maximum value: Mid K2)
Owners beware - Adam Vinatieri at Kansas City Chiefs: Vinatieri has been one of the better kickers in fantasy football this season, but this week's matchup against the Chiefs makes him a bit of a risk. Kansas City's defensive unit has allowed an average of fewer than seven fantasy points per game to opposing kickers at Arrowhead Stadium. (Maximum value: Low K1)
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 **@Michael_Fabiano** or send a question via **Facebook**!