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
Mason Crosby vs. New Orleans Saints: Crosby has had a disappointing start to the season, ranking just 23rd in fantasy points among kickers after three weeks. With that said, he'll be in a great position to greatly improve his rankings in what figures to be a shootout against the Saints. Their defense has allowed 10 field goal conversions and the most fantasy points to kickers.
Start 'em
Matt Bryant vs. Carolina Panthers: Bryant wasn't much of a factor last week, scoring a mere three fantasy points on three extra points. That's no reason to bench him, though, as this week's contest against the Panthers is one of the more favorable among kickers. Carolina's defense has surrendered a combined 10 field goal conversions and the second-most fantasy points to kickers.
Blair Walsh at Detroit Lions: We're seeing a lot of young kickers make an impact in fantasy land this season, and Walsh is among them. The fifth-best kicker based on fantasy points after three games, the rookie has made all seven of his field-goal attempts and should continue to shine against the Lions in what could be a high-scoring game. Walsh is still a free agent in many leagues.
Sleeper alert - Shayne Graham vs. Tennessee Titans: Graham, a tremendous fantasy kicker earlier in his career, is back on the radar as a member of the Texans. Among the top 12 kickers based on fantasy points, the veteran is well worth a look off the waiver wire as a one-week option against the Titans. Their defense has given up the third-most fantasy points to kickers after three weeks.
Sit of the week
Ryan Succop vs. San Diego Chargers: Yes, Succop has emerged into a viable fantasy option this season. In fact, he's seventh in fantasy points among kickers after three games. I see his value taking a bit of a tumble this weekend, though, as Succop goes up against a Chargers defense that has surrendered just two field goals and the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing kickers in 2012.
Sit 'em
Greg Zuerlein vs. Seattle Seahawks: Another one of those young, strong-legged kickers, Zuerlein has had a hot start to the season with 30 fantasy points in his first three NFL contests. While he could very well end up as a legitimate No. 1 fantasy kicker by the end of the year, he's not an attractive choice against the Seahawks. Only the Falcons have allowed fewer points to kickers.
Rob Bironas at Houston Texans: Bironas opens Week 4 as the 16th-best kicker in fantasy football based on points, so he's not much of an option unless you're in a deeper league. This weekend's matchup against the Texans won't help his fantasy prospects, as their defense has surrendered an average of just six points per game to opposing kickers. Keep Bironas on the fantasy sidelines.
Owners beware - Robbie Gould at Dallas Cowboys (Mon.): This NFC battle has all the looks of a defensive struggle, as both units are among the top six (Dallas is No. 1) in the NFL. That will mean that opportunities could be few and far between for Gould, as the Cowboys have allowed an average of just six fantasy points per game to opposing kickers. He's a risk, at least for this week.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to **@Michael_Fabiano** or send a question via **Facebook**!