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
Steven Hauschka at Atlanta Falcons: One of the 10 best kickers in fantasy football, Hauschka has scored eight or more fantasy points in all but two games this season. That's quite an impressive stat. He's a very strong play against the Falcons, who have surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points (10.2 PPG) to opposing kickers at home. (Maximum value: High K1)
Start 'em
Nick Novak vs. Denver Broncos: Novak has been a bit quiet over his last two games, scoring a combined 12 fantasy points. However, this week's matchup against the Broncos bodes well for his chances to rebound. Denver has allowed more fantasy points (12 PPG) to kickers on the road than any team in the league, so Novak is well worth a look. (Maximum value: Mid K1)
Robbie Gould vs. Detroit Lions: Gould has quietly been hot in recent weeks, scoring a combined 31 fantasy points in his last three games. His streak of success should continue at home against the Lions, who have allowed more fantasy points (11.1 PPG) to kickers than any team in the NFL. Gould remains a free agent in most NFL.com formats. (Maximum value: Mid K1)
Sleeper alert - Mike Nugent at Baltimore Ravens: Nugent isn't a big name in fantasy land, but he's scored nine or more fantasy points in all but one of his last five games. Next on the schedule is a date with the Ravens, who have given up the third-most fantasy points (10 PPG) to kickers. Nugent is a free agent in 95 percent of leagues. (Maximum value: Low K1)
Sit of the week
Alex Henery at Green Bay Packers: Henery was a viable No. 1 fantasy kicker earlier this season, but he's taken a nosedive in recent weeks. In fact, Henery ranks an unimpressive 27th in fantasy points over the last four weeks. He should remain sidelined against the Packers, who have been tough on opposing kickers throughout the year. (Maximum value: High K2)
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Sit 'em
Graham Gano at San Francisco 49ers: A start 'em in our previous edition of this column, Gano has been hot with a combined 38 fantasy points in the last four weeks. His hot streak could come to and end this week, though, as the Niners have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points (5.7 PPG) to opposing kickers on their home field in 2013. (Maximum value: High K2)
Randy Bullock at Arizona Cardinals: Bullock has been awful this season, so much so that the Texans brought in some veteran kickers for tryouts earlier this week. Regardless, he isn't someone you want to play against the Cardinals -- their defense has surrendered an average of fewer than eight fantasy points per game to kickers this season. (Maximum value: Mid K2)
Owners beware - Matt Bryant vs. Seattle Seahawks: Once considered a top-end fantasy kicker, Bryant's stock has fallen in recent weeks. In fact, 27 kickers have scored more fantasy points since Week 6. With a matchup against the Seahawks up next, Bryant's fortunes don't appeared poised to improve. Look for other options off the waiver wire. (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 _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
