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
Andrew Luck vs. Tennessee Titans: Luck is coming off a monster stat line against the Detroit Lions, and this week's matchup against the Titans makes him an attractive fantasy option once again. Their defense has allowed 24 touchdown passes this season, which is tied for second most in the league. Luck also scored just under 17 fantasy points against them back in Week 8.
Start 'em
Josh Freeman vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Freeman is a terrific fantasy option this week, as he faces an Eagles defense that has allowed 25-plus fantasy points to quarterbacks in each of the last three weeks. What's more, this defense has surrendered 15-plus fantasy points to field generals in each of their last seven games. Look for Freeman to join that list this week.
Eli Manning vs. New Orleans Saints: Manning has been anything but consistent over the last several weeks, but I still like him against the Saints. Their defense has allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks on the road (22.16 PPG) than any other team in the league, which makes Manning quite an interesting choice. He could be in for a solid fantasy line for sure.
Russell Wilson vs. Arizona Cardinals: This week's matchup against the Cardinals isn't good on paper, but look at Wilson's recent totals. He has scored 20-plus fantasy points in three of his last four games, one of which came against the Chicago Bears. Wilson has also put up 16-plus fantasy points in each of his last three games at home, so he's been consistent.
Sleeper alert - Colin Kaepernick vs. Miami Dolphins: Kaepernick had a mediocre stat line last week, but I'm sticking with him against the Dolphins. While this unit can be tough on the run, the Fish have also allowed the fifth-most passing yards and an average of just under 17 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That makes the Nevada product a viable sleeper pick.
Sit of the week
Philip Rivers at Pittsburgh Steelers: If we have learned anything about Rivers this season, it's that you can't trust him to post good totals. In fact, he's posted fewer than 15 fantasy points in six of his last seven games. The Steelers have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks at home, so the matchup isn't very good for Rivers either.
Sit 'em
Joe Flacco at Washington Redskins: Flacco does have a good matchup on paper, but he's a real risk on the road. In fact, he has scored 15-plus fantasy points just once in six starts away from home this season. Furthermore, he needed an overtime period to find that level of success against the San Diego Chargers. I just can't recommend Flacco in this contest.
Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. St. Louis Rams: You might look at this matchup and think that the Amish rifle is a nice start. Think again. The Rams have actually been pretty stout against the pass in road contests, allowing an average of just over 13 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. That makes Fitzpatrick more of a risk in the first round of the postseason.
Chad Henne vs. New York Jets: Henne has seen his fantasy point totals decline in each of the last three weeks, and I think that trend will continue against the Jets. Their defense has been tough against opposing quarterbacks, allowing an average of right around 13 fantasy points per game to the position overall. That makes it tough to trust Henne as a starter.
Owners beware - Tony Romo at Cincinnati Bengals: I have Romo in several leagues, and I am playing him ... but I have some concern about it. The Bengals have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks on their home field. What's more, Peyton Manning is the lone signal-caller to score more than 14 fantasy points against them overall since Week 7.
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**!
