Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system. For your final starting lineup decisions, check my weekly fantasy football lineup rankings.
Byes:Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Murray continues to play at a high level, scoring 25-plus fantasy points in each of his last two games. I like him to keep it up against the Giants, who have allowed more than 20 fantasy points per game to enemy quarterbacks. New York has also surrendered three rushing touchdowns to the position, which makes Murray even more attractive.
Allen has one of the best schedules among fantasy quarterbacks over the next five weeks, and it starts with a home matchup against the Dolphins. Their defense has surrendered 16 total touchdowns and the most fantasy points to the position, so Allen is in a great spot to succeed. He could be available in some shallower leagues, too.
I get it ... it's very tough to trust Goff right now. But with four teams on a bye and a game against the Falcons up next, he's worth a roll of the dice. Atlanta's defense has allowed a top-10 fantasy quarterback in three straight weeks, including a pair of top five finishes (1,5), so Goff has one of the most favorable matchups at his position this week.
Prescott has scored at least 18 fantasy points in all but one of his six starts, so he's been better in fantasy than in real football (at least lately). I'd start him this week against the Eagles, who have allowed an average of more than 23 fantasy points a game to home field generals. Just keep tabs on the status of Amari Cooper this week.
Brissett is fresh off a bye, and this week's home matchup against the Texans makes him a worthwhile streamer in fantasy leagues. Their defense has struggled against quarterbacks on the road, allowing an average of 320.3 passing yards and more than 22 fantasy points per game. Brissett is a free agent in mAny fantasy leagues as well.
Start 'Em:Matt Ryan vs. Los Angeles Rams, Carson Wentz at Dallas Cowboys
Sleepers:Jimmy Garoppolo at Washington Redskins, Gardner Minshew at Cincinnati Bengals
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
Rivers has hit the skids, scoring a combined 18.94 fantasy points over his last two games. He's not in a good spot to improve either, as the Tennessee defense has allowed an average of just 238 passing yards and 1.3 touchdown passes per game to opposing signal-callers. Rivers could be in for another tough week in a low-scoring affair.
Stafford has been a nice draft bargain, but he is still a matchup-based starter in fantasy leagues. This week, he faces a Vikings defense that's allowed an average of fewer than 15 fantasy points a game to quarterbacks. What's more, Stafford has finished as the QB20 or worse in five of his nine career home starts vs. the NFC North rival.
Darnold looked good in his return from mono last week, throwing for 338 yards with two touchdowns while scoring nearly 20 fantasy points in a win over the Cowboys. While I would pick him up for future use, starting the USC product against the Patriots is not advised. No team has allowed fewer touchdown passes and points to quarterbacks.
Carr is coming off a bye, but his return to action comes on the road at Lambeau Field to face a formidable Packers pass defense. Their defense has allowed six touchdown passes and an average of 11.9 fantasy points per game to enemy quarterbacks. Carr has also failed to score even 16 points in a single game, so he's a sit in most formats.
Bridgewater has done an admirable job in the absence of Drew Brees, as he's won four straight games. However, he's failed to score 16.5 fantasy points in all but one of those contests, and a matchup against the Bears is anything but favorable. Chicago has given up and average of 10.1 points per game to visiting quarterbacks in 2019.
Sit 'Em:Case Keenum vs. San Francisco 49ers, Mitchell Trubisky vs. New Orleans Saints
Busts:Ryan Tannehill vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Andy Dalton vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
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. You can follow Michael on **Twitter**, **Facebook**, **YouTube** and **Instagram** for all of the latest fantasy football news, notes and in-depth analysis!
