Week 13: Game Previews

As you saw in the Monday night game between Pittsburgh and Miami, the winter weather conditions will start to play a factor in your fantasy games. Obviously you can't base all of your decisions on the possibility of it raining and/or snowing in some of the less-agreeable NFL cities in terms of climate, but if you have two players of equal value and one is playing in, say, cold and windy Chicago and the other is suiting up in sunny Miami, the choice should be clear.

Also keep watch on NFL teams that are out of the running for the playoffs. Yes, they are professionals and they should put forth the same effort each week. But a player on a team that needs a win is more likely to perform better than one on a team that is just waiting for the offseason to commence. Gametime decisions on injuries are also more likely to come into play: if a team is in the playoff hunt it will lean toward starting a guy who might be questionable, while a player on a team that is 2-10 might sit out and avoid the risk of doing more damage to an injury.

Good luck this week.

Green Bay at Dallas
This game is one that most of us won't get to see, thanks to the feud between NFL Network and major cable companies. Oh well, unless you are a huge fan of one of the teams, you are only really interested in the fantasy stats, which should flow freely in Big D. Yes, both defenses are ranked in the top 12, but the pass defenses are 18th for the Packers and 21st for the Cowboys.

Green Bay
Must start: Brett Favre; Greg Jennings; Donald Driver; Donald Lee
Favorable situation: James Jones
Unfavorable situation: Ryan Grant won't have it as easy against the Cowboys as he did against the Lions, but he is a bit more valuable in leagues that count RB receptions.
Don't start: Any other player

Dallas
Must start: Tony Romo; Terrell Owens; Jason Witten
Favorable situation: Marion Barber
Unfavorable situation: Julius Jones
Don't start: Any other player

Atlanta at St. Louis
Both teams had disappointing losses last weekend - Gus Frerotte's fumble near Seattle's endzone sunk the Rams, while the Falcons were expected to lose to Indy, but had the defending champs down by 10 after one quarter. What role does disappointment play when you know that not only are you just playing out the season, but also there is not even the motivation to knock off a decent opponent? There will be a few flashes of fantasy success here, but mostly I would stay away from these players.

Atlanta
Must start: None
Favorable situation: Warrick Dunn
Unfavorable situation: Roddy White had the big game last week and the score, but had done nothing the previous three weeks; Michael Jenkins is in an even worse cycle, sandwiching a 1-for-6 yards game and a 1-for-9 yards game around a 9-for-73 yards game; Alge Crumpler
Don't start: Joey Harrington

St. Louis
Must start: Steven Jackson; Torry Holt
Favorable situation: Gus Frerotte; Isaac Bruce
Unfavorable situation: Drew Bennett and Randy McMichael have been very quiet lately.
Don't start: Any other player

Buffalo at Washington
This game is tough to figure. The Bills are switching QBs, benching J.P. Losman (probably for good) and starting Trent Edwards. Edwards' best game when he was the starter earlier in the season came against the Jets, when he threw for 234 yards and a TD. What will happen with Buffalo's offense - especially against the 9th-ranked defense - might not be pretty. But Washington is dealing with a real tragedy, the emotions of losing their teammate, Sean Taylor, to an assailant's gunfire. The Skins could come out sky high and ready to play with intensity or they could come out flat and play sluggishly. How does one predict what will happen in that situation?

Buffalo
Must start: None
Favorable situation: None
Unfavorable situation: Marshawn Lynch is out, Anthony Thomas might be out, meaning that Buffalo could start either Fred Jackson or Dwayne Wright; Lee Evans was in another slump anyway, but having Edwards back won't help; the rest of the WR corps should also be benched.
Don't start: Edwards

Washington
Must start: Clinton Portis; Chris Cooley
Favorable situation: Jason Campbell and Santana Moss face the 29th-ranked pass defense.
Unfavorable situation: Keenan McCardell is showing up in the stat box with decent numbers, but he hasn't had that breakout game yet to justify putting him in your lineup.
Don't start: Any other player