Fix Your Fantasy Lineup Here!

So the Steelers are enjoying their bye week, figuring out how to tape, glove, fuse, fix, or splint Roethlisberger's thumb and just exactly what aging Hines Ward’s role is in Pittsburgh’s skyrocketing pass offense.  My thoughts?  Well…the last time Big Ben played with a busted thumb, the Steelers went on to win their fifth Super Bowl (even more aptly titled, “The One For The Thumb”).  As for Ward, I’d continue to pay him and put him on the field, if only for his vicious blocks. 

As for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who is reportedly meeting with Mike Tomlin and league officials about recent hits in recent Steelers games for which a few players have been fined, he can take his sissified league and take The Office’s Stanley Hudson oft dispensed advice!

So, I’ll use this off week to dispense a little of my own advice from the Fantasy world.  I won’t suggest things you can find on any site, ESPN crawler, or call-in show such as easy calls like Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson needing to be in your lineup.  However, I’m not going to waste my time telling you things like there being NO Browns, not named Phil Dawson, worth consideration. 

“Studs and Duds” and “Start/Sit” are too overused in the Fantasy world of sports, so I’ll have to coin a better title.  Ideas? 

Anyway, make sure these guys are IN YOUR LINEUP:

QB Carson Palmer (OAK): He’s on a smooth playing surface against a secondary without Antoine Winfield, having developed more and more rapport with a speedy host of wide receivers.  Who cares if he’ll throw two interceptions?  The completions, yardage, and couple touchdowns will easily make up for them. 

RB Reggie Bush (MIA): Forget Daniel Thomas.  Sparano may have saved his job simply by the way he’s employing Reggie’s talents.  The Bills allow the 8th most fantasy points to opposing runningbacks. 

WR Anquan Boldin (BAL): Unproductive last week, Boldin should be the short-yardage but frequent target of Flacco, as they aim to control the clock with a mix of Rice and Boldin (did anyone else’s mouth just water for Chipotle?).

RB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX): Don’t be fooled by hometown pride!

DEF Dallas: Skins still don’t know who they want at quarterback and have no playmakers.

ALL PACKERS: Duh

RB Maurice Morris (DET): He’s the most recent benefactor of Jahvid Best’s concussion.  Detroit does not want Stafford and his broken hand to sling it as often as he had to last week.  They’d love to feed Morris the ball to complement the 20 targets MegaTron is sure to receive.

RB Brandon Jacobs (NYG): Bradshaw is out again and unlike last week, when Jacobs faced a stout Niners defense, he’s going up against the Dream Team’s swiss cheese.

WR Brandon Lloyd (STL): His targets are trending up quickly.

NOT SO MUCH for these guys:

WR Earl Bennett (CHI): I’m not feeling the love for this guy like many of the fantasy experts are.  Cutler has no favorite target and Bennett’s production only went up when Matt Forte wasn’t getting the yardage he’d been typically getting.  I see a lot of Forte and too much distribution from Cutler to jump on Bennett’s bandwagon. 

WR Nate Washington (TEN): The rise of Damien Williams has been detrimental to Washington’s production as of late.

WR All Eagles (PHI): I trust Vince Young as much as I trust a Penn State official. 

WR Dwayne Bowe (KC): Same goes for Tyler Palko (who?!).

FEAST!

RB LeSean McCoy (PHI): Goes with the Vince Young theme… how can the Eagles NOT utilize him as much as possible when Michael Vick is out and they are limited at wide receiver?

BUST ALERT!

WR Hakeem Nicks (NYG): The play of fellow receivers Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham have made Nicks no more than another talented option for Eli Manning.  He’ll continue to get his touches but his days as a top-5 receiver may be over.

Mike's Picks for Week 11 (a decent 9-4 last week! 58-43 overall.  Who saw the Panther-thump coming from the Titans?!):

Tennessee @ Atlanta (-6): Mike Smith should be fired if he doesn’t cover.  The Titans can NOT be the team that destroyed Carolina last week…can they?
Buffalo @ Miami (-2): Ahhh, a spread made up only of trend, rather than talent.  The Dolphins have ONE home win—to a visiting, reeling Redskins team.  Buffalo is far more talented and should squish the fish.  However, Reggie Bush makes the difference and Miami barely covers in this forgotten AFC East rivalry.
Cincinnati @ Baltimore (-7): Never, EVER pick with your heart?  Cincy, baby!  I mean, c’mon!  The SEAHAWKS controlled the clock against the Ravens last week and they’re without their cheerleader, err…linebacker on Sunday!
Jacksonville @ Cleveland (-1): Cleveland favored?  No way.  Their lone bright spot just a month ago has surrendered far too much yardage to good runningbacks like Frank Gore, Arian Foster, and Steven Jackson.  You think Maurice Jones-Drew is some slouch? 
Oakland @ Minnesota (pick ‘em): Raiders by a Sea Bass field goal.
Carolina @ Detroit (-7): Lions have to bounce back sometime… with or without their concussed runningback (The more time he misses, the more I think his name should be demoted from “Best” to “Better”).
Tampa Bay @ Green Bay (-14): What kind of resume has Tampa coach Raheem Morris put together?  The Bucs looked promising last year.  Apparently it was a mirage*, and this game will do little to refute the notion. 
Dallas @ Washington (+7): The Boys are getting hot at the right time—during a soft spot in their schedule, while dealing with another injury to wideout Miles Austin and runningback Felix Jones still in pain.  This game will resemble last week’s Buffalo rout. 
Arizona @ San Francisco (-10): I am finding it harder and harder to type out a prediction for more and more Niners’ victories, because I can’t for the life of me figure out why they’re any good.  But I’ll do it anyway.  Please, just don’t make me actually type it out!
Seattle @ St. Louis (-3): How can one NOT pick the Seahawks after the way they played last week?
San Diego @ Chicago (-3.5): If we thought Philip Rivers looked ugly before, wait until the end of this game, when he’s down 20!
Philadelphia @ NYGiants (-5): The Eagles are done.  So should be Andy Reid.
Kansas City @ New England (-15): I don’t care how bad the Pats defense is—I’d NEVER in a million years pick a quarterback’s first start over a Belichick-coached team.  Ever.