Welcome to the Week 16 starts and sits. If you are reading this article, then there’s a good chance you are in the championship game for your league. Congratulations on that. Now let’s see if we can give you a little guidance on some of this week’s tough lineup choices. I will also be hosting our final Sunday morning chat this weekend, so feel free to swing by if you have any tough choices. We kick off the chat at 11 a.m. If you need comprehensive lineup help, join us at Rotobahn, where I will have full lineup rankings posted later Saturday.

QUARTERBACKS

STARTS

Robert Griffin III, Redskins at Eagles

If he plays, you should play him. Washington sat him last week, so you know the coaches have some standards in place. They won’t just throw him out there. The matchup is favorable and he’s an effective QB even without his typical mobility. Unless you happen to have another elite option, you should start RGIII and just accept the risks. His upside merits it in my view.

Tony Romo, Cowboys vs. Saints

Dez Bryant proved that he can be a factor with his injury last week and this is a solid home matchup. Romo has been a fantasy asset over the last eight weeks and we expect that to continue in Week 16. Expect QB1 results in a high-scoring game.

Sam Bradford, Rams at Buccaneers

Bradford is playing well, has a nice matchup and has a full complement of weapons to work with now that Danny Amendola is back. He makes a solid start this week if you are in need. Start him in all leagues.

SITS

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers vs. Rams

Freeman is reeling along with the entire Bucs offense. After last week’s debacle, we’d be very leery of starting him against a solid yet inconsistent St. Louis defense. If you have another viable option, I’d use it.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks vs. 49ers

Yes, we love this kid, but this is not a great week to use him unless you are weak at the position. Wilson is viable, but we have him ranked as an average QB2 this week, not the monster he was in Week 15. He’s not running for a bunch of scores on San Francisco. At least, we’re not willing to bet our season on it.

Jake Locker, Titans at Packers

For those in deep leagues, don’t let Green Bay’s recent defensive struggles tempt you into using Locker. He’s missing way too many throws right now for you to trust your title game to him. He’s an exciting young player, but he could let you down on the road in Green Bay and hasn’t topped 20 points since Week 3. If you are a Freeman owner looking for another option, keep looking and avoid Locker in Week 16.

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Welcome to the Week 16 waiver wire (or, should I say congratulations?). Unless you play in a backwards league, this is the finals … bowl week.

Logic says that most of you are here because you have solid teams with sturdy lineups. But injuries still happen, and if you have roster needs, we are here for you. It’s no longer about depth. It’s all about filling whatever holes you might have in your lineup. Feel free to head over to Rotobahn.com later today. I’ll be adding more players as I work through the rest of the Week 15 games. I’ll also add a few plug-and-play defenses for Week 16. Good luck to all this week!

QUARTERBACKS

Sam Bradford, Rams

It’s a one week season and Bradford has a sweet matchup with Tampa. He’s a very solid play if you have a need and you can get him. With Danny Amendola back and healthy, and with Chris Givens stretching the field, the Rams can get it done in the passing game this week.

Nick Foles, Eagles

A home start against the Redskins makes him an option for those in need of a Week 16 quarterback. Foles is good enough to post solid numbers against a generally disorganized Redskins’ pass defense. Add him if you need help.

Kirk Cousins, Redskins

If you read our rookie reports this preseason, then you know we like Cousins a lot. He looked ready for prime time last week and he can help those looking for a backup plan for Robert Griffin III in Week 16. Add him if you are a nervous RGIII owner.

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Welcome to the Week 15 starts and sits. It’s semifinals week in most fantasy football leagues, so all decisions have major consequences. As always, I have done my best to list players that are on the edge of lineups in 12-team leagues. I’m sure I didn’t get to every player you have questions about. And, toward that end, feel free to consult our full lineup rankings at Rotobahn.com. I’ll also be here on Sunday morning for another chat and hopefully it will be as active as it was last week.

QUARTERBACKS

STARTS

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers at Saints

Freeman has come back to earth from a fantasy perspective. Though he’s hasn’t fallen apart, he’s only had one-plus game in the last five weeks for fantasy purposes. The Saints defense was playing with urgency and adrenaline in recent weeks, but now that New Orleans effectively is finished, I expect that enthusiasm to wane. Freeman has a good chance to succeed and is a solid start in 12-team leagues.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers at Cowboys

He showed last week that he is capable of posting solid numbers, and we think the Cowboys secondary can be had right now. If you need him, Big Ben is a quality option in 12-team leagues and a viable one in smaller leagues, too.

Matt Schaub, Texans vs. Colts

After last week’s debacle at Foxboro, we expect Schaub to bounce back. We also expect the Texans to do what they can to avoid overusing Arian Foster, who is racking up immense carry and touch totals in 2012. Schaub should do well in Week 15 and he can start for you in 12-team leagues as a QB1 if you need him.

SITS

Jay Cutler, Bears vs. Packers

If all you want is some upside, then Cutler might be an answer, but if you want to avoid risk, then you should stay away from Chicago’s quarterback in Week 15. He struggled against the Packers in Week 2, but the bigger reason is that the guy is just too banged up to count on. In 2012 Cutler has battled concussion symptoms, knee issues and a neck injury. The two latter problems are fresh and could affect him this week. Based on Rotobahn’s current rankings, you have 18 more palatable options. Consider using one if you can.

Jake Locker, Titans vs. Jets

As with Cutler, if all you want is a guy who might post a good number, you could go with Locker, but we’re worried about his downside. Rex Ryan defenses cause confusion, and the young quarterback already has serious issues with accuracy. We’d avoid Locker this week.
The stakes simply are too high.

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Welcome to the waiver wire for Week 15. In most leagues, this is semifinal week and that’s high stakes, indeed.

As I mentioned last week, we are looking for upside and startable commodities vs. the depth players we were pushing throughout the bye weeks. The other thing to pay attention to are the key handcuffs to your lynchpin players. I will be updating last week’s handcuff article at Rotobahn for those looking to lock up their key insurance policies. I will be back next week for those who make the big game and we will be doing our 11a.m. Sunday morning chat this week for those who are looking for some lineup advice. Good luck to all this week!

QUARTERBACKS

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

He’s not state of the art just yet, but Kaepernick is the future in San Francisco. He can be your present in Week 15 as the 49ers head to New England. Kaepernick can start for you in 12-team leagues if you need a player. His matchup at Seattle in Week 16 is a bit more problematic.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks

He has a nice matchup in Week 15 at Buffalo, so he is worth an add if you need a plug-and-play QB. Wilson is viable in 12-team leagues. His struggles last week were due to San Francicso’s running game dominating the contest, not the passing game’s failures.

Nick Foles, Eagles

We like this kid some and he showed significant improvement in Week 14 in a very solid matchup vs. the Bucs. Things get tougher this week against the Bengals, who are solid defensively, but we’d add Foles for his Week 16 matchup at home against the Redskins, who give up plenty of points via the pass. If you need to piece together your last few weeks, then Foles can help you.

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Welcome to the Week 14 starts and sits. It’s a high-stakes week and I have found some matchups worth highlighting, but a lot can change between now and Sunday, so stop by our Sunday morning chat if you need any last-minute help or a second opinion on a lineup decision. We’ll kick off the chat at 11 a.m. I hope to see you there. We also have full lineup rankings at Rotobahn.com and I will update them over the weekend, so check that out, too.

QUARTERBACKS

STARTS

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers vs. Eagles

Freeman will get back on track after a few rough weeks of tough matchups. The Eagles at home looks like a get-well game to me. Start the Bucs QB if you normally would.

Matthew Stafford, Lions at Packers

Don’t overthink. Stafford has a few red flags, like injuries to his receivers and a road matchup against Green Bay, but he also has a piping-hot Calvin Johnson to work with, and Stafford himself has played a bit better recently. The Lions also have solid depth players like Tony Scheffler, who can replace guys like Titus Young and Ryan Broyles in the slot. Unless you have a really strong second option, just roll with Stafford in Week 14.

Eli Manning, Giants vs. Saints

He was OK last week despite the medium statistical output. Look for Manning and the Giants to post better numbers at home against a weak Saints defense. I have him ranked 12th overall this week in our preliminary rankings.

SITS

Chad Henne, Jaguars vs. Jets

Henne is likely to be playing without Cecil Shorts and already has lost Laurent Robinson for the year. The Jets play solid defense, so this is a situation to avoid for Week 14.

Philip Rivers, Chargers at Steelers

He’s going bad and his team is in turmoil. Throw in a bad road matchup against a very motivated team and you have a reason to look elsewhere. Rivers is viable but very risky and he lacks the upside he’s had in recent years. Avoid him if you can.

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Welcome to the Week 14 waiver wire. We’re definitely switching our priorities now. The wire will begin to shrink from here on out as I focus more on players with playable upside. The byes are long gone and most leagues have dwindled to six teams or less after the elimination of non-playoff teams. That means there is less competition on the waiver wire and less teams with needs, too. Congratulations to those who are still alive. Come on over to Rotobahn for more advice. I’ll be adding players throughout the day as I work through the Week 13 games. I’ll also be adding an article on running back handcuffs for those who are fine-tuning their rosters to survive the playoffs. For those who have some tough lineup choices, we will be holding another Sunday morning chat this weekend at 11 a.m.  Stop by if you need any help.

QUARTERBACKS

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

He has a solid schedule and he’s a dual threat at the quarterback position. His ability to score with his feet was a big factor in Week 13, and it kept those who started him competitive despite his struggles throwing the ball. Coach Jim Harbaugh already has named Kaepernick as the starter for Week 14.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks

The rookie got it done again, and he did it on the road against a very tough defense. Wilson now is a player who should be owned in all leagues. He can help you down the stretch if quarterback is your weakness. Wilson is looking like the biggest steal of the 2012 draft right now.

Carson Palmer, Raiders

Palmer bounced back nicely in Week 13 and he has a few good matchups left on his schedule if you need some help at quarterback. Palmer has had a solid year in spite of all the chaos around him. There’s no reason to think he’ll collapse now. The only thing to keep an eye on is backup QB Terrelle Pryor. If Oakland decides to give Pryor significant playing time, it could have an effect on Palmer’s stats. My guess is that we don’t see that until Week 17, but it’s worth monitoring.

Jay Cutler, Bears

He’s healthy now, and with Alshon Jeffery returning as soon as this week, we like Cutler to have a few good games the rest of the way.  There are no scary matchups left on his schedule.  Cutler has some value in deeper leagues.

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Welcome to the Week 13 starts and sits. I know it’s a high-stakes weekend for a lot of you GMs. I’ve tried to look at the options that are not totally obvious as I usually do, but there’s no way I can get to every possible scenario. With that in mind, please feel free to join us for our Sunday morning chat, when I can address your specific lineup questions. There are full lineup rankings at Rotobahn.com, so that is another good resource and I’ll be updating the rankings this weekend. Best of luck to all you folks fighting for a playoff berth and props to those who are sitting pretty or playing for a first-round bye.

QUARTERBACKS

STARTS

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers at Rams

He’s been very good so far and he gets you points with his feet, which raises his fantasy floor. If you need help at quarterback in Week 13, Kaepernick could be the answer in any league size. He’s actually available in 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues, which is a joke. This guy should be owned everywhere.

Tony Romo, Cowboys vs. Eagles

Not only is Romo a good play this week, but it would not shock me if he is the best play at the position in Week 13. The Cowboys have a chance to light up the Eagles. Romo is a great option in any league.

Chad Henne, Jaguars at Bills

Need help? Henne can be the answer to your QB problem and he is available in 88 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Start him in Week 13 if you are in need. He has QB1 potential. The one thing to check is the status of his starting receivers, but we expect Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon to play at this point.

SITS

Sam Bradford, Rams vs. 49ers

With injuries to his receivers and a rough matchup, Bradford should be avoided despite his modest success in recent weeks. Without a healthy Danny Amendola, Bradford might not have enough options in the middle of the field, and the 49ers will do a good job of taking away Chris Givens on the outside. Look elsewhere if possible.

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