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 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 11 starts and sits. It’s the year’s final bye week, so things will get easier going forward. Of course, the stakes only get higher, so you can replace all the busywork with playoff-chase stress. At this point, most people’s seasons are well-defined. You are either chasing a playoff spot or you are trying to hold on to one. Here’s my take on some of the tougher lineup choices for Week 11. If you are left wanting further assistance, check out our full lineup rankings at Rotobahn. I’ll be updating it over the weekend. I’ll also be hosting our usual 11 a.m. chat here at WEEI on Sunday morning. Join us if you have any last-minute lineup questions.

QUARTERBACKS

STARTS

Tony Romo, Cowboys vs. Browns

Romo had a few bad fantasy outings early on, but he’s settled in since then and he’s averaging in excess of 20 points per game over the last three weeks. The Browns defense shouldn’t scare anybody, especially on the road. Romo’s receivers are healthy, and Felix Jones is functioning adequately as Demarco Murray’s replacement at tailback. The Dallas signal-caller should have a solid day for fantasy GMs and has upside to have a big day if things break right.

Josh Freeman, Bucs at Panthers

Overall, Freeman has been too good to sit, and though he was just decent in Week 10, he has a stronger matchup in Week 11 against Carolina. The Panthers have been a nice surprise on defense, but they have struggled some against the pass and we doubt they can shut down Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. Freeman is a QB1 in 12-team leagues for this week.

Andy Dalton, Bengals at Chiefs

Dalton can start for you this week against a Chiefs team that, while not without defensive talent, can be had on most weeks. Dalton is using his alternative weapons and not relying solely on stud receiver A.J. Green, and that makes him a reasonable starting option in 12-team leagues. He is Rotobahn’s 13th-ranked QB for Week 11.

SITS

Joe Flacco, Ravens at Pittsburgh

Flacco is a viable option as a starter in 12-team leagues, but we’d prefer to avoid him in Week 11. The Steelers are always a tough matchup at home and they will be loaded for bear knowing that their offense is limited without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger. Flacco was great last week in a great matchup, but we’d avoid him in this bad one if you have a better option on your roster.

Jason Campbell, Bears at 49ers

Don’t get cute. The Bears backup is an upgrade over what Chicago has had in the past behind starter Jay Cutler, but you don’t want to use him here. Not against the 49ers on the road. Avoid.

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Welcome to the Week 9 starts and sits. It’s been a rough week for yours truly and all New Yorkers, but I’m now up in Boston with friends — fully loaded with bandwidth and a large coffee. Let’s get into Week 9, shall we? For those of you looking for full rankings, we will be adding them at Rotobahn.com throughout the day as we play catchup in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. We also will be hosting our weekly Sunday chat right here, so check back Sunday at 11 a.m. if you have any pressing lineup questions.

QUARTERBACKS

STARTS

Cam Newton, Panthers at Redskins

Yes, Newton was a lock starter going into the season, but we’ve received enough e-mails about him to put him here. Newton should step up in this game against Robert Griffin III. The bigger issue is the Washington defense, which is prone to lapses in coverage. Newton is a good play here and he has some upside, too. He’s a good play in any league.

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers at Raiders

Stick with Freeman this week in a plus matchup at Oakland. His receivers are making plays and now he has ground support with a surging Doug Martin.

Joe Flacco, Ravens at Browns

There’s some risk due to how poorly he’s played lately, but we wouldn’t be afraid of using him here. The Ravens have had two weeks to prepare for this game and they are well coached. They should be ready. Flacco is a viable start in 12-team leagues.

SITS

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills at Texans

Fitz is a very risky play on the road against a quality opponent. Just look at what he did in Weeks 5 and 6 if you require proof. The Bills most likely will be chasing in the game, so there’s some hope, but we’d strongly consider other options in all leagues.

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins at Colts

Two big things here: Tannehill is not a lock to play, so even if you are going to roll with him, you need a Plan B. The more important thing is the in-game risk. There’s a solid chance that he could start but not finish, and that’s what worries us most. He’s got an easily aggravated injury. The matchup is a very good one, but we’d look for more secure options in Week 9.

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Welcome to the Week 9 waiver wire. I’m hunkering down with Hurricane Sandy approaching Rotobahn headquarters. This week’s wire will be written before Monday Night Football because I probably will be without power by the time the game starts. There were some bust-outs this weekend and I want to touch on them now while I still can. Free agent moves could be tricky this week with so many people losing access to power. This is the point where I usually tell you to go to Rotobahn for more information, but this week, Rotobahn won’t have much more than you find right here. One thing I would recommend checking out are our full season rankings that I posted last week.  It’s a great way to weigh trade offers and to establish player values if you are constructing a trade offer.

Good luck to all over the next few days.

QUARTERBACKS

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers

His team is improving around him, and a rising tide lifts all boats. That is to say, I’m not sure Freeman is playing that much better than he’s played in prior years, he just has a much stronger hand to play with Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin on board. Now the Bucs have the run feeding off of the pass and vice versa. This all bodes well for Freeman’s fantasy value going forward. He’s a guy to own in all formats.

Carson Palmer, Raiders

As I said last week, he is out there cheap and he won’t hurt you if you need to start him. The Raiders slowly are rounding into form and Darren McFadden finally showed up against the Jets last week, which could really help Palmer going forward. Palmer is a solid QB2 who can start for you in all formats when you need him.

Sam Bradford, Rams

He can’t help you this week, but he apparently is getting Danny Amendola back after St. Louis’ Week 9 bye. That gives him a nice assortment of weapons to work with. He will be a legit QB2 from Week 10 on.

Jake Locker, Titans

He should be back soon, and with so many healthy receivers and a fired-up ground game, he could do very well for fantasy purposes. Locker gives you the big play and he gives you points with his feet, which raises his floor. Be aware of his Week 11 bye, but we like him as a very strong backup option that can be had in many leagues. It’s hard to imagine the Titans not taking this soon-to-be-lost season and developing Locker regardless of how well Matt Hasselbeck plays.

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Welcome to the Week 8 waiver wire. We have significant bye losses with the Ravens, Bills, Bengals and Texans all taking the week off. We’ll do our level best to help you cope with the bye week blues. I’ll be adding more players throughout the day at Rotobahn, so feel free to check us out, especially if you play in deeper leagues.

QUARTERBACKS

Carson Palmer, Raiders

He’s available in way too many leagues when you consider how well he has played. I’ve been a critic of Palmer in the past, but he’s been dealt a mediocre hand in Oakland and he’s handling it pretty well. Palmer is just one example of why paying big booty for a fantasy quarterback is a fool’s act. Palmer can start for you in any league and he won’t hurt you.

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers

The talent around him has been upgraded, to put it mildly. Newly acquired skill players Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin did a lot of the heavy lifting for Freeman in Week 7, and that’s the key. Freeman doesn’t need to be superhuman to be a fantasy asset … that has not always been the case. Freeman is a nice QB2 in all leagues.

Brandon Weeden, Browns

He played another solid game under tough circumstances. As his teammates have gone down all around him, Weeden has stood tall and used his young receivers. Now, with both Josh Gordon and Greg Little making big plays, Weeden has the look of a winner and he can be a QB2 for you in most formats.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills

Fitzpatrick clearly is a matchup play in fantasy football. He can post very nice numbers against soft opponents, but he can be shut down with extreme prejudice by strong defenses.  Just look at what he’s done over his last four games. The pattern could not be more obvious. Fitzpatrick does have some solid matchups down the stretch. I like him a lot from Week 10 and beyond.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks

He’s a backup for fantasy, but he is worth owning in larger formats. We’d be more bullish on Wilson for 2012, but his receiving talent is average and his schedule is tough. Leave him for 12-team leagues and larger.

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Here are our Week 1 starts and sits. Join us at Rotobahn.com every week for full lineup rankings, game capsules and waiver wire reports. Our full week one lineup rankings will be released Friday!

Quarterbacks

Starts:

Matt Stafford, Lions at Bucs

He’s on the road at Tampa Bay and he is healthy. With a solid assortment of weapons, plus Calvin Johnson, he has big upside. He has a solid matchup and we like him to post good numbers in the opening stanza of 2011. Play him with confidence.

Josh Freeman, Bucs vs. Lions

He’s hosting the Lions. We like this game to feature some scoring and we expect them to move Freeman around and get the ball in the air. It should be a good week for the young passer. Start him if he is your guy.

Jay Cutler, Bears vs. Falcons

We like the matchup, and Cutler has looked very much under control so far. If you need a QB this week, Cutler is a good option.

Sits:

Tony Romo, Cowboys at Jets

We like Romo a lot overall, but this might be the best week all year to sit him. The Jets are tough as heck to throw on. If you rostered a guy like Freeman or Cutler behind Romo, this might be the week to use your backup. It’s a close call, but don’t expect typical Romo output.

Sam Bradford, Rams vs. Eagles

We are bullish on this kid for the year, but, even at home, we don’t like this matchup with the Eagles’ strong coverage corps. Look elsewhere if you have another strong option.

Matt Cassel, Chiefs vs. Bills

We don’t like him much on an average week, but we would avoid him this week for sure with a limiting rib injury. Look elsewhere if you can.

Running Backs

Starts:

Peyton Hillis, Browns vs. Bengals

We worry about him wearing down, but we like him plenty in Week 1. The home matchup vs. Cincinnati is sweet, and we don’t think that Cleveland is ready to open up the passing game. Hillis should rip it up. RB1 all the way.

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