WEEK 7 START EM AND SIT EM

Start em

QB’s:

Eli Manning: Following an embarrassing showing on National television in New Orleans last week, Eli and the Jints look to take advantage of some home cooking, and a date with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards are 3-2, but haven’t faced a defense nearly dominant as that of the New York Giants. With the 31^st ranked pass defense, Arizona will have its hands full with a Giants offense that features a host of reliable targets, including Domenik Hixon who returned from injury last week. Eli comes off two un-Manning-like performances, and will be focused on getting him and his mates back in the win column, Count on “Little Brother” to surpass 300 yards in passing, with 2 or 3 TD passes.

Philip Rivers: At 2-3, Rivers and the Bolts are not where they expected to be, five games into the season. The for-real Broncos handled the Chargers with ease in front of a stunned Monday Night crowd in San Diego last week. With an aging LT less of a threat than ever before, Rivers must do a better job of finding his huge receiving corps. A single TD toss on Monday night was nit nearly enough to hand Denver its first loss of the season. If the Chargers have any chance of making a run at the playoffs this year, they must get it done against the lowly Chiefs and the 25^th ranked pass defense. Rivers does just that by connecting for 4 TD’s in a romp.

RB’s

Michael Bush: According to Richard Seymour, the Raiders are playoff bound. Considering Oakland is a 2-4 team with a “Franchise” QB that is beginning to draw comparisons to Ryan Leaf, I think the former Patriot may be making a slightly bold prediction. Nevertheless, Oakland gets a Jets team that has just lost for the season, its anchor against the run, Kris Jenkins. If that’s not enough, Gang Green makes its historically unsuccessful trip to the West Coast following a deflating loss to the undermanned Bills at home. Michael Bush is not going to be asked to do the cover of Madden 20xx anytime soon, but it doesn’t even matter who the Raiders feature against the Jets this week, This game has Riders victory written all over it. Against a suddenly vulnerable Jets run defense, even Michael Bush will rush for 100 plus yards and a score.

DeAngelo Williams: The lone bright spot for the Jets against Buffalo last week was the stellar performance by Thomas Jones, who ran for a career and Jets franchise best 210 yards. The Bills are dead last against the run, and face a DeAngelo Williams who is fresh off a 152 yard outburst against the Bucs last week. D-Will should have another field day against a Buffalo team that will not pick off another 5 passes this week. Williams could do his best Thomas Jones impression on Sunday in Charlotte.

WR’s

Donald Driver: Greg Jennings may be on the shelf for this one, so Driver could slide back into his former role as the primary target for Green Bay. The Packers get a horrible Browns team in Week 7, so even if Jennings does suit up, Driver should come close to duplicating his impressive line of 7-107 against the Lions last week. DD is a great play against Detroit.

Santonio Holmes: In a game that many see as Minnesota’s first defeat, Pittsburgh hosts the scorching Brett Favre and the Vikings. Big Ben has done his typically brilliant job of spreading the wealth in Steeltown, with Health Miller being the latest target of choice. This week, Santonio Holmes will take advantage of a Vikings secondary that has perhaps been the one weak link this season in Minnesota. Holmes should go for 80-100 yards and a TD.

TE’s

Tony Gonzalez: Gonzo and the Falcons head to Big D with momentum and shot at one of the weakest pass defenses in the NFL. Cowboy defenders have garnered just two picks all year, and will be facing a Falcons offense that is confident, and beginning to heat up. Gonzalez has been consistent, but has yet to post a 100 yard receiving or multi-touchdown game. This may be the week.

Greg Olsen: Few teams will be hungrier to bounce back from a defeat last week than the Chicago Bears. After a disappointing loss to the Falcons last Sunday night, where the Bears “dropped” a game they should have won, the newly extended Jay Cutler and company will be firing away at a deceptive 4-2 Bengals team that just isn’t that good. Olsen hasn’t hit his stride yet, but he’s about to, as the Bears face these Bengals, the Browns and the Cardinals the next three weeks.

Sit em

QB’s:

Kurt Warner: Benching a QB coming off a pair of 275-plus, 2 TD performances is not a typical move. In this case however, the QB is the aging Kurt Warner, heading into a game with his former New York Giant mates at the blustery Meadowlands. The Giants D will present a much steeper challenge to Warner than the porous Texan and Seahawk defenses did the past couple of weeks. Additionally, the Giants are returning home after being smoked out on Monday night in New Orleans. Kurt’s a much better play the following week at home against a lousy Panthers squad.

Carson Palmer: The first place Bengals…..that sounds strange…..host the angry Bears, who are looking for redemption after blowing multiple opportunities to put away the Falcons last Sunday night in Atlanta. Although Cinchy is standing tall at 4-2, they have likely overachieved to date, and limp into this contest after a beating by Matt Schaub and the Texans. Chicago is in an early must-win situation, and will be primed to shut down Palmer and the Cincinnati offense. Carson may put up 200 yards and a TD, but it won’t be enough to make him fantasy-worthy in Week 7.

RB’s:

Tim Hightower: Tim needs to take a seat next to Kurt Warner this week, as it will not be in the ”Cards” for Arizona against the vaunted Giants D.

Clinton Portis: The injury prone Portis, much this week’s RB counterpart Brian Westbrook is a must start when healthy. Unfortunately, CP is once again banged up, and facing divisional rival Philadelphia before the “Deadskins” head into the bye week. Portis will probably play, as he is a warrior, but he shouldn’t be expected to provide much in the way of production. With the exception of a decent Week 5 performance against Carolina, Clinton has been just another reason to tune out the Skins on Sunday.

WR’s:

Braylon Edwards: The suddenly struggling Jets limp into Week 7 without All-Pro Kris Jenkins, and a just a week removed from a horrendous showing against a back-up QB led Bills team that shocked the Green and White in the “Swamps of Jersey”. Mark Sanchez will be without Jerricho Cotchery this week, and will have difficulty finding Edwards, the Jets only viable option left at WR. Sanchez may not throw another 5 INT’s, but he’ll be hard pressed to find Braylon open with Nnamdi draped all over him for 4 quarters. The Jets could be looking at yet another disappointing trip to Northern California.

Santana Moss: Another Redskin makes the “Sit em” list, as it’s difficult to recommend going with any Washington starters the way this season has played out for Jim Zorn and his struggling offense. Having been stripped of his play calling duties after last week’s defeat to hapless Kansas City, Zorn must now sit back and watch his punchless offense try its luck against Philadelphia and its 5^th rated pass defense. “No Moss” in Week 7.

TE’s

Kellen Winslow: Despite a strong Week 1 and 2, and a monster 9 catch, 102 yard, 2 TD effort in Week 5 in Philadelphia, the exceptionally talented but enigmatic KW Jr. should be passed on this week against New England. The Pats are starting to roll, and the Bucs are….well…the Bucs. Winless Tampa Bay gets the Patriots in London of all places on Sunday, but New England is “storming” in off a 59-0 humiliation over the Titans. With the NFL’s 6^th ranked pass defense and an offense that should be on the field for the lion’s share of the game’s 60 minutes, the Patriots will shut down the Bucs, sending them to an 0-7 start.

Chris Cooley: Do you see a trend here? Have I made myself clear? DO NOT start any Redskins players this week. Just don’t do it.