WEEK 8 START EM AND SIT EM

Start em

QB’s:

Jay Cutler: The Bears are coming off extremely disappointing back-to-back road losses to the Falcons and Bengals respectively. With the Vikings atop the NFC North and the Packers now a game ahead of the struggling Bears, a win over the Browns is critical. Jay Cutler will need to cut down on his interceptions, should he hope to end his team’s 2-game skid. A date with Cleveland should do the trick. The Browns yield an average of 244 pass yards and 170 rush yards per game. If Cutler and the offense can take care of the ball this Sunday in Chicago, they will get the job done. Jay limits his picks to one, and tosses a pair of TD’s for the victory at home.

David Garrard: Awaiting Jacksonville after a Week 7 bye is the Tennessee Titans. The Jags certainly didn’t need an extra week of rest for this one, as the winless, hard-to-believe 13-3 club of a year ago; trot out Vince Young as the team’s new starting QB. Garrard and the Jaguars have been mediocre at this season ay 3-3, but against a team that is already playing for next year, should have no problems cruising to victory. Garrard tore up the Rams in Week 6, and should up comparable numbers this week in Tennessee. Expect a 300 plus, 3 TD performance in Week 8 from the Jag’s signal caller, against the worst pass defense in the entire NFL.

RB’s

Matt Forte: I am going to assume that Forte is over his brief fumbling episodes, and ready to return to form at home against the Browns. Matt has been a shell of himself thus far, with the exception of a strong performance against Detroit in Week 4. The good news for Forte owners this week is the arrival of a similarly weak opponent in the Cleveland Browns. Count on the Bears feature RB for over 100 yards rushing, a few catches out of the backfield, and a score.

Ray Rice: At 6-0, the Broncos are rolling. Coming off a bye week following an impressive showing in San Diego two Monday nights ago, Denver would appear to be ready to continue its unexpected perfection. Unfortunately, a visit to Baltimore and the first formidable defense on Denver’s schedule, presents a difficult matchup. The sophomore stud Ray Rice has been nothing short of spectacular, and will again shine. The Broncos will be the next unblemished team to go down, as Rice has another strong day.

WR’s

Austin Collie: Having emerged as the number two option for Peyton Manning, Collie has been creeping up on opponents. Now a viable fantasy starter, Austin may have the opportunity to serve as Manning’s primary target in Week 8. Reggie Wayne has been hampered by a groin pull, and is questionable for Sunday’s game. Through the first 7 Colts games, Collie has scored 4 TD’s and has a golden opportunity to improve on that total, at home, against a weak Niners pass defense. Pencil Collie in for at least 60-80 yards and a TD with an active Wayne, and another 40-60 yards and another score if Wayne sits this one out.

Steve Smith (Car): This is not Steve Smith that is presently number one in fantasy receiving points this season. That honor belongs to the Steve Smith that plays for the New York Giants. The Panthers’ Steve Smith has not resembled himself so far this season, but neither has the entire team. Jake Delhomme has received a vote of confidence from the Panthers brass, and looks to get HIS Steve Smith more involved, as Carolina travels to the desert to face the Cardinals, who come off an impressive road win over the other Steve Smith’s Giants. The Panthers explosive running tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart should help open up the passing lanes for the Panthers receivers against a mediocre Arizona defense. The PANTHERS Steve Smith finally goes off, getting his first TD of the season, and adding a second.

TE’s

Visanthe Shiancoe: Even fantasy fanatics are looking at this game with a different type of appreciation than the others on the schedule in Week 8. Brett Favre makes his return to Lambeau field, just a couple of weeks removed from the Vikings triumph over Green Bay in Minneapolis. The 6-1 Vikes come into this spectacle a little banged up from their defeat in Pittsburgh last week. Shiancoe has been steady thus far, but will likely be relied upon a bit more this week, as Minnesota WR’s such as Bernard Berrian, and Percy Harvin are hurting. Although the Packers will get revenge against Favre and the Vikings this week, Shiancoe will post a strong fantasy line of 6 catches, 80 yards, and a TD.

Donald Lee: With Jermichael Finley likely sidelined for the return of Brett Favre to Green Bay, the pass-happy Packers will turn to Donald Lee as their primary TE. Minnesota continues to be difficult to run on, so Aaron Rodgers will be airing it out all day against a Viking secondary that will be without Antoine Winfield for a few weeks. Lee should enjoy a productive afternoon, close to what Finley owners are used to.

Sit em

QB’s:

Kyle Orton: Very few people predicted that Orton and the new-look Broncos offense would perform the way that they have through Week 7. Kyle has been as consistent as a fantasy QB can be. It’s just a matter of time before Orton and the Broncos turn in a stinker. This week’s game against the still-intimidating Ravens defense could be the week that Denver comes down to Earth. Against most other teams in the NFL, Orton is a strong start each week. In Week 8 however, the odds will be stacked against Kyle, as the rested Ravens get the Broncos at home.

Matt Hasselbeck: Matt will not have the luxury of facing either the Rams or Jaguars pass defense this week, as those are the only two teams he has been able to thrive against. Although Hasselbeck and the Seahawks are coming off a bye week, they head to Big D, still struggling to find consistency in their offense. With Walter Jones out for the remainder of the season, the offensive line is going to continue to struggle, making it very difficult for Hasselbeck to find any rhythm.

RB’s:

Frank Gore: Back from an early season ankle injury, Gore looks to recapture his former fantasy prowess against an undefeated Colts team. Unable to get it going against the Texans last week, it will be a tall order to expect Frank to find his stride in Indianapolis on Sunday. Gore may be a week or two away from regaining his typical fantasy stud value. The good new for Gore owners is a Week 9 meeting with Tennessee.

Julius Jones: After a strong start to the season, Jones has been practically invisible. It’s really not his fault, as the Seahawks offense has been racked with injuries. Against an NFL doormat such as St. Louis, Jones could still be a viable starter, but in Dallas, it’s tough to recommend Jones or any other Seahawk player this week. With Detroit visiting Seattle in Week 9, a Julius Jones sighting may actually occur.

WR’s:

Patrick Crayton: This guy did score on a 73 yard punt return last week against Atlanta, but with just two catches in that game, and the recent emergence of Miles Austin, Crayton is looking more and more like a risky start. If you subtract Patrick’s Week 1 performance, he has not caught just one other TD pass, and hasn’t hauled in more than 4 passes in any single game since. There are simply too many other targets for Romo to consider at this point.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh: I realize that I have recommended benching almost the entire Seahawks offense this week. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include T.J., who has got to be very disappointed with his new team thus far. It could get worse in Seattle for Housh before it gets better. Hold off on TJ until next week against the Lions.

TE’s

Brent Celek: It’s unclear how many folks from New York or Philadelphia will be interested in this game, as the Yankees and Phillies will be the main attraction in the Northeast this Sunday. Nevertheless, the Giants host the Eagles, who are hoping to have a gimpy (shocker) Brian Westbrook available for the game. The Giants have dropped two straight, and look to take out their frustrations on rival Philly. Celek has turned in a couple of strong weeks, but he’ll struggle in Week 8 against a hungry Giants D that is 2^nd against the pass this year.

Tony Scheffler: The Bronco TE had a monster effort in San Diego prior to the Week 7 bye. That said, it was his only productive outing all year. It’s highly unlikely that Scheffler will deliver his 2^nd productive week against a brutal Ravens secondary in Baltimore. Look elsewhere.