Who to start? Week 10
by Josh Gaier
Who are some sleepers to start for your fantasy team Sunday? Josh Gaier has one for each position.
Week 10 of the NFL season is here, and ome of us have already packed it up for next season. If you’re out of your league’s playoff race, you’re playing for pride at this point. However, if you’re sniffing the playoffs, every week is of dire importance. Below is a list of the sleepers for the week and the top five players at each position.
Quarterback: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
The rookie from Boston College has exceeded all preseason expectations and has the Falcons franchise in the thick of the NFC playoff race. A large part of the rejuvenation is due to the cool and calm rookie quarterback. Ryan and the Falcons square off against their division foe, the New Orleans Saints, this week. Coming off a dominating 24-0 win over the Oakland Raiders, the Falcons are looking to work toward continuing the pattern of last place NFC South teams reclaiming the division the following season. The Saints rank 25th against the pass and are vulnerable to big plays. Ryan has also developed a connection with White and Jenkins, and both have greatly helped him with their great ability to rack up yards after the catch. Add in the fact that the Saints’ pass rush has been lackluster, and Ryan should be able to pick apart the Saints’ susceptible secondary.
Runner-Up: Sage Rosenfuels, Houston Texans
Running Back: Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns
Lewis is a bruising back that loves to initiate contact and churn out the tough-to-get yards. The opposite is true of the Denver Broncos’ defense. In short, the Broncos’ defense has been abysmal this season. The Broncos rank 26th against the run, and with Brady Quinn making his debut for the Browns, you should expect Romeo to help him out by supplying Quinn with a sound, consistent running game. Lewis struggled last week, but don’t look too much into it, since it was against the tenacious Baltimore Ravens defense. If Lewis is on your roster, he deserves the start.
Runner-Up: Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals
Wide Receiver: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
Shockingly, the NFL pride of Coastal Carolina, Tyler Thigpen, has proved to be more effective than both Croyle and Huard in his first two starts. The Chiefs offense is suddenly capable of throwing the ball down field, and the team is playing with a surge of confidence. Although the Chiefs don’t have an easy opponent on Sunday — they face the San Diego Chargers — Bowe should be able to have his way with their secondary. Bowe is a big target with great athleticism to burn by defenders and posses a challenge for any defense. Bowe is a question mark because of the Chiefs offense, but the risk might be worth the reward this week.
Runner-Up: Bobby Engram, Seattle Seahawks
Tight End: Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
The Bears go up against the vaunted Tennessee Titan’ defense Sunday and will do so without their No. 1 signal caller on the field. Insert Rex Grossmen, a quarterback who has a gun-slinger mentality which results in either a fantastic game or a horrendous game. Nevertheless, Olsen should be one of the favorite targets, as he’ll be able to provide the Bears with one of their few mismatches against the elite defense of the 2008 season. Olsen might not reach the end zone or put up a ton of yards this week, but he has true sleeper potential to have a big game if Rex can find a groove.
Runner-Up: Dustin Keller, New York Jets
Defense: New York Jets
The Rams love running the ball with Steven Jackson. However, the Jets have been exceptional against the runr. Nose tackle Kris Jenkins, for whom the Jets traded in the off-season, has improved the Jets defense drastically. The Jets are forcing teams to become one-dimensional, but they also employ two studs in their secondary – Darrell Revis and Kerry Rhodes. The Rams have been injected with life since the firing of Scott Linehan, but the cross country trip and the inconsistency of the passing game gives the Jets a favorable matchup.
Runner-Up: Arizona Cardinals
Top Five Players at Each Position
Quarterbacks
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
2. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
3. Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
4. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
5. Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers
Running Backs
1. LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Michael Turner, New Orleans Saints
4. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
5. Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
Wide Receivers
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
2. Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos
3. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
4. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
5. Laveranues Coles, New York Jets
Tight Ends
1. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers
2. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
3. Kellen Winslow, Cleveland Browns
4. Dallas Clark, Houston Texans
5. Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
Defenses
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Carolina Panthers
4. New York Jets
5. Chicago Bears