FantasyNFL

Start These 11 Players In Fantasy Football This Week

by Pat Mayo | 2:37 pm, November 21st, 2012

Each week, Pat Mayo of RotoExperts.com will being you 11 fantasy football players with favorable matchups. This week, he likes a much-maligned QB, a pair of Colts, and – believe it or not – a Jet. The full list is below. All photos via Getty:

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1.Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys

Is there anything more enjoyable than disparaging Tony Romo? Of course not. People love anything that’s easy, and Romo’s wild inconsistency makes criticism quite simple. But halt the hate for Romo on Thanksgiving. While you’re at home poking holes in your belt with the same knife you used to carve the turkey, Mr. Candice Crawford will be testing the voltage limit of the scoreboard. In his last five Thanksgiving games Romo has tossed for 15 touchdowns.

2.Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals

All season long, Andy Dalton’s proved that in the proper matchup, he can be an ultra-valuable fantasy pivot. Enter the Raiders. The same Raiders that have ceded a laughable 93 points the last two weeks. Against defenses that rank inside the Top 10 in points allowed to QBs, Dalton is a perfect four-for-four in terms of performances, collecting multiple scores in each game, never failing to post at least 20 points.

3.Vick Ballard, RB, Colts

Workload is the only thing holding Ballard in fantasy purgatory as a fringe starting running back, but salvation is on the way. He’s had at least 13 touches in each of the last five games, but that shouldn’t matter against the putrid Bills defense. Even after holding Dolphins back to nothing last Thursday, Buffalo is still the most generous defense to opposing running backs, giving up almost 26 fantasy points per game to the position. All Ballard has to do is fend off Donald Brown, who may or may not have had his talent sucked out of him by the football equivalent of Shang Tsung, and that pesky goal line nuisance Delone Carter.

4.Chris Johnson, RB, Titans

How frustrating has Chris Johnson been this season? Well, you presumably drafted him as your number one RB and watched him singlehandedly lay waste to your team for the first three weeks. With an awful matchup against Houston in Week Four, you sent him to the bench, only to watch him top 150 total yards. And it’s been a roller coaster ever since: mainly horrible outings, but a few gems sprinkled in. This should be one of those gems. Despite making Arian Foster a non-factor on Sunday, Jacksonville is still a sieve on defense, giving up over 20 points per game to running backs.

5.Sidney Rice, WR, Seahawks

Yes, we’ve all heard the platitudes about Miami’s “good” defense, but that talk is really just about the front seven. The secondary has major problems, like Carrie Mathison level issues. (Although I doubt Reshad Jones bones down with admitted terrorists. Don’t know for certain though.) Still, the Dolphins can be had through the air, and Sidney Rice is the best weapon Russell Wilson has at his disposal. Rice has scored in three straight and four of his past five games.

6.Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers

Odds there’s a section at Candlestick calling themselves Crab People in support for their favorite receiver? Not high enough for my liking. But after a date with New Orelans, that bet may be taken off the board. Perpetually riddled with inconsistency, Crabtree has started to develop a taste for the end zone, and doing it against the Saints may be his easiest test yet. New Orleans will score frequently enough to force the 49ers take to the air, and Crabtree will be the primary beneficiary of squaring off with the awful coverage.

7.Dustin Keller, TE, Jets

New England is going to score points, that’s a given. Unfortunately, for Jets supporters, that means Mark Sanchez is going to have to play catch up most the game. Even though there’s little doubt it will ultimately be a lost cause, Keller stands to see a load of passes coming in his direction. Last time out against the Pats, Keller did a ton of damage on underneath routes, piling up seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. A repeat effort wouldn’t be surprising.

8.Adam Vinatieri, K, Colts

If the Bills can play semi-competent defense in their own territory again this week, it’s going to be a field goal bonanza for Vinatieri. No longer the owner of a leg capable of making deep kicks, Vinatieri will be able to post big totals through red zone failures. And, there’s a great chance Indy won’t be down by 20 and forced to pass on fourth down in order to catch up, so he has that going for him.

9.D/ST, Patriots

Don’t expect a repeat of its three-touchdown effort Sunday, but it could be close taking on the Jets after a short week. We all know Mark Sanchez is a terrible decision maker, and will give New England ample opportunity to make him look foolish. A surplus of sacks is likely out of the question, but there should be turnovers galore - and, most importantly, a second straight week of fantasy dominance for the Pats defense.

10.Whoever the RB is, Eagles

This one is dicey since LeSean McCoy’s status is up in the air after suffering a concussion against the Redskins, but the matchup is golden. Meaning: if McCoy can’t take the field, Bryce Brown immediately becomes a must start at running back. The Panthers can’t stop any rushing attack, but are really susceptible to pass catching backs. Carolina has allowed over 500+ yards receiving to the position already, and we all know how much Eagles love to run screens.

11.James Jones, WR, Packers

If your trade deadline hasn’t expired, try and make a deal for Jones right now. Coming off a brutal Week 11, now is the time to buy, because he won’t remain sedentary for long. Always a touchdown vulture, Jones figures to get a bunch of shots deep downfield against the Giants. New York has already made Brandon Weeden look like Aaron Rodgers this year, so I imagine the actual Rodgers will end up with a stat line that’s usually associated with a lopsided Madden game.

Start preparing now for the new Fantasy Hoops season with the RotoExperts Xclusive Edge Fantasy Basketball Package. You get the complete and deluxe draft kit, plus in-depth regular season and playoff coverage.

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