FantasyNFL

Start ‘Em: 11 Players With Sweetheart Fantasy Matchups This Week

by Pat Mayo | 6:20 pm, November 1st, 2012

Each week, Pat Mayo of RotoExperts.com will bring you 11 fantasy football players with favorable matchups. Whether it’s a wide receiver facing a weak-kneed secondary, a running back taking on a dinged-up front seven, or a team defense preparing to eat a cupcake rookie quarterback, these are the guys who are poised for a big fantasy output this Sunday.

This week, he likes anyone playing the Chiefs.

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1.1. Josh Freeman

The film “Josh Freeman, Fantasy God” will eventually come to an end. Fortunately, it hasn’t quite reached the denouement yet. Freeman has three TD passes in three straight games, much of which has to do with his opponent. The Saints, Chiefs and Vikings all rank inside the Top 10 of points allowed to quarterbacks and Freeman has taken full advantage. This week he squares off with the Raiders, who currently reside as the ninth worst team against the position.

2.2. Mikel Leshoure

The Lions identified that running the ball would be a fruitless endeavor against a formidable Seahawks front seven, so they decided to pass as much as humanly possible. They’ll get back to a slightly more balanced attack in Jacksonville. The Jags have fallen behind so early in games this season that the opposing teams have no choice but to run the ball. Don’t be concerned about Joique Bell snaking away touches either. Bell is primarily a pass catching back, something Detroit shouldn’t need to utilize this week.

3.3. Jay Cutler

Putting your faith in the Bears’ pivot is always a dicey proposition, but Cutler has proven his worth this season in soft match ups; tossing multiple scores against Jacksonville, Dallas and Indy’s weak secondaries. And now, a date with the Titans should follow the same trend. The Titans look like they’ve given up on the defensive side the ball, having allowed a league-high 16 passing scores in seven games. Don’t be concerned with its bye week, Tennessee has too many problems, they couldn’t have addressed them all in two weeks.

4.4. Ryan Matthews

Eight weeks into the season and I’m finally rescinding my claim that Tennessee is the worst team in the league. That distinction falls to Kansas City. The Chiefs did an admirable job containing Darren McFadden. I mean, DMC could only muster 137 total yards! They’ve allowed 100+ yards to running backs in four of five games and they’re complete inability to lead, at any point, during the game makes it easy for opposing RBs to get a sufficient workload. Plus, KC turns the ball over so much Mathews should get a few chances with a short field.

5.5. Ben Tate

There’s never a comfortable moment when Ben Tate cracks your starting lineup, unless Arian Foster has decided to no-show in lieu of a spiritual nature walk. Unfortunately, a combination of bye weeks and injuries may force your hand, and there couldn’t be a better week to gamble with the Texans back up. His usage is never guaranteed, but against the Bills, aka the league’s most generous unit to running backs, Tate won’t need many opportunities to make an impact.

6.6. Chargers Defense

Lets see. Are the chargers at home? Check. Is it a short week? Check. Are they playing a team with a rotating cavalcade under center, which hasn’t led in any game this season and is challenging the all-time turnover record? Checkmate! The best part, San Diego’s defense is widely available too.

7.7. Denarius Moore

Is there any player more underrated than Denarius More right now? No chance! The dreaded Raiders receiver has posted at least seven fantasy points in his last five games, breaking the plane in four of those contests. With Tampa now heading into the black hole there’s no reason to think the streak won’t continue. The Bucs are the fourth worst defense against wide receivers, ceding a ridiculous 14.5 YPC.

8.8. Brandon LaFell

LaFell has certainly been a mixed bag this season. Appearing on a slew of preseason sleeper lists, the speedy wideout has suffered through Cam Newton’s ebbs and flows. He has started to produce the last two weeks though. After nabbing a touchdown against the Cowboys, LaFell followed it up with an 88-yard performance against a usually stingy Bears defense. His breakaway ability doesn’t require a boatload of looks, he just needs a few opportunities. And in a match up with the Redskins, expect him to get more than his usual share.

9.9. Kai Forbath

Again with the Skins/Panthers match up. If it’s the shootout it appears like it will be, it’s nothing but good news for the kickers. Since taking over field goal duties in D.C., Forbath is a perfect six for six, scoring at least eight Fantasy points in each of his three games. Plus, Carolina has given up the most three-point chance in the NFL.

10.10. Anquan Boldin

I’ve now had a full two weeks to reflect on the Ravens no-show in Houston and two things still stick out: Ray Rice’s usage, or lack thereof, and the marginalization of Anquan Boldin. When Baltimore has been at its most effective offensively, it has been with short and intermediate routes to effectively open up play action for deeper shots. And Boldin is the king of the intermediate routes. He’ll pick on the Browns corners with crisp routes and should pile up a bunch of receptions, or the Ravens’ coaching staff spent their bye week formulation a losing game plan.

11.11. Greg Olsen

Why not keep piling on the Redskins. If it weren’t for Tennessee’s historic struggles with tight ends, there would be significantly more chatter about Washington’s inability to slow down big men. They’ve allowed five touchdowns to the position. And there seem to be certain games where Cam Newton leans on Dexter clone Greg Olsen. The over could be eclipsed 10 minutes into this game, so there should be enough points to be distributed amongst the Panthers’ playmakers for all to provide a quality fantasy day.

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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