Dear Fantasy Doctor X.

Fantasy Football's week 4 IDPs Start/Sit

By Sean Haugh.

Another week of Fantasy Football with IDPs is upon us. OK, I think I’m getting the hang of this.  Folks who went with my Start of the Week last week, Trent Cole, are pretty darn happy, even after being robbed of the sack and safety combo by a bad call late in the debacling (thanks Emmitt!) of the Steelers. 

Good on you if you took my advice to pick up Freddie Keiaho, and even better on you if you decided to start him anyway against my advice.

Start of the Week

All Redskins and All Cowboys – Part of the fun of playing Fantasy Football is developing superstitions. The most popular of these is to start all players on Monday night.  Here’s my favorite: when these two teams play, start ‘em if you got ‘em.  Start their third WRs and their fifth DBs. Start ‘em all.

This rivalry played twice a year is the best the NFL has to offer.  Players always get up for this game like no other. This year, both teams are getting their potent offenses in gear and have some defensive weaknesses they are trying to patch. This is a perfect prescription for lots of big plays on both sides of the ball.

Defensive Ends to start

Friends, Chris Long is the real deal.  I’ve raved about him in this column before but I just can’t help myself. Rarely do you see any defensive end step in and perform like he has from day one. His next opponent, the Buffalo Bills, are tied for second in fantasy points allowed to defensive linemen which means this is probably the last time I’ll get to talk about Long in this context. This is the week you plug him permanently into your starting lineup and never look back.

Getting back to this debacling thing, we saw last Sunday the final proof of what has to be the dumbest offseason move since Michael Vick opened a kennel; that being the Steelers not slapping the franchise tag on Alan Faneca. Until they fix this thing, expect Ben Roethlisberger to continue to be thrown around like a rag doll until he breaks. This week, Terrell Suggs gets the honors of trying to put Big Ben on IR.

One byproduct of a Mike Martz offense is plenty of action for opposing DEs. I have not been a fan of the Will Smith and Charles Grant combo in New Orleans due to their inconsistency.  But inconsistency necessarily means high points as well as low ones.  This game will give us reason to keep talking about them.

Linebackers to start

One fellow I was very high on coming into this season who has not disappointed me is Arizona’s Karlos Dansby. The one established starting RB in the NFL with the highest probability to end each play in the grasp of an opposing linebacker and not in the end zone has to be Thomas Jones. Expect Dansby to be a tackle machine on Sunday.

Mike Peterson, on the other hand, is someone who had fantasy owners’ hopes up in the preseason but who has not delivered yet on our expectations. This is the time of year where players need to fish or cut bait to keep their owners happy. This week those who have kept the faith with Peterson shall reel in a fine catch against the Texans.

Jonathan Vilma entered regular season play with more buzz over him than both of these guys combined. Don’t be deterred by his four-point showing last week against the Broncos. This is another fellow that may well become a weekly must start player soon, if he isn’t already.

Defensive Backs to start

The way Mike Adams has been playing, you’ve got to wonder how the Browns will scheme to keep him on the field when Sean Jones is recovered from the injury that gave Adams his big break. The Bengals-Browns game will be another airshow of epic proportions as both teams are on the verge of fixing their big play passing games, or at least desperately trying to do so. Pretty much any starting DB in this contest is worth a look.

Rashean Mathis never really gets much attention, but he’s a pleasantly consistent fantasy option. This week he faces another quarterback trying to get on track in Matt Schaub, which makes Mathis a very nice bye week fill in.

Champ Bailey is another one of those big star names who often leaves their fantasy owners wondering what the heck happened. I’m betting Kansas City will go with their better passer this week, Damon Huard, which means it’s time for Bailey to tease us again with a spectacular performance.

Sit of the week

LB Jon Beason: Speaking of superstitions, I’m working on a new one. My IDP Sit of the Week may be your signal to plug my choice into your lineup.  So let me try a little reverse psychology and pick one of my favorite players on my home team. On paper, Atlanta is ranked second in fewest points allowed to LBs and has the personnel to neutralize Beason. My head says if there’s a week to sit Beason this may be it, but my heart just screams, “Go Panthers!”

Defensive Ends to sit

There’s a reason why Brett Favre is such a creative quarterback. It’s the same reason why he holds the record for consecutive starts at his position. He’s always had a solid offensive line to protect him. The Jets’ line, anchored by – guess who? – Alan Faneca, has given him all the time in the world to ponder where to throw. Darnell Dockett will be the spectator with the best seat in the house for this week’s Jets game.

Two other offensive lines that are turning their quarterbacks into fantasy gold belong to San Diego and Denver. Neither Oakland’s Derrick Burgess nor Kansas City’s Tamba Hali are good enough to make a difference against these units.

Linebackers to sit

Probably the most putrid unit in the league today has to be Kansas City’s linebackers.  Unless it’s Houston’s DBs, but at least they have the excuse of missing Dunta Robinson.  If you drafted or kept Donnie Edwards, I feel very sorry for you.

Given the passing contest, I am predicting for the Browns and Bengals, that will probably leave each teams’ linebackers with less to do. Both Dhani Jones and D’Qwell Jackson have been great waiver wire picks in the last two weeks. You’ll want to hang on to them even if they underperform this week.

Defensive Backs to sit

I have been drinking the Kerry Rhodes kool-aid way too long. The theory was that this emerging roving playmaker role that Rhodes fills for the Jets would allow him to, you know, make plays. Apparently these are not the kind of plays which result in fantasy points.  I’ve had enough; Rhodes will be on my league’s waiver wire by midnight Wednesday. This also goes for another player I love to watch yet knew better than to draft, Buffalo’s Donte Whitner.

I was wrong about another thing in my preseason column. Antonio Cromartie is still finding miraculous ways to place himself between flying footballs and waiting receivers.  But here’s the thing. JaMarcus Russell can’t throw worth a darn. Even the hardiest creatures can’t thrive without being fed.

The go-with-my-gut spiteful pick of the week shall be awarded to New Orleans’ Kevin Kaesviharn, mostly because I don’t want to be forced to learn how to spell his name.  He’s been on fire so far this year but I believe the 49ers have what it takes to contain him.

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Week IDPs Start/Sit help!