It's week four of the NFL season. That means that some fantasy owners are getting nervous about their teams as they scroll through countless mocking emails from their league mates. Other owners are sitting pretty, pleased with their squad's production so far as they pass down judgment on their lesser fantasy counterparts. The connection between these two types of owners is that they both still have to figure out a starting lineup this week.
Here are a few players worth starting and some to avoid:
Worth It:
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben has quietly put together a decent start to the season, averaging 260 yards and one touchdown per game through the air. With bye weeks kicking in this week, roster replacements will be few and far between. The Steelers are playing a Tampa Bay team that just got embarrassed on national TV by the Falcons last week. The Bucs, who are currently 23rd in opposing passing yards and may be missing Gerald McCoy again, are a nice matchup for Roethlisberger as a one week fill-in.
RB: Lamar Miller
Miller is the head honcho in Miami's backfield with Knowshon Moreno still out with an injury. Despite the offensive woes and quarterback speculation going on in Miami, Miller is a good bet to put up some solid numbers against the Oakland Raiders second-ranked run defense on Sunday. Miller is averaging 12 carries and five targets a game this season. Oakland has given up a touchdown to a running back in each game so far. You do the math. Numbers never lie.
WR: Victor Cruz
The New York Giants offense is starting to show signs of life (30 points against a tough Texans defense last week), and that means good things are coming for No. 1 target Victor Cruz. While the Giants are facing a Washington Redskins defense that has been much better than expected, the Skins are still prone to giving up the big play (two touchdown passes of 60 or more yards). Washington also just lost top corner DeAngelo Hall to a torn Achilles for the season. Cruz will be (incoming: lame pun) "cruzing" to victory this week.
TE: Martellus Bennett
In each game this season, he has caught at least one touchdown and at least five passes, as the Bears are one of the most pass-happy teams in the league. Bennett is hotter than Hansel right now.
Avoid:
QB: Cam Newton
Chances are if you have him, you're starting him. ButI wrote about Newton's declining fantasy value last week. With all of the injuries Newton is nursing, the Panthers aren't running him as much. That's not good fantasy news for a guy with 28 total rushing touchdowns in his career. He's got all of the talent in the world, but less rushing opportunities is kryptonite to football's self-proclaimed Superman. I don't expect a monster game from Newton until he's closer to 100%.
RB: Detroit Lions Backfield
Both Reggie Bush and Joique Bell have had solid starts to the season. But this week poses their toughest challenge yet: the New York Jets run defense. The Jets have not allowed a single touchdown on the ground or a 100-yard rusher this season. New York's defense is to opposing running backs what overprotective fathers are to their daughters' dating lives.
WR: Vincent Jackson
In the movie "The Dark Knight," the Joker proudly states, "I'm an agent of chaos." Boy, would he sure like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year. The 0-3 Bucs are about as chaotic as it gets. Josh McCown is doubtful with an injury, and wasn't very effective when he was healthy. Backup Mike Glennon isn't exactly a knight in shining armor that's here to save the day, despite putting up decent numbers as a rookie. Tampa Bay is dead last in passing yards, and Vincent Jackson has yet to surpass four catches or 51 yards in a game. I'm staying far away from V-Jax until he can string together a couple of decent performances.
TE: Jason Witten
The Dallas Cowboys are shifting to a ground-based offensive attack. I guess eight years of soul-crushing interceptions from Tony Romo finally got through to the Dallas brass. As a result, Witten has gotten off to one of the worst starts in his career - only 95 yards through three games and zero touchdowns. Plus, he's playing against a New Orleans Saints team that has been pretty stout versus opposing tight ends this year. I'd look elsewhere for tight end help if I were you.
