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One more chance to head over to FanDuel and play in a one week fantasy league avails as this writer prepares her final fantasy post of the season. Check out who she is choosing from this week.
Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is running a $1.2M fantasy football league on Sunday. First place wins $100,000. Join now!
Quarterbacks
Start
Matthew Stafford - Stafford played a significant role in doing damage to the Bears standing as one of the worst pass defenses in the National Football League this season. Back when the year was still young he lit Da Bears up for well over 30 points during the first meeting among divisional foes. Chicago's defense has not gotten much better since that outing and Stafford has been one of the hotter hands over the closing quarter of the season. Look for Matthew to finish with one of his best outings of the season. He is my "Must Start" of the week.
Eli Manning - Yeah, I tend to stay away from the face in fantasy football, he is usually over valued because of his pedigree and you never know which Eli will show up. I cannot predict that for you, but I am pretty sure of which Eagles pass defense will show up. That will be the group that yields up 20 point per outings on a routine basis. Adding to my confidence in Manning is the fact that OBJ will be back after a one game hiatus, and he will be looking to atone for his sins of two weeks ago.
Sit
Carson Palmer - The Cardinals play a late match up as usual, and by the time they take the field their seed in the playoffs should be set. Let's assume for a moment that Carolina handles business like they should against Tampa Bay for a moment. That means the red birds of the desert are locked in at #2 and Carson does not see the field Should the Bucs shock the football world Palmer will play and all bets are off. I would not be holding my breath.
Kirk Cousins - Cousins is in a similar situation to where I suspect Palmer will find himself. The Commanders are not able to do anything to change their play-off situation so there is little reason to risk an injury to the starting passer. He may be on a roll over the last few weeks, but that is a trend that Jay Gruden cannot allow to continue. At best Cousins may get a quarter of work on Sunday.
Running Backs
Start
DeAngelo Williams - Williams has shown me something this season; he can still be a productive fantasy football RB. Williams might not be the one I would want to be my guy, but any given week he is capable of being the guy if the match up is right. For DeAngelo this is one of those weeks. Cleveland averages 20 points per game to the position and Williams and his mates will also have the added incentive that they are trying to fight their way into the post-season. Look for big things out of the Steelers back this week.
Rashad Jennings - Another Giant makes my list of starters this week due to match ups. The run defense in the City of Brotherly Love has been decimated in recent weeks. The Eagles have been pounded on the ground for the entire month of December, and January will not be any better. Jennings makes a safe bet as a RB2 this week.
James White - The Patriots back has been pretty good at smelling out paydirt in recent weeks.Over the second half of the season he is averaging nearly a score per game and that is why you may consider him over Jennings for that RB2 slot, especially since he faces a generous Miami run defense. Flip a coin; you're a winner either way.
Sit
Todd Gurley - Gurley has been on my radar since he was a freshman back at UGA. His performance against the Seahawks last week took me back to those days. This week he would be my "Must Start" against the second worst run defense in the league except for one thing. Our sister site Turf Show Times is speculating that Gurley is going to play the spectator position this weekend for the Rams.
Latavius Murray - Last week he was a solid start prospect and Murray delivered. Why then do I list him as a sit in the final weekend? Match-ups my friend, match-ups. Andy Reid has a stout run defense in Kansas City, and that is the red clad beast that Murray will run headlong into this weekend, The Chiefs allow around 15 points per contest to opposing offenses, and the Raiders don't have the horses to overcome that disadvantage.
Wide Receiver
Start
A. J. Green - You have to like Green's chances this weekend against a atrocious Ravens pass defense. In round one of this divisional match-up Green went for over 200 yards and two scores. These numbers are similar to what Stafford did against the Bears earlier this year and so it was a toss up between the two and Todd Gurley for who would be my pick of the week. With two of the three actually playing why not start both and run up some serious points?
Calvin Johnson - This has not been the year of Megatron, but like I told you the last time the Lions and Bears met, Chicago should change the initials on the slaves of their jerseys to CJJr. because Johnson owns the team. He averages over a touchdown per game against the division rivals. Look a solid ending to a disappointing season from the Lions WR1.
Jordan Matthews - I would like this cat if he was wearing a different jersey. Matthews has been the one solid piece the Eagles could hang their hat on during the closing weeks of the season. He faces a New York pass defense that is among the league's worse and if someone can get Matthews the ball this weekend he could do some damage Tom Coughlin's job security
Sit
Sammy Watkins - Just a couple weeks ago Sammy turned in an outstanding performance for me and helped add a little holiday cash to my pocket. Now he gets a chance to play on Revis Island. The Jets shutdown corner may still be feeling some impact from his time off the gridiron, but he is still the number one corner in the league. Revis ate Watkins lunch in their first meeting and now he is ready for dessert.
Mike Evans - The past couple of games have proven that Josh Norman is not quite ready to follow in the footsteps of his counterpart in New York, but he is still one of the league's best. Evans is a solid WR1 in this league, but he is no Odell Beckham, Jr. He will not expose Norman the way ODJ did.
Tight End
Start
Gary Barnidge - This season Barnidge has become Mr. Reliable at a position that has proven to be anything but reliable. The match-up against Pittsburgh is a good one for him if the week 10 meeting between these two rivals is a barometer. In that contest he was good for double digit points and scored a touchdown.
Zach Ertz - Not quite as high on the Eagles list of players having a solid season as Jordan, Matthews, Ertz is turning in a good effort as well. In fact the pair will be a point of concern going forward. Against the Giants, I look for another solid outing from the Philly TE.
Sit
Austin Seferian-Jenkins - This guy does not get much, if any ink from me, but in my opinion he has the worst match-up of any tight end in the league this weekend. A stingy Carolina defense will be looking to secure the top overall seed in the NFC with a victory, and one of their strong points is how well they limit opposing tight ends. That does not bode well for the Bucs offense.
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