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Hi Folks, Here�s our look at the Rushing
Matchups for this week. PLEASE NOTE: This does NOT replace
the Cheatsheet ranking. The Cheatsheet rankings are the final say on where we
see a player for that week. The Matchup Breakdowns are simply one more tool in
the box when it comes to helping choose your lineup. Also note, just because a player
has a "bad" matchup, it does NOT mean he's not a starter in your
league. If Priest Holmes is playing the toughest rush defense in the league,
that just means he's got a tough matchup that week. He's also your starter. Let's jump to it. San Francisco�s Garrison Hearst / Kevan Barlow vs Arizona Defense�� (Great Matchup) It should be easy sailing
for the 49ers this week as they face one of the worst rush (and pass) defenses
in the league with Arizona.�� The
Cardinals rank # 24 in rushing yards allowed over the last four weeks.�� They rank # 27 in Fantasy Points Allowed to
RB�s over that time frame. Hearst should continue to
see most of the carries while Barlow is eased back into action following his
recent knee surgery.�� As it has been for
most of the year, the 49er RB situation is a tough one without a clear cut #1
guy to handle all the carries.�� But
with Barlow�s injury coupled with the weak Arizona line, Hearst is looking
pretty solid here. Carolina�s Dee Brown vs
Chicago Defense� (Great Matchup) Don�t be surprised if Dee
Brown wins a few Super Bowls this weekend for guys who�ve plugged him in for
injured RBs like Priest Holmes.��
Brown�s been limited in yardage but he�s been effective in getting into
the endzone lately. More importantly, the Bears
have been awful on rush defense over the last four weeks ranking # 27 in
rushing yards allowed.� They rank # 25
in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs over that same span.�� He�s a risk with not much track record but you could do a lot
worse than Dee Brown this weekend. Atlanta�s Warrick Dunn
vs. Detroit Defense�� (Great Matchup) Warrick Dunn got the call
last week over T.J. Duckett and again, he was effective.�� Duckett�s been just too inconsistent while
Dunn�s been surprisingly tough between the tackles for a back his size.�� The Lions are below average
defending the run as they rank # 15 over the last four weeks in rushing yards
allowed but when it comes to points, they rank # 30 in Fantasy Points Allowed
to RBs.��� And points are what we count. New Orleans� Deuce
McAllister vs Cincinnati Defense� (Great
Matchup) The Bengals have one of the
worst rush defenses in the league ranking # 32 over the last four weeks.�� They�re a little stingier in the points
department where they rank # 15 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs over the last
four weeks.�� And the great news for
McAllister owners is that he�s well ahead of where he�s been the last few weeks
with the ankle.� He�s finally running
without the protective brace and looks to be primed for a solid game against a
soft defense. Green Bay�s Ahman Green vs Buffalo Defense� (Great Matchup) Keep an eye on this one to
make sure Green�s knee will allow him to go here but if he�s ready to roll,
this could be a great matchup.�� The
Bills are terrible against the run ranking # 30 in rushing yards over the last
four weeks.��� Over that same span, they
rank # 29 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. If Green�s ready, he has a
great matchup as everyone has rolled up the yards and points on the ground
against the Bills. San Diego�s LaDainian Tomlinson vs
Kansas City Defense (Great Matchup)
This
doesn�t need to be complicated here.��
LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the best backs in the league.�� Kansas City has one of the weaker defenses.�� Clinton Portis destroyed them last week and
things are looking as good as they can look for Tomlinson to roll over them as
well. Over
the last four weeks, they rank # 28 in Fantasy Points allowed to the opposing
RB.
Matchups don�t get a lot more attractive than this. St.
Louis� Marshall Faulk vs. Seattle Defense��
(Great Matchup) Clearly,
this isn�t the Marshall Faulk we�ve come to know.�� But the reality is that even �Marshall Lite� is a pretty good
RB.�� Faulk has been splitting time with
Lamar Gordon but this week it�ll reportedly be Trung Canidate that works with
Faulk.�� The �other� back doesn�t get us
too excited in that scenario but Faulk against the porous Seattle rush defense
is a great play. Seattle
ranks # 32 in rushing yards allowed over the last four weeks.�� In that same span, they rank # 32 as well in Fantasy Points
allowed to the opposing RB.�� It doesn�t
get much better than that for Faulk. Again, you have to accept he won�t carry the full load but
even a reduced Faulk against this defense is pretty attractive.�� It�s definitely a gamble though as
predicting Mike Martz is no easy task.��
Baltimore�s
Jamal Lewis vs Cleveland Defense� (Great
Matchup) Cleveland�s been awful against the run lately ranking # 28
over the last four weeks in rushing yards allowed.�� Over the same span, they rank # 21 in Fantasy Points allowed to
the opposing RB.�� Jamal Lewis continues to look great returning from knee
surgery last season and should be in for a stellar day.�� His powerful style should be very effective
against a beaten down Cleveland defense.�
Seattle�s
Shaun Alexander vs St. Louis Defense�
(Good Matchup) The
Rams have been pretty solid against the run over the last four weeks ranking #
12 in rushing yards allowed.�� But
they�re # 23 in Fantasy Points allowed to the opposing RB.�� More importantly, they look like a team
that�s just waiting for the season to end. Couple that with the fact that Shaun Alexander is finally
looking like the back we all thought he�d be this year and this looks like a
very attractive matchup.�� Kansas
City�s Mike Cloud vs San Diego Defense�
(Good Matchup) With
Priest Holmes and Tony Richardson out, Mike Cloud is suddenly thrust into the
starting role.�� And considering this
offense, he�s got a real shot to do very well.�� Yes, it�s a huge gamble going an unproven player like Cloud in
week 16, but don�t underestimate the Chief�s system and their Offensive Line. San
Diego ranks # 13 in rushing yards allowed over the last four weeks.� Over that same span, they rank # 20 in Fantasy Points
allowed to the opposing RB.�� If you�re a
gambler and you believe that at least some of Priest Holmes� success is due to
the system and surrounding talent, give Cloud a shot this week. Indianapolis� James Mungro / Edgerrin James vs New York Giant Defense�� (Good Matchup) The disappointment continues
for Edgerrin James.�� He was spelled
last week by Mungro and it looks like that might be a regular occurrence.��� The Giants play weak rush
defense ranking # 20 over the last four weeks.�
In that same time span, the Giants rank # 10 in Fantasy Points allowed to the
opposing RB.��� If the Colts
find their passing game struggling against a tough crowd, they could very well
lean on the rushing game.� Just deciding
which back will see more time is the question.�� Buffalo�s Travis Henry vs Green Bay Defense�� (Good Matchup) While Green Bay�s been tough
against the pass, their rush defense over the last 4 weeks has been awful
ranking # 26.�� They�ve been tougher on
the points allowed as they rank # 11 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs. Travis Henry continues to be
plagued by fumbling but as we�ve been telling you, Coach Gregg Williams is
content to look the other way as long as Henry continues to churn out the
yards.�� With the passing game sputtering
a bit, look for the Bills to keep riding Henry. New
England�s Antowain Smith vs Jets Defense��
(Good Matchup) The Jets have done a poor job of defending the rush
lately.� Over the last four weeks, they
rank # 22 in rushing yards allowed.�� In
that same span, they rank # 31 in Fantasy Points allowed to the opposing RB. The
question is how fired up can you get over Antowain Smith?�� Our answer is �not very�.�� He�s just failed to take advantage of the
opportunities when presented and we don�t have a lot of reason to expect
that�ll change this week.�� He�ll get
his carries likely, but I just don�t see a lot of production there. New York
Jets� Curtis Martin vs New England Defense�
(Good Matchup) The Patriots have been soft against the run ranking # 29 in
rushing yards allowed over the last four weeks.�� They�re a little tougher in the points department where they
rank # 17 in Fantasy Points allowed to the opposing RB.�� Curtis Martin looks to be healthy and the Jets will likely
feed him often.�� The question for Martin
owners will be if the Jets defense can hold down the Patriots offense enough to
keep their running game involved in the game plan.� Miami�s Ricky Williams vs Minnesota Defense�� (Good Matchup) Do you really need me to
tell you start Ricky Williams?�� Just
because he finally failed to rush for 200+ yards, doesn�t mean he�s
fading.�� Look for the Dolphins to get
back to rushing Williams as their primary threat against the suspect Viking DL. Over the last four weeks,
they rank pretty strong in rushing yards allowed at # 10.�� But they�re giving up Fantasy Points as
they rank # 21 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs.�� The Dolphins will be without
Guard Jamie Nails so that�s a negative but it shouldn�t be enough to keep
Williams from being very effective. Philadelphia�s Duce
Staley vs Dallas Defense� (Good Matchup) You have to give serious
consideration to Duce Staley and his hot hand.�� He�s been rolling lately as the Eagles rally together without
Donovan McNabb.�� Dallas hasn�t been anything
special lately against the rush ranking # 14 over the last four weeks.�� In that same period, they rank 16 in
Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs.�� If you�ve been riding the
hot Staley, I don�t see a lot of reasons to get off now. Houston�s Jonathon Wells
vs Washington Defense (Good Matchup) The Houston running game has
struggled all season but rookie Jonathon Wells is fighting to earn the #1 job
for 2003 as the season winds down and the Texans are evaluating how they should
handle their offseason moves.�� He still
has trouble holding onto the ball but he�ll have some chances against a nicked
up Washington defense. Over the last four weeks,
the Redskins rank # 17 in rushing yards.��
For that same period, they rank # 20 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs so
clearly, they�re nothing special. Tennessee�s Eddie George
vs Jacksonville Defense� (Good Matchup) George has been pretty
productive but as we�ve been saying for a few weeks now in our game recaps, the
way Tennessee is using Robert Holcombe is worrisome.�� Jacksonville�s a team that�s
weak against the run though so George should have good success.� Over the last four weeks, they rank # 25 in
rushing yards.�� During that same span,
they�re tougher in giving up points where they rank # 8 in Fantasy Points
Allowed to RBs.�� Don�t be surprised to
see Holcombe vulture a good number of carries from George here. �� Arizona�s Marcel Shipp vs
San Francisco Defense� (Neutral Matchup) Will the real Marcel Shipp
stand up?�� Everyone seemed to want to
talk about his lack of speed and how he�d struggle.�� But he was extremely effective last week.�� He�ll face a somewhat tougher defense this
week with San Francisco.�� The 49ers
rank # 11 against the rush over the last four weeks.�� They rank # 19 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs.�� That�s solid but not scary at all. The 49�ers have their share
of nicks with LB Saleem Rasheed (thigh); LB Jamie Winborn (knee) listed as
Out.�� LB Quincy Stewart (neck)� is Questionable and S Ronnie Heard (ankle)
and CB Ahmed Plummer (groin) show up as probable.�� If you�re in a bind, you could probably do worse than to roll
the dice with Shipp if he�s a guy you�re considering.�� Just understand there�s always that chance that San Francisco is
able to grab some momentum for the playoffs, and steam roll the Cardinals
taking the Arizona running game out of the picture. Washington�s Ladell Betts
/ Kenny Watson vs Houston Defense��
(Neutral Matchup) Early word is that Ladell
Betts will see the majority of snaps at RB with Stephen Davis out.�� But I�m a little worried you may see an all
out air attack as Coach Steve Spurrier tries to evaluate what he has in the
passing game.�� Houston�s been pretty
average in rushing defense lately ranking # 19 over the last four weeks.�� During that same span, they rank # 12 in
Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs.�� Betts
should get his opportunities, let�s see what he does with them. Detroit�s James Stewart and Crew vs Atlanta Defense� (Neutral Matchup) Detroit had 3 different RBs
run the ball pretty effectively last week replacing James Stewart but when 3
players share time, you know that none of them will likely gather enough
carries to make a difference.�� Keep an
eye out for Stewart who�s still listed as Questionable with a knee and his
neck. The Falcons can definitely
be rushed on as they rank # 23 over the last four weeks in rushing yards.�� They�re stingier with the points though as
they rank # 9 in Fantasy Points Allowed to RBs.�� Bottom line is that if Stewart can go, he deserves a look but
don�t waste your time on any of the others. Cincinnati�s Corey Dillon
vs New Orleans Defense�� (Neutral
Matchup) This is a touchy situation
for Corey Dillon.�� The Saints rank # 18
over the last four weeks in rushing yards allowed.�� Over that same time span, they�re # 16 in Fantasy Points Allowed
to RBs.�� So they�re nothing
special.�� But Dillon seems to have lost
his fire.�� He�s gone from screaming at
the coaches to looking like he doesn�t really care that much anymore.�� While it�s not hard to see why, it doesn�t
make his owners feel any better this week.��
He�s still a solid play but
just be careful here that you don�t get too excited. New York Giant�s Tiki Barber / Ron
Dayne vs Indianapolis Defense�� (Neutral
Matchup)
The
Colt defense is much stronger against the pass than they are defending the
run.�� They rank # 21 in rushing yards
allowed over the last four weeks.�� They
rank # 22 in Fantasy Points allowed to the opposing RB over the last four
weeks.�� Ron
Dayne saw 19 caries last week and was effective.�� But we still think he�s terrible and don�t look for Coach Jim
Fassel to stick with Dayne long.�� Tiki
Barber is the RB on this team that will make a difference and the Giants will
be focused on getting the ball back into his hands. Cleveland�s
William Green vs Baltimore Defense�
(Neutral Matchup) Green
is looking to finish his rookie campaign strongly.�� He�ll find a pretty solid Baltimore defense that�s ranked # 9
over the last four weeks in rushing yards allowed.�� In that same span, they�re ranked # 13 in Fantasy Points
allowed to the opposing RB.�� Like most
backs, Green seems to be more effective if he can get into a rhythm running the
ball and Coach Butch Davis will likely give him that opportunity.�� The Ravens offense isn�t a high powered
system and it doesn�t seem likely they�d jump out to a big lead and force
Cleveland to the air. Denver�s
Clinton Portis vs Oakland Defense�
(Neutral Matchup) The Raiders have been solid against the run ranking # 5
over the last four weeks in rushing yards allowed.�� For that same span, they rank # 14 in Fantasy Points allowed to
the opposing RB.�� But can you bench a
guy like Portis coming off his week 15 performance? No you can�t. Oakland�s
Charlie Garner vs Denver Defense (Tough Matchup) The Broncos have been very tough against the run lately
ranking # 2 over the last four weeks in rushing yards allowed.�� Although they�ve been a lot softer when it
comes to Fantasy Points where they rank 26 in Fantasy Points allowed to the opposing
RB. Still, we�re not excited about Garner this week as we don�t
like the way he�s being used coupled with the fact his receiving could be
negated by the speed of the Denver defense.��
They�ve done a good job with quicker backs and that�s certainly Garner�s
forte.� Chicago�s Leon Johnson vs
Carolina Defense (Tough Matchup) It�s hard to get very
excited about Leon Johnson, especially in this offense.�� And especially playing against a resurging
Carolina rush defense. Over the last four weeks,
Carolina ranks # 8 in rushing yards allowed.��
Over that same span, they rank # 5 in Fantasy Points Allowed to
RBs.�� To make things even worse for
Johnson, the Bears plugged RB Adrian Peterson into the game last week and will
likely do so again.�� Jacksonville�s Fred
Taylor vs Tennessee Defense� (Bad
Matchup) Coach Jeff Fisher has his
Titans peaking at just the right time it appears.�� Having their marquee DE Jevon Kearse back on the field gave this
already strong defense a boost last week.��
Over the last four weeks, they rank # 4 in rushing yards allowed.� They also rank # 4 in Fantasy Points Allowed
to RBs over the last four weeks.��� Fred Taylor is always a
threat so it�s tough to bench him but if you have other options, I�d definitely
give them a long hard look this week against this tough Defense � Pittsburgh�s
Jerome Bettis vs Tampa Bay Defense� (Bad
Matchup) This looks like a tough game for Bettis.� Not only is he nicked with a knee injury,
he�s facing the best defense in the league.��
They rank # 7 in rushing yards allowed over the last four weeks and over
that same span, they rank # 1 in Fantasy Points allowed to the opposing RB, # 1 in fantasy points
allowed to QBs and # 1 in fantasy points allowed to WRs.�� That�s pretty stout. There�s
always that chance he gets a cheap TD but I just don�t see Bettis as productive
against this defense. Tampa
Bay�s Michael Pittman / Mike Alstott vs Pittsburgh Defense� (Bad Matchup) The
Buccaneers aren�t the only tough defense in this game.�� Over the last four weeks, Pittsburgh ranks
as the # 1 defense in rushing yards allowed.�
Over that same span, they rank # 7 in Fantasy Points
allowed to the opposing RB. In
addition, Pittman�s been totally inconsistent and you never know what kind of
role Alstott will play.�� Plus they�re
splitting carries.�� I�d look elsewhere
for RBs on this one. Minnesota�s Michael Bennett vs Miami Defense�� (Bad Matchup) Over the last 4 weeks,
Miami�s been even tougher on the run then they have on the pass.� And that�s saying something.�� They rank # 3 in rushing yards allowed over
that time frame. This doesn�t bode well for
Bennett who continues to be up and down.��
Over the last 4 weeks, Miami ranks # 6 in Fantasy Points Allowed to
RBs.�� Although you have to always figure
that Bennett has a shot with his breakaway speed. �One crease is all he needs to be gone and he�s liable to get a few
of those against this Dolphin defense.�
Although you have to say that on paper, this one isn�t attractive at
all. � Dallas� Emmitt Smith /
Troy Hambrick vs Philadelphia Defense�
(Bad Matchup) One angle that might bear
watching here is the fact that this could well be Emmitt Smith�s last game in
Texas Stadium as a Cowboy.�� As we saw
on Thanksgiving, Smith�s a guy that seems to have a knack for the dramatic so
it wouldn�t be surprising to see him look good here. Although winning the game as
Coach Dave Campo fights for his job is honestly the top priority so you�ll
likely see a continued shared backfield.��
The Cowboys must start looking to 2003 and evaluating what they have in
their young players. To make things worse, the
Eagles are tough defending the rush.�
Over the last four weeks, they rank # 6.�� For the same period, they rank # 2 in Fantasy Points Allowed to
RBs. Unless you�re just banking
on a stellar Emmitt Smith Farewell Game, I�d avoid both these guys. |