If you own a fantasy football team, then you know just as well as anyone else that juggling your roster takes plenty of time and help with it is never a bad thing. Many of us here at Revenge of the Birds often look for advice as to which players to sit and which ones to start, so let's go over a few of the Cardinals and some of the Seahawks that could have some fantasy implications in this week's matchup.
Not only will I be giving you offensive weapons that could make an impact, but I will also be looking at some of the defensive players for those of you in IDP leagues.
The Cardinals Defense:
Not only have the Seattle Seahawks struggled to put points up on the board all year long, but they also make plenty of mistakes. Last week against the Steelers, the Seahawks gave up a total of five sacks to the outstanding Pittsburgh defense. I don't want to compare the Cardinals defense to that of the Steelers, but I would still expect the Cardinals to come up with some sacks and possibly continue the trend of creating turnovers as well.
Larry Fitzgerald:
Normally, I would say that you should always start Larry Fitzgerald, no matter what team Arizona is facing. This time, I think it is imperative that you start him. Brandon Browner, a 6'4" cornerback for the Seahawks started last week while matched up against the speedy Mike Wallace. Wallace ended his day with 8 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. Needless to say, I expect Fitz to have a similarly big day if Browner is covering him.
Kevin Kolb:
This may be the first time I have suggested starting Kolb this season, but the secondary for Seattle is porous and with Arizona passing the ball as much as they do, I expect Kolb to put up some numbers. Ben Roethlisberger was able to light up the Seattle defense for a 300 yard, one touchdown game on 30 passing attempts. Kolb had 250 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins. I think he improves upon that number even more this week.
Kerry Rhodes:
Spidey Rhodes has already recorded two sacks this season under Ray Horton's new blitz heavy defense. If you think that Horton is going to all of a sudden stop blitzing his corners and safeties, you are sadly mistaken. Rhodes is also known for picking off the opposing quarterback and I think he's due for his first interception of the season this week against Tarvaris Jackson.
Zach Miller:
The Arizona Cardinals still haven't shown that they can cover tight ends after giving up 86 yards and a TD to Fred Davis last week. Zach Miller is a much more experienced and talented tight end than Davis, so look for him to have a big game.
Brandon Browner:
Wait, didn't I just say that Larry Fitzgerald should be started because of Brandon Browner? Yes, but when playing fantasy football, corners giving up big plays does not matter. Browner will be targeted repeatedly on Sunday, which means he will inevitably come down with plenty of tackles. He had six solo and one assisted tackle against Pittsburgh.
Sidney Rice:
It sounds like Sidney Rice will make his Seahawks debut on Sunday, giving the Arizona secondary another talented wideout to worry about. Rice went to the Pro Bowl in 2009 and is coming off an injury riddled 2010 season. With his new team and against a division rival, Rice will be looking to make a statement. Expect him to see a lot of looks.
Do Not Start:
Here is a new section I am adding just for this week and just for one player: Marshawn Lynch. If Arizona plans on containing the run like they did against the Panthers and making an inexperienced quarterback beat them, then Lynch just needs to sit down. Last week, Lynch carried the ball six times for eleven yards... Ouch.
Now, I know what you're thinking, "but Tyler, no one can run for a lot of yards on the Steelers." I agree completely, but Lynch also ran the ball 13 times for 33 yards against the San Francisco 49ers. The team isn't scoring points either, so don't expect him to get any goal line touchdowns for you. Just do yourself a favor and let him ride the bench.
Any other suggestions, fans? Let me know how your team does this week!