Line 'em up/ Bench their butts

The Counselor is IN:

This column's intent is to give the readers an idea of few good players in favorable match ups and a few good players in bad match ups. If you have a great player, then it may not advisable to bench him for someone in the Line 'em Up section. If I suggest that you bench one of your studs, you can only do this if you have a good option behind him. If you don't have a good player behind him, don't bench 'em. Remember every league is different and I am advising from a standard league.

Off Week 7 Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, Seattle, Tennessee

Line ‘em Up

(Put in your studs from Patriots, Colts, Packers)

QB “Big” Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh. The Steelers have become a passing first team. Big Ben is a consistent fantasy starter. This week they will play against the 9^th best rush defense but the 24^th passing defense. If the Steelers are going to win this game it will have to be on the arm of Big Ben.

QB Philip Rivers of San Diego. Rivers is leading the 5^th best passing offense against the Chiefs 27^th pass defense. Rivers is always a good start and this week he is a fantastic start.

RB Thomas Jones of the New York Jets. I continue to assume that Jones is done and he continues to prove me wrong. Jones leads the 2^nd ranked rushing offense and this week he is going against the Oakland’s 28^th rushing defense. I look for Jones to have a big day.

RB Frank Gore of San Francisco. Frank is back and will be starting this week. He is going against the Texans’ 24^th ranked rush defense.

WR Austin Collie of the Indianapolis. Collie has stepped into the Colts lineup with consistency since Gonzalez went down. Oh yes, they are playing against the Rams.

WR Steve Smith of New York Giants. I look for this game to be a shoot out in New York. The Cardinals can not stop the pass and are 31^st against it. I look for a big day for Smith.

Bench their Butts

QB Donovan McNabb of Philly. McNabb is playing against a tough Redskins’ defense. He will be hard pressed to have a good game. I know the Redskins are in chaos and their head coach is not really a head coach but don’t let that fool you into thinking McNabb will have a good game.

QB Kurt Warner of Arizona. Yes I know that most fantasy owners can not afford to bench Warner. If you have a decent backup, you may want to bench him against the top ranked pass defense.

RB Rashard Mendenhall of Pittsburgh. As I stated in the Big Ben post, the Steelers are going against a tough rush defense. Mendenhall is now the starting back for Pittsburgh and will be worth starting most weeks but not this one.

RB Cedric Benson of Cincinnati. Benson will be facing his old team and look for revenge. It is too bad for him that the Bears Defense is 6^th against the rush.

WR Anquan Boldin of Arizona. Boldin’s lingering injuries have slowed down his production this year. He only has one touchdown this season. I look for Boldin to break out later this season but not against the Giants.

WR Steve Smith of Carolina. Smith was a fantasy stud in previous year but this year his has sunk to a bench player. Even though Carolina is playing against Buffalo this week, do not buy into a break out week.

The Counselor is OUT: