Comments on the Counselor

The Counselor is IN:

As the Fantasy Sports Counselor, I attempt to give the best possible fantasy advice. But I am not always right. Sometimes my advice backfires. I research and invest a lot of my time for the articles that are posted.

I do enjoy hearing other opinions. I encourage readers to comment and let me know what you are thinking. T.D. had the following comments on my latest "Line 'em up/ Bench their butts".

I have to respectfully disagree with some of your sits, owing to the "ride your studs" theory. Matchups are relevant, don't get me wrong. But tell that to the poor slobs (me being one of them) who benched Michael Turner last week because of his allegedly "tough matchup" against the Panthers' D. At this point, looking at the Panthers' recent woes against ATL and DET (although they did win that game thanks to a late bad decision courtesy of Daunte Culpepper ... they were underwhelming IMHO) in the past few weeks, I would say their defense is toeing the line of getting the "overrated" label. In any event, I think they are no longer deserving of the "really good" label as you describe them here.

So, if it were me, I would not be concerned about Driver due to the matchup. Clearly Jennings is the #1 option, so I think you could expect what you'd ordinarily get from Driver: a few receptions, maybe 70 yards, and possibly a TD although likely not. I don't think that would be any different no matter who GB is facing for an opponent.

To me, Forte has earned the 'must-start' or 'unbench-able' label regardless of the matchup. You have alluded to this, so we're on the same wavelength, I just wouldn't bench him.

And Calvin Johnson ... I would play him. Lav Coles looked pretty good against the Titans' stout D, and to me he doesn't have nearly the freakish skills that Megatron has. That said, admittedly CJ also doesn't have the great one Brett Favre throwing him the football. Still, on Turkey Day I think he will be looking to make an impact in front of a national TV audience (rare for the Lions!). And if the Titans take an early lead as we might expect, Detroit will be forced to throw even more and Calvin might be good for some "garbage time" stats even if he struggles early.

Here is my response:

T.D.,

There are a lot of people that will tell you to never sit your studs. There is a level of truth to dancing with the girl that you brought. I could simply say that every week but then my "Line 'em up/ Bench their butts" post would be pointless on the bench their butts section. To bench one of your studs because of matchups, you have to have good options behind them. You can not bench Calvin Johnson for Patrick Crayton. Now if you have an underrated Kevin Walter on your bench, then you could consider benching Megatron.

Donald Driver is usually a WR3 or a flex player. I do think the Panthers Defense has struggled lately but so has Rogers. I look for them to get it back on track against a sporadic Packers offense. I think Jennings will get his catches against the Panthers but I think Driver will struggle more than usual. Again, I would not bench him for Furrey but I would for a good backup option.

Forte has become a stud runningback. I would not hesitate to start him unless you have another good RB on your bench. I think Forte will not produce his usual fantasy numbers because the Vikings are going to line 8 or 9 men in the box and make the Bears beat them through the air.

I went back and forth on the recommendation to bench C.J. He has been playing at a WR1 level. I think he will still play some what well but not up to his usual level. He is currently their only weapon and I see a lot of game planning against him. I would start Ginn or Walter instead of him this week but I would keep him in the lineup instead of several other options.

Again thanks for your thoughts and comments. I enjoyed the comments and the interaction.

The Counselor is OUT: