Must Starts:
1. Marques Colston vs. Detroit Lions. Brees still has an outside chance to catch Dan Marino’s 1984 record. Now it’s not likely, as he has to throw for nearly 800 yards the rest of the way, but what better opponent to get this started than the winless Lions?
He should easily be able to torch Detroit for 300 yards minimum, and look for Colston to be on the receiving end of a lot of those passes.
2. Randy Moss vs. Arizona Cardinals. As mentioned in the QB section, as long as the weather holds up, Moss is a top start.
The Cardinals don’t have a particularly strong defense and Cassel and his teammates have really turned it on of late vs. lesser opponents. In what should be a high scoring affair, look for Moss to have a big fantasy day.
3. Andre Johnson vs. Oakland Raiders. If only he played in a big market, people would know how good he is. He’s easily a top three receiver in the NFL in my opinion. And this week, he gets the Raiders.
Now before this, I would’ve advised people to stay away, but after the Oakland secondary has surrendered seven TDs in the past two weeks, it’s bombs away up there in Oakland. Look for another huge fantasy effort from Johnson on Sunday.
4. Calvin Johnson vs. New Orleans Saints. Can you imagine how good Johnson’s would be if he had a team surrounding him to take pressure off of him? This guy is a beast and can’t be stopped.
He’s caught TD passes from everyone that lined up behind center and look for that trend to continue this week as he torches a very suspect Saints secondary.
Sleepers:
1. Marvin Harrison vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s no longer Peyton’s first choice, but he still gets his looks on the deep ball. Look for Manning to locate Harrison up top as he gets deep at least once against a very weak Jags’ pass defense.
2. Eddie Royal vs. Buffalo Bills. Royal has had a solid rookie season and is now one of Cutler’s favorite targets, albeit his third choice.
We see Royal receiving one-on-one attention as the Bills focus more of their energy on stopping Marshall, so expect a solid yardage day with the possibility of a score.
Others we like:
1. Wes Welker vs. Arizona Cardinals. Welker is the most formidable underneath receiver in the game. He’s impossible to cover and is Cassel’s safety valve when the pocket begins to collapse. It seems like he averages at least eight catches per game and we see him easily getting to that total vs. the Cards.
2. Steve Smith vs. New York Giants. The Giants aren’t a very easy team to pass on, but Steve Smith is nearly impossible to stop when he is on fire. And right now, he is on fire. He’s topped the 100-yard mark in I believe five out of the past seven games and he’s also been putting it into the end zone.
3. Reggie Wayne vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. Wayne is Manning’s favorite target and is one of the best in running routes in the NFL. When the Colts head into Jacksonville this Thursday and capture the AFC playoff berth, look for Wayne to be one of the main reason they do so. Big game from No. 87.
