Must Start

Calvin Johnson, Jordy Nelson, Antonio Brown, AJ Green, Julio Jones, Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas

Tier 1

Jeremy Maclin vs. Was – Very favorable matchup. Depends on Sanchez.

Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Stl – The kid is on a record pace. He’ll thrive vs. the Rams secondary too.

Emmanuel Sanders vs. Cin – The major question mark is whether the Broncos will go into run mode again.

TY Hilton vs. Dal – Hilton will have a field day against a vulnerable secondary.

Roddy White vs. NO – The Falcons pass game have the decided edge on Sunday. Expect No. 1 FFL numbers from White.

Randall Cobb vs. TB – The Bucs are playing for the top pick in the draft and Cobb is playing for a contract.

Julian Edelman vs. NYJ – Brady and Co. will have their way in PPR leagues. Solid PPR play.

DeSean Jackson vs. Phi – The Eagles secondary was torched Sunday night.

Tier 2

Mike Evans vs. GB – He’ll probably pull down a TD. It’s the yards which are tough to predict because of the mess at QB.

Brandon Lafell vs. NYJ – Again, the Jets secondary is atrocious.

Jordan Matthews vs. Was – Look for a strong bounce back here.

Jarvis Landry vs. Min – Excellent in PPR leagues.

Mike Wallace vs. Min – Has refound the deep ball. Could get deep again.

Charles Johnson vs. Mia – He has emerged as a solid No. 2 FFL WR threat.

DeAndre Hopkins vs. Bal – Questions abound at QB.

Steve Smith Sr. vs. Hou – The Texans are vulnerable through the air.

Alshon Jeffery vs. Det – It’s tough to trust Jeffery against the Lions aggressive D. But he’s got to be in your lineup.

Anquan Boldin vs. SD – Boldin is the only reliable 49ers offensive threat in fantasy.

Kenny Stills vs. Atl – Look for Stills to be the man on the outside in this one.

Bust

Sammy Watkins vs. Oak – The Raiders are tough vs. the pass.

Fantasy Sleeper

Harry Douglas vs. NO – Solid in PPR leagues. Julio Jones is no sure thing to play.

1. New Orleans Saints (-10) vs. Min – An 0-2 team doesn’t usually warrant being a 10 point favorite. This is not your typical 0-2 team, and they’re back at home where they bury teams. The Vikings will get blown out in this one.

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2. San Francisco 49ers (-2.5) vs. Arz – The 49ers will get back to doing what they do best and that’s running the ball and not letting Colin Kaerpernick fling it around the field. Rather, they will run a methodical offense and the defense should be fine facing QB Drew Stanton, the likely starter.

3. Miami Dolphins (-3.5) vs KC – This would normally be viewed as a trap game, but we don’t see it here. The Chiefs are desperate to avoid an 0-3 start but the good fortune that propelled them to a 9-0 start a year ago is not there. Miami is tough at home and will prove so again on Sunday.

4. Washington Redskins (+7) vs. Phi – See money line bet.

Rounding Things Out

Indianapolis Colts (-7) vs. Jax – They’re still the Jags.

Buffalo Bills (-2.5) vs. SD – Buffalo plays tough in their home park.

Denver Broncos (+5) vs. Sea – The Seahawks will win, but this will be much closer than the Super Bowl.

Money Line Bet

Washington Redskins (+240) vs. Phi – The Eagles are a lot more vulnerable than people realize. They were unimpressive against the Jags and then fortunate to beat the Colts on some shaky calls. The Redskins are rejuvenated playing under Kirk Cousins and will steal a close game late in the Linc.

1. San Francisco 49ers (-5) vs. GB – The Packers are talking a big game, but when push comes to shove, the 49ers massive lines – both offensive and defensive – will out muscle them to the 10 point victory.

Next in line

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4.5) vs. NYJ – It is difficult to trust Josh Freeman, except when the Bucs are facing a team with a QB worse than he is. The revamped Bucs secondary will complement an already strong run defense and force QB Geno Smith into mistakes, en route to a win by at least a TD.

3. Houston Texans (-5.5) vs. SD – The Chargers are facing a rebuilding year, and have a lot of holes defensively. The Texans have retooled and are a Super Bowl candidate. Look for their defense to smother Rivers and Co. and for Houston to win by double digits.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (+3) vs. Chi – See money line bet analysis.

Rounding things out

Minnesota Vikings (+6) vs. Det – The Lions always seem to come up short when heavily favored over their division rival. The Vikings will keep this close and may pull off the upset.

New England Patriots (-10.5) vs. Buf – Bill Belichick is always tough on rookie QBs. That won’t change this weekend.

Washington Redskins (-4.5) vs. Phi – The betting line is likely due to respect for Chip Kelly’s offensive scheme. It won’t change the outcome on Monday. Kelly’s not blessed with the superior talent he had at Oregon and this isn’t the Pac 10. The Redskins are a better team across the board.

Money Line Analysis

Cincinnati Bengals (+125) vs. Chi – The Bengals are a Super Bowl contender loaded with young talent. The Bears have a new coach with a new system, and are dealing with some turnover defensively from a year ago. They’re still very formidable at home, but the unknowns coupled with a talented Bengals team will result in a W for Cincinnati in Week 1.

1. Green Bay Packers (-3) vs. Min – The Packers know if they win they get the No. 2 seed. Plenty of incentive to go all out. Look for the Vikings who have played well in recent weeks to come up short against the Packers potent offense.

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2. San Francisco 49ers (-16.5) vs. Arz – They still need a win to lock down the NFC West after Sunday’s debacle. And they’re facing Brian Hoyer at QB. Look for SF in a rout.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (+7) vs. NYG – This is likely Andy Reid’s last game as head coach and they’re catching a Giants team which suddenly seems to have lost interest.

4. New Orleans Saints (-5.5) vs. Car – 8-8 will be quite an accomplishment for a Saints team that started off 0-4 after Bountygate.

The Rest

Denver Broncos (-16) vs. KC – The Broncos know that with a win they lock up the No. 2 seed. They’ll win 30-10.

Washington Redskins (-3) vs. Dal – The Cowboys haven’t fared well recently in big games or cold weather games.

Cincinnati Bengals (+3) vs. Bal – Joe Flacco’s been a bum on the road and Baltimore has the AFC North locked up.

Top Pick

1. Denver Broncos vs. SD – The Chargers are reeling and the writing is on the wall for Norv Turner.

The situation is vastly different for Denver. Since its improbable comeback vs. San Diego a month ago, after being down 24-0 at the half, it has won every game since and will continue that trend this week.

Look for the Broncos to easily cover the point spread and advance you to Week 12 of your suicide pool.

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2. Washington Redskins vs. Phi – Things have unraveled quickly for the Eagles who are on a 5-game losing streak and likely without QB Michael Vick for this one.

While that is not necessarily a bad thing,  it’ll be difficult for rookie QB Nick Foles to end the skid.

Look for the Redskins, who are coming off of their bye, to follow RGIII’s lead to a win on Sunday as Andy Reid‘s seat gets that much hotter.

3. St. Louis Rams vs. NYJ – The Rams might still be emotionally drained from their 24-24 tie to the 49ers, but they will have enough left in the tank to win here.

The Jets are in disarray, Tim Tebow somehow is still the most talked about topic in town, and Mark Sanchez has regressed tremendously in 2012 which is putting the defense in bad situations. Look for the Rams to pull out the win by a TD at home.

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It’s now onto Week 9 of your NFL suicide pool.

1. Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos – You can pretty much insert any team playing Tebow from here on out. The Dolphins game was an incorrect measuring stick because Miami had something to play for: Andrew Luck.

Not so with the Raiders who are playing for an AFC West title. Expect the Raiders D to make Tebow lo0k painfully silly through three quarters once again while their offense puts 24-27 on the board.

This is the top suicide pool pick of the week.

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2. Atlanta Falcons vs. Indianapolis Colts – The Colts season is over and it’s showing in their play. They lost by 55 two weeks ago and Tennessee made them look foolish in Week 8.

The Falcons are coming off a bye week and have had a chance to heal some players up. Look for a close game until the half before Matt Ryan and Co. pull away late to win by double digits.

3. San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Redskins – The current betting line is only -3.5 for San Francisco. That seems low… even in Washington. Regardless, expect the 49ers to play stout D and muscle their way to a win by a TD.

The Redskins season is spinning out of control at an alarming rate.

1. Buffalo Bills (-6) vs. Washington Redskins – The Redskins are devastated offensively.  Both RB Tim Hightower and TE Chris Cooley are out for the year and WR Santana

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Moss is gone for 5 weeks.

Defensively they’re in pretty good shape, but they’re catching a hot Bills team that plays very well at home.

Look for the Bills to cover the point spread en route to the double digit victory.

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2. New England Patriots (-3) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – There are just some teams that players own, and Tom Brady owns the Steelers. He’s 6-1 in his career and Bill Belichick always dials up the perfect game plan to stifle Pittsburgh.

Expect another lopsided finish this week.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (+4) vs. San Diego Chargers – We don’t believe the Chiefs are as good as they looked in their 28-0 thrashing of the Raiders last Sunday, but we also know the Chargers aren’t as good as their 4-2 record indicates.

Both teams have problems but this is in KC, where the Chiefs typically play the Chargers well.

4. Dallas Cowboys (+3.5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles – See Money Line Bet.

The Rest

Carolina Panthers (-3) vs. Minnesota Vikings – The Panthers are learning how to win and QB Cam Newton continues to get better. The Vikings have been bad on the road and Christian Ponder will struggle in his 1st road start.

Baltimore Ravens (-13.5) vs. Arizona Cardinals – The Ravens are a completely different team on the road than home. The same goes for the Cardinals. Expect a rout on Sunday.

Houston Texans (-10) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Usually you worry about a letdown when a team comes off a 41-7 win the week before, but not here. The Jags are in the Texans division and Houston knows the division is theirs for the taking.

Money Line Bet

Dallas Cowboys (+160) vs. Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles are coming off the bye after beating the Redskins in Washington. It was another ugly game for Philadelphia but one which was won because QB Rex Grossman was picked 4 times. The Eagles problems are real (turnovers on offense, poor scheme on defense) and the Cowboys are much better than the Skins.

Look for the Eagles defense to once again be their undoing in this one.

Dallas will be able to run the ball down the Eagles throats which will set up the pass for QB Tony Romo.

When all is said and done, Dallas will pull out the win by a FG.

1. Buffalo Bills vs. Washington Redskins – The Redskins are beat up physically (RB Tim Hightower and TE Chris Cooley on IR, WR Santana Moss out a few weeks) and

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mentally. They’re down to John Beck as their starting QB and the ship is sinking fast.

The Bills are coming off a bye and have this at home, where they’ve been very good this year. Look for Buffalo to put away the Redskins early in the 3rd quarter and pull away for the 10 point victory late. This is the top suicide pool pick.

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2. Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Houston smells blood; the division is theirs for the taking. The Jags are coming off an impressive home win on Monday Night vs. the Ravens, but that’s not going to carry over this week on the road.

Expect the Texans to dominate this game on both sides of the ball and win easily.

3. Carolina Panthers vs. Minnesota Vikings – The Panthers are coming of age with Cam Newton leading the way.  He’s been impressive from Day 1 and Carolina is starting to learn how to win after pummeling the Redskins.

The Vikings Christian Ponder is making his 2nd career start and 1st on the road, and rookie’s typically struggle away from home.

Look Newton to continue to be the difference maker and for the Panthers to cover the point spread (3) and win handily.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – I love what Buffalo has been doing, but these are the Steelers. Expect a top notch effort from the top ranked fantasy football D/ST in Week 12.

2. New York Jets - The D has been soft the past few weeks but that will change against the Bungles on Thursday Night.

3. Baltimore Ravens – Josh Freeman and Co. are in for a rude awakening in Baltimore on Sunday.

4. Oakland Raiders – The Dolphins offense is pathetic under Tyler Thigpen.

Next In Line

New England Patriots – Bill Belichick’s boys will force multiple turnovers on Thanksgiving.

New Orleans Saints - Expect Gregg Williams to dial up a ton of pressure against Dallas.

Philadelphia Eagles – Jay Cutler will be responsible for two, maybe three turnovers on Sunday.

Rounding Out the List

New York Giants - The Jaguars are notorious for disappearing on the road against good defenses.

Cleveland Browns – This is actually an excellent matchup vs. the Panthers.

Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins will do a good job against a struggling Raiders offense.

Arizona Cardinals - After witnessing last week’s effort by the Niners, just about any D/ST is a good start.

Washington Redskins - If Brett Favre plays, two to three turnovers is a given.

Fantasy Sleeper of the Week

Minnesota Vikings - Could Leslie Frazier‘s promotion lead to a big effort out of his defense? We think so. They’re an excellent fantasy sleeper in Week 11 and look for a bounce back against a depleted Redskins Offense.

Dallas Cowboys: EVEN

The Cowboys are everybody’s hot Super Bowl pick in the NFC. Things came together over the last month of the 2009 season and they won the NFC East and Wild Card Game. They have many offensive places in place entering 2010, especially at the skill positions (WR Miles Austin, TE Jason Witten).

QB Tony Romo is very comfortable in this offense and the team added another potential weapon  in 1st round WR Dez Bryant. The biggest questions will be along the offensive line, LT in particular. The defense is talented and deep and DeMarcus Ware and Co. should be stingy all year.

New York Giants: 11-4

The Giants are coming off an extremely disappointing 8-8 season which saw the implosion of its once proud defense. Injuries were prevalent throughout, but the biggest reason for the decline was the ineptitude of one-and-done DC Bill Sheridan. New York brought DC Perry Fewell and is counting on him to resurrect the defense.

On offense, Eli Manning’s coming off his finest season, in which he tossed for over 4,000 yards and 27 TDs. The young receivers were a strength and will continue to be, and the pieces are in place for the team to regain its identity on the ground. The defense is still as talented as any in the league but its success will be dependent on how well they execute Fewell’s game plan.

Philadelphia Eagles: 7-2

The Eagles made a lot of noise in the offseason dealing longtime QB Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. This leaves an untested 4th year QB Kevin Kolb as the starter. On offense, they’re exceptionally talented and young at the skill positions, and the offensive line is still a strength. The main question will be how well Kolb holds up over a 16 game season after opposing team’s have had a chance to prepare for him.

On defense, the unit will be stronger in the front seven, especially at Linebacker, but the secondary is still a concern. This team was beaten down  physically by the Cowboys in its final two games and will need to rely on creative blitz packages to overcome their lack of size against the better teams.

Washington Redskins: 5-1

The Jim Zorn era ended after two lackluster seasons and the Mike Shanahan era is set to kick off. The most important move he made in the offseason was landing Donovan McNabb to run his offense. The Skins will be more competent offensively but still lack talent at the receiver position and on the offensive line. Defensively, they’re incorporating a new system under Jim Haslett, and it will take time find the right players to fit the scheme.

One thing we know however is DT Albert Haynesworth won’t be one of them. The Redskins could finish 8-8 but will still wind up no better than 3rd in the division.

Pro Football 101 Betting Strategy:

The smart football bet is on the Dallas Cowboys at even money. They’ve got a lot of pieces in place and Wade Phillips, although he’s horrible in the postseason, has led this team to two NFC East titles over his tenure in Dallas. We’d also hedge our bets and put 25 percent of our money on the New York Giants at 11-4. If the defense responds to its new coordinator, this team will be back in a big way and is more than capable of recapturing the division crown.