Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
The fantasy football playoffs are either already here or on the immediate horizon, depending on your particular league. Either way, lineup decisions are becoming more and more important. When it comes to making the right moves, we’ll try to have you covered here by assessing who should be starting and who should be benched.
Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em
Start ‘Em
Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL (@ CLE) – The Browns cruised past Tennessee last week but still got torched through the air, which is nothing new. They are 23rd in the NFL against the pass and have surrendered the fourth-most touchdown passes (25). Jackson should be able to capitalize. He is coming off a three-score performance at the Cowboys’ expense on Tuesday (two via the pass and one on the ground). In a Week 1 rout of Cleveland, he passed for 275 yards with three TDs and no INTs.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND (@ LV) – Following a couple of weeks in which Nyheim Hines was being productive in Indianapolis, Taylor has clearly reestablished himself as RB1. The rookie out of Wisconsin has gotten 42 touches in the past two games, parlaying those into 249 yards and one touchdown (via reception last week at Houston). He now faces a Las Vegas defense that has been horrendous of late. The Raiders have given up the second-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL (19).
Corey Davis, WR, TEN (@ JAX) – A date with Jacksonville may be just what the doctor ordered for the Titans following their Week 13 home loss to Cleveland. More specifically, Davis should be in line for another big performance. The Jaguars are 29th in the league against the pass and have given up the third-most touchdowns through the air (26). Davis is coming off an 11-yard, 182-yard, one-touchdown effort against the Browns.
Sit ‘Em
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT (@ BUF) – The Steelers’ schedule has been out of whack and they did not play well in either of their recently rescheduled games. A 19-14 win over Baltimore was followed up by their first loss of the season, a 23-17 setback against the Football Team from 14-0 up. Roethlisberger has been picked off once in each of the last three outings and he has thrown only five touchdown passes during this stretch—a modest number by his standards. Buffalo is not too bad against the pass (249.5 yards per game and 19 touchdowns allowed).
Ronald Jones II, RB, TB (vs. MIN) – Jones has found the endzone twice in the past three weeks, but that is just about where the good news ends. Those two touchdowns are his only two in the last five games. Still splitting time with Leonard Fournette in Tampa Bay’s backfield, Jones got only nine carries during a loss to Kansas City two weeks ago. Although the Vikings’ defense isn’t any good, it is in the middle of the pack against the run and is tied for second in the NFL with a mere seven rushing touchdowns surrendered.
Brandin Cooks, WR, HOU (vs. @ CHI) – Cooks may put up a decent amount of yards against a struggling Chicago squad, but he is not really a candidate to go off. The 27-year-old has gone four straight games without scoring, having found the endzone in three of the four previous contests. He has received double-digit targets only once in 2020. For all of the Bears’ issues, they have surrendered just 19 touchdowns through the air this season.
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