DAUNTING DECISIONS

Here it is. The week you've been waiting all season for. If you have been lucky enough, you will play this week for your league's fantasy championship. It doesn't matter what LT has done all season, if he doesn't produce this week, you have once again failed and wasted another four months of your life. It's the week where phrases will be uttered from your mouth like, "Why didn't I start Chris Cooley?" and "I hate you Donald Driver" and even "Thank you, Josh Scobee. You just won me a fantasy title." In a week with such importance, I hope to give you the extra help that will cause months of celebration. However, I know from experience I look for people to blame when I lose my league. Don't blame me, blame Ben Utecht.

Ron Dayne- How funny it is that as I sit here on week 16 that I am actually speaking of Ron Dayne. Even more shocking is what a great start he is this week. Dayne has produced two consecutive solid performances as the main guy in Houston. He faces the Colts this week who despite their solid game on Monday still have the worst rush defense in football. My expectation is that after such a good game against the Bengals, the Colts rush defense will have a bit of a letdown, and Dayne will play well. The only possible reason to be hesitant is that Gary Kubiak comes from the Mike Shanahan school of RBs and is prone to play with fantasy owners' heads at any time by switching backs. Nevertheless, I would play him if you need a back. START.

Ladell Betts- Ok honestly, if you own Ladell Betts now and you are not playing him, you are an idiot. Betts has been unbelievable since he's been starting, however it wouldn't kill him to score a TD here and there. Betts against the Rams defense is a clear recipe for success this week. My only complaint with Betts is that he signed such a stupid contract. If he never signed this deal, he would be un the fringe of a huge pay day this offseason. If I was Betts' agent this would never have happened, but I'm not so just go ahead and play him this week. START.

Jay Cutler- Week after week Cutler, like all the rookie QBs, just seems to be getting better. Against the poor Arizona defense last Sunday, Cutler had his best game as a pro. He clearly has the tools to be a real success in this league, and I am confident that he can be very productive in his team's playoff run. The Broncos take on the worst pass defense in football on Sunday, which happens to belong to the Cincinnati Bengals. Expect a day similar to his last game against Arizona. START.

Brett Favre- He had such a great matchup last week against Detroit, and he killed so many fantasy seasons. If you survived the debacle last week, don't be shy to start Favre once again. Several factors point to success this week. First, Favre rarely has two poor games in a row. Second, he is facing an awful Vikings' pass defense. Finally, this could be the last game ever for Favre at Lambeau Field, and he seems to play well in emotional games. There you go. Three reasons why he will be great in what could be his last fantasy game ever. START.

Devery Henderson- With Joe Horn out of the lineup, Henderson has actually been relatively quite in recent weeks for the Saints. Fortunately for him, he faces a banged up and poor Giants secondary this week. Coming off disappointing weeks for both teams, I expect this to be an offensive shootout. It would be a letdown if Henderson did not have one of those huge games we saw this season. START.

Ahman Green- I was really surprised from what I saw by Green this season. Prior to the year I had written him off due to injuries an age, but he bounced back for a really strong season. He's still a productive RB and should be the team's starter next year. That being said, for God's sake do not play him this week! Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably realize that Minnesota's rush defense is one of the best ever. Starting Green against them would just be a horrendus idea. SIT.

Corey Dillon- Words cannot describe how frustrating Corey Dillon has been to me this season. When I owned Laurence Maroney, Dillon would steal all of his TDs. Then when I recommended starting Dillon when Maroney went down, he stunk up and Kevin Faulk stole all his TDs. It's pretty simple this week. The Jacksonville defense is dominant at home and against good teams, so I see Dillon having a very long day. This paragraph is bound to haunt me on Sunday. I know it. SIT.

Jamal Lewis- One player I have had a good read on all season is Jamal Lewis. He's a tremendous fantasy player if you know when to play him. This Sunday against Pittsburgh is not one of those weeks. Lewis likes to beat up on the Browns not the Steelers. Lewis should have a long day in what will be a classic battle of solid defenses. Under 90 yards and 0 TDs is a good expectation for Lewis. SIT.

Jerrico Cotchery- The Jets number two WR has had a solid year but has cooled off as of late. It was rather disappointing that Cotchery did not have a better game last week considering Chad Pennington had one of his best days of the season. This week Cotchery faces a tough Miami defense in a rivalry game on Christmas. I'd expect similiar numbers to last week when he had 56 yards receiving, and those types of days do not win fantasy championships. SIT.

Ben Roethlisberger- The only player who may have had more of an up and down season statistics wise than Rex Grossman is Big Ben. It was a very solid week last week with two TDs for Roethlisberger who has been throwing the ball a lot less lately. However, against Baltimore, he may not have the benefit of a productive running game so he will be relied on more heavily. I'd hate to have my fantasy season riding on an inconsistent QB against an elite defense and neither should you. SIT.

-David Cassilo
Contact at asuhouse@aol.com