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2011 fantasy Start / Sit gallery review
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Love NFL history? Simulate any NFL game for FREE! Check out Whatifsports.com's NFL SimMatchup.Fantasy football owners have had a few weeks to shift into neutral, cease the daily over-analysis, stop, and reflect on the 2011 season.
Now that I, too, have enjoyed some time to catch my breath after a frenzied five-month fantasy marathon, it’s time to review the weekly advice I shared with you.
Below you will find my suggested Starts and Sits for the week, their stats and if my advice resulted in a HIT or MISS.
2011 Fantasy Start/Sit Success
| Hits | Misses | Pushes | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | 56 | 17 | 62.9 percent |
2011 Week 1 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willis McGahee | 35 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Josh Freeman | 259 pass / 26 rush | 1 | 1 | HIT |
| Santana Moss | 76 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Nate Burleson | 80 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Jimmy Graham | 56 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Jeremy Maclin | 20 rec | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Matt Cassel | 119 pass | 1 | 1 | HIT |
| GIANTS DEF | 332 YA / 28 PA | 0 | 2 | HIT |
| Shonn Greene | 33 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Aaron Hernandez | 103 rec. | 1 | 0 | MISS |
As we quickly learned, McGahee managed to turn his season on the ground around when healthy. Unfortunately, Cassel couldn't get it going in Kansas City prior to ending the season on injured reserve.
Archive: Week 1 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 2 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahvid Best | 113 total | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| Dustin Keller | 101 | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Rex Grossman | 291 pass | 2 | 2 | HIT |
| Malcom Floyd | 59 rec. | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| Mario Manningham | 56 rec. | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Ryan Mathews | 126 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Cam Newton | 422 pass / 53 rush | 2 | 3 | MISS |
| Chris Johnson | 65 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Patriots WR | 423 total | 3 | 0 | N/A |
| Chris Cooley | 0 | 0 | 0 | HIT |
I was so late jumping on the Cam Newton bandwagon, I had to sit on some lady's lap. Those who snatched him off the waiver wire early were rewarded with a) trade bait b) a better fantasy quarterback.
The reason the Patriots are N/A is because the point of the "SIT" suggestion was due to Tom Brady's tendency to target his tight ends first and spread the wealth around to his other receivers, which made starting any New England WR a risky bet.
Archive: Week 2 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 3 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | 369 pass | 2 | 2 | HIT |
| Chris Johnson | 75 total | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| Rob Gronkowski | 109 rec. | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| David Nelson | 84 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Beanie Wells | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Mark Sanchez | 369 pass / 2 rush | 3 | 1 | MISS |
| Reggie Bush | 25 total | 0 | 1 | HIT |
| Brandon Pettigrew | 112 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Devery Henderson | 62 rec. | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| Carolina RBs | 59 / 18 rush | 0 | 0 | HIT |
Who would have thought 75 total yards would have been one of Chris Johnson's good days? Reggie Bush was still looking at rookie Daniel Thomas' tail lights in Week 3. My how the tide turned later in the season.
Archive: Week 3 Fantasy Starts and Sits
2011 Week 4 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Campbell | 344 pass / 24 rush | 1 | 2 | HIT |
| Eric Decker | 56 rec. | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| Chris Johnson | 112 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Tim Hightower | 28 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Greg Olsen | 50 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Matt Ryan | 291 pass | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Julio Jones | 127 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Dallas Clark | 46 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Denver RBs | 103 / 5 / 4 rush | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| BenJarvus Green-Ellis | 84 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
You may remember Tim Hightower's Week 4 as one of the many "SHANAHAN!!!!" moments of 2011. With a juicy matchup against the Rams league-worst rush defense, Ryan Torain, not Hightower, received 19 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. Yuck.
Archive: Week 4 Fantasy Starts and Sits
2011 Week 5 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Newton | 224 pass / 27 rush | 3 | 1 | HIT |
| Julio Jones | 16 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS (injured) |
| Owen Daniels | 89 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Darren Sproles | 91 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Pierre Garcon | 125 rec. | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Jay Cutler | 249 pass | 1 | 0 | PUSH |
| LeGarrette Blount | 34 rush | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Mario Manningham | 56 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Mike Thomas | 53 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Rashard Mendenhall | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
I finally jumped on board the Cam Newton bandwagon and was rewarded for believing in the rookie quarterback. Remember when Pierre Garcon and Curtis Painter enjoyed a brief run of success? It was fun while it lasted. Looking back, it's funny to see Mike Thomas was a fantasy option in Jacksonville.
Archive: Week 5 Fantasy Starts and Sits
2011 Week 6 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | 82 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Daniel Thomas | 59 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| James Jones | 35 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Andy Dalton | 264 pass | 1 | 0 | PUSH |
| Ben Watson | 35 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Sam Bradford | 328 pass | 0 | 1 | HIT |
| Jahvid Best | 110 rush | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Washington RBs | 22 / 6 rush | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Jacoby Jones | 76 rec. | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Scott Chandler | -3 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
Oakland's Darrius Heyward-Bey has shown moments of fantasy brilliance. If he could perform on a weekly basis, you could make the argument that he'd be a top 10 fantasy receiver. Sam Bradford may have passed for over 300 yards, but the Rams managed to score three points against the Packers in Week 6. His six touchdowns and six intereceptions were a big disappointment in fantasy football leagues in 2011. Hopefully with an improved offensive line he can play up to the potential of an overall #1 pick.
Archive: Week 6 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 7 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Cassel | 161 pass | 0 | 2 | MISS |
| Tim Tebow | 161 pass / 59 rush | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| Demarco Murray | 253 rush | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Dane Sanzenbacher | 13 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Fred Davis | 80 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Brandon Lloyd | 74 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Raiders WRs | 89 / 13 / 4 rec. | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| Willis McGahee | 76 rush | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Montario Hardesty | 122 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| GB's Starks / Grant | 99 total / 29 rush | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
With Felix Jones hobbled with a bad ankle and forced to watch from the sidelines, Demarco Murray punished St. Louis for a Dallas franchise-record 253 rushing yards with a score. Carson Palmer made his debut for the Raiders and threw three picks to the Chiefs.
Archive: Week 7 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 8 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Beck | 208 pass | 0 | 2 | MISS |
| Ryan Torain | 20 rush | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Pierre Thomas | 34 total | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Antonio Brown | 67 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Mario Manningham | 63 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Browns RBs | 37 / 6 rush | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Reggie Wayne | 61 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Seattle RBs | 34 / 24 rush | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | 262 pass | 2 | 1 | MISS |
| Denver WRs | 74 / 41 / 29 rec. | 1 | 0 | MISS |
I was very hesitant to suggest a Ryan Torain start right after Tim Hightower tore his ACL, but with a matchup against the Bills poor rush defense, I believed it a no-brainer. SHANAHAN!!!! Marshawn Lynch may have scored, but was held to just 24 yards on the ground against the Bengals. As we later learned, "DJ Skittles" was starting to warm up.
Archive: Week 8 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 9 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Palmer | 332 pass | 3 | 3 | HIT |
| Julio Jones | 164 total | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| Jon Baldwin | 12 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Deion Branch | 21 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Jake Ballard | 67 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Joe Flacco | 300 pass | 1 | 1 | MISS |
| Reggie Bush | 142 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| A.J. Green | 83 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Greg Little | 33 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Washington RBs * | 41 / 2 rush | 0 | 1 | HIT |
A healthy Julio Jones (hamstring) showcased his skills and demonstrated why the Atlanta Falcons traded up to take him in the Draft. In Washington, Roy Helu and Ryan Torain were shut down by the Niners rush defense, but the rookie running back made a name for himself with 14 receptions for 105 (16 targets).
Archive: Week 9 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 10 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurent Robinson | 73 rec. | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| Antonio Brown | 86 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Damian Williams | 107 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Brent Celek | 53 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Michael Bush | 242 total | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Marshawn Lynch | 167 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Earl Bennett | 81 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| BenJarvus Green-Ellis | 8 rush | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Andy Dalton | 179 pass | 2 | 2 | HIT |
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | 0 | 0 | 0 | HIT |
Five for five on start 'em suggestions. I'll take it. Poor Darrius Heyward-Bey. His fantasy stock was all over the map after Jason Campbell went down. He was active in Week 10, but received no targets in four quarters of work.
Archive: Week 10 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 11 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Manningham | 4 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Marshawn Lynch | 89 total | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Reggie Bush | 66 total | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Brandon Jacobs | 32 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Harry Douglas | 51 rec. | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| Plaxico Burress | 64 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| LeGarrette Blount | 113 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Beanie Wells | 33 rush | 0 | 1 | HIT |
| Jeremy Maclin | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Philip Rivers | 280 pass | 2 | 2 | MISS |
Marshawn Lynch continued to mow down defenses and munch on Skittles post score. Fellow running back, LeGarrette Blount, completely flipped the script and created one of the highlights of the year by running over Packers en route to a 54-yard touchdown. Final body count: 5/6 men down.
Archive: Week 11 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 12 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Benson | 130 total | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Jonathan Stewart | 82 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Donald Brown | 97 total | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Brandon Lloyd | 74 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Ryan Mathews | 143 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| DET Defense | 349 total | 3 | 0 | HIT |
| Ray Rice | 83 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Reggie Bush | 96 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
Cedric Benson loves himself some Cleveland Browns rush defense. I don't think that will ever change. Ryan Mathews was one of the most confusing fantasy players in 2011 and his 143 yards against the Broncos was no exception.
Archive: Week 12 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 13 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lance Moore | 23 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| BenJarvus Green-Ellis | 14 rush | 1 | 0 | PUSH |
| Mike Williams (TB) | 93 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Percy Harvin | 175 total | 2 | 0 | HIT |
| Jason Avant | 10 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Steven Jackson | 30 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| DET Defense | 31 PA | 4 TDA | 0 | HIT |
| Peyton Hillis | 97 total | 0 | 0 | HIT ** |
| Andre Johnson | 97 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Cedric Benson | 52 rush | 0 | 0 | HIT |
Percy Harvin continued to thrive with Adrian Peterson out of the lineup. The reason for the asterisk next to Peyton Hillis' stats is simple. The Ravens held him to 45 rushing yards (my reasoning for the "sit" suggestion), but the running back picked up 52 receiving yards on a fluke reception and run. It was his longest reception of the season by 33 yards.
Archive: Week 13 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 14 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashard Mendenhall | 76 rush | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Doug Baldwin | 93 rec. | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Malcom Floyd | 29 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Reggie Bush | 130 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Brad Smith | 0 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Steven Jackson | 123 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Fred Davis | SUSP | SUSP | SUSP | SUSP |
| Joe Flacco | 227 pass | 2 | 1 | MISS |
| D-Will / J-Stew | 91 / 56 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Andy Dalton | 189 pass | 1 | 0 | HIT |
Doug Baldwin goes down as one of my favorite "Starts" of the season as he rose to the occassion on Monday night against the Rams in Week 14. Fred Davis' chance at a breakout season was stalled following a four-game suspension for testing positive for marijuana. I'd still keep an eye on him as a viable tight end in 2012.
Archive: Week 14 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 15 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felix Jones | 131 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Shonn Greene | 73 rec. | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| Golden Tate | 63 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Jabar Gaffney | 85 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Cedric Benson | 87 total | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Kevin Smith | 46 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Jake Locker | 108 | 1 | 0 | HIT |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Rashard Mendenhall | 89 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | 316 pass | 2 | 3 | MISS |
| Ryan Mathews | 109 total | 2 | 0 | MISS |
Felix Jones earned his starting gig back after Demarco Murray's season ended (ankle). He was a must-start against the woeful Bucs rush defense. Jake Locker was on stand-by after Matt Hasselbeck injured his calf the previous week. The veteran struggled against the winless Colts, so the rookie QB got another shot and performed well enough to stay on fantasy owners' radars in 2012.
Archive: Week 15 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits
2011 Week 16 Start/Sit Gallery Review
| Starts | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Tate | -1 rush | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Steve Breaston | 41 rec. | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Rex Grossman | 284 pass | 2 | 2 | HIT |
| Lance Ball | 12 rush | 0 | 0 | PUSH |
| LeGarrette Blount | 11 rush | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Sits | Yards | TD | TO | Hit/Miss |
| Frank Gore | 96 total | 1 | 0 | MISS |
| Greg Little | 40 rec. | 0 | 0 | HIT |
| Joe Flacco | 132 pass / 30 rush | 2 | 1 | MISS |
| Steven Jackson | 127 total | 0 | 0 | MISS |
| Aaron Hernandez | 37 total | 0 | 0 | HIT |
Not the way I wanted to end the 2012 fantasy season (no I don't count Week 17). Rex Grossman was my start of the week against the Vikings and performed up to snuff. LeGarrette Blount - versus Carolina's awful rush defense - gave owners one more reason to curse his name in 2012 by laying an egg in Week 16.
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