Each week Studs & Duds will take a look at the best and worst match-ups from around the NFL and choose 4 players that could mean the difference between fantasy success or failure.
Based on the scoring system established by Yahoo!'s Flames and Lames, Studs and Duds is on a little bit of a roll. After going 7-1 in last week's picks, and 13-3 the last two weeks, S&D's season record now stands at 50-46. Do you have some of your own Studs and Duds in mind? If so, put your picks and predictions (no explanation for picks necessary) in the comment section below and see if you can beat us at our own game.
Studs
Jay Cutler / QB / Chicago Bears - (vs. Rams) Cutler has been a pretty terrible fantasy option for most of the year, but week 13 will be his week to shine. The Bears will face off against the lowly Rams, and Cutler will have no problems taking advantage of the St. Louis pass D. The Rams haven't been awful against the pass this season, but Cutler is definitely due for a breakout game. Although the Bears lack the dominate receiver that Cutler was used to in his Denver days, he still has some speed demons running routes for him. They'll be able to get open often because of that speed, and that will lead to a successful fantasy day for Cutler. If you're making the playoff push in your league this week and need a quarterback with an easy match up, then Cutler is your guy.
Prediction: 25-37, 296 passing yards, 3 total touchdowns, 1 interception, 9 rushing yards
Bernard Berrian / WR / Minnesota Vikings - (vs. Cardinals) Although Berrian has been struggling with hamstring problems for most of the year, he's still managed to contribute to fantasy teams in a meaningful way the last two weeks. You can expect that success to continue as the Vikings and their possible MVP candidate QB Brett Favre will play the porous Arizona pass D. The Cardinals have the 29th ranked defense against the pass, and the Vikes will definitely take advantage of that fact. You should expect Adrian Peterson to have limited carries in this game, since Minnesota will likely start to give him extra rest for the upcoming playoffs. With A.P. getting fewer touches there will be more passing plays and plenty of more opportunities for Berrian to find the end-zone.
Prediction: 8 receptions, 91 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Steve Slaton / RB / Houston Texans - (vs. Jaguars) Other than in PPR leagues, Slaton has been a huge bust for many fantasy owners. The first round pick many spent on him has proved to not be worth it. However, those of you out there that stuck with him will be handsomely rewarded for your loyalty in week 13. In Slaton's two seasons as a pro he has very solid career averages against the Jaguars, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to be successful against them. Sure there's the issue of whether or not he's splitting carries, but you can be sure that one way or another Slaton will find the end-zone in this tilt. On top of having a successful week 13, the Texans have a relatively light schedule the next few weeks. That could lead to Slaton earning some redemption in the eyes of his fantasy owners by helping carry teams through the fantasy playoffs.
Prediction: 13 carries, 61 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 56 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Jason Witten / TE / Dallas Cowboys - (vs. Giants) Witten finally showed signs of life last week against the Raiders when he racked up 107 receiving yards. Although he's not likely to pack on those kinds of yards against the Giants in week 13, he is likely to find the end-zone. With the Giants losing LB Antonio Pierce for the remainder of the season, there is now a huge hole in the middle of the field. Witten will take advantage of that fact and you'll see him once again be the fantasy beast that everyone has seen him be in years past.
Prediction: 8 receptions, 67 yards, 1 touchdown
Duds
Drew Brees / QB / New Orleans Saints - (vs. Redskins) In three career games against the Redskins, Brees has thrown six interceptions and just one touchdown. Considering how solid the Washington pass D has been this year, there's no reason to think that he'll be able to improve his luck against the NFC East squad. The 'Skins have only allowed 11 passing touchdowns on the year, and have done a great job of eliminating the big plays. New Orleans, on the other hand, lives for the big play. That will make it interesting to see how they respond when they aren't able to get it. Obviously most owners will play Brees no matter what, but you should understand that if the Saints are going to remain undefeated after week 13 it will be because their run game got them there.
Prediction: 15-29, 225 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 7 rushing yards
Anquan Boldin / WR / Arizona Cardinals - (vs. Vikings) Although Boldin is having a relatively quiet fantasy year compared to '08, he is still putting up decent numbers week in and week out. With that said, this week's game against the Vikings does not look good for those of you out there who are forced to play him. The Vikings don't have an extremely solid pass D, but with QB Kurt Warner still getting over concussion symptoms; it's unlikely the Cards are going to have too much success through the air. Minnesota will give the Cards all they can handle, and Boldin is likely to get mixed up in the shuffle of everything and wind up with a humble fantasy line.
Prediction: 3 receptions, 43 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns
Ryan Grant / RB / Green Bay Packers - (vs. Ravens) Grant has been a solid fantasy contributor all season, but he'll struggle to make his owners happy in week 13. The Packers will face off against the Ravens who once again have one of the top rush D's in the league. Baltimore basically needs to win in order to stay in the playoff hunt, so they'll play extra physical in this one. They'll likely put the pressure on Aaron Rodgers throughout the game, and Green Bay struggles when teams do that. Expect Baltimore to pack the line and blitz a lot, which means very few running lanes for Grant. Unless the Pack are able to get onto the goal line, Grant won't reach pay dirt. Since the yards won't be there either, you can expect Grant to dud this week.
Prediction: 17 carries, 46 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 28 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns
Heath Miller / TE / Pittsburgh Steelers - (vs. Raiders) In his last game against the Raiders, Miller reeled in two catches for a total of 10 yards. Don't be surprised if he posts a similar line come Sunday. Miller has been up and down all season from a fantasy standpoint, and Oakland's solid pass D will make sure week 13 will be one of the downs. With QB Ben Roethlisberger expected to start after suffering a concussion two weeks ago, the Steelers will likely want to protect him. That means Miller will stay back as an extra blocker to keep the pressure off of Big Ben.
Prediction: 2 reception, 26 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns
