And down the stretch they come!

This part of the fantasy season feels a lot like watching the Kentucky Derby. There are so many horses still in the race in all my fantasy leagued (including myself!) and that is likely the case in your leagues as well. Now all those horses have made the final turn and are headed for home.

Will it be a photo finish for your team, or will you pull away from the field?

It may not really matter to you so long as you actually get into the fantasy playoffs. Most of those start week 14, so there only are three regular season weeks left to make your move.

Some good news for fantasy owners this weekend, especially those of Cowboys’ players: Tony Romo is expected to make his return on prime time television, no less. That is great news for the entire Dallas offense.

But there is bad news on the horizon, too. Reggie Bush is questionable to return on Sunday in a peach of a matchup against Kansas City. If he does play, it might be in limited fashion. Also, Clinton Portis’ status is way up in the air for that tilt with the Cowboys. I would be surprised if he sat out, but things are not sounding too good out of Washington.

Start ‘em

Quarterbacks

• Tyler Thigpen v. Saints: Thigpen is as hot as they come right now and that should continue this weekend against the Saints. He has a nice schedule the rest of the way, too, so this could be someone who could carry fantasy teams to the playoffs and beyond.
• Ben Roethlisberger v. Chargers: Big Ben wants to reaffirm his grip on the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh. He gets a shot to put up big numbers against a secondary that is getting torched week-after-week.

Runningbacks

• DeAngelo Williams v. Lions: Williams has emerged as the go-to back in Carolina, despite having rookie Jonathan Stewart breathing down his neck most of the season. Williams gets another soft run defense this weekend and could post another stat line.
• Ronnie Brown v. Raiders: Brown has been struggling for yardage lately but still producing for fantasy owners. This could be the week his yardage slump ends.

Wide receivers

• Eddie Royal @ Falcons: Royal and Brandon Marshall are the Broncos offense right now. With no running game to speak off, Jay Cutler will pass early and often. Royal will get his share of the plentiful targets off Cutler’s arm.
• Lee Evans v. Browns: Evans has been kind of quiet lately as the Bills’ offense has struggled. He should respond in a big way at home this week against the Browns.

Tight end

• Tony Gonzalez v. Saints: In our “duh!” pick of the week, Gonzo is hot and facing another weak pass defense this weekend. He had a career game for fantasy owners last weekend and should continue to play well with Tyler Thigpen on a roll.

Sit ‘em

Quarterbacks

• Tony Romo @ Redskins: OK, so I said his return was good news for the Cowboys offense. I still think it is. But if you have been rolling with, say, Tyler Thigpen the last few weeks, it may be a good idea to keep Romo benched while you play the hot hand, especially given the matchups this weekend. Make sure Romo’s hand is OK before inserting him back in your lineup, unless he is your only hope.
• Joe Flacco @ Giants: A rookie quarterback on the road against the defending champs who are a favorite to repeat is a recipe for disaster for Flacco. He likely is not your only option at quarterback since he went undrafted in most leagues. And if he is your only option … good luck.

Runningbacks

• Reggie Bush @ Chiefs: This likely will be the only time this season a running back will be a “Sit” against the Chiefs’ run defense. Bush does not appear to be 100 percent healthy or ready for this game. If he plays, I think the Saints limit his touches which limits his opportunity for a big play.
• Ryan Grant v. Bears: The Bears are stuffing the running game right now. Just look at what they did to Tennessee’s dynamic duo last week for proof. Grant is neither LenDale White nor Chris Johnson, and he has even less help in the backfield to take the pressure off him. It could be long day for the Green Bay ball carriers.

Wide receivers

• Calvin Johnson @ Panthers: Megatron is on a torrid fantasy pace this season. But it is hard to see him sustaining this level of play with all the turmoil in Detroit, including the quarterback situation. If he is going to have a down week, it could be this weekend on the road against a tough defense.
• Braylon Edwards @ Bills: Edwards was not the recipient of many of Brady Quinn’s targets in his first career start. There is no proof that anything will change this weekend, so until Quinn starts going to Edwards it is best to keep him stashed on the bench.

Tight end

• Jeremy Shockey @ Chiefs: Shockey is in hot water with his quarterback and that means something to Drew Brees. Unless he can get his act together, stay healthy and start catching some passes, Shockey is pretty useless for fantasy owners right now.

For more great fantasy roster advice this week, including a plethora of Start & Sit links and consensus rankings, head over to the Fantasy Football Librarian. Don’t forget to grab your library card.

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