Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system. For your final starting lineup decisions, check my weekly fantasy football lineup rankings.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Freeman has been a disappointment for fantasy fans this season, but he's still in the RB2 conversation based on this week's matchup against the Panthers. No team in the league has allowed more total touchdowns (22), and only the Chiefs have surrendered more fantasy points to enemy running backs. Get Freeman into your lineups.
Ekeler has played second fiddle to Melvin Gordon in recent weeks, but he is still putting up good numbers. In fact, he's scored 16-plus points in each of his last two games. He's on the RB2/flex radar against the Jaguars, who have surrendered six total touchdowns and the second-most fantasy points to running backs since Week 10.
Lindsay continues to disappoint in the stat sheets, as he's failed to produce against even the best matchups in recent weeks. Still, I'd flex him against Houston. Their defense has surrendered an average of nearly 28 fantasy points a game to backs in 2019. What's more, they've allowed a top-10 runner in three straight contests.
Hunt continues to produce nice totals as a flex starter, hitting double digits in every game since his return from a suspension. He's a strong play this week, as the Browns host a Cincinnati defense that's allowed an average of five catches, 44.3 receiving yards and the eighth-most fantasy points to enemy backs overall in 2019.
The Steelers runners can be tough to trust during the fantasy playoffs, but Snell is still worth a flex start against the Cardinals. He has led the backfield in both snaps and touches over the last two weeks, and Arizona has surrendered 11 total touchdowns and a combined nine top-20 fantasy performances to running backs this season.
Start 'Em:Miles Sanders vs. New York Giants (Mon.), James White vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sleepers:Derrius Guice at Green Bay Packers, Alexander Mattison vs. Detroit Lions
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
Coleman has seen his stock sink in fantasy leagues, and he might have hit rock bottom last week when the Niners leaned on Raheem Mostert against the Ravens. With snaps and touches now in question, Coleman is a fade when the Niners face New Orleans. The Saints defense has allowed the fourth-fewest points to backs.
Mack is on pace to return to action this week, but you have to wonder if his touches will be limited coming off a broken hand (especially as a pass catcher). He also has a tough matchup, as the Buccaneers have allowed just two total touchdowns and the sixth-fewest fantasy points to enemy backs in Tampa Bay. At best, Mack is a flex starter.
Jones was a start 'em in this space last week ... and the Buccaneers went to Peyton Barber (18.4 points) instead. Such is the Tampa backfield. RoJo has now scored fewer than four points in two of his last three games, is losing work to Barber, and faces a Colts defense that's allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs.
Singletary has seen his fantasy points increase in each of his last four games, culminating in an impressive 19.1-point effort in Dallas. Still, he's a fade for me when the Bills host the Ravens. Their defense has been tough on home runners, allowing just three total touchdowns and the second-fewest fantasy points to the position this season.
McCoy found the end zone last week, and he's likely to see more work with Damien Williams and Darrel Williams both injured. Still, I'd fade the plotting veteran when he faces the Patriots in New England. Their defense has allowed just two touchdowns and the fewest fantasy points to opposing runners, so McCoy is in a very tough spot.
Sit 'Em:Bo Scarbrough at Minnesota Vikings, Latavius Murray vs. San Francisco 49ers
Busts:Kenyan Drake vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Raheem Mostert at New Orleans Saints
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on **Twitter**, **Facebook**, **YouTube** and **Instagram** for all of the latest fantasy football news, notes and in-depth analysis!
