James Morris hails from Rio Rancho, NM and has been playing fantasy sports for just over 15 years. Not only does he write the Bengals fantasy section, but he also does the Jacksonville Jaguars fantasy section. Crossing over, Morris writes the fantasy sections for the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. Just send him an email and he will reply back the same day with your answer.
A.J. Green gets all the credit he deserves in fantasy circles and many sites have him pegged as a must-start this week and next. But, what I find amazing is that none of these sites are talking about the guy throwing him the ball, Andy Dalton. Did you know that Andy Dalton needs 167 passing yards to become the fifth rookie in NFL history with 3000 yards (P. Manning, Newton, Bradford, Ryan)?
The Bengals defense is also going to be a top play, and for those looking for a sleeper pick in the fantasy playoffs, give Jerome Simpson a serious look. Green can't catch all the passes, and Simpson is available in virtually all leagues, so give him a shot in the flex or WR3 spot if you are in the need.
WHO DEY!
Tim Tebow: The Bucs give up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season at 21.0 PPG, not to mention that I am 100 percent convinced that Jesus is on Tebow's side. Being that this is the Christmas holiday countdown, I think Tebow will have a little extra help and finish as a top 10 fantasy QB this week.
Andy Dalton: The Bengals have a cupcake schedule to finish out the fantasy season and I like Dalton as a sleeper pick at QB this week. The Rams secondary gives up too many plays and Dalton is about to become only the fifth rookie to pass for 3,000 yards. Dalton is underrated and flying under the radar.
Felix Jones: Jones will step into DeMarco Murray's spot and be the Cowboys workhorse back to finish the season out. He doesn't have the skill-set that Murray had, but if you get enough carries you are bound to make some noise in fantasy terms. I see him as a bubble RB1/RB2.
Roy Helu: In a PPR league, Helu is a plain and simple beast, and the Giants give up the 10th-most fantasy points to RBs in PPR leagues (24.4 PPG). The Redskins have Helu and little else on offense, so he will get touch after touch after touch.
Percy Harvin: After Adrian Peterson went down, Harvin stepped up and showed he can be a great playmaker at the WR spot for the Vikings. He is finally past his migraines and is paying dividends for owners who stuck with him. Over the past four weeks, Harvin is averaging 8 catches for 98.3 yards and is scoring 1.3 TD per-game.
James Jones: Jones is more of a flex play than a true WR play until we see exactly how the Packers WR problems shake out. Donald Driver is the old man of the group, but his skills have diminished and there is a reason he is down on the depth chart; Randall Cobb is still a rookie and learning the ropes of the NFL; then there is Jones, a player with the talent to hold down the spot for the remainder of the season and he knows the speed of the game enough to provide the route-running that Aaron Rodgers wants. Of all the Packers WRs not named Jordy Nelson, Jones is my pick to step up and do something.
Anthony Fasano: Fasano is available in virtually all leagues and he is a great TE sleeper this week. He saw 8 targets in Week 14, which tied him for the team lead with Brandon Marshall. Add to that the fact that the Bills give up the most fantasy points to TEs this season and I think you can have waiver wire gold right here.
Arizona Cardinals Defense: The Browns offense is awful and the Cardinals have an amazing return man in rookie Patrick Peterson. The Browns offense has trouble moving the ball, so this should be a low scoring game; some leagues even give defensive points to special teams when they score, so that is another added value for the Cardinals this week.
Arizona Cardinals QBs: Yes, both of them. Kevin Kolb may or may not play, but that isn't really a good thing either way. He is hurt too often to count on and is inconsistent when he is in the game. Then you have John Skelton who looks good until he sees real time on the field and then defenses figure him out and he looks like the backup that he is. Just stay away from anyone on the Cardinals roster not named Beanie Wells or Larry Fitzgerald.
Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben is in a walking boot still and probably won't practice until the last second this week. What that means is he is going to have some sync issues and be a little rusty, not to mention immobile in the pocket. I'm sure he will do something to make a blip on the fantasy radar, but I'd play it safe and find another option.
Marion Barber: I am surprised Barber wasn't outright cut this week after the two mind-numbing plays he made last weekend to lose the game for the Bears. That being said, you can rest assured that Kahlil Bell will see an increase in his touches and Barber will be little more than bench depth for you until he proves he isn't the player we all saw last week.
*Side note to Barber, Chris Da Bears fan has been put on a liquid only diet as the doctors fear he could choke just as the Bears are doing as a sign of what they are calling "misguided loyalty transference."
Rashard Mendenhall: With Roethlisberger ailing, there isn't going to be much to keep the 49ers defense from stacking the line and stuffing Mendenhall every time he gets the ball. This pick is completely out of respect for the tough defense the 49ers have. I don't even want Mendenhall as a flex play for me this week.
Torrey Smith: Smith is that WR you hate to cut because you know as soon as you do he will have a big game. However, you can't play him because every time you do he bombs and does nothing. The Chargers give up the 10th-fewest points to WRs this season and Smith has a way of disappearing when you need him most.
DeSean Jackson: The Jets give up the fourth-fewest points to WRs, D-Jax hasn't hit 100-plus yards since Week 4, and before last week he went seven straight games without reaching the endzone. Jackson has been a major fantasy bust this season and I expect more of the same against a superior defensive backfield this week.
Jermaine Gresham: Regardless of how good I think Dalton will do this weekend, Gresham isn't someone I am thinking of playing simply because the Rams are No. 1 in fantasy points allowed to TEs with an average of 3.5 PPG. Not to mention that Gresham only ranks No. 14 for TE targets this season.
Houston Texans Defense: This is a testament to just how good Cam Newton is already. The Texans defense currently ranks No. 6 in standard fantasy formats for the season and yet I want absolutely no part of them in any circumstance this weekend because of the dynamic playmaking ability of the rookie QB.
