With many leagues deciding playoff births, good advice is more crucial than ever before. Let's see who could get you in or keep you out of your league's fantasy playoffs.
START 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM
Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin - Against the similarly-ranked Washington defense, the Eagles went bananas for points and yards. If you have an Eagles skill player then they need to be played. The speed may be too much for Houston's defense.
Arian Foster - He has been strong against his recent string of strong defenses (San Diego, New York, and Tennessee), so any hesitation about playing him should be gone. Foster leads the league in rushing and is a viable threat in the passing game - something the Eagles struggle to defend. If Houston stands any chance to win this game, they'll need a similar offensive gameplan as they used against Tennessee. For those with short memories, Foster had 218 all-purpose yards and nine receptions.
Andre Johnson - He's a stud receiver who's getting targets. After Sunday's fight, I imagine he'll want to put the spotlight on his skills. It's not an easy match-up, but I wouldn't bet against him if he's motivated to give people a different reason to talk about him - especially if Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel misses Thursday's game.
YOU CAN PLAY THEM BUT THERE IS A RISK
Matt Schaub - The Eagles lead the league in interceptions (19) and are top-ten in sacks (30). Statistically, Schaub is good against blitzes, such as his recent game against Tennessee. However, I'd use someone else if I had a QB with a better match-up.
Kevin Walter & Jacoby Jones - The Eagles are strong against receivers in general, but if the Eagles slide extra men to Johnson then these guys will have some open space. They are inconsistent though.
Philadelphia's Defense - They get a lot of sacks and takeaways, but Houston's offense has demonstrated the ability to score points against good defenses. There are better match-ups out there, but this is not a must-bench situation either.
AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE
Owen Daniels - He likely will not play on Thursday, and he's been ineffective this season.
Brent Celek - Celek's coming off a good day (three catches, 50 yards, and a touchdown), but his season hasn't seen many good days. Also, Houston has been pretty good against tight ends since Zac Diles was benched in favor of Darryl Sharpton. Over the past three weeks, tight ends are averaging one catch and six yards against Houston. Celek's not the tight end you want to start this week.
Houston's Defense - A great game on Sunday, but they are running into a buzzsaw on Thursday. I really don't see a repeat performance.
DON'T SLEEP ON...
Joel Dreessen. Even if Daniels can play, Dreessen's been putting up some great numbers of late.
For more on the Texans, check out Battle Red Blog.
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