Seperation Time

This is the week we find out how much depth you drafted.  Injuries are starting to really pile up and the bye weeks are in full effect.  One starts doing crazy lineup moves; starting 3 players from one team at the same time.  Players you had never heard of 5 weeks ago suddenly become must starts.  This is when seperation begins to happen between those who drafted well and those who got good and Miller Genuine Drafted on selection night. 

Just like everyone else, I'm looking at a poor lineup, but not all entirely my fault.  Jay Cutler still has headaches after last week and fantasy-bust turned fantasy-stud Darren McFadden is once again injured.  My plan was to start Marshaw Lynch, who had a very favorable match up against the less-than-rad Jacksonville defense.  BUT...Trade city baby.  Now he's resting peacefully in Queen Anne, waiting to make his debut with the Seahawks next week.  This move will pay off in the long run and makes me glad I didn't trade the former Cal product for nothing.  But crap, it hurts this week.  So I'm rolling with 3 Super Chargers against the Raiders.  Now Gates is a must start.  He single handedly won me my game last week (oh yeah, I won again to move my record in my primary league to 4-0.  Additionally, I've moved to 11-1 across all my leagues.  I don't know what happened to me.  Did I get smarter this year?  I guess.  I have, however, drafted a stellar virtual defense, one of the most important aspects of fantasy sports) and looks unstoppable.  I'm also starting Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert.  Could be genius, could be the dumbest move YTD.  Good thing the Raider run defense sucks and they can't stop the TE position.  One good thing for me is that my foe this week, the ridiculously awesome Colon Meals, has been just ravaged by injury.  He's got Peyton Manning, but I think I have a chance. 

It's time to really start rolling with match ups.  I'm not saying sit a stud like Adrian Peterson just because he's going against the Jets, but start looking at bye week replacement match ups.  Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill look like pretty good starts this week; one would not have said that 4 weeks ago.  Peyton Hillis?  Start him baby.  Mike Bell?  Chris Ivory?  BenJarvus Green-Ellis? (not this week, bye).  Even LeGarrette Blount?  All players you are happy you took a flier on during your draft or picked up off waivers.  It's all about depth right now.  About week 10 or 11 is the time to start trading off your depth for studs, but right now you need to ride guys like Mark Sanchez, Nate Washington, and even old Roy Williams.