Inside the NFL

Fantasy football

Luck strong quarterback option Sunday

 

Special to The Miami Herald

Wondering whether to start Aaron Rodgers and LeSean McCoy, or to bench Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards? Anyone can give you that kind of advice. If you’re looking for help with your real starting lineup conundrums, read on.

Here are my picks to roll, and get rolled, in Week 8.

Watch ’em roll

Andrew Luck, QB, Colts at Titans. Luck hasn’t thrown a TD pass since Week 5, but he scrambled in for two scores last week. He won’t have as much trouble finding open receivers Sunday against the league’s passing doormat. He’s a strong starting option for those owners without an elite passer.

Willis McGahee, RB, Broncos vs. Saints. After a week of rest, McGahee has the good fortune of facing the league’s second-worst rush defense. This game is likely to be a shootout, and there will be plenty of opportunities for McGahee to gash the Saints.

Rashad Jennings, RB, Jaguars at Packers. Though this could get out of hand quickly for the Jags, Jennings’ strong receiving skills make him an attractive prospect. Green Bay sports a mediocre run defense, so Jennings will have a chance to produce in both phases.

Josh Gordon, WR, Browns vs. Chargers. The rookie has reeled in four TDs during the past three weeks, but still just seven total catches over that span. Given Trent Richardson’s rib problems, Brandon Weeden will be looking to his play-making wideout often.

Randall Cobb, WR, Packers vs. Jaguars. While Aaron Rodgers is hot, his primary wideouts are must-starts. Cobb has emerged over the past three weeks as a viable replacement for Greg Jennings, and James Jones remains attractive despite an off week against the Rams.

Roll ’em back

Cam Newton, QB, Panthers at Bears. Heading to the Windy City against arguably the NFL’s most fearsome defense, the beleaguered passer is a dubious fantasy prospect. He’s not even likely to compensate for his aerial deficiencies with a strong rushing performance this week.

Felix Jones, RB, Cowboys vs. Giants. Though DeMarco Murray is most likely to sit out another game, Jones showed last week why he can’t be trusted as a primary ball-carrier. On top of that, “Fragile Felix” is dealing with a bruised knee. That likely means more Philip Tanner sightings.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, Cardinals vs. 49ers. Not only is he facing a solid, though no longer impenetrable, 49ers run defense, but Stephens-Howling still must share the load with William Powell. Stephens-Howling received the bulk of the workload in Week 7 because he had the proverbial “hot hand;” but the temperature in Arizona can change.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles vs. Falcons. Michael Vick’s turnover problems could be magnified in this matchup with Atlanta’s ball-hawking secondary. Also, Jackson is playing second fiddle to Jeremy Maclin, making him a bad bet to notch his second TD or 100-yard receiving game of the season.

Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers at Cardinals. With just seven receptions for 57 yards the past two games, Crabtree has fallen dramatically from his Week 5 high.

TAKING A FLIER

Alex Green, RB, Packers vs. Jaguars. Who needs a running game when Rodgers is your QB? A valid question, but the Packers know they must generate a credible ground attack to vie for another championship, and they are giving Green every opportunity to prove himself.

Don’t be the bonehead who … lets Danny Amendola remain a free agent any longer. His owner shouldn’t have released him in the first place after the trusty wideout sustained a clavicle injury in Week 5. But if they did, swoop in now. Amendola’s rehab has been accelerated, and he is targeting a Week 10 return.

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