NEPD Staff Writer: Angelo Carriero
Each week, I’ll be working to bring you the best advice for the Jets players on your fantasy football teams.
Players to Start:
Mark Sanchez, QB:
Mark Sanchez is a polarizing player and for good reason. Sanchez is mediocre, to say the least, in the regular season. Having a sub 55% completion percentage and throwing for less than 20 touchdowns doesn’t cut it for a former 6th overall pick. What does is his postseason performance. He really stepped up last postseason, beating the Colts and Patriots before falling to the Steelers. I’m going to go out on a limb. Sanchez is in his third year and has his favorite target, Santonio Holmes, back. New York has a decent pass blocking left tackle in D’Brickishaw Ferguson and a great running game to make life easy for the 3rd year signal caller. So with that out of the way, I don’t think Dallas’ secondary is going to give Sanchez too many problems. Mike Jenkins is inconsistent, Terrance Newman is out for the game, and their safety situation still hasn’t been settled. Sanchez, on the other hand, has his number one receiver returning, most of his offensive line, and a new redzone target in Plaxico Burress. I’m always wary of starting a quarterback when Demarcus Ware is rushing the passer, but I think Sanchez will move around in the pocket enough to have a big game.
Santonio Holmes, WR:
If Mark Sanchez has any hopes of making a leap in his third year, he will have to lean on star receiver Santonio Holmes. Holmes may not be the biggest or fastest wideout in the league, but he is a legitimate number one target. He has great hands, very good agility, and superb route running. There are two reasons why Holmes will be a top fantasy wide receiver this year. One reason is that he’ll be able to play all 16 games. The second reason is that he has had over a year to develop chemistry with Sanchez. Holmes caught two touchdowns in three postseason games last year so if he and Sanchez develop this season I see Holmes going over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Players to Sit
New York Jets Defense:
I love New York’s defense, but I have a couple of issues with their matchup with Dallas. Tony Romo is a very good quarterback and pocket evasion is one of his best traits. The Jets don’t have a dominant pass rusher on their team, so they will have to blitz more often than usual. That isn’t the best case scenario with all of the weapons Dallas has. Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, and Jason Witten are all legitimate number one threats while Felix Jones is very good at catching balls out of the backfield. Dallas’ line is a little sketchy and may be exposed, but I’ll take Romo and his arsenal to make the day troublesome for New York.
Any Jet Running Back:
Honestly, it’ll be interesting to see who gets the carries in New York. Shonn Greene is going to be a two down running back, but LaDanian Tomlinson is a very good redzone running back even in his twilight years. Tomlinson is also the better pick in PPR leagues. I would wait to start a Jet running back until Week 2.
Plaxico Burress, WR:
I didn’t think I’d have to bring Plaxico up but I will for those who think he is a viable WR2. Do not start him. He is a huge redzone target, but after two years in prison he will have to get back in game shape. He may get lucky and score in his first game to scare other teams, but he won’t be ready to make a real impact until the middle of the season. I would stash him on your bench until the end of the season/playoff time and reap the benefits then, not now.
Tags: Fantasy Football, Mark Sanchez
