Before we get started with the questions, I just wanted to remind everyone that we’re running a contest for a $50 NFL.com gift card, which you can win by simply picking the quarterback who will score the most fantasy points this week. Make sure to head over and make your pick before the games start this weekend!

Anyways, here is our first round of Ask the Geek questions for week nine. Remember, you can ask the geeks here or simply leave your questions as comments on our posts and we’ll try our best to respond to them as soon as possible. Our first question focuses on a common topic of this week…what is the deal with Steve Slaton?

Will asks…

Like many I was victimized by the Steve Slaton benching (Thanks Gary Kubiak!). Should I stick with Slaton this week against the Colts or should I try Julius Jones against the Lions?


Brandon’s take: You might wait till closer to game time to see if the Texans shed any more light on the running back situation for Sunday, but I’m still leaning towards Slaton. Julius Jones just hasn’t done much of anything lately and Slaton has much more upside than him…as long as he can hold on to the ball. Stick with Slaton.

Adam asks…

Hey guys – I have a real good feeling about Jamaal Charles and his matchup this week, but I’d need to sit either Kevin Smith or Hightower. Who should I sit? Am I being dumb to sit either? Thanks!

Brandon’s take: I’d go with Tim Hightower. While he doesn’t rack up the rushing yards, he somehow finds a way to score a touchdown almost every week and catches a lot of passes out of the backfield. Charles may have a good match-up, but he still plays for the Chiefs, who do not have a rushing touchdown all year.

Grizz asks…

My RBs:

Pierre Thomas
Cedric Benson
Ronnie Brown

Who’s the odd man out?

Brandon’s take: Tough one there, but I think I would bench Ronnie Brown. The PT Cruiser has a great match-up this week against the Panthers and Cedric Benson has been on fire all year long. As a Patriots fan, I’m hoping that they’ve learned to contain the Wildcat and can limit the damage Brown and Ricky Williams do this weekend.

Rob asks…

i am going to see if you can help me here. i am (in) a point per reception league and we use five offensive players. out of those five at least one must be a running back. so, are you ready for my choices? they are chris johnson,knowshon moreno,beanie wells,devin hester, chad ocho, de jackson,mike sims-walker. also, do i play hasselback or cutler? they both have good matchups. thanks rob

Brandon’s take: Start Chris Johnson as your running back, then Hester, Ochocinco, Jackson and Sims-Walker as the other four guys. At quarterback, I like Matt Hasselbeck, who made my “hit” list this week.

Joe asks…

Im in a 12-person league and have been holding onto a few players for quite some time for their “potential” worth. This is my first year doing fantasy football and I’m not too sure how this plays out during the playoffs (do backups gain worth when starters start to sit for example). My current roster questions concern:

WRs – S. Moss, Ochocinco, D. Mason, Crabtree, A. Bryant, A. Gonzalez, J. Shockey (it’s a WR/TE spot in the roster)
RBs – C. Johnson, S. Jackson, M. Bell, D. Brown, S. Greene

Brown, Bell, and Greene have potential but are taking up a large part of my bench for the third RB spot in the roster. I could probably also grab Moats or Fargas on the waiver this week. Bryant and Gonzalez were supposed to cure my crappy WR problems at the start of the season but have just taken roster spots. I have been hanging around .500 for the season and keep waiting for Addai to get injured, Pierre-Thomas to go down again, Gonzalez to come back, Bryant and his QB to stop sucking, etc. I figured hanging on to these guys would pay off later in the season and wondered if it is time to start dropping any of these players or if these backup types will pay off if I make the playoffs? So:

1. Is Gonzalez worth hanging on to?
2. Drop Bell, Brown, Greene (or any combination of the three)?
3. Replace any of the running backs with Moats or Fargas?
4. Grab P. Crayton or Garcon over Bryant or Gonzalez?

Thanks

Brandon’s take: I think it’s probably safe to drop Donald Brown for Justin Fargas at this point. It’s not a huge upgrade, but at least Fargas gets a lot of carries on a regular basis. As for Ryan Moats, I wouldn’t bother. At wide receiver, unless your league awards points for return yards, Crayton has very little fantasy value. Anthony Gonzalez still has some upside if he can return in the next few weeks and is worth a roster spot if Crayton and Garcon are the best your free agent list has to offer. If there are other players available that you think might be up for consideration as a replacement for Gonzalez or Bryant, feel free to send them over and we’ll let you know what we think. Good luck!

E-Roc asks…

I wish I would have traded Steve Smith (CAR) for a WR who has a serviceable QB… that being said:

WR – Same question, diff week. S.Smith (CAR) v. SD or TJ Housh v. DET? Hard not to like any team playing the Lions.
RB – Kevin Smith (DET) @ SEA or McCoy (PHI) v. DAL? I don’t like either, but my options are limited with T.Jones on a Bye. The waiver-wire is empty, save, Ryan Moats & Jamaal Charles.
DEF – Colts (v. HOU) or Chargers (@ NYG)?

Thanks!

Brandon’s take: At WR I like Houshmandzadeh. For your running back, go with LeSean McCoy, who has the most potential in a game that I think will end up with a lot of points on the scoreboard. Finally, for your defense, I’m not high on either this week, but the Colts at home is the safer bet.

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