Opinion corner: All about titles this weekend

And then there were two.

Championship weekend is upon us and there are two managers within every league that the rest of us are envious of.

What an interesting weekend it was to get to the finals. Maybe it was the Cardinals’ defense that put you through, or maybe it was benching Roddy White. Whatever the move was, you’ve made it this far, and it’s just one more week of championship caliber decisions needed to hoist your league’s trophy.

Unlike some years in the past, none of the elite teams can afford to take this week off. No team has solidified the No. 1 seed within their respective conference and as always, wild card spots are still up for grabs.

The Patriots visit Jacksonville and their 24th-ranked pass defense this week. Wes Welker had an average game against the 49ers, but should help those that are in the finals.

Steven Ridley owners should benefit this week, as the Patriots rout of the Jaguars will allow Ridley to look more impressive than he really is when the game is out of hand.

The Vikings travel to Houston where the Texans will be fighting to tighten their grip on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Now, I’m not advising to bench Adrian Peterson, but the Texans match-up doesn’t provide him with great potential.

The teams that have had success against the Texans have gone to the air and if the Vikings want to stay in the wild card hunt they’ll have to rely on Christian Ponder’s arm a little more this week. Peterson owners, you have no choice but to start him as he chases Eric Dickerson and the single-season rushing record, but you better have other backs in your lineup that are guaranteed to rack up fantasy points.

Doug Martin and Knowshon Moreno are in for big games this week as Tampa Bay is at home to the Rams, and the Broncos host the Browns.

With the Broncos passing attack able to pick apart any team, the run game in Denver has taken advantage of its opportunity. Surprisingly, Moreno is coming off of back-to-back 100-yard games and the lopsided score in this game will allow Moreno to rack up stats during garbage time.

Tampa Bay hosts the Rams and Doug Martin should get back on track. If your team was able to get the victory last week despite his terrible performance last Sunday, don’t stress and bench him this week. Look for Martin to display some of his greatness once again against the Rams run defense.

DeMarco Murray and the Cowboys are at home against the Saints and Murray owners should be satisfied with his performance once again this week. The Saints have given up the second most points to running backs this season and the Cowboys will bring a heavy run attack against New Orleans.

Matt Forte of the Bears will have a big impact this week in Arizona. If Forte doesn’t reach his potential this week, there’s a good chance the Bears won’t reach the playoffs. The Cardinals have allowed 136.5 yards per game this year and with Michael Bush out, Forte could be in a for a huge game.

This week is definitely the week for quarterbacks. Your odds of being champ shouldn’t come down to your quarterback’s performance.

Whether it’s Cam Newton, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Matt Ryan, elite quarterbacks this week will not disappoint their fans, or your fantasy team,

Newton should carve up the Raiders defense, while Brady picks apart Jacksonville. Manning’s should frustrate the Browns and Matt Ryan shouldn’t have a problem finding his main targets against the Lions.

Even the not so elite quarterbacks will have big fantasy points. Tony Romo will produce against the Saints, and Joe Flacco will surprise against the N.Y. Giants.

If you’ve got some questions at the wide receiver slot and have Chris Givens on your bench, he may be worth the start this week. The Rams are up against the Buccaneers terrible pass defense and Givens has the potential to pull of some big plays.

Heath Miller of the Steelers is another great start this week. In a must win for both teams, the Bengals and Steelers will battle it out in Pittsburgh. Big Ben is back and there’s no doubt that he’ll be relying on the Steelers most consistent weapon, Heath Miller.

Good luck to all finalists, and remember nobody remembers who finishes second; it’s all about first place. Study the match-ups, the weather, and enjoy the weekend.

It’s been an honor writing for you and chatting with some of you, thanks for the emails. Happy Holidays!

Jessy Sandhu is the founder of www.fantasymoves.com. Follow him on

Twitter: @FantasyMoves.

Tags: sports, nfl, football