By Adam Helbling

Risk Management is a weekly article dedicated to making sure that you get the most out of your fantasy roster and waiver wire pick-ups. It will feature Blue Chips (Studs), Defensive Stocks (Mid-tier players), and Penny Stocks (players likely available on your waiver wire). A player listed in the ‘buy’ section of the article is a player that has a favorable match-up going into the week. A player listed in the ‘sell’ section has a match-up that you might want to avoid.

Keep in mind that simply because a player is listed as a ‘sell’ does not mean he should be absent from your starting line-up. Who you have (or don’t have) in reserve matters just as much as any match-up does. Another important thing to remember is that just like on the stock market, a Blue Chip can have a bad week and still out-perform Defensive Stocks and/or Penny Stocks.

BLUE CHIP STOCKS

Stocks of leading and nationally known companies that offer a record of continuous dividend payments and other strong investment qualities or…fantasy football studs.

Buy

QB Eli Manning, New York Giants – You might argue with Eli Manning being listed as a ‘blue chip’, but you can’t argue with the numbers he has put up so far this season. Over the first three weeks of the season Manning has averaged 249 yards passing and 1.7 touchdowns per contest. Those numbers would probably be even better had the Giants’ game against Tampa Bay this week been anything more than a glorified scrimmage. Manning gets the Chiefs this week who are giving up 248 yards passing and 1.7 touchdowns per contest…. Spooky.

RB Steve Slaton, Houston Texans – To say that Slaton has been a disappointment this season would be an understatement. The Texans’ running back has yet to find the end zone and is averaging just 42 yards rushing per contest. Slaton owners should be able to relax a bit this week as he faces a Raiders defense giving up 137 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown a game to opposing running backs.

WR Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers – You might not picture Jackson as a fantasy stud, but through the first three weeks of the season he has averaged 106 yards receiving and a touchdown per game. He faces a Steelers defense that has struggled of late defending opposing wide receivers, giving up 148 yards receiving and one touchdown per contest to the position.

Sell

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – How do you sit a quarterback that is averaging 280 yards passing and three touchdowns per contest? You don’t, but keep in mind that the Jets have only given up 184 yards passing and 0.3 passing touchdowns per contest this season.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars – While the Titans passing defense has been awful this season, the run defense has been one of the best in the league. Over the last three weeks the Titans are only giving up 55 yards rushing and have yet to allow a rushing touchdow. MJD’s numbers of 94 yards rushing and 1.3 touchdowns per contest might be hard to match this week.

TE Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys – Over the first three weeks of the season Witten is averaging 60 yards receiving and 0.3 touchdowns a game. Those aren’t the numbers most fantasy experts expected when they spent an early round draft pick on him. They could walk away disappointed once again this week as he faces a Broncos defense that is giving up just 16 yards receiving a game and has yet to give up a touchdown to a tight end.

Defensive Stocks

A stock purchased from a company that has maintained a record of stable earnings and continuous dividend payments through periods of economic downturn….or fantasy players without the flash of the studs, but steady contributors when you need them.

Buy

QB Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears – Through Week 3 Cutler is averaging 253 yards passing and two touchdowns per contest. The Lions got their first win this past week, but still gave up 340 yards passing and two touchdowns to Jason Campbell. For the season, the Lions are giving up 289 yards passing and 3.3 passing touchdowns a game.

RB Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals – This past Sunday Benson showed that it wasn’t just a soft schedule that had him racking up points for fantasy owners as he totaled 76 yards rushing and one touchdown against the Steelers defense. Even more impressive, Benson averaged 4.8 yards per carry. For the season, Benson is averaging 98 yards rushing and 0.7 touchdowns per contest. He faces a Cleveland defense this week that is giving up 164 yards rushing and 2.7 rushing touchdown to the position per game.

RB Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders – Most owners drafted McFadden for two reasons, his talent and upside. All owners have to be disappointed with his 49 yards rushing and 0.3 touchdowns per contest this season. Not having RG Robert Gallery (broken leg) hasn’t helped either. But spirits might be bucked up a bit this weekend as McFadden faces a Houston defense giving up 170 yards rushing and 2.3 touchdowns per game to opposing running backs.

RB Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins – Brown is currently averaging 85 yards rushing and 0.7 touchdowns a game. He faces a Bills defense giving up 112 yards rushing and 1.3 rushing touchdowns per contest to running backs. With Chad Pennington (shoulder) out for the season, the Dolphins might be best served just staying in the Wildcat formation the entire game.

WR Santana Moss, Washington Redskins - Tampa Bay has given up seven touchdown receptions to opposing wide receivers, a league high, along with 176 yards receiving per contest to the position. This is certainly a good time to start Moss, who came out of his shell last week with 10 receptions, 179 yards and a touchdown against the Lions.

Sell

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – With the Steelers ground game struggling, Roethlisberger owners have reaped the rewards as he has averaged 287 yards passing and one touchdown per contest. But you might be pressing your luck if you start him this week against a Chargers defense giving up only 187 yards passing and one passing touchdown a game.

RB Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers – The Thitoff Mancrush is starting to look like a curse as Grant has averaged just 69 yards rushing and 0.7 touchdowns per contest over the last three weeks. That curse probably won’t get lifted this week as he faces a Vikings defense that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown and is giving up only 76 yards rushing per contest to opposing running backs.

WR Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens – Mason has averaged 65 yards receiving and 0.3 touchdowns per contest over the first three weeks of the season and turned in a 118 yard and one touchdown performance against the Browns last week. We don’t see him duplicating those numbers against a Patriots defense who has yet to give up a touchdown to a wide receiver and has allowed just 114 yards receiving to the position to date.

Penny Stocks

Low-priced speculative issues of stock selling at less than $1.00 a share or… you have got to be kidding, Shaun Hill (again)?  * Due to the fact that these are the type of players you would only start with a good great match-up there will be no ‘Sell’ section for Penny Stocks.*

Buy

QB Shaun Hill, San Francisco 49ers - Hill is only averaging 183 yards passing and 1.7 touchdowns per contest this season. If for some reason you are in a pinch at quarterback, he makes a nice bye-week option against a Rams defense giving up 263 yards passing and 1.7 touchdowns per game.

RB Glen Coffee, San Francisco 49ers – If you followed our advice and picked up Coffee this week, it would be a good time to start him. The Rams defense has given up 121 yards rushing and one touchdown per game to opposing running backs this season.

WR Justin Gage, Tennessee Titans – Gage has scored just one touchdown and is averaging only 47 yards receiving per contest. But if you need help at wide receiver, he could be your answer this week as he faces a Jacksonville defense giving up 210 yards receiving and 1.3 touchdowns per game to the wide receiver position.

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