Weekly Average Cheat Sheet (FantasySportsCentral.com) - a collaboration of several websites' player rankings

Matchups to Exploit or Avoid (ProFootballWeekly.com) - A short article on who to sit or start.

Start Em, Sit Em (NFL.com) - The ultimate look at the best and worst matchups of the week and how those matchups will affect your fantasy team.

Start/Bench List (FantasySharks.com) - A few players to start or bench for QB, RB, WR and TE with commentary.

Start/Bench (PigskinAddicition.com) - Studs, Start, Bench and Sleepers for QB, RB and WR with analysis and opposing D rank.

Player History (FFToday.com) - Game-by-game lifetime player fantasy points against the team they are playing this week including all game logs.

Fantasy Football Sleepers (KFFL.com) - In this article they break down fantasy football sleepers of the week.

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, fantasy links, player rankings, start em, sit em, lineup advice

Grinnell College (IA) guard Griffin Lentsch scored a NCAA Division III record 89 points on Saturday...

College Hoops grinnell college, griffin lentsch, 89 points

The Cincinnati Bengals are 7-4 and one of the NFL biggest surprises of the season.  Part of the team’s success can be attributed to new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

The team’s offensive stats aren’t overwhelming. They rank 17th in total yards (334.6 ypg) and 13th in total points, averaging 23.5 points per contest.

What is not showing up in the box score though has been the team’s ability to make adjustments during the game, something that was a weak area under previous offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. The coaching adjustments have helped propel the Bengals to four fourth-quarter comebacks this season.

It has pretty remarkable what Gruden has been able to do with a just a short window of time during his first season in Cincinnati with a young offense led by a rookie quarterback in a lockout-shortened season. 

Known primarily as being the brother of former Super Bowl coach and current Monday Night Football analyst, Jon Gruden, when he was hired this past offseason, the younger Gruden is making a name for himself.  This is never more evident than his name surfacing in several different head coach vacancies by various media outlets, including UCLA and Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL cincinnati bengals, jay gruden, ucla, jacksonville jaguars

The graph below indicates the fantasy points allowed by each team by position, ranked from 1 through 32. The higher the number means the better the match-up...

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, fantasy points allowed, points allowed by position

Here's some news from around the web about Ohio State naming Urban Meyer as head coach:

SUCCESS COULD BRING MISERY (Barry Groves, Forbes.com)
As a haloed future hall of famer, you’ve had more options since quitting Florida than Heffner had bunnies. So you smartly decided to sit back and scout every team you would have to play if you decided to coach a team in a conference – and get paid for doing it. You became a TV announcer of games for the Big Ten Network as you contemplated a return to coaching at Ohio State. As soon as the 2011 OSU season was mercifully laid to rest, you decided to take the job when it was offered. This entire scenario is a dream for every football coach in America, except you. For you it is reality...MORE

MEYER MAY BE SHORT-TERM SOLUTION (Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com)
In six seasons at Florida, Meyer won 65 games and guided the Gators to BCS national championships during the 2006 and 2008 seasons. But Ohio State isn't hiring that coach. The Buckeyes are hiring a coach who went 8-5 in his final season as Florida's coach and left behind an even worse team for his successor...MORE

MEYER, OSU A PERFECT FIT (Andy Staples, SI.COM)
Ohio State fans expect the same 12-14 wins a season Florida fans expect. Meyer said he got too caught up in "the pursuit of perfection," at Florida. He said he now realizes perfection isn't attainable. If he does what he plans to do, everyone will expect perfection again. Managing those expectations when they come will be far more difficult than talking about them now...MORE

College Football ohio state buckeyes, urban meyer, osu

Three-time All-Star Sean Casey, Big Red Machine infielder Dan Driessen and 19th century first baseman John Reilly will be the next three players inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

Casey was selected by the fans through the Modern Player Ballot. The Veterans Committee selected Driessen and Reilly to make up the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

The trio will be honored June 22-24 during Reds Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, which will include on-field ceremonies at Great American Ball Park, the star-studded Hall of Fame Induction Gala and a variety of festivities at the Hall, including meet and greets with Reds Hall of Famers and alumni.

One of the most popular players to ever wear a Reds uniform, first baseman Sean Casey came to be known as “The Mayor” during his eight-year Reds career. Acquired by the Reds on the eve of Opening Day in 1998, Casey overcame a serious eye injury and established himself as the club’s starting first baseman and would remain in that position for the next seven seasons. A lifetime .305 hitter as a Red, Casey eclipsed the .300 mark five times during his Reds career, posting a career-best .332 average in 1999.

MLB cincinnati reds, reds hall of fame, sean casey, dan driessen, john reilly

We take a look at the latest college football rankings:

COMPLETE RANKINGS

College Football latest polls, college football rankings, ap poll, coaches poll

FANTASY 101
Targeting Targets: A good way to beat other owners to the punch on the waiver wire or make key lineup decisions is to pay attention to target reports to see which players are getting thrown to the most often. While it doesn’t always translate breakout stats, it does mean they are at least getting chances. Be careful not to over emphasize a single week of data though. It’s always best to use larger sample sizes. This especially holds true in PPR formats.

SETTING YOUR LINEUP
START 'EM
RB LeGarrette Blount (vs. TEN) – After a strong performance last week versus Green Bay, Blount figures to be in line for another solid effort in Week 12. He is facing a Titans’ D that has ceded eight touchdowns to opposing running and that has allowed over 700 total yards and five touchdowns to the position over their past five contests.

WR Andre Johnson (at JAC) – Owners and been waiting too long to get their stud wide receiver back and there are only a few exceptions where he shouldn’t be immediately plugged into fantasy lineups. The Jaguars are without top corner Rashean Mathis and Johnson has found the end zone three times in his last four vs. Jacksonville.

SIT 'EM
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (at PHI) – The Law Firm hasn’t lived up to expectations to this point of the season and hasn’t made his way into the end zone in five straight weeks. The Eagles have only allowed one rushing touchdown since Week 5. Keep Green-Ellis on the pine.

TE Dustin Keller (vs BUF) – After a decent start to the year, Keller’s fantasy value has plummeted. He hasn’t scored since Week 2 of the season and hasn’t eclipsed more than seven fantasy points in a game over his last eight outings.

FANTASY INFIRMARY
RB Adrian Peterson (ankle) – The Vikings have ruled Peterson officially out for Week 12 against the Falcons. Toby Gerhardt will start in his place with Percy Harvin also in line to get some touches out of the backfield in his absence.

QB Michael Vick (ribs) and WR Jeremy Maclin (shoulder) – It looks like the Eagles will once again be without both Vick and Maclin as they welcome the Patriots. Vince Young and Riley Cooper are expected to get the nod in the starting lineup. Both could be decent fantasy options for owners scrambling for help.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) – The Giants’ running back will miss his fourth straight game on Monday versus the Saints. His absence hasn’t equaled huge success for Brandon Jacbos though, so you may want to look elsewhere.

WR Mario Manningham (knee) – Looking more and more like a game-time decision for Manningham. With the Giants not playing until Monday night though owners may not be able to wait for final verdict.

RB Jahvid Best (concussion) – The Lions finally placed Best on I.R., ending his season. Kevin Smith, who suffered a sprained ankle in Thursday’s loss to the Packers, is expected to shoulder the load the rest of the way in Detroit as long as he’s healthy.

Other injuries of note: Darren McFadden (foot), Deion Branch (hip), Montario Hardesty (calf)

BIG FINISHES – WR's
Here are a few wide receivers with favorable matchups over the next five weeks that could surprise…

Calvin Johnson (GB, @NO, MIN, @Oak, SD) – The rich get richer. Three of his last five matchups are against defenses that allow big fantasy points to receivers, including Week 14 vs. Minnesota and a fantasy championship Week 16 matchup against the Chargers. 

DeSean Jackson (NE, @Sea, @Mia, NYJ, @Dal) – As the Eagles’ healthiest receiver Jackson could help booster his contract status with a strong finish. The schedule should help with few cold weather stops and favorable matchups with the Pats, Seahawks, and Cowboys.

Brandon Lloyd (ARI, @SF, @Sea, CIN, @PIT) – The schedule doesn’t jump right out at you, but it’s not terrible either. As the Rams new wideout continues to develop chemistry with Sam Bradford his numbers should only go up.

Fantasy Football fantasy advice, week 12, fantasy 101, start 'em, sit 'em, lineup advice, injury report

A look from HBO's documentary on the Ohio State and Michigan rivalry...

College Football michigan, ohio state, sports rivalries

We gave our readers early reasons to be thanks in Week 11 as we picked 11 of 13 winners straight up in our Confidence Pool. Both of Survivor picks cruised easily to wins and our pick of the day, the Bengals (+7.5) hit as did our three team parlay. Let's keep it rolling in the week ahead:

nfl picks, confidence pool, survivor, against the spread