A few quick updates before we get to the start-and-sit lists:

-- The Cowboys are expected to have all three running backs at their disposal for Sunday's game against the Falcons. Marion Barber (strained quad and fractured thumb) is expected to start and get the most carries, but how Dallas will use both Felix Jones, who is returning from a knee injury, and the productive Tashard Choice is anyone's guess. Barber seems to be the only semi-safe play, since Choice likely will be relegated to the No. 3 role.

-- Braylon Edwards (quad injury) will play for the Jets, but fellow receiver Jerricho Cotchery (hamstring) will not.

-- Cowboys receiver Roy Williams is expected to return from a rib injury, and Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin should play through an ankle injury. Boldin could be a game-time decision, which limits his value and increases that of teammate Steve Breaston should the former sit.

-- You know it's the first week in which six teams have a bye when the 18th-, 19th- and 20th-ranked quarterbacks on the playlist are Chad Henne, Jake Delhomme and Mark Sanchez, who threw five interceptions last week. Hey, it was either them or Jason Campbell, Derek Anderson, Marc Bulger, Josh Johnson, Ryan Fitzpatrick and/or JaMarcus Russell.

On to the start-and-sit advice ...

Five to start

This week’s look at part-time starters and fantasy backups who should benefit from a favorable matchup:

-- Eli Manning, QB, Giants, vs. Cardinals: The position is so loaded that he's a backup in many leagues, but he's throw 10 touchdown passes in his last five games, and the Cardinals are the league's second-worst defense against the pass.

-- Laurence Maroney, RB, Patriots, vs. Buccaneers at London: He ran for 123 yards and a touchdown last week, his first big game in two years, and he should get the bulk of the work with Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor injured. The Bucs are awful at stopping the run (No. 31, 171.7 rushing yards per game, six rushing TDs allowed).

-- Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills, at Panthers: In the last two weeks, he's had 44 touches (36 rushes and eight catches) to Fred Jackson's 30 (28 rushes and two receptions). Lynch could have his first breakout game of the season against the Panthers, who rank 29th vs. the run.

-- Miles Austin, WR, Cowboys, vs. Falcons: He's now a starter in Dallas after catching 10 passes for 250 yards and two TDs in Week 6, and he should be in your fake team's lineup against the Falcons' 21st-ranked pass defense.

-- Austin Collie, WR, Colts, at Rams: Anthony Gonzalez is out another week because of a knee injury, which is good news for owners of this impressive rookie. Collie has caught 14 passes for 162 yards and three scores in Indy's last two games, and the Rams are the league's sixth-worst defending the pass.

More matchups I like:

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas, vs. Falcons; Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles, at Redskins; Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers, vs. Bills; Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants, vs. Cardinals; Lance Moore, WR, Saints, at Dolphins

Three to sit

If you have a decent backup, these starters should take a seat for a week:

-- Brett Favre, QB, Vikings, at Steelers: With 11 TDs in his last five games, he's surpringly been a regular starter, but I would play another QB against the Steelers.

-- Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants, vs. Cardinals: He's rushed for 67 yards or fewer in four of six games, and he's scored only one TD all season. The Cardinals are the league's best against the run.

-- Cadillac Williams, RB, Buccaneers, vs. Patriots at London: It's a stretch to even consider him a starter, but with six teams off this week, he will certainly be in a number of lineups. I wouldn't play the Caddy against the Pats, who should limit his touches by jumping out to a big early lead.

More matchups I don’t like:

Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals, at Giants (but I'd only bench him if I had a very productive backup); Lee Evans, WR, Bills, at Panthers

Last week

The start list had one hit in Brian Westbrook (50 yards rushing, nine catches for 91 yards) and one decent call in Carson Palmer (259 yards passing, one TD and one interception). Braylon Edwards (three catches for 40 yards), Santana Moss (one reception for 42 yards) and Matt Hasselbeck (112 yards passing and one interception) were all duds.

The sit list was 4-for-4, as Eli Manning (178 yards passing, one TD, one interception), Julius Jones (five yards rushing), Jamal Lewis (21 yards rushing and two catches for 15 yards) and Mohamed Massaquoi (five receptions for 83 yards) failed to reach double figures in points in standard formats.

Playlist

QUARTERBACKS
1. Peyton Manning, Colts, at Rams (No. 27 vs. the pass)
2. Tom Brady, Patriots, vs. Buccaneers at London (No. 11)
3. Drew Brees, Saints, at Dolphins (No. 18)
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers, at Browns (No. 23)
5. Philip Rivers, Chargers, at Chiefs (No. 25)
6. Matt Schaub, Texans, vs. 49ers (No. 20)
7. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers, vs. Vikings (No. 24)
8. Eli Manning, Giants, vs. Cardinals (No. 31)
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons, at Cowboys (No. 26)
10. Jay Cutler, Bears, at Bengals (No. 28)
11. Tony Romo, Cowboys, vs. Falcons (No. 21)
12. Kurt Warner, Cardinals, at Giants (No. 1)
13. Donovan McNabb, Eagles, at Redskins (No. 3)
14. Carson Palmer, Bengals, vs. Bears (tied for No. 14)
15. Brett Favre, Vikings, at Steelers (No. 12)
16. Matt Cassel, Chiefs, vs. Chargers (No. 13)
17. Shaun Hill, 49ers, at Texans (No. 19)
18. Chad Henne, Dolphins, vs. Saints (tied for No. 14)
19. Jake Delhomme, Panthers, vs. Bills (No. 4)
20. Mark Sanchez, Jets, at Raiders (No. 16)

RUNNING BACKS
1. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, vs. Bills (No. 32 vs. the run)
2. Frank Gore, 49ers, at Texans (No. 24)
3. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins, vs. Saints (No. 5)
4. Ryan Grant, Packers, at Browns (No. 30)
5. Brian Westbrook, Eagles, at Redskins (No. 22)
6. Joseph Addai, Colts, at Rams (No. 26)
7. Thomas Jones, Jets, at Raiders (No. 28)
8. Cedric Benson, Bengals, vs. Bears (No. 6)
9. Adrian Peterson, Vikings, at Steelers (No. 2)
10. Michael Turner, Falcons, at Cowboys (No. 17)
11. Steve Slaton, Texans, vs. 49ers (No. 7)
12. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers, at Chiefs (No. 25)
13. Matt Forte, Bears, at Bengals (No. 11)
14. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers, vs. Vikings (No. 9)
15. Steven Jackson, Rams, vs. Colts (No. 14)
16. Clinton Portis, Redskins, vs. Eagles (No. 15)
17. Tim Hightower, Cardinals, at Giants (No. 18)
18. Pierre Thomas, Saints, at Dolphins (No. 3)
19. Laurence Maroney, Patriots, vs. Buccaneers at London (No. 31)
20. Marion Barber, Cowboys, vs. Falcons (No. 23)
21. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants, vs. Cardinals (No. 1)
22. Marshawn Lynch, Bills, at Panthers (No. 29)
23. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers, vs. Bills (No. 32)
24. Larry Johnson, Chiefs, vs. Chargers (No. 27)

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Randy Moss, Patriots, vs. Buccaneers at London (No. 11 vs. the pass)
2. Reggie Wayne, Colts, at Rams (No. 27)
3. Andre Johnson, Texans, vs. 49ers (No. 20)
4. Wes Welker, Patriots, vs. Buccaneers at London (No. 11)
5. Hines Ward, Steelers, vs. Vikings (No. 24)
6. Marques Colston, Saints, at Dolphins (No. 18)
7. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, at Giants (No. 1)
8. Roddy White, Falcons, at Cowboys (No. 26)
9. Steve Smith, Giants, vs. Cardinals (No. 31)
10. Donald Driver, Packers, at Browns (No. 23)
11. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals, vs. Bears (tied for No. 14)
12. Vincent Jackson, Chargers, at Chiefs (No. 25)
13. Santonio Holmes, Steelers, vs. Vikings (No. 24)
14. DeSean Jackson, Eagles, at Redskins (No. 3)
15. Greg Jennings, Packers, at Browns (No. 23)
16. Miles Austin, Cowboys, vs. Falcons (No. 21)
17. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs, vs. Chargers (No. 13)
18. Mario Manningham, Giants, vs. Cardinals (No. 31)
19. Steve Smith, Panthers, vs. Bills (No. 4)
20. x-Anquan Boldin, Cardinals, at Giants (No. 1)
21. Austin Collie, Colts, at Rams (No. 27)
22. Braylon Edwards, Jets, at Raiders (No. 16)
23. Santana Moss, Redskins, vs. Eagles (No. 5)
24. Sidney Rice, Vikings, at Steelers (No. 12)
25. Terrell Owens, Bills, at Panthers (No. 2)
26. Roy Williams, Cowboys, vs. Falcons (No. 21)
27. Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers, vs. Patriots at London (No. 6)
28. Hakeem Nicks, Giants, vs. Cardinals (No. 31)
29. Bernard Berrian, Vikings, at Steelers (No. 12)
30. Devin Hester, Bears, at Bengals (No. 28)
31. Steve Breaston, Cardinals, at Giants (No. 1)
32. Donnie Avery, Rams, vs. Colts (No. 9)
33. Lance Moore, Saints, at Dolphins (No. 18)
34. Ted Ginn Jr., Dolphins, vs. Saints (tied for No. 14)
35. Kevin Walter, Texans, vs. 49ers (No. 20)
36. Mohamed Massaquoi, Browns, vs. Packers (No. 10)
x-Make sure Boldin (ankle injury) is active.

MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL: For a breakdown of fantasy's most productive position this season, a link that also includes our weekly audiocast, click here.