START 'EM

-- 49ers: TE Vernon Davis, K Jeff Reed.

-- Chargers: QB Philip Rivers, WR Vincent Jackson, WR Malcom Floyd, K Nate Kaeding, defense and special teams.

Quick slants: Davis has 744 yards and six touchdowns on the season, and he has nine catches for 196 yards and two scores in his last two games. ... In two games with San Francisco, Reed has scored 26 points and is perfect on seven field-goal attempts. ... Rivers has endured his only "slump" of the season, throwing for a combined 691 yards, three TDs and two interceptions in his last three games. With 3,868 yards and 26 TDs on the season, you have to play him every week. ... Jackson made it through an entire game last week, but had only two catches for 29 yards and one rush for 14 yards. Just a hunch: With Floyd banged up, this will be Jackson's breakout game. ... Floyd is a difficult call, since he missed practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury, but he's expected to play and he had four catches and two TDs last week. The Chargers' receiving corps is banged up, so they need him tonight. ... Kaeding is averaging 7.6 points per game. ... San Diego's defense is ranked first overall (265 yards per game), first against the pass (173) and fourth vs. the run (91.6).

SIT 'EM

49ers: QB Alex Smith, RB Brian Westbrook, RB Anthony Dixon, WR Michael Crabtree, WR Josh Morgan, defense and special teams.

Chargers: RB Mike Tolbert, RB Ryan Mathews, WR Patrick Crayton, TE Antonio Gates, TE Randy McMichael.

Quick slants: Smith threw for 255 yards and three TDs last week, his first game since Week 7, but I wouldn't play him against a defense that has one more interception (13) than TD passes allowed (12). ... Westbrook is a tempting play in point-per-reception leagues after he caught six passes for 87 yards and a TD last week against Seattle. In standard formats, however, I wouldn't start him because he's had only 18 carries for 54 yards in the two games in which Frank Gore has missed. ... Crabtree had one catch for 1 yard last week, and he hasn't had more than 48 yards in a game since Week 10. ... The 49ers' defense ranks 11th overall (327.4 yards per game), but is 20th against the pass (227). ... Tolbert has 10 TDs on the ground, but he split 32 carries with Mathews last week, and the rookie is San Diego's featured back when healthy (which hasn't been often). ... Mathews had 16 carries for 65 yards and a TD last week, his first appearance since Week 9, but Tolbert gets the majority of the goal-line work. ... Crayton is out with a wrist injury. ... Gates is doubtful with foot and ankle injuries. ... With Gates out last week, his replacement, McMichaels, had only two catches for 26 yards.

Just three words of advice when it comes to drafting kickers: Only select one.

Don’t be the guy who’s so cheap he would rather select two kickers -- thus covering himself for his starter’s bye week -- than pay his league’s fee for a free-agent acquisition.

But if you are "that guy," here is a list of the top 20, thus giving yourself plenty of backup options.

Rank, player, team FG 19-39 40-49 50+ Pts
1. Stephen Gostkowski, NE 36-40 26-28 9-11 1-1 148
2. Nate Kaeding, SD 27-32 23-23 3-8 1-1 127
3. Mason Crosby, GB 27-34 18-21 5-6 3-6 127
4. David Akers, Phi 33-40 21-23 8-10 2-5 144
5. Jason Elam, Atl 29-31 18-19 10-10 1-2 129
6. Rob Bironas, Ten 29-33 13-13 15-19 1-1 127
7. Robbie Gould, Chi 26-29 18-18 8-11 0-0 119
8. Ryan Longwell, Min 29-34 17-19 6-9 6-6 127
9. Neil Rackers, Ari 25-28 18-20 6-6 1-2 119
10. John Kasay, Car 28-31 16-16 11-12 1-3 130
11. Nick Folk, Dal 20-22 8-9 10-11 2-2 102
12. Lawrence Tynes, NYG 1-1 1-1 0-0 0-0 6
13. Adam Vinatieri, Ind 20-25 14-16 4-7 2-2 103
14. Rian Lindell, Buf 30-38 18-19 10-15 1-3 124
15. Jeff Reed, Pit 27-31 17-18 8-10 1-2 117
16. Kris Brown, Hou 29-33 19-20 8-10 2-3 124
17. Joe Nedney, SF 29-33 19-19 8-11 2-3 121
18. Josh Brown, StL 31-36 15-15 10-13 6-8 112
19. Shayne Graham, Cin 21-24 11-12 9-11 0-0 78
20. Matt Prater, Den 25-34 15-17 5-11 5-6 114

KEY: 19-39, 40-49, 50+: Kickers’ success rates in field goals from that distance. ... Statistics are from the 2008 season.

QUICK SLANTS

With Tom Brady healthy, Gostkowski had only 50 field-goal attempts combined in 2006 and ’07. ... Kaeding has averaged more than 50 point-afters per season the last five years. ... Crosby had 31 field goals and scored 141 points as a rookie in 2007. ... Bironas made 35 field goals that same season. ... Gould has made 32 of 39 attempts from 40 to 49 yards the last three years. ... Vinatieri has converted only 4 of 9 from that distance the last two years. ... Elam has missed only eight field goals in 91 attempts and is perfect on 109 point-afters the last three seasons. ... The Browns’ Phil Dawson, who scored a career-best 120 points in 2007, should not be drafted, but he would be a decent bye-week pickup.

Next: We'll conclude the six-part series of previews by looking at the best defenses and special teams