START

Raiders: RB Michael Bush, K Sebastian Janikowski

Chargers: QB Philip Rivers, RB Ryan Mathews, RB Mike Tolbert, WR Vincent Jackson, TE Antonio Gates, K Nick Novak

Quick slants: With Darren McFadden out with a foot injury, Bush will be the Raiders' featured back. He ran for 96 yards on 19 carries and caught two passes for 33 yards and a touchdown last week. ... Janikowski has made 13 of 14 field-goal attempts, is perfect on 19 PATs and has 58 points in seven games. ... Rivers has been disappointing (11 TD passes and 14 interceptions), but he's thrown for 2,469 yards, including 754 in his last two. He had four TD passes and three interceptions last week against the defensively challenged Packers. ... Mathews is expected to play after missing last week with a groin injury. He has rushed for 509 yards and has 30 catches for 342 yards in seven games. He hasn't scored a touchdown in his last four games. ... Even if Mathews starts tonight, Tolbert should get about 15 touches. He has six TDs on the year and has reached the end zone twice in his last two contests. ... Jackson had seven receptions for 141 yards and three TDs last week. ... In three games since returning from a foot injury, Gates has 17 receptions for 223 yards and two scores. He had eight catches for 96 yards and a TD on Sunday. ... Novak has been prolific in place of the injured Nate Kaeding, making 16 of 17 field goals and all 17 of his PATs. He is averaging 9.3 points per game.

SIT

Raiders: QB Carson Palmer, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR Jacoby Ford, defense/special teams

Chargers: WR Malcom Floyd, defense/special teams

Quick slants: Palmer has thrown six interceptions in two games with the Raiders. ... Heyward-Bey has been productive, but he was shut out last week, and the Raiders' passing attack is too unreliable. ... Ford had five receptions for 105 yards and a TD last week, but he had only 11 catches for 114 yards and zero TDs prior to his breakout game. ... The Raiders' defense ranks 27th in yards allowed per game (386.5) and 30th in points allowed (27.0). ... Floyd is expected to sit tonight because of a hip injury. If he's active, I'd keep him on my bench. ... The Chargers' defense ranks seventh in yards allowed (311.6), but is 27th in points (25.5), tied for 20th in sacks (17) and has forced only 11 turnovers.

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.

Before we get to Part 3 of this four-part series for those of us who drag the fantasy football season out more than a network television producer, here are the links for the first two posts:

Monday, quarterbacks; Tuesday, running backs. Thursday, we'll rank the tight ends, kickers and defenses/special teams.

WIDE RECEIVERS

15. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals: He'd be ranked higher if a high ankle sprain and a sprained MCL didn't have his status for Sunday's wild-card game against Green Bay in question. The guess here is Boldin will play, but there's also a chance the Cardinals won't make it to the divisional round.

14. Malcom Floyd, Chargers: Yes, he has only 45 catches and one TD, but the fifth-year receiver had nine receptions for 140 yards in the regular-season finale, and he's the No. 2 wideout on a team that is as likely as any outside of Indianapolis and New Orleans to play in February.

13. Donald Driver, Packers: He wasn't at his best down the stretch (14 catches for 185 yards and zero TDs in the last four games), but he reached 70 receptions and 1,000 yards for the sixth straight year and still had better numbers than Greg Jennings.

12. DeSean Jackson, Eagles: If all teams were equal, the speedster who has nine TDs receiving, one rushing and two on punt returns would be in the top three, but Dallas seems to have Philly's number, and if the Eagles are eliminated after one game, Jackson better make it count. He had five catches for 76 yards and no scores in the Eagles' two losses to the Cowboys this season.

11. Robert Meachem, Saints: Like Floyd, his reception (45) and yardage totals (722) are about six games for Andre Johnson, but Meachem has 37 catches and seven TDs in his last nine games, and it doesn't hurt that he should play two games in a dome, possibly followed by the Super Bowl in Miami.

10. Percy Harvin, Vikings: The league's top offensive rookie has 60 catches and 135 rushing yards. The only danger: Would you be surprised if the Vikings lost to the Cowboys next weekend?

9. Greg Jennings, Packers: He gets the nod over Driver due to his six-game production from Weeks 11-16 (541 yards) and his big-play capability. The risk: His team is a wild-card underdog.

8. Austin Collie, Colts: He's Peyton Manning's third or fourth option, but the rookie has 60 catches and seven TDs. And did I mention he has Peyton Manning throwing to him?

7. Randy Moss, Patriots: This might seem too low, but consider these three things: 1. Moss is on a dubious streak of seven straight games with 75 or fewer receiving yards; 2. He doesn't have Wes Welker to take some of the heat off him; 3. Would you really be surprised if the Pats lost to the Ravens?

6. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: His regular-season yardage total (1,092) was much lower than his average of 1,420 from the previous two years, but his 13 TDs were a career high. Again, he's not higher because of the one-and-done risk.

5. Miles Austin, Cowboys: In his last 12 games, he's been as good as anyone (76 receptions for 1,239 yards and 10 TDs). See Fitzgerald for my only concern.

4. Marques Colston, Saints: He tends to be all (20 of his 74 receptions, 385 of his 1,074 yards and four of his nine TDs were in three games) or nothing (six games with three or fewer catches, and as many contests with 46 or fewer yards). The positive: He's the top target on the best offense in the NFC, even if said offense spreads the wealth a little too much for many fantasy owners' liking.

3. Sidney Rice, Vikings: One of the year's most pleasant surprises, this Pro Bowl selection has 83 catches for 1,312 yards and eight TDs, with three of the latter coming in the last two weeks.

2. Vincent Jackson, Chargers: The negative (two TDs in his last eight games) is outweighed by his season stats (1,167 yards and nine scores) and the chance for him to play three postseason games.

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts: Think 100 receptions, 1,264 yards and 10 TDs are impressive? Imagine if he had been allowed to play more than a few quarters in the last two games.

OTHERS TO CONSIDER

Chad Ochocinco, Bengals; Pierre Garcon, Colts; Julian Edelman, Patriots; Derrick Mason, Ravens; Steve Breaston, Cardinals; Devery Henderson, Saints; Jeremy Maclin, Eagles; Bernard Berrian, Vikings; Jerricho Cotchery, Jets; Roy Williams, Cowboys; Braylon Edwards, Jets

Quick slants: Ochocinco doesn't make the top 15 for one reason: Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who shut him out Sunday night. ... Mason has impressive stats, but he also has six games with three or fewer catches. ... Henderson's value has plummeted since the emergence of Meachem. The former has 11 catches for 106 yards and zero TDs in his last four games, after catching 40 passes for 698 yards in the first 12. ... Maclin, a promising rookie, hasn't reached the end zone in his last seven contests. ... Garcon, a Mount Union product who had 45 catches for 776 yards in 14 games before resting the last two weeks, is one to watch. ... Edelman, a Kent State product, is a possible sleeper. He had 21 receptions in the three games in which Welker didn't play or exited early, including 10 catches for 103 yards last week. ... Edwards and Cotchery should be considered last resorts for pools in which you draft more than a few receivers.

We'll keep this brief today, but before we get to the start-and-sit lists, here's a link to today's column on the fantasy prospects of Jerome Harrison, Michael Bush and those difficult-to-figure-out Indianapolis Colts.

Good news for owners of Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates: The Titans are terrible defending the pass (No. 31 at 265 yards per game). Tennessee has allowed the second-most touchdown passes (28), but does have 19 interceptions. The Titans are effective against the run (No. 9, 100.4 yards per game), but have yielded 12 TDs on the ground.

The Chargers rank 21st defending the run (116.9 yards per game, only eight rushing TDs allowed) and are No. 13 vs. the pass (213 yards per game, 21 passing TDs allowed).

Good luck in your championship game, and Merry Christmas.

START

Chargers: QB Philip Rivers, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, WR Vincent Jackson, TE Antonio Gates, K Nate Kaeding

Titans: RB Chris Johnson, K Rob Bironas

SIT

Chargers: RB Darren Sproles, WR Malcom Floyd, defense and special teams

Titans: QB Vince Young, WR Kenny Britt, WR Justin Gage, defense and special teams