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Each week, Tristan H. Cockcroft offers his strategies for the Gridiron Challenge game. Look for his best and worst matchups every Thursday.

Matchups I Like

Marc Bulger, QB, Rams (@SF, 6.3 price tag): I'm taking a real chance here, since Bulger has no touchdowns and seven interceptions in three outdoor games this season, 29-36 numbers in 26 such contests for his career. Those numbers are nothing short of awful, but then, the 49ers' D isn't much better. It has allowed eight passing scores in its past four games, and in Bulger's four career games at San Francisco, he has averaged 277.8 passing yards with five touchdowns. That's one site I'd say bucks his career trend.

Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (STL, 6.1): Neither he nor the 49ers have had what I'd call a great season, but one of the few times both he and his team have looked good was in Week 2, against (who else?) these Rams. The Niners won that contest 17-16, and Gore had 81 rushing yards and two scores. In his past four games against St. Louis, incidentally, Gore has scored six touchdowns and averaged 102.5 rushing yards.

Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (NO, 6.3): He has practiced without limitations the past week-plus and is set to start, recapturing the No. 1 receiver spot in Houston. Maybe it's a risky strategy to pick a receiver coming off a seven-week absence due to a knee injury, but the reports on him are glowing, and they are on his quarterback, Matt Schaub, too. Remember, those two linked up for 14 catches for 262 yards and three touchdowns the first two weeks of the season, and the Saints' pass D does rank 29th (251.2 YPG).

Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles (MIA, 6.9): That four-touchdown outburst of his in Week 10 helps alleviate some of the concerns he was a far cry from his pre-surgery self, and if you look at his completion percentage (61.0), yards per attempt (7.3) and passer rating (91.7), he's ahead of his career rates (58.5/6.8/85.8) in those categories. In other words, maybe he's been a bit unlucky this season, but if anything can help him continue to shake that, it's the Dolphins' porous pass D (31st in passer rating allowed, 97.6).

Chester Taylor, RB, Vikings (OAK, 4.5): Adrian Peterson's owners are smarting today, but they'll feel a little better if they nab Taylor, who gets a cakewalk matchup in his return to the starting lineup. Oakland's run D ranks 29th (144.2 YPG) and has allowed a league-high 13 touchdowns, and actually made the Bears' Cedric Benson look good in Week 10. Taylor, by the way, is gaining 5.0 yards per carry, a career best.

Wes Welker, WR, Patriots (@BUF, 5.3): If you've been paying attention to the Bills' defensive resurgence the past few weeks, you're probably aware that much of the reason is a focus on shutting down their opponents' No. 1 receiver. Terrell Owens (Week 5), Laveranues Coles (Week 7) and Chad Johnson (Week 9) combined for six receptions for 86 yards and no scores against Buffalo, so you can count on Randy Moss getting a good share of attention. And that, my friends, leaves open … Mr. Welker.

LenDale White, RB, Titans (@DEN, 5.2): Both coach Jeff Fisher and White himself are confident the workhorse running back will be ready to play come Monday night, but as with any banged-up player, keep tabs on his knee during midweek practices. If he's good to go -- and I'm thinking he will be -- White should fatten up his stats with another 100-yard rushing effort (he has three in his past four games) against a Broncos run D that ranks 31st (151.0 YPG) and allowed 11 runs of 20 yards or more.

Mark Clayton, WR, Ravens (CLE, 4.1 price tag): Perhaps no one benefits more from the switch at quarterback to Kyle Boller than Clayton. Boller's strong arm should better exploit Clayton's talents, and of Clayton's five career 100-yard receiving efforts, three came when Boller was doing the bulk of the throwing. The Browns' pass D, meanwhile, ranks 31st (272.8 YPG) and has allowed a league-high 22 touchdowns.

Ryan Grant, RB, Packers (CAR, 4.9): It was one thing for Grant to rip apart the Broncos' run D as an injury fill-in in Week 8; it's another entirely for him to run for 119 yards and a score against a Vikings defense that had stuffed many more highly regarded, experienced backs in the past. It shows he's legit, and that the Dorsey Levens comparisons aren't as crazy as they might sound. Oh, maybe this is just another one of those out-of-nowhere, short-term finds for the Packers -- remember Samkon Gado? -- but I see that hot streak continuing against a Panthers run D that has served up 10 touchdowns.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs (@IND, 4.8 price tag): That's five consecutive games now without a touchdown for Bowe, who has averaged four catches for 61 yards during that span, underwhelming numbers indeed. Opponents are doing a better job containing him now that they've seen what he can do, and the Colts bring one of the game's more underappreciated pass defenses, ranked second for the season (164.6 YPG).

Jay Cutler, QB, Browns (TEN, 6.3): The Titans are coming off a disappointing Week 10 performance, but getting a healthy Albert Haynesworth back this Monday should do wonders for straightening the team out. Denver's running game isn't helping alleviate pressure on Cutler, and the Titans' seventh-ranked pass D (192.7 YPG) won't give him much room to breathe. Be prepared for a few costly mistakes from him.

Lee Evans, WR, Bills (NE, 4.9): Make the case if you want that the Bills are bound to fall behind early, be forced to the air and then lean on Evans, their one reliable receiving target these days. That could be true, but I find it hard to ignore his dreadful history against these Patriots. Evans has three catches for 42 yards and no scores in his last three games against them, and has been held to one catch in four of seven career meetings.

Thomas Jones, RB, Jets (PIT, 4.7): He has yet to score a touchdown in nine games all season, and has managed an ordinary 3.9 yards per carry in his past three contests, two of them facing awfully fantasy-friendly matchups (Bengals, Bills). Now Jones draws the Steelers and their top-ranked run D (72.0 YPG), which is almost certain to stack the box and force the inexperienced Kellen Clemens to beat it through the air.

Jamal Lewis, RB, Browns (@BAL, 5.0): The last time Lewis faced his old team, in Week 4, he managed 64 yards on 23 carries (2.8 average), yet he made it a respectable day for fantasy by sneaking in a cheap touchdown. I never bank on the latter, instead choosing to look at Lewis' awful 2.7 yards per carry from that game on. On their home field, the Ravens will surely be aiming to shut down Lewis entirely this time around.

Ravens' defense (5.4): Write off the Browns' offense as a mirage and you're bound to get burned, especially with regard to trusting defenses that face it. The Browns handled these Ravens aptly in Week 4, scoring 27 points, committing only one turnover and not allowing a single sack. Go ask owners of the Steelers' defense how they felt about their Week 10 matchup against the Browns. They'll tell you the Browns are legit.

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers (@JAC, 6.3): He showed us occasional glimmers of hope a few weeks back, and the addition of Chris Chambers seemed to have Rivers back on the right track. Unfortunately, things haven't panned out quite that way the past two weeks. He has totaled 301 passing yards with no scores and three interceptions. A trip to Jacksonville won't help; the Jaguars allow only 201.5 passing yards per game on their home field, generally stepping things up on the defensive side of the ball there.

They rank among the 10 most expensive at their respective positions, and the matchup dictates you'd be better off spending the money elsewhere.

Tony Gonzalez, TE, Chiefs (@IND, 5.3 price tag): I'm always a bit skeptical about quarterback changes, and with Brodie Croyle now under center in Kansas City, Gonzalez's stock could take a short-term hit. Sure, Croyle might need a short-range target like Gonzalez more as he adapts to life as an NFL starter, but I look at Gonzalez's three catches for 29 yards working with Croyle in Week 10 and can't help but worry. The Colts' pass D really is no worse than Denver's, so I'd take a wait-and-see approach with Gonzalez.

Their matchups might not look good, but you shouldn't be worried.

Derek Anderson, QB, Browns (@BAL, 6.9 price tag): Two things at work here: One, Anderson has been making the quick defensive reads and smart decisions you like to see in a quarterback, effectively playing like a Pro Bowler regardless of matchup. Two, the Ravens, while respected defensively, in reality have a middling pass D (12th, 203.3 YPG). Anderson did throw for 204 yards and two scores in Week 4 against the team that drafted him, and there's no reason to think he can't do at least that again this week.

Week 10 Recap: My quarterbacks -- Drew Brees and Matt Hasselbeck -- worked out fine, each managing 20 points, Marshawn Lynch had 16 and Reggie Bush totaled 13 despite being limited to nine touches due to a concussion. That's not bad, though I'll need better production from my receivers. Lee Evans and Santonio Holmes had 11 points combined. As you'll see in my Week 11 lineup, I've poured a bit more of my cap into my two wide receiver positions. Score: 100 points in Week 10, 1,011 points for the season (66.5 percent).

QB1: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (@NYJ, 7.8 price tag)
QB2: Marc Bulger, Rams (@SF, 6.3)
RB1: Frank Gore, 49ers (STL, 6.1)
RB2: Brandon Jacobs, Giants (@DET, 5.6)
WR1: Torry Holt, Rams (@SF, 5.8)
WR2: Wesley Welker, Patriots (@BUF, 5.3)
TE: Heath Miller, Steelers (@NYJ, 4.6)
K: Kris Brown, Texans (NO, 4.1)
D/ST: Minnesota Vikings (OAK, 4.5)

Tristan H. Cockcroft covers fantasy sports for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.