Week devoid of stars can leave owners in bind

For those of you with one game left, I apologize.

Better yet, Bill Belichick apologizes and Tony Dungy apologizes and Jack Del Rio apologizes.

A Week 17 championship game shouldn’t exist, not with so many stars out.

But you have to deal with it, so I’m here to help. Here are a few guys who might put you over the top this week, especially if you’re like me and have to sit Joseph Addai.

Consider it an extended version of the usual "Wingmen."

• Adrian Peterson, Chicago running back vs. New Orleans: Cedric Benson owners probably scooped up the other A.P. after Benson went down in Week 12. But after a few mediocre performances, he might be available again. Last week, Peterson topped 100 yards against the Packers.

• Dominic Rhodes, Oakland running back vs. San Diego: Rhodes has talent but has been a backup most of his career. This is a guy who put up 100-plus yards on the Jaguars last week.

• Santana Moss, Washington wide receiver vs. Dallas: Chances are, Moss owners were disenchanted with the wideout for most of this year. With a veteran quarterback in Todd Collins, though, Moss is being spotted deep more often.

• Shaun Hill, San Francisco quarterback vs. Cleveland: A disclaimer: I knew nothing about Hill until a month ago. A month later, he’s legit. Pitted against the Browns, Hill will build on his 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

On to the locks of the week:

MONEYMAKERS

Top-tier players who should perform to their value:

• Steven Jackson, St. Louis running back vs. Arizona: Hard to believe, but Jackson is on the verge of breaking the 1,000-yard mark this year. This from a guy who missed four games and had just eight carries in another.

• Braylon Edwards, Cleveland wide receiver vs. San Francisco: Edwards will be my top wideout selected next season. He’s a huge touchdown threat.

• Andre Johnson, Houston wide receiver vs. Jacksonville: Oh, how I wish Johnson were healthy all season. Randy Moss and Terrell Owens get the publicity, but Johnson might be the best pure wideout in the NFL. His statistics extrapolated to a full season equal more than 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns.

WINGMEN

Midround picks who should feast on favorable matchups:

• Kurt Warner, Arizona quarterback vs. St. Louis: Warner’s resurgence has not gone unnoticed. With nine touchdowns in his last three games (albeit against six interceptions), Warner has found a groove.

• Jay Cutler, Denver quarterback vs. Minnesota: Cutler has been an enigma this season, either very good or very bad. This week, expect good against one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses.

• T.J. Duckett, Detroit running back vs. Green Bay: Duckett is not a very good running back, but he can break a long run every so often. With a 53-yard run last week, he at least proves to be a flex option.

BANK-BREAKERS

Top-tier guys who won’t perform up to their value:

• Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants running back vs. New England: If Tom Coughlin is smart — a big if — Jacobs won’t play much. Talented but about as brittle as a Kit Kat bar, Jacobs will need to be saved for the playoffs.

• Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo running back vs. Philadelphia: Against a stout Eagles run defense, he won’t see many openings.

• Indianapolis Colts offensive starters vs. Tennessee: The Titans defense is too good to risk any injury, plus the Colts backups aren’t too bad.

QUICK PICK SIX

The best bets for the week, based on value:

Edwards, Warner, Cutler, WR Jerricho Cotchery (vs. Kansas City), WR Deion Branch (vs. Atlanta), RB Najeh Davenport (vs. Baltimore).

Jon Gold is a Review-Journal sportswriter with 10 fantasy football teams. His column is published Friday. He can be reached at jgold@reviewjournal.com.