Start or set? Starting or seating decisions in fantasy football can be agonizing. While it feels great to make the right decision and achieve fantasy glory, it hurts just as much when someone throws a tantrum on the bench. You can use our “Who should I start with?” Tool to help you get advice from fantasy football experts as you make your lineup decisions. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free with our My Playbook tool for customized advice, rankings and analysis.

Let’s take a look at some polarizing players and the advice of fantasy football expert Derek Brown. And for all of DBro’s fantasy football prospects, check out this week’s Fantasy Football Primer.

Fantasy football starting and sit-em lineup tips

Tony Pollard (RB)

Pollard has exceeded all offseason expectations for him this season. He is the RB20 in fantasy points per game, ranks 15th in chance percentage, 13th in weighted chances, 13th in runs and seventh in targets among running backs. Pollard has averaged 18.7 touchdowns and 81 total yards. Among the 66 qualifying backs, Pollard ranks 32nd in forced missed tackles per attempt and 10th in yards after contact per attempt. Detroit has been an incredible run defense, but when you look at the deeper metrics, there is some hope for Pollard this week. The Lions have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points rushing, the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game and the third-fewest yards after contact per attempt. This all certainly sounds like nightmare fuel, but Detroit was also terrible at defending gap runs. These are elite versus zone concepts, but the Lions have given up the fifth-most yards per carry to gap runs and the thirteenth-highest rushing success rate to the run guy (Pollard 69.1% gap). If Pollard can break a long run and potentially get into the end zone, it will likely pay dividends this week with the remaining volume he will amass.

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB)

Stevenson opened this week with a DNP (foot). We’ll see if he’s ready to go this week after returning from a foot injury last week. Last week he played 50% of the snaps with nine touchdowns and 25 total yards. He averaged 16.5 touches and 70 total yards this season. Among the 66 qualifying backs, Stevenson ranks 19th in explosive run rate, 14th in missed tackle rate and 11th in yards after contact per attempt. He was arguably the team’s best player all season. While the Jets’ pass defense is still scary, their run defense shouldn’t scare anyone. They have allowed the ninth-highest rushing success rate, the fourth-highest missed tackle rate and the 10th-highest yards after contact per attempt.

Kareem Hunt (RB)

Since being Kansas City’s clear starter for the last two games, Hunt has played at least 63% of weekly snaps, with weekly fantasy finishes as RB5 and RB11. He averaged 26 touches and 100 total yards per game. He has yet to break up an explosive run while posting a 16% missed tackle rate and 2.35 yards after contact per attempt. Nothing on this tackle-breaking profile is great or impressive, but Hunt gets all the work and will remain a strong fantasy option until that changes (if it does). Las Vegas has allowed the seventh-highest explosive run rate and yards after contact per attempt and the 10th-highest rushing yards per game. Hunt should impress again this week.

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If you want to delve deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning list Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From ours Start/seat assistant – that delivers your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus forecasts – for us Waiver Wire Assistantwhich allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.