FANTASY FOOTBALL: No need to believe stats, or fear Giants, Jets, Redskins defenses

When stats lie: Don’t fear Giants, Jets defense

Here’s a warning for fantasy football players who are deeply immersed in the pregame ritual of poring over every available NFL stat: Don’t believe them.

Well, believe most of them, but definitely forget the rankings that show the Redskins, Giants and Jets have the stingiest pass defenses in the league. All three teams should be easy to pass on this week despite their glorious numbers.

The Redskins have allowed a league-low 162.7 yards a game, but that’s skewed by the fact they opened against six straight incompetent teams that don’t fully understand the forward pass. All you need to know about Washington defenders is that they didn’t see fit to cover Brandon Marshall, who was slowed last week only by a series of Chris Simms bounce-passes.

As for the second-ranked pass defense of the Giants, their numbers are likewise built on the stomping of bad offenses during their 5-0 start. In their four-game slide, the Giants’ banged-up secondary has allowed 262 yards a game and 11 touchdowns.

Finally, the Jets are simply coming apart at the seams, and Tom Brady will be eager to pile up big numbers to put last week’s fiasco behind him.

As you reassess your options against these fast-fading defenses, here’s a look at some players to start and some to sit in Week 11: