FANTASY FOOTBALL: As fantasy playoffs begin, beware the temptation to overthink lineup

Fantasy playoffs are here: Let the fretting begin!

As the long-awaited fantasy football playoffs get under way this week, one of the most troubling matchups takes place in Minnesota.

The Vikings’ Adrian Peterson is coming off a horrible game, has been unimpressive for three weeks and faces a Cincinnati run defense that ranks second in the NFL. On the other side, Bengals back Cedric Benson has only been back from a hip injury for a week and runs up against the Vikings’ No. 3 run defense.

So, what to do in such situations during this critical do-or-die week? Do you analyze every stat, calculate the matchups and get fancy with your lineup in an effort to coach your way to a title? Or do you just plug in your same old players despite their matchups or recent struggles?

It depends a bit on the player, of course, but for the most part it’s simple: Don’t get cute. Your elite players got you to the postseason, and it’s better to go down with them than to kick yourself later for your inability to resist Rock Cartwright.

As you force yourself to ignore Peterson’s 1.5 yards per carry last week, here are some players to consider starting and some to sit in Week 14: