Josh Basile was going to visit that goddamn cigar factory.In the dozen years since a wave knocked him to the ocean floor and cracked his C-4 and C-5 vertebrae, leaving him quadriplegic, Basile, 31, has learned how to make things happen for himself. It took awhile to find the blend of resolve, creativity and patience he needed to move forward. But Josh found it. So there was no question: He was going to visit that factory.By the time he got to Havana earlier this spring, Josh had gone through extensive rehab, regaining and then losing some use of his hands. He graduated from college, then law school. He started a nonprofit, Determined2Heal, and SPINALpedia, an online community for people with spinal injuries.He found meaning in sports. Before his accident, Josh was an avid golfer and a collegiate tennis player. After it, he began to try activities such as gliding and indoor skydiving. He invented an adaptive version of golf, slingshot golf, that he would bring with him to Cuba.After his accident, sports gave Josh a way to simply feel like Josh -- to lose himself in the competition and find in himself skills that would transcend it. The trip to Cuba was not in itself necessarily a sports trip -- but sports were part of the journey to the journey. They made it possible in the first place. They made it so that Josh had the experience and wherewithal to wrangle a 60-foot wheelchair-accessible catamaran to sail him and a few friends -- two of them also in wheelchairs, also athletes -- across the Straits of Florida from Key West to Cuba.Why Cuba? Because why not. Because it seemed preposterous. The idea actually started out as a joke between Josh and the captain of the Impossible Dream, whom he had met the previous year.Why Cuba? Because it was as far outside of his comfort zone as he could imagine. And if he was going to go to Cuba in a 450-pound power wheelchair, he wanted to do it right.In the context of all that, going into a building and watching a few cigars get rolled might not seem so hard. But thats another thing you have to get used to after a spinal cord injury: Some things -- and not just frivolous-seeming things like cigar factory tours -- take longer than they used to.Touring the factory wasnt a problem. It had a functioning elevator. The problem was getting into the building in the first place: To reach the elevator, you had to surmount five very steep steps.Josh was prepared for this. Josh is prepared for everything. When youre quadriplegic, you learn how to anticipate -- no way around it. Josh brought portable ramps with him to Cuba that allowed him to steer his power chair up and down curbs and short stairwells. But this time, the ramp wasnt enough. If he tried to accelerate up the ramp, his chair would tip backward.As Josh sat at the bottom of the steps and talked through the situation with his caregiver, Kingsley, a crowd began to gather around him. Attention is another thing you get used to when you live life in a wheelchair. Cab drivers and off-duty factory employees and passersby shouted out suggestions in Spanish as Kingsley arranged and rearranged the ramp. After about 15 minutes, the crowd took matters into its own hands. This was the unexpected thing. The people werent gawking; they were helping. Josh, Kingsley and a few of the passersby arrived at an unspoken plan. Josh steered himself to the foot of the ramp. With his right hand, which has limited use, he pushed his joystick forward. As the wheels of his chair began to spin, behind him, the group of strangers pushed Josh in his 450-pound chair up the ramp and into the factory.This was exactly why Josh had come to Cuba -- exactly why he raised money for the trip from sponsors such as the Kennedy Krieger Institute, the spinal cord injury rehab center in Baltimore where he underwent therapy. Because even if it isnt always pretty, and even if it isnt always efficient -- its never efficient -- he wanted to demonstrate that a person who had suffered a spinal cord injury could go to Cuba and could go to the goddamn cigar factory.I never really saw it as a vacation, Josh said after the trip. Josh is not a person who is predisposed to relaxing.A spinal cord injury is catastrophic -- devastating, said Colin Buchanan, one of Joshs traveling companions -- but that doesnt make it an ending. Buchanan is paraplegic, which means he still has full use of his arms and hands. He broke his back in high school in the Seattle suburbs when a friend sped a car he was riding in into a ravine. Hes 27. He says one thing you must come to terms with after a spinal cord injury is that you will need to learn how to accept help from strangers.I would have never been in Cuba, would never have met Josh, I would never have done marathons, I wouldnt have played wheelchair rugby, said Robby Beckman, who broke his neck in college diving off a dock with some friends. Beckman, 32, is quadriplegic but still has some use of his arms and hands. He plays quad rugby -- the sport popularized in the documentary Murderball -- and races in marathons on a hand cycle.Josh, Colin and Robby have learned how to live with their injuries, but getting to that point takes a lot: a strong personal support system and quality care from health care professionals. It takes time, patience and an immeasurable deep reservoir of determination. You learn how to ask for help. You recalibrate your relationship with your body.Then, once you start living, you need stuff. A lot of it. The logistics of life with a spinal cord injury are unforgiving in their demand for stuff. Clothes, said Colin, who once backpacked solo in Europe, are the last thing I think about when Im packing for a trip.So say youve suffered a spinal cord injury and want to sail from Key West to Cuba, tour Havana for four days, then sail back. Its going to be 90 degrees out, and your Spanish is limited. Youve never sailed in a wheelchair. The cobblestone streets under your wheels will make you have to pee constantly. Preparation is necessary for any trip -- but when your body cant regulate sweat below the point of your injury, when you depend on that wheelchair bumping over the cobblestones as your sole means of transportation, when having to pee means having to find a place to change your catheter -- preparation takes on a hell of a lot more significance. Its not just packing anymore. Youll need ...A boatYou cant set sail without a vessel. Last year Josh was introduced to William Rey, captain of the Impossible Dream, a 60-foot, wheelchair-accessible catamaran based in Miami. The boat -- there was some debate as to whether one could call it a yacht -- has decks wide enough for a wheelchair to pass all the way around its cabin. Both hulls have lifts hidden in the floor to take wheelchair passengers down to their cabins. In 2015, former President George H.W. Bush went for a spin on board.This time, the manifest included Josh; his girlfriend, Gabrielle Ahrens; Colin; Robby; Kingsley; and Bruce -- who had been Joshs and Robbys physical therapist at the MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C. Bruce was along to help with tasks such as transitions: getting from a wheelchair into a bed or the passenger seat of a car or wherever else a person might need to go.For instance, from a wheelchair onto the front netting of a catamaran, where Josh, Robby and Colin lay sprawled out as the sun set slowly over the water, and Key West faded into the horizon behind them. Captain Will and his first mate, Evan Duffy, ran through safety procedures with his passengers: No drinking once the boat is underway. Stay off the front of the deck at night unless youre willing to put on a life jacket. And -- seriously -- keep an eye out for rafters. Robby and Bruce both signed up for watches, and both slept through them. The weather was so calm that, soon after setting off Sunday night, Captain Will had to turn on the engines.By late morning on Monday, the Impossible Dream was docked at the Hemingway Marina, where a fishing rod allegedly once used by Fidel Castro hangs in the yacht club and old Canadians and Europeans with boats sit around all day drinking Cristal beer.Spray bottlesIt was hot in Cuba -- even for Cuba. Ninety every day. Relentless sun and a cloudless sky. While that might be nothing more than an inconvenience for an able-bodied tourist, it presents a tougher challenge if youre paraplegic or quadriplegic. One of the many functions diminished below the point of a spinal cord injury is thermoregulation: Your body cant maintain its temperature. And not only that, you cant feel the heat or cold below the point of your injury. You dont know your legs are too hot because you cant feel your legs.Which is why it took little time for Josh to develop a sunburn on his left arm that seemed to changed colors like a mood ring throughout the trip. But he couldnt feel it.To keep cool, you need to take additional measures. Robby bought a couple of big pump-and-spray bottles at Home Depot on Key West before the sail. He and Josh would hang them on their chairs as they rolled around Havana. Thats one more thing: Spinal cord injuries mess with sweat glands too, especially below the point of the injury. Sometimes that means you need a cold compress or bags of ice -- or pointing a spray bottle at your face.They saved me, Josh said. They were especially useful on the golf course, where the boys played slingshot golf -- an adaptive game Josh invented and has patented, involving slingshots and a pendulum-powered putter. They were also, it turned out, useful for spraying at cars carrying your friends as they sped alongside you down the malecón in Havana.ShelterHotels in Havana are for dignitaries and old people. Keyed-in travelers opt for a casa particular -- a rented room in somebodys home. The food is better, and so is the hospitality. The casa particular where Josh & Co. stayed happened to be owned by another person with a spinal cord injury -- Camilo Martinez Finlay, and his girlfriend, Teresa. Camilo was paralyzed in 2000 after a car accident. Hes a warm, bullet-shaped man who wears purple pants and a big smile. He doesnt speak much English but likes to say, Dont worry. Be happy.Theres a ramp to the colonial house from the sidewalk, and there is a makeshift winch-operated elevator on the outside of the building to get up to the rooftop bar that Camilo and Teresa also run. Its called Encuentro -- Encounter -- as in every ride on the elevator feels like a close encounter with death. Camilo and Teresas house also has the only wheelchair-accessible bathrooms anybody in the group will see during the trip.StrapsOn their first day in Havana, Josh, Colin, Robby and Gabby piled into a hot pink classic Chevy convertible to catch a tour of the city. Josh sat in front because the transfer was easier from his power chair to the front seat. Gabby took the middle seat in the back because it was easier for her to climb in, and Colin and Robby flanked her. Their driver was about to zoom away from Camilo and Teresas through Vedado to the Plaza de la Revolución, when Josh noticed that there was no seat belt in the front seat. 1952 Chevy, their driver said in English. No seat belts. This wouldnt normally be a problem for a traveler unless he or she were particularly risk-averse. Josh isnt, but due to his injury he also lacked the necessary trunk control to hold up his body in a swerving and braking and generally moving vehicle without a seat belt.The solution? Kingsley and Bruce wrapped a pair of cotton quick-release straps around Josh and then the seat behind him, anchoring him to the seat. They usually come in handy for transfers; they give Kingsley something to grab on to when hes helping Josh move from one place to another. The group took off past the Plaza, snaked along the Almendares River and sped down the wide Avenida 5 in Miramar past mansions and embassies. Then the engine blew out, and the driver pulled into a hotel and popped the hood. They made it back to their casa particular, but not as quickly as theyd departed.CathetersThe wheelchair is the most visible aspect of life after a spinal cord injury -- but its not necessarily the most life-changing aspect. Thats what Josh and Colin and Robby keep reminding me. This isnt a broken leg or a sprained ankle, Robby said. This is life changing. A lot of people dont want to accept that because its hard.Life changing means you lose more than just the ability to walk, or use of your hands and arms. It means you lose bowel and bladder function. That means, if you plan to get out of the house and go to work, or out of your room and go see Cuba without the possibility of a mess, you need to go through your manual bowel program in the mornings.That also means inserting a catheter every time you need to pee -- or, in Joshs case, managing a suprapubic tube, a catheter thats permanently inserted into a small hole under the belly.Robby actually ran out of catheters the day before the group left Cuba and had to borrow a handful from Colin, who brought about a hundred with him on the trip. In addition to the hundred regular catheters, Colin also brought a handful of Foley catheters, which can be left in for long periods (up to two weeks) and a prescription bottle of Ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections.I actually packed an extra day and a half worth of catheters and ran out, Robby said. That was one thing I didnt account for -- the amount of water I was going to drink in the climate down there. We were drinking water and everything else at a rapid rate.A fixerThe drinking of water -- and everything else -- at a rapid rate began that first night in Havana, at the Tropicana, Cubas iconic nightclub and cabaret. Back before the revolution, this was where Nat King Cole and Josephine Baker played. It was famous for its lavish midcentury architecture, for its scantily clad showgirls and for its not-so-secret mob ties.Soon after the group rolled in at the close of the opening number, there was enough Havana Club rum on the table to keep them all soaked up for the next week. Robby kept the glasses full -- except Colins because he wasnt drinking on the trip. The Tropicana is an intimate spot, letting in the night air humid and heavy with cigar smoke. The table, toward the back of the club, was up against the aisle. Before each number, a line of girls in fishnets and big hats with chandeliers and fruit platters and just about anything else you could imagine stood beside them, getting ready to take the stage.During the final number, one of the showgirls stuck around the aisle to dance with Josh and Colin and Robby. Meanwhile, members of the audience, including Gabby, were called up to the stage. A frat boy from Kansas did the Carlton dance.Afterward, the groups fixer, Jorge Gutierrez, went to track down the dancer. Jorge was born and raised in Cuba but left a dozen years ago. These days, he works as the fleet manager at Shake-A-Leg, a marina in Miami with a focus on accessible sailing experiences. Thats how he got hooked up with Josh and the Impossible Dream.Every logistical detail in Cuba was Jorges responsibility: He arranged the stay at Camilo and Teresas, bought the tickets at the door of the Tropicana, organized transportation on the island. He understood the unique needs of a bunch of tourists in wheelchairs. More important, he also understood how to get things done in Cuba.The dancers name was Joana Menendez. Shed been at the Tropicana for a year and a half; she had worked her way there through a series of Cuban dance academies. This wasnt the first time shed danced with the audience, she said. But it was the first time shed danced with people in wheelchairs. She took pictures with Josh and Colin and Robby before they rolled out the door with unfinished bottles of rum in their backpacks.A mirror (and somebody to hold it)Technically not necessary, but Josh, who is very particular about his hair, might disagree. When youre quadriplegic, and especially if you are a high-level quadriplegic like Josh, you learn to become very specific when giving instructions. One of the first things they teach you in therapy, Josh said, was to be your own best caregiver. That means knowing what you need and how to ensure that you get it.That could mean pointing someone to redirect a car air-conditioning vent juuust a little bit, wait, no, too far. It could mean describing how much hairspray to use, or how far from your face you need someone to hold up a mirror afterward. By now, many of those things are unspoken between Josh and Kingsley. But this was different. He was preparing to propose to Gabby, and Josh fell back on, well, being ultra-specific.Before the proposal -- an elaborate affair involving a ruse, a sketch artist and Josh sitting atop the deck of the Impossible Dream holding a sign that read Will you marry me? -- he sat in the cabin of the boat with Kingsley. Josh could certainly still sweat above the point of his injury, and he repeatedly asked Kingsley to dab his face, then to hold up the mirror, like he was worried that, in the last second before proposing, he would sprout a pimple or his hair would turn gray.He had written down a couple of lines to say to Gabrielle, and he recited them over and over while he waited for her to arrive. When someone pointed out that he sounded like Luca Brasi in The Godfather before he meets Don Corleone, Josh grinned and said he hoped he didnt meet the same fate as Brasi, who eventually slept with the fishes.Josh didnt -- she said yes. In Gabrielle, he found somebody who loved him and understood his needs. (Another milestone on the trip: Gabrielle performed her first solo transfer of Josh from his chair into a bed.) But also somebody who saw him as her boyfriend, as opposed to her quadriplegic boyfriend.The problem that I have with using the word inspiration whenever you are speaking in terms of a handicap person is that I think its extremely patronizing, she said later on the trip. Josh is a lawyer, and I think thats an accomplishment in and of itself. People call him an inspiration because hes in a wheelchair. No, Josh is an inspiration because hes smart, because he worked his ass off. I dont think you should link the two together.PillsInspiration might not be the right word, but Josh does want to motivate people. He wants to inform people too. The point of the Cuba trip, after all, wasnt just to take a vacation. He was out to prove a point.Josh has been putting on what he calls rehabilitative adventures for years through his nonprofit Determined2Heal. Each journey is meant to serve the people who travel with him but also as proof that such adventures are possible.One thing that prevents people with spinal cord injuries from getting out is the fear of disrupting their routines. The routine is everything. Its that morning process of bowel program, catheter, shower, toothbrush, clothes, stretching, pills, more pills. Josh takes pills by the handful. Stool softeners, antidepressants, B complex vitamins, multivitamins, fish oil, Adderall, Urex.The routine helps physically and mentally, he says. Its unique for everybody, specific and rhythmic. Because you do it every day, you dont think about why youre doing it.Breaking that routine to do things like going to Cuba means exposing yourself to risks -- like the airline loses your suitcase with catheters in it. It also means confronting the reasons your routine exists in the first place.Allen wrenchesThe thing about living in a wheelchair is that you are always dependent on a machine. For Robby and Colin, thats a relatively simple manual chair. For Josh, its an elaborate battery-powered chair.Everything about the chair matters. First theres comfort: size, height of the backrest, dump (thats the angle of the seat), cushion. Then there are questions of function: How are the casters working? The brakes? The wheels?In places like Old Havana, rolling over cobblestones could lead to involuntary spasms -- another everyday consequence of spinal cord injuries -- which makes getting a relatively smooth ride even more important. Colin and Robby both carry Allen wrenches and other lightweight tools to keep their chairs in decent running order.But in Cuba, they also recognized that they were starting from a very privileged place compared to the paralyzed people they encountered. One afternoon, on Calle Obispo, a narrow pedestrian street lined with tourist shops and restaurants, Robby and Colin encountered an old man slumped in a broken-down wheelchair. He held a cup with some change in it but wasnt really begging. Robby and the old man stared at each other in silence for a moment. The old man had cataracts in one eye. He admired Robbys and Colins chairs, and they studied all the ways his was battered. New wheelchairs are scarce in Cuba, and old ones are maintained the same way old cars are, which is to say very creatively.The old man said his name was Maximo Rigoberto Acosta Olivera. He said he had been injured in a work accident many years before. He wanted to tell them that the best way to care for their bodies was to cover themselves with crushed garlic. Head to toe. When Colin handed him a $20 bill, he broke out in tears.He cried and said, Salaam alaikum, or Peace unto you.And an ambulanceIn the United States, spinal cord injuries are expensive. Medical care is expensive. Rehab is expensive. Ongoing physical therapy is expensive. Wheelchairs themselves cost thousands of dollars.If your injury is high level, like Joshs, you might need to pay for caregivers. Even if it isnt, you might have to move someplace wheelchair accessible -- or, if you can afford to do so, install ramps or elevators where you already live. There are resources out there to help -- government programs, for example -- but actually tapping into those programs can be a challenge for people in the communities who need them most.It can feel as if the world is telling you to stay home, stay inside. In that sense, Robby, Colin and Josh would all tell you that they are lucky. They have families who support them. They are able to live good lives and have careers.Of course, its all relative. And of course youd rather not have a spinal cord injury. Robby said one night, jokingly, but also not jokingly, that hed really just settle for the ability to pee normally. But he also said that, compared to being paralyzed in Cuba, he thinks he has it pretty good. Here in the U.S., theres the Americans with Disabilities Act. Robby has a state-of-the-art chair. He has a pickup truck with hand controls and an off-road vehicle with hand controls.And in Cuba, he and Colin and Josh had an ambulance. Jorges crowning achievement as the guys fixer was finding it the day before they arrived at a rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Havana. The ambulance solved the logistical problem presented by trying to stuff three paralyzed dudes and three wheelchairs (one of which is large and not collapsible) into a minivan.When it was time to go to the Tropicana, or to the artisanal market in Old Havana, or anywhere else, Josh, Colin and Robby could just load into the ambulance with its wheelchair liftgate, turn on their brakes and take off. There was something funny about a bunch of tourists cruising around Havana in an ambulance, but there was also something fitting about it.After the cigar factory tour, Josh found himself once again facing those five steps between him and where he needed to be. But this time, he was smiling because the factory had been everything hed hoped: rows and rows of long tables, the smell of tobacco and loud, scripted tidbits from the tour guide. Hip-hop and salsa music over speakers. Workers sold unlabeled cigars under the table at four for $20.Some of the same cab drivers who had helped Josh into the factory thought they could get him out in much the same way, just in reverse: lowering him slowly down the ramp backward to the sidewalk. But before Kingsley could lay down the ramp, the ambulance began to slowly turn around in the narrow street.Little by little, the driver eased the ambulance so that its back tires were up against the curb. He raised the liftgate as high as it could go -- flush with the back of the ambulance, and then extended it out beyond the top step. It turned out that Josh could just roll right onto the liftgate, which he did, and then into the back of the ambulance.The ambulance took him back to Camilo and Teresas, and after that back to the Hemingway Marina, where the Impossible Dream was waiting.Eric NusbaumNusbaum is the West Coast Editor for VICE Sports. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, Deadspin, Slate and other publications. He lives in Los Angeles.join the conversation follow @ericnusfollow @ESPN Air Force 1 Cheap Wholesale . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Discount Air Force 1 .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. http://www.discountairforce1.com/ . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Air Force 1 Clearance . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Wholesale Air Force Ones . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. This page will be updated with new questions and answers up until just after noon ET, so refresh often to see if your question was answered. The most recent answers will appear first.Sometimes, rankings and columns just arent enough to help you decide which player should go in your lineup. If youre still not sure about that final spot before Sundays games kick off, send us a question on Twitter using the hashtag #startsitESPN, and you just might get yours answered below.Each week, ESPN Fantasy analysts KC Joyner and Jim McCormick will provide advice for players just like you stuck with tough choices to make.The fantasy playoffs are upon us in many leagues, so making the correct lineup decisions becomes that much more important. So lets get started on answering your fantasy football questions for this weeks games.@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN Dalton vs colin kaepernick- Todd Mayster (@tmayster82) December 11, 2016Its difficult to trust Kaepernick after last weeks debacle, but he does have a 93 score in my matchup points-total system that grades matchup favorability (with 100 being the most favorable). That is slightly higher than Daltons 80 in that category. Add in that the Bengals will want to lean on their ground game against a horrible Cleveland rush defense that places next to last in points allowed per game to opponents running backs, and Kaepernick is the pick. -- KCBig Ben or Matthew Stafford? #StartSitESPN- Spencer Cohen (@Srcohen24) December 11, 2016Its a close call between these two, so lets consider an upside tiebreaker. The Bills have allowed 20 or more fantasy points to the opposing quarterback in four of their last five games. The Bears have allowed that mark only once in their last five games. Weather could be a factor in Buffalo, but light snow wont stop Roethlisberger, so he would be the go-to option here. -- KC@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN start Ladarius green or eifert ?- Daniel J Sustaita (@Daniel_sus8) December 11, 2016Neither the Bills nor the Browns have been very good at stopping opponents tight ends this year, but Cleveland has allowed opponents tight ends to rack up a double-digit reception mark on four occasions this year, versus zero games for Buffalo. Combine that with Eifert being more central to the Cincinnati offense with A.J. Green still out with injury and Eifert would be the preferred choice in this one. -- KC@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN Def - Miami or Baltimore- daniel affourtit (@edrevONLINE) December 11, 2016Baltimore is first in rushing yards allowed and yards allowed, second in interceptions, tied for second in points allowed and first in ESPN Stats & Informations special teams expected-points-added metric that measures special teams impact in an expected-points framework. Add that to Tom Brady ranking 23rd in yards per attempt since Week 9 (6.9) and the injuries to the Patriots pass catchers, and the Ravens are the selection. -- KC@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN Delanie Walker or Jason Witten in the TE spot?- Orlando Diaz (@orlydiaz) December 11, 2016Wittens goose egg last week is very concerning, but a matchup against a Giants secondary that has allowed nine or more points to opposing tight ends in four of the last five weeks should make that a one-week anomaly. Walkers matchup against Denver may be the most unfavorable of the week, as he gets a zero in my matchup points system that grades matchup favorability on a 0-100 scale (with 100 being the most favorable). Put those together, and Witten is the pick. -- KC@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN Dak Prescott or Tom Brady? Thanks- John Ellsaesser (@JDE_pilot) December 11, 2016As noted earlier, Brady ranks 23rd in yards per attempt since Week 9. The Patriots also have injuries to their pass catchers, as Danny Amendola has been ruled out of the game and Martellus Bennett is questionable with ankle and shoulder injuries that have held him to limited practices all week. Prescott does have a difficult matchup against the Giants, but New York has been inconsistent against tight ends (see the earlier question about Witten). Add in that Prescott has Dez Bryant and Brady has no receiver of that caliber, and Prescott would be the choice. -- KC#StartSitESPN Newton or Brees?- My5sons? (@TweetingLaurenX) December 11, 2016Tampas pass defense has been quite suspect this year, something evidenced by its No. 26 ranking in vertical yards allowed per attempt (12.3 yards on aerials thrown 11 or more yards downfield). The Buccaneers also wont have starting free safety Chris Conte, who has been ruled out of this game with a chest injury. That should allow Brees to get back on track, and it makes him a higher-percentage option than the hit-or-miss Newton. -- KC@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN jay ajayi or legarrette Blount for my flex. Crowder or sanders for my wr? #championshiprun- frank pentaris (@maddenhead) December 11, 2016Ajayi faces a Cardinals defense that ranks second in fantasy points allowed per game to opponents running backs, but as noted in an ESPN Insider article I wrote this week, Ajayis value could improve, since Miami has started utilizing him more often in the passing game. That gives him a slight edge over Blount, who is facing a Ravens defense that is the best in the league against the rush. Crowder would be the pick over Sanders, because the Eagles mediocre pass defense should allow him to score 10 or more points for the sixth time this season. -- KCJulio Jones or D. Jackson? #StartSitESPN @ESPNFantasy- Fransua Durazo (@Fransua_D) December 11, 2016Its not a given that Jones will play this week, as Adam Schefter has reported that Jones will have to post an acceptable showing during warm-ups to avoid being inactive this week. Jackson is more than a reasonable substitute, given that he faces an Eagles secondary that has allowed opponents wide receivers to rack up 26 or more points in five of their last six contests. Thats enough upside to warrant not playing Jones, so the suggestion would be to start Jackson. -- KC@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN Cooks or Hopkins?- Ramos (@livingwater71) December 11, 2016An ESPN Insider piece I wrote this week detailed how Brock Osweilers vertical passing woes have all but crushed Hopkins fantasy value. Cooks doesnt have that issue with Drew Brees, who ranks second in vertical passing yards (1,742 on aerials traveling 11 or more yards downfield). That makes Cooks the better option here. -- KC@ESPNFantasy tyrell williams or michael thomas? #StartSitESPN- Ho Ho Hoey (@djjoeyg3) December 11, 2016Williams gets the nod, given the softer matchup against a young and generous Carolina secondary. Save for some down outings against Denver this season, Williams has been a production peer of Thomas in every regard, so the matchup advantage is enough to sway the call. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy Eric Ebron or Devante Parker at flex? #StartSitESPN- KobeDropped60 (@G_Lpz94) December 11, 2016Since Week 6 -- when Miami started featuring Jay Ajayi -- Parker has been a near-even target peer of Jarvis Landry when healthy, thus his opportunity rate and the ability to match up with exploitable corner Marcus Cooper proves inviting. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Do I start Micheal Thomas or Richard Matthews in a PPR league?- Frank Fanelli (@f_fanelli18) December 11, 2016Going with Thomas here, as Rishard Matthews faces a Denver secondary that has yielded the fewest yards and fantasy points to receivers this season. -- J.M.Gurley vs. Riddick vs. Hightower? Gurley = disappointment all year but, Riddick is questionable. Thoughts? #FantasyFootball #StartSitESPN- Meg Crawford (@Postgrad) December 11, 2016Gurley remains the high-floor option here, while his ceiling is actually increased against a young Atlanta front that proves to be overly aggressive in space. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Jamison Crowder or Cameron Brate for flex?- Will (@wildwilliec) December 11, 2016Digging Crowder here, as the Redskins are second in passing yardage and yards per play, signs of an elite offense. The Philly secondary was picked apart against the Bengals last week. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Kaep or Stafford? And also I got T. Rawls, Forte, and Freeman I need 2! Thanks- Julian Gonzalez (@JulianG61403466) December 11, 2016Gotta go Stafford, while Forte and Freeman is a strong pairing. -- J.M.C. Brate or C.J. Fiedorowicz #StartSitESPN- El Chapo (@Str8E45T_Mig0) December 11, 2016Ill take Brate with no Kenny Vaccaro for the Saints and his sizable share of targets and red zone attention. -- J.M.Diggs or Ginn #StartSitESPN- Jarrod Hildebrandt (@Jrodhildebrandt) December 11, 2016Not sure how this is close -- gotta go Diggs and his remarkable target share. -- J.M.Ladarius Green or Antonio Gates? #StartSitESPN- Tom Sauer (@remhuck) December 11, 2016Prefer Green here, as hes hauled in five catches at least 15 yards downfield over the past two games -- Roethlisberger has four such completions to other tight ends over the past two seasons. It also helps that Green has 24 percent of Pittsburghs passing market the past two games. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy Booker, Moncrief, or Watkins at FLEX. Standard. #StartSitESPN- Miguel (@iMiguel_G) December 11, 2016Moncrief has the best touchdown pattern, while Bookers workload is curbed by the presence of Forsett and his struggles with efficiency of late. -- J.M.Rob Kelley or J. Stewart in half pt PPR? What about bengals or vikes D? #StartSitESPN- Paul McMurry (@spaulmcmurry) December 11, 2016Sticking with Kelley, as this is a common dilemma today, and prefer the Vikings defense just slightly, given their elite pass rush (third in pressuring opposing passers per dropback). -- J.M.#StartSitESPN considering the weather Brady@baltimore or Palmer@miami?- jerry sanchez (@drtysanc) December 11, 2016Still riding with Brady at home here. We often overrate the influence of weather on scheme. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Blount or Steve smith sr?- brady (@bradypags) December 11, 2016Gonna go Blount, as hes second in the league in goal-to-go touches and has such an enduring role as the short-yardage weapon on a top offense. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN #FFNow PPR league. Martin or Booker? Both seem to be looking at time share situation.dddddddddddd- Adam Garland (@hokietect) December 11, 2016Would rather have Martin, whos tied to the stronger offense at home with a massive point total. -- J.M.Cobb or Pryor? Weather, new QB factor for Pryor? #StartSitESPN- David E. Schwartz (@schwartzy98) December 11, 2016Cobb is a tertiary target in that offense now, while Pryor remains the top read in his. Ill assume any risks for the sheer volume of Pryors share. -- J.M.Which TE to start? Antonio Gates or Greg Olsen? Olsen has been slumping bad. Theo Riddick or Kenneth Dixon? Thanks!! #StartSitESPN- Jake Harrison (@JakeCLT) December 11, 2016Still sticking with Olsen, given the talent and upside; were betting on a touchdown with Gates either way. Riddick for me at tailback. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN Need one... Edelman, Cooks, Tate, or Tyrell Williams in PPR league.- fyihyd (@fyihyd) December 11, 2016Going with Edelman and his 30-plus percent share of the passing game over the past three games, which proves ideal for PPR. -- J.M.Landry or Shepard? Choose 1 as WR3 #StartSitESPN- Corey Dempsey (@cordemps) December 11, 2016Landry still has a 20 percent share of the Dolphins passing offense and should get moved around enough to evade Petersons/Cardinals top coverage. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN In a ppr flex. L. Green or E. Sanders?- Jerry Bevil (@menofsteel87) December 11, 2016Sanders has a 30 percent share of the Broncos passing game over the past three games, and the Titans pass defense has proved suspect throughout the season. -- J.M.Ted Ginn Jr vs SD or Taylor Gabriel @ LA?? #StartSitESPN #NFLFantasy #FantasyFootball #FantasyESPN #fantasyadvice- Jeff Schultz Jr (@Jeffschultzjr) December 11, 2016Lets ride with Gabriel and any uptick in routes and targets he might merit with Julio Jones ailing. -- J.M.Dion Lewis or T. Coleman? Have to start one #StartSitESPN- David E. Schwartz (@schwartzy98) December 11, 2016I have Lewis higher of the two in flex ranks, mostly because Lewis looks great on tape and should see around 10 touches on Monday. -- J.M.Dion Lewis or Asiata.. #StartSitESPN- Rudy Guerrero (@AreGee408) December 11, 2016Have Lewis higher for total yardage with a similar workload. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy Which do I start, Kap or Dalton? #StartSitESPN- K.Curtis (@kcurtis093) December 11, 2016Id start Dalton, as he connected on five of six deep balls last week and was nearly perfect from a clean pocket against Philly. The Browns, meanwhile, have the fifth-lowest pressure rate and have allowed the most points per drive and a touchdown on a third of opposing drives since Week 4. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN at WR Terrelle Pryor or Kenny Britt?- Nathan Dilts (@Dilts22) December 11, 2016Pryor for me. I do like Britts vertical usage but prefer Pryors heavy share, and game script could trend pass-happy for Cleveland. -- J.M.Cousins or Kaepernick at QB?? #StartSitESPN @MatthewBerryTMR- DatManCuzzin (@DJ_Blvck) December 11, 2016Cousins is on pace for 5,000 yards and faces a Philly defense that has allowed a top-12 fantasy quarterback performance in five of the past six. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN Start Doug Martin or Tevin Coleman?- Steve (@_stephendugan) December 11, 2016There are more mouths to feed in Tampa now, but I still prefer Doug Martins stake in meaningful short-yardage/goal-line scenarios to Colemans receiving prowess. The inviting implied point total in that Tampa game is a solid touchdown higher than the total in L.A. today, per the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN S. Watkins, Jamison Crowder, Ryan Mathews for FLEX.- Jordan Breeding (@J_Chapman_Music) December 11, 2016Crowder has the highest floor of this group, and with the Eagles secondary proving suspect, his outcome spectrum is more reliable than that of Watkins or Mathews. I understand the appeal for Watkins big-play ability, but Taylors struggles from the pocket (just three touchdowns since Week 7) are a factor. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN start Ingram or J Stewart at flex?- Kelly Carr (@kellypcarr) December 11, 2016Given Ingram returned to practice to end the week, Ill side with him in that potential shootout in Tampa over San Diegos solid rush defense matchup for Stewart. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Luck or Cousins? Thx- IU (@itumo30) December 11, 2016The Texans defense doesnt travel nearly as well as it plays at home, ceding the 12th-most points per drive on the road, and their pass rush is bottom 10 in pressure rate since Week 4 (when J.J. Watt was first sidelined). Add this up, and Luck is positioned to produce a strong volume-driven line. -- J.M.Should I start Ben roethlisburger or russel Wilson #StartSitESPN- Bob moss (@Bobmoss16) December 11, 2016Prefer Wilson here, as the Packers pass coverage rates 31st on Pro Football Focus and Green Bay has ceded the most points per drive in the NFL over the past month. -- J.M.Will Jacquizz Rodgers affect Doug Martin? Should I start Thomas Rawls, rob Kelley, or Doug Martin as my rb2? - Standard #StartSitESPN- Mohammed Mclovin (@MohammedMclovi4) December 11, 2016I do think Rodgers gets some work, but Martin still appears to claim a valuable enough share to earn RB2 status. That said, I have Rawls a good bit ahead of Martin today and consider him a strong start for a Seattle offense that could move the ball in Lambeau. -- J.M.Need to pick two: Fat Rob, Diggs, Sammy, Moncrief. Help please! @ESPNFantasy #StartSitESPN- Ryan Allen (@raallen81) December 11, 2016Riding with Diggs and Moncrief. I do respect Robert Kelleys role, and when game flow (as in competing/leading) favors the Washington offense, he gets valuable work. The Eagles rush defense, however, has proved respectable with Bennie Logan back in the middle. Diggs is a target hog who will get moved around a ton to avoid Jalen Ramsey, while Moncrief is a touchdown machine in that Indy offense. -- J.M.Better running back to start this week in PPR Riddick or Stewart? Also TE McDonald or Ebron?#StartSitESPN- Luke Schutt (@lucasschutt) December 11, 2016Gotta go Riddick in PPR, especially with the decimated Chicago front seven -- particularly their depleted interior linebackers. I prefer Ebron, as well, given the matchup factor and the higher volume passing offense. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Rudolph or Vernon Davis. Gore, booker, or Dion Lewis. 1 pt ppr- Ben (@Ben_Skolnick) December 11, 2016Siding with Rudolph and his red zone appeal and Gores steady workload. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Rob Kelley or Jonathan Stewart? RB2 in PPR- sino (@feelthetrill) December 11, 2016Good deal of Kelley interest today, which makes sense, since he was a free-agent fantasy find and has earned consideration. Lets go with Kelley, who has a much better shot at a heavy workload and less competition for work on the goal line, while Stewart still contends with Cam Newton and Mike Tolbert in close. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN @MathewBerryTMR Kenneth Dixon, Rex Burkhead, or Bilal Powell in standard?- Weeyamish (@weeyamish) December 11, 2016I prefer Dixon in standard, as his upside in the rushing phase is legit and his ability to build total yardage -- at least 72 yards from scrimmage in three of his past four -- is impressive. The game script could prove pass-heavy if the Pats pull ahead, as well. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy falcons or Titans D/ST? #StartSitESPN- Sam Moore (@raidernationyvr) December 11, 2016I? prefer the Falcons, who are facing an L.A. offense that ranks last in the league in points per drive and have a raw rookie behind center. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy Big Ben or Carson Palmer #StartSitESPN- Tee (@just_tee77) December 11, 2016I have Roethlisberger higher this week; even as the Steelers offense produces stronger rates at home, the sheer floor of his established weapons and emergence of Ladarius Green is enough to earn him the nod over Palmer. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy #startsitespn Snead or McKinnon at Flex? (Non ppr)- Ali (@AlltheWire123) December 10, 2016Based on workload upside, I prefer McKinnon, as he could see 15 touches and some passing work to build a worthy day from scrimmage. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN TE Z. Ertz or Jordan Reed? @ESPNFantasy- Tommy Meena (@FollowThatGrizz) December 10, 2016Ertz has such a low-end scoring profile over the larger sample, while Reed remains an elite red zone threat and is simply the better player with a similar market share of his offense. -- J.M.#StartSitESPN Ladarius green or walker?- Ryan Balsei (@Ryan_Balsei) December 11, 2016Still riding with Walker, even as the Denver secondary is imposing. The floor for targets between the painted numbers is valuable. I do like Greens emerging vertical role, I but trust Walkers 20 percent share of his offense more. -- J.M.S Watkins Buff or D Jackson Phil #StartSitESPN- John Harris (@harrisj2016) December 11, 2016Lets go with Watkins here, as we can assume three to four vertical shots and less competition for meaningful targets than Jackson on that deep D.C. passing offense. -- J.M.Start Rawls or Hyde? #StartSitESPN- Tanner (@thecommoncox) December 11, 2016I trust the Seattle offense here more and, thus, the goal-line back attached to it (Thomas Rawls). -- J.M.#StartSitESPN D. Inman, T. Pryor or D. Martin, 1/2 PPR for flex.- Mike Oney (@mike_oney) December 11, 2016Going with Pryor here, as his 27 percent market share of the teams targets remains steady and he established a valuable rapport with RG III earlier this season. -- J.M.Ebron or cj fed? Standard. #StartSitESPN- Eva Key (@emk264) December 11, 2016I prefer C.J. Fiedorowicz to Ebron, as he has consumed the second-most targets and leads the team in yardage since Week 4. It also helps that he set a career high in yardage against the Colts in their first meeting and Indy is missing key depth at linebacker and safety. -- J.M.@ESPNFantasy Which Matt do I start, Stafford or Ryan? #StartSitESPN- A. M. (@AaronMayDay) December 11, 2016The Rams defense has proved respectable in most outings, save for that debacle in the Superdome. I prefer Stafford at home against an ineffective Chicago defense. -- J.M. ' ' '