Do you start a player because he’s facing his former team? That is, are those players fired up, champing at the bit and more likely to put up big numbers? Or maybe the cast around them – the coaches and quarterback – make a bigger effort to get them the ball? Such a strategy seemed to make sense when Andre Johnson caught a pair of touchdowns at Houston.

But at the same time, Darren Sproles played against New Orleans last week with little fanfare, and Golden Tate didn’t step up and shine in his first trip back to Seattle.

I raise the question because there are a few of these guys on the docket this week. Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith play against the team they won a Super Bowl with. Boldin in particular has had some big games against his original team (Arizona) in the past, so he seems like a guy who might step up and deliver on Sunday.

There’s also Cecil Shorts III. He’s playing in Jacksonville for the first time, and I think he’s a sneaky plug-and-play guy, given that the Texans have thrown the ball surprisingly well this year.

Do you start these kind of guys.

I just skimmed over the last eight years, pulling out relevant guys (some more relevant than others). I got 54 such players since 2007. Of those 54, 23 either scored or went over 100 yards.

So it’s my feeling that it is logical to give these kind of a players a little bump when putting together your weekly board.

On this chart, if a player switched to a new team inside the division (like DeSean Jackson going from Philadelphia to Washington last year) I listed both of his games in that first season.

PAYBACK RECEIVERS
YearPlayerOppNoYdsTD
2007Wes Welker, N.E.Mia.91382
2007Wes Welker, N.E.Mia.5490
2007Santana Moss, Was.NYJ4490
2008Bernard Berrian, Min.Chi.6811
2008Bryant Johnson, S.F.Ariz.3480
2008Bernard Berrian, Min.Chi.41221
2008Bryant Johnson, S.F.Ariz.3170
2008Deion Branch, Sea.N.E.4882
2008Kevin Walter, Hou.Cin.5702
2008Randy Moss, N.E.Oak.5672
2008Justin Gage, Ten.Chi.4471
2008Chris Chambers, S.D.Mia.3301
2008Plaxico Burress, NYGPitt.3150
2009Nate Burleson, Sea.Minn.61000
2009Chris Chambers, K.C.S.D.7701
2009Jabar Gaffney, Den.N.E.6610
2009Bryant Johnson, Det.S.F.2110
2009Nate Washington, Ten.Pitt.180
2010Santonio Holmes, NYJPitt.6600
2010T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Balt.Cin.000
2010Santonio Holmes, NYJPitt.2611
2010T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Balt.Cin.2170
2010Braylon Edwards, NYJClev.4590
2010Laurent Robinson, St.L.Atl.5550
2010Roy Williams, Dall.Det.2200
2011Anquan Boldin, Balt.Ariz.71450
2011Jabar Gaffney, Was.N.E.6921
2011Brandon Marshall, Mia.Den.6610
2011Plaxico Burress, NYJNYG3340
2011Laurent Robinson, Dall.St.L.2250
2011Steve Smith, Phil.NYG1141
2012Mario Manningham, S.F.NYG5720
2012Robert Meachem, S.D.N.O.3672
2012Vincent Jackson, T.B.S.D.5590
2012Nate Washington, Tenn.Pitt.3570
2012Sidney Rice, Sea.Minn.4541
2012Brandon Lloyd, N.E.St.L.2282
2013Greg Jennings, Minn.G.B.190
2013Greg Jennings, Minn.G.B.2290
2013Davone Bess, Clev.Mia.5470
2013Darrius Heyward-Bey, Ind.Oak.3330
2013Wes Welker, Den.N.E.4310
2013Mike Wallace, Mia.Pitt.2190
2013Percy Harvin, Sea.Minn.1170
2014DeSean Jackson, Wash.Phil.51171
2014DeSean Jackson, Wash.Phil.41260
2014Steve Smith, Balt.Car.71392
2014Percy Harvin, NYJMinn.61241
2014Eric Decker, NYJDen.6541
2014Hakeem Nicks, Ind.NYG3440
2014Devin Hester, Atl.Chi.1230
2014Andrew Hawkins, Clev.Cin.270
2015Andre Johnson, Ind.Hou.6772
2015Golden Tate, Det.Sea.3290

—Ian Allan