On Wednesday, "Courage," a white turkey from Princeton, North Carolina, will be spared from Ted Washington's(notes) dinner plate in an annual ceremony conducted by the President. After receiving his pardon, the fortunate fowl will be whisked away to Disneyland where he will serve as grand marshal of the Thanksgiving Day parade before establishing permanent residence in Mickey's Frontierland.

The flightless bastard simply doesn't deserve it.

Most analysts unanimously agree he was placed in a situation any average bird could excel in - plentiful feed, ironclad fence, nourishing farming environment and, most importantly, a competent caretaker. Only products from USC come from more nurturing programs.

This year's Most Valueless Turkey, Terrell Owens(notes), unlike the emancipated gobbler, may not possess a fleshy wattle or be surrounded by ideal circumstances, but he's certainly a better candidate for a presidential pardon than the Butterball from NC...

Three weeks ago, fantasy owners were preparing T.O. for a final feast. Butcher knives were sharpened, stuffing was purchased and cooking oil filled the deep fryer. The popular early round pick (ADP: 37.33), who had compiled eight seasons of at least 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, was nothing more than bench waste for even shallow-minded owners. His ghastly 4.3 points per game average ranked outside the WR top 50.

Strangely, instead of pointing fingers at his quarterback or the coaching staff during that difficult stretch, a more unselfish, religiously centered T.O. replaced the tyrannical version we all were accustomed to. He routinely said the right things after lopsided losses and, for the most part, remained uncharacteristically reserved on the sidelines.

Many blamed Father Time for his underwhelming performance, but, in truth, the 35-year-old wasn't the victim of rapid skills deterioration - he still possesses a Pro Bowl caliber package. Instead the most highly-publicized acquisition in Bills history was hampered by Dick Jauron's conservative ideals. Although, from Week 6 on, he was also Fitzpatrick'd, an affliction T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes) is all too familiar with.

But in Week 10 signs of a Mt. Saint Owens eruption - in a good way - began to surface. Against Tennessee, he surpassed the 80-yard mark for the first time this season. Then last week versus a hapless Jacksonville secondary, the frustrated wideout racked a league-best seven catches for 197 yards and a touchdown. He picked apart soft spots in zone coverage and burned corner Tyron Brackenridge(notes) for a 98-yard bomb, the longest reception in Buffalo and T.O. history (Highlights here). Mike Sims-Walker(notes) wanted the shirt off his back. Devoted fans rejoiced. And the relieved receiver went all Kurt Warner(notes) in post-game.

Unfortunately, many of his owners, who've surely fostered an untrusting attitude, never benefited. Owens is determined to mend those broken relationships. From BuffaloBills.com:

Owens remains an integral part of his team's success, yet the Bills playoff aspirations are all but dashed at 3-7. For this reason he just wants to see improvement no matter the outcome.

"It's tough because you want to approach every season with the eye on the prize, and that's the Super Bowl. In order to get there, you have to get wins and make the playoffs. It looks bleak, but we have to finish strong. I feel like I've put that on my shoulders, and want to finish strong no matter what."

The standout wideout's banner numbers over the past two weeks have salvaged a portion of an otherwise forgettable season. Down the stretch he could save even more face.

Here are three reasons why this year's MVT shouldn't be smothered in gravy just yet:

1) Targets. Owens is still getting the damn ball. On the year, he's averaging a very healthy 7.1 targets per game, .1 looks behind Donald Driver(notes) and Vincent Jackson(notes). Skeletor Jauron's replacement, Perry Fewell, has placed an emphasis on feeding his top playmakers. Regardless if Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) or Trent Edwards(notes) mans the controls, T.O. will remain an integral part of the offense. It's possible he could net close to double-digit targets per contest moving forward.

2) Schedule. Ignoring his date with Darrelle Revis(notes) in Week 13, Owens has a favorable upcoming slate. His Week 12 opponent, Miami, has performed marginally versus the pass for much of the season allowing the fourth-most 20-yard pass plays. The Chiefs have yielded the sixth-most fantasy points to wideouts this year. Atlanta, who Owens will see in most leagues' fantasy Super Bowl, ranks No. 1 in 20-yard pass plays surrendered. The Falcons have also given up the 10th-most fantasy points to receivers on the season. Also, if your league crazily ends in Week 17, his matchup with Indianapolis is no longer worrisome. The Colts secondary, ravaged by injuries, has allowed the most yards to pass catchers since Week 7.

3) Buffalo's bumbling defense. The Bills have conceded 22.8 points and 366.7 total yards per game to its opponents. Mainly due to their abhorrent run inadequacies, holes have routinely been dug. The shovel will likely be hard at work again in Weeks 12 (vs. Mia), 15 (vs. NE) and, possibly, 17 (vs. Ind) - pending how the Colts finish. Due to the Bills' shortcomings on D, Owens should attract numerous targets and thus scoring opportunities in those potential blowouts making him a dependable No. 3 in 12-team and deeper formats.

Overall, Western New York's most expensive turkey has largely been trapped in a tryptophan-induced coma for much of the season. But if Fitzpatrick can chuck enough lucky shamrocks his direction, the downcast former fantasy superstar could regain some value lost during the most critical time of the virtual season.

Week 12 Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 78 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 13 fantasy points

What are your thoughts on T.O.? Who's your top candidate for Most Valueless Turkey? Gravy or cranberry sauce? Deep fry, rotisserie or baked turkey?

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Image courtesy of US Presswire

You'll find our deadly accurate Week 12 ranks below, in the traditional Arcade spreadsheet colors (black, gray, mouthwash blue). Most serious fantasy matchups will be decided on Monday night when New England visits New Orleans. All other games are merely appetizers.

Thursday's menu features a big pile of ick (GB at DET, OAK at DAL, NYG at DEN), but it's obviously not without fantasy merit. Let's rank, then discuss…

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford(notes) would have been a player of interest this week, facing a Green Bay defense that's without Aaron Kampman(notes) and Al Harris(notes) (ACLs). Unfortunately, Stafford is not expected to play on Thursday after injuring his non-throwing shoulder in the win over Cleveland. … Kurt Warner(notes) and Ben Roethlisberger(notes) are both expected to start on Sunday, despite the "concussion-like" and "concussion-oriented" injuries they sustained in Week 11. … Using our proprietary Brady Quinn(notes)-to-Aaron Rodgers(notes) conversion method, we forecast precisely 794 passing yards and eight touchdowns for A-Rod. … If you're looking for Alex Smith propaganda, please visit our video library. … Vince Young(notes) ran for 73 yards on 11 carries against Houston on Monday night. He's averaged just 21 pass attempts per game since reclaiming the starting QB role in Tennessee, but he's only turned the ball over twice in four games.

Running Backs

As of this writing, we don't yet know Cedric Benson(notes)'s status for Week 12. He's obviously ranked as if he'll start. His hip injury "remains something of a day-to-day thing" according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. If Benson is ultimately ruled out against the Browns, then bump Bernard Scott(notes) into the 15-20 range and slot Brian Leonard(notes) in the high-30s. Cleveland allows 154.9 rushing yards per game and 4.6 per carry. ... Julius Jones(notes) (rib, lung) is expected to return to practice this week, at least as a limited participant. But given the nature of his injuries and the impressive performance of Justin Forsett(notes), we're not quite ready to return him to the ranks. ... Marshawn Lynch(notes) could force his way into the final Week 12 ranks as well if the news regarding his shoulder injury remains positive. On Monday, Buffalo's interim head coach Perry Fewell said Lynch was "feeling much better." Beast Mode was carted to the locker room in Week 11, so the shoulder issue seemed fairly serious at the time. ... The Arizona backfield situation remains a job-share, as it's been since Week 5. Tim Hightower(notes) gets an edge over Beanie Wells(notes) in the ranks whenever a matchup lends itself to a 45-pass/20-run mix. 

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Photo via AP Images

Please, stop buying low-resolution fantasy DVDs from the dude at the expressway exit. You'll find video of the highest quality (and the usual sketchy advice) right here...

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Almost went with Rams WR Brandon Gibson(notes) there, following the 17-target week. But he wasn't exactly sure-handed in Week 11 and Kyle Boller(notes) will be his quarterback on Sunday. 

On Sundays, I watch football and take notes. On Mondays, I come here and whip up a ghoulash. Sit down for a spell and let's digest Week 11.

• There's a lot of fantasy frustration buzzing about with the Pierre Thomas(notes) situation in New Orleans, but don't pin all the blame on Sean Payton. Save a little bit for yourself, PT owner.

Our numbers racket isn't limited to scouting the players – our make-believe thing is about situations, game flow, coaching tendencies and the like. Yes, Thomas sure looks like the best back in New Orleans, he's jumped off the screen for two years now. But let's stop acting surprised when Thomas doesn't get a host of carries in any given game. Thomas is averaging just 13 carries per start in 2009, and he hasn't hit the 20 mark yet. For whatever reason, Payton doesn't want to burden Thomas with a heavy workload, and he keeps funneling scoring chances to his other backs (that's Mike Bell(notes) leaping to glory above, and Reggie Bush(notes) was on a touchdown binge before sitting out in Week 11).

Mind you, if Bell keeps doing the airborne thing 2-3 times a game, he'll have a hard time staying healthy for the balance of the year. And perhaps Payton is just looking to keep Thomas fresh, mindful of the fact that the Saints might have to play full-out for all 17 weeks to secure the NFC's top seed. Heavier touch counts might be ahead for Thomas if things break right, but at this point in time, it doesn't look like Payton will go in that direction by choice. Accept it for what it is.

• Kansas City's victory over Pittsburgh was a fun game and it added some juice to 2009 Survivor, but let's not misread the flukiness factor at play. Pittsburgh had 27 first downs, KC had 13. The Steelers outgained the Chiefs, 401-214. While you credit the Chiefs for forcing three turnovers and scoring on special teams, it's more important to be able to matriculate the ball down the field (or stop the other guys from doing the same). Look for order to be restored next week – San Diego will beat Kansas City soundly.

• Be careful not to overstate a possible "shutdown corner" matchup as you're choosing your fantasy receivers. Yes, Darrelle Revis(notes) did follow Randy Moss(notes) for most of Sunday, but that didn't keep Moss from collecting 11 targets and a touchdown. The previous week, Mike Sims-Walker(notes) was pretty much held down by Revis, but he was able to score on a play where Revis wasn't covering him. It takes more than one good coverage man to present a nasty matchup.

Also consider that a lot of star cornerbacks stay on the same side of the field and cover whomever lines up opposite them, and every team plays zone coverage much of the time. Forget the days of the 1-on-1 matchup, all day, every snap – that's very rare in the current game.

• Jeff Fisher took a lot of heat for waiting so long to get Vince Young(notes) back in the starting lineup, and it's easy to jump on that delayed decision as the Titans play well behind Young (3-0 so far, and tied with the Texans at halftime as I post this). But keep in mind the shift from Kerry Collins(notes) to Young is a radical shift in offensive personality – heck, it's really a 180 for the entire organization – and in order to have Young best prepared to play and be successful, the move really had to wait for Tennessee's off week. The NFL is a "fix it now!" sort of league, but I'm starting to accept that Fisher was right to wait on the change.

Chris Johnson's recent rampage is partly due to the switch as well; defenses have to scheme differently when the mobile Young is in the game. Obviously Johnson is going to be a star in any system, but it sure looks like his best form comes out when it's the Young offense on the field.

• It's important for a quarterback to take care of the ball, but you can't do it at the expense of big plays. Said another way, Jay Cutler's(notes) line Sunday night (24-for-43, 171 yards, one endgame pick) does not represent progress.

• Did you catch Buffalo absolutely butchering the clock at the end of the first half at Jacksonville? Interim head coach Perry Fewell comes from a defensive background, not that there's any excuse for how the Bills handled that situation.

• Roy Williams should donate his hands to the diamond industry.

• Let's look at the facts with this Antonio Gates(notes) situation. In 16 of his last 18 games, he's been held out of the end zone. In nine of his 10 starts this year, he's posted fewer than 10 points in a basic scoring league. He's had 10 targets or more in just one game this year, and he's had a modest 32 targets in his last five starts. It doesn't make him a stiff, of course, you're still starting him every week. But the Chargers aren't doing anything special to get Gates the rock in the end zone, and it's also worth noting that San Diego still treats LaDainian Tomnlinson like a red-zone weapon, even as his skill set no longer demands it.

• The Cowboys better straighten out their offense against Oakland on Thursday, because the schedule gets significantly harder after that (Giants, Chargers, Saints). Tony Romo's(notes) crew has just two scoring drives over the last two weeks, and that slump occurred against a pair of struggling defensive units (Packers, Redskins). The Pokes are having problems sustaining drives, with third down a particular problem; Romo had a 79.1 rating on the money down, while the offense is converting a pedestrian 38.7 percent on third down.

• Someday, I'd like an explanation as to why DeAngelo Williams(notes) sat behind Deshaun Foster(notes) for multiple seasons. The baton should have been passed during Williams's first year – remember this showing at Philly? Instead, John Fox and friends made Williams wait two full years, and then they drafted Jonathan Stewart(notes) to overload the position. Talk about misjudging your own talent.

• It's hard to be underrated when you play on a team as visible as the Patriots, but Wes Welker(notes) is one of the most underrated commodities in football. Go back and re-read some of the web jabberwocky back from Week 2 when the Jets upset the Welker-less Patriots; some scribes insisted Julian Edelman(notes) wasn't all that different than Welker. In Week 11, with a healthy Welker and a confident Tom Brady(notes) in the mix, order was restored in the AFC East.

• Mark Sanchez(notes) remains a messy work-in-progress for the Jets. Be careful of system quarterbacks who play for a dominant offense in college; Sanchez was seldom rushed at USC, and it's held back the development of his pocket presence.

• Let's cut Matt Millen a break and let him settle in as an announcer. Yes, he was a joke as a general manager. No, he never should have gotten that position without any front office experience. But that doesn't mean he can't be decent in his second go-round in the booth. Millen's best game isn't going to come out working with Stuart Scott on ESPN, but Bob Papa is an excellent partner on the NFL Network games.

• Brad Childress doesn't get a lot of props in this blog but it was very wise to give Brett Favre(notes) a quick hook against the Seahawks. The Seattle offense isn't built to come back from 28-point deficits (especially on the road), and heck, getting Tarvaris Jackson(notes) some snaps (and some confidence) probably wasn't a bad idea.

I gotta give it up to Favre, too – I thought I was "Favred out" for life, the never-ending story, but he's forcing me to root for him. He's no worse than No. 2 or No. 3 in the MVP debate right now, and if you want to give it to him, I wouldn't complain. I'd probably go Peyton Manning(notes) 1, Favre 2, Drew Brees(notes) 3 at the moment; obviously there's a lot of play ahead of us.

• It's time to throw Devil Ray rules at Jon Gruden – every time he says "football player" on a telecast, fine him $5,000.

Prefer your brunch on Sundays? I post my in-game reactions in real time on Twitter; click here to follow along.

Here's your Eagles-Bears recap in 100 words or less, because the blogger would like to move on. L'Ours est mort. Vive l'Ours!

Jay Cutler(notes) threw four fewer interceptions in Week 11 than he did in Week 10, but Chicago finished on a disturbingly similar note. Cutler's final pass was picked, guaranteeing a four-point loss. He overthrew Greg Olsen(notes), Devin Hester(notes) and Johnny Knox(notes) on routes that should have gone for touchdowns. Eagles RB LeSean McCoy(notes) had an excellent game (20-99-1), despite losing a fumble. DeSean Jackson(notes) scored again from 40-plus. Asante Samuel(notes) suffered a stinger that requires an MRI. The turf was in terrible shape for no obvious reason. For the fifth time this season, Matt Forte(notes) gained less than 3.0 YPC. 

There. Hope you learned something. Let's bullet…

Steve Slaton(notes) will start for Houston on Monday night against the Titans. For now, Ryan Moats(notes) returns to the sideline. You probably won't believe this, but Slaton fumbled twice against Tennessee back in Week 2 and he ran for just 2.0 yards per carry. [Houston Chronicle]

Ladell Betts(notes) reportedly tore both his ACL and MCL in the loss to Dallas, ending his season after a pair of useful games. Clinton Portis(notes) (concussion) is not expected to be active in Week 12, so veteran Rock Cartwright(notes) becomes the week's most obvious fantasy pickup. Expect Washington to add some uninteresting depth at running back this week. [Adam Schefter]

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin referred to Ben Roethlisberger's(notes) injury as "a concussion-oriented thing" during postgame comments. Roethlisberger himself said that he felt OK, so there's reason for cautious optimism. The Steelers travel to Baltimore in Week 12. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Kurt Warner(notes) was also mildly concussed on Sunday, but he sounds as if he also intends to play in Week 12: "I feel good. I think I'm going be just fine, but we'll take it day by day." He'll undergo neurological tests this week; if he's neurologically competent, expect him to start against the Titans. [Arizona Republic]

We don't yet know the severity of Marshawn Lynch's(notes) shoulder injury, but Fred Jackson(notes) is worth a speculative add if he happens to be available. Jackson is currently 64 percent owned. He had a touchdown negated via penalty in Sunday's loss. Here's the early (non-)news from Buffalo on Lynch: "While heading toward the team bus, Lynch said he won't know how serious the injury is until more tests are done today." [Buffalo News]

The following paragraph from the Times-Picayune tells you everything you need to know about the current health of the Saints' defense:

New Orleans was without starting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis(notes) and starting cornerbacks Jabari Greer(notes) and Tracy Porter(notes). They also kept new cornerback Chris McAlister(notes) on the bench, deciding that he's not quite in football shape yet. During the game, cornerbacks Randall Gay(notes) and Leigh Torrence(notes) were injured, causing the Saints to use backup safety Usama Young(notes) as an emergency cornerback.

For those keeping score at home, that's four injured cornerbacks. Rookie CB Maclom Jenkins was terrific against Tampa (seven tackles, one interception, two PDs), but he's just one guy. New Orleans hosts New England next week, in a game that might end 59-56. [New Orleans Times-Picayune]

If Matthew Stafford(notes) entered Week 11 needing to win over any Lions teammates, then his fifth touchdown pass – thrown while he was in excruciating pain – should have done the trick. These were Kevin Smith's(notes) postgame comments:

"That's how tough he is," Lions running back Kevin Smith said. "And it makes me feel good, I almost want to cry – knowing you've got a teammate out there like that, he's willing to put it all on the line and there's no telling what his injury is, how serious it is. You define the type of player you are, the type of person you are. It comes down to one play with everything on the line. He could've easily let Daunte (Culpepper) come in and take the play. But he wanted to be out there."

Stafford's non-throwing shoulder was "heavily bandaged" following the game; we don't yet know his status for the Thanksgiving game against the Packers. Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz was characteristically guarded:

"The initial X-ray looks OK. There is a lot more that needs to be done. The thing we wanted to eliminate was a broken collarbone or one of those things. I'm not going to comment other than that."

Under normal circumstances we wouldn't recommend a Lions QB in a matchup with Green Bay, but the Packers lost both Aaron Kampman(notes) and Al Harris(notes) to ACL injuries in Week 11. Those two are likely done for the year. [Mlive.com]

It wouldn't feel like a Monday morning without the Rams Report Card. If they can't boost their GPA significantly in the final semesters, the Rams are basically gonna need to ace the GRE. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

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Photo via US Presswire

Four-game teams: DAL, DEN, LAC, MEM, MIL, MIN, NJN, NYK, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC, SAS, TOR

Three-game teams: ATL, BOS, CHA, CLE, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAL, MIA, OKC, PHO, UTH, WAS

Two-game teams: CHI, NOR

Also see: Basketball Monster's ease rankings and Rotowire's value meter

Pickups/Plug-ins

• Chris Andersen(notes) – For all the talk of how disappointing Andersen's production has been, he's still averaged 6.8 boards and 1.4 blocks in just 22 minutes while dealing with knee tendinitis. The knee is getting better and, from a matchup standpoint, you can't do any better than the Nuggets in Week 5 (NJN, @MIN, NYK, MIN).

• Anthony Morrow(notes) – Morrow has been up and down since joining the Warriors' starting five, but overall he's been solid in November (13.2 points on 56/56/90, 2.3 threes, 4 boards, and 1.1 steals in 32 minutes) and the playing time isn't going anywhere. Week 5: @DAL, @SAS, LAL

• Mike Dunleavy – Dunleavy could be back on the Pacers' active roster as soon as Wednesday, and now is the time to grab him if he's on the wire in your league. Be prepared for minimal production in the early-going, but the payoff down the line is what we're after here. Week 5: @TOR, LAC, DAL

• Randy Foye(notes) – Foye should get plenty of run while Mike Miller(notes) is sidelined (four to five weeks), even if it's DeShawn Stevenson(notes) who gets the call as the starter. There's only so much usage available after the team's big three get their share, but his playing time should be largely unchallenged. Week 5: PHI, @MIA, CHA 

• Beno Udrih(notes) – Different week, same story here. In seven games as a starter, he's averaged 17.1 points on 52-percent shooting, 1.3 threes, and 5 assists in 37 minutes, and Kevin Martin(notes) still has a ways to go before he'll return. Week 5: @MEM, NYK, NJN, NOR

• Ben Wallace(notes) – Wallace continues to deliver fantastic defensive numbers (9.7 boards, 1.4 steals, 1.9 blocks over the past seven games) while actually delivering efficient offense, albeit in extremely low volumes (53% FG, 16:4 AST:TO). Week 5: CLE, LAC, ATL 

• Drew Gooden(notes) – Gooden has posted double-doubles in three of his four starts since taking over for Erick Dampier(notes), averaging 14.8 points on 50-percent shooting, 13 boards, and 1.3 blocks in 36 minutes. With Damp's timeframe still an uncertainty, Gooden makes all kinds of sense, especially in the short-term. Week 5: GSW, @HOU, @IND, CLE

• Jared Dudley(notes) – Dudley's versatility has helped him emerge as the Suns' sixth man, and he's averaged 23 minutes over the past nine games. He's made 52 percent of his shots (34-of-65) and a whopping 58 percent of his threes (21-of-36) during that time, leading to averages of 11.3 points, 2.3 threes, 4.1 boards, and 1.3 steals. There are certainly worse ways to use that last bench spot, particularly if he stays ahead of Leandro Barbosa(notes) for reserve minutes. Week 5: MEM, @MIN, @TOR

• Ersan Ilyasova(notes) – Ilyasova has been providing good offense lately (13 points on 48% shooting, 1.7 threes over the past seven games) but it's been his defense over the same stretch (9.1 boards, 1.3 steals-plus-blocks) that has earned him a starting role for Scott Skiles. Andrew Bogut's(notes) injury should mean that he'll continue to see usage even when Michael Redd(notes) returns. Week 5: @SAS, @NOR, @OKC, ORL

• Jason Williams(notes) – Williams faced tough matchups in each of his first two starts (Russell Westbrook(notes), Rajon Rondo(notes)), but things were a bit more friendly on Sunday and he responded with 16 points, two threes, five boards, three assists, no turnovers, and two steals. Nobody should be expecting massive numbers here, but he's the starting point guard for at least another month or so. Week 5: MIA, ATL, @MIL, @NYK

• J.J. Hickson(notes) – Hickson's numbers are starting to come around a bit as he settles in as the starter. Over the past six games, he's averaged 15.7 points on 70-percent shooting, 5.2 boards, and 1.3 steals-plus-blocks in 31 minutes. At the very least, that is elite-level help in one category (FG%). Week 5: @DET, LAC, ATL 

• Thabo Sefolosha(notes) – Sefolosha continues to be something of a Ben Wallace of guards. He's averaged just 6.0 points and 34-percent shooting in 33 minutes over the past eight games, but the supporting stats have been superb: 0.7 threes, 7.1 boards, 2.3 assists, 2 steals, and 1.1 blocks. Keep in mind that James Harden's(notes) production over the past two games, both blowouts, has largely come in garbage time – Sefolosha's playing time is not in jeopardy. Week 5: @UTH, MIL, HOU 

• Martell Webster(notes) – Webster is back in the starting five and went for 21 points, four threes, and 13 boards on Saturday. While the matchup with the T-Wolves couldn't have been more ideal, it's a good sign nonetheless and the three-guard experiment in Portland has ended. In the six games where Webster has seen at least 25 minutes of playing time, he's averaged 13.2 points, 2 threes, 4.8 boards, and 1.7 steals. Week 5: CHI, NJN, MEM, @UTH

• Ramon Sessions(notes) – Sessions has been seeing more consistent playing time lately (25 minutes over the past six games) and has been fairly productive (10.8 points on 52% shooting, 4.2 assists, 1 steal). While the team is committed to Jonny Flynn(notes), he has been struggling to facilitate the offense (41:46 AST:TO) and Sessions appears to have at least worked himself into a platoon scenario. Now we just need Kurt Rambis to go ahead and let the two share the court on occasion. Week 5: @LAC, DEN, PHO, @DEN

• Andres Nocioni(notes) – There is not tremendous upside here, but there's production to be had off the wire nonetheless and the Kings' Week 5 schedule is a beauty (@MEM, NYK, NJN, NOR). In eight November games, Noc has averged 13.6 points, 1.5 threes, 4.9 boards, and 1.2 steals-plus-blocks.

• Mickael Pietrus(notes) – Pietrus has settled in as the starting small forward since Rashard Lewis(notes) returned, averaging 11.8 point on 50-percent shooting and 2.4 threes in 32 minutes over the past five games. He'll fight an uphill battle for usage, but it's hard to argue with 30-plus minutes per game. Week 5: MIA, @ATL, @MIL, @NYK

• Kurt Thomas(notes) – In a deep league and need big-man stats? Dan Gadzuric(notes) may start while Andrew Bogut is sidelined, but Thomas is clearly the rosterable player. In two games since Bogut was lost, Thomas has totaled 12 points, 17 boards, three steals, and three blocks in 54 minutes of playing time. Week 5: @SAS, @NOR, @OKC, ORL

• Rasual Butler(notes) – Butler has been a roller-coaster of production this season (27 and 6 points over the past two respective games), but he's worth a look during a favorable upcoming four-game week if you need threes. Week 5: MIN, @IND, @DET, MEM  

• Darren Collison(notes) – Collison has been effective in four starts since taking over for Chris Paul(notes) (14.8 points, 0.8 threes, 6.5 assists, 1 steal), but the schedule is a real downer for any Hornets player – they play just twice in Week 5 (MIL, @SAC) and Week 6 (@LAL, MIN). 

• Oleksiy Pecherov(notes) - Deep-leaguers looking for short-term help should take a chance on Pecherov. Ryan Hollins(notes) has been starting at center, but the Wolves' Week 5 schedule (@LAC, DEN, PHO, @DEN) should mean Pecherov's offense is a bit more featured. 

• Rodrigue Beaubois(notes) – This won't seem like much of a complement to most people, but Beaubois is arguably the best option among universally unowned players. He'll continue to start for as long as Josh Howard(notes) is sidelined, and in six starts thus far he's averaged 9.3 points on 62-percent shooting, 0.8 threes, and 0.8 steals-plus-blocks in 17 minutes. Week 5: GSW, HOU, @IND, CLE

Status Updates

• Mike Bibby(notes) - Bibby is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle and not likely to miss any time, considering that the Hawks are off until Thursday.

• Andris Biedrins(notes) - Take heart, Biedrins owners! He'll be re-evaluated on Monday and could be close to returning for an exceptionally thin Warriors squad. 

• Andrew Bogut - Bogut will be out for two to four weeks because of a ligament strain and bruise in his left leg.

• Andrew Bynum(notes) – Bynum did not practice either of the past two days because of a sprained right ankle and will be a game-time decision on Sunday. 

• Erick Dampier - Dampier remains sidelined by a mystery illness that has yet to be made public, although the team has said it's not life-threatening. He's currently undergoing tests and we should see some kind of an update in the coming week.

• Tyreke Evans(notes) – Evans missed Saturday's game because of a sprained right middle finger, but X-rays were negative and he's hoping to be back in the lineup on Monday. 

• Eric Gordon(notes) – Gordon is close to returning from his groin strain, and we may see him back in action as soon as Monday. 

• Blake Griffin(notes) - Griffin remains sidelined by a stress fracture on his left kneecap. He's expected to return to the lineup sometime in mid-December. 

• Richard Hamilton(notes) - Rip was a light participant in practice on Friday but is still not close to returning.

• Josh Howard – Although his ankle is "getting better", Howard remains sidelined on an indefinite timetable. 

• Courtney Lee(notes) – Lee's groin injury has kept him out for seven straight games, but he practiced on Friday and hopes to be back in the lineup on Tuesday. 

• Kevin Love(notes) – Love's broken hand has been healing well, but he's still at least 10 days away from returning to practice and even further removed from game action. The rough target date for his return is currently December 11.

• Shawn Marion(notes) - Marion's left ankle injury has kept him out for the past two games, but he's targeting a return on Tuesday against the Warriors. 

• Kevin Martin - Martin had surgery on his broken left wrist on November 9 and is expected to return sometime in mid-January. 

• Tracy McGrady(notes) – A sore back has added to the drama surrounding T-Mac, who is/was scheduled to practice and have an MRI taken on Monday, in an effort to establish a concrete timeframe for his return. The new issue means he'll have tests on Sunday and his Monday itinerary is not locked in stone. Rick Adelman offered this general statement about McGrady's status:

“He's not ready to play yet. We've set that (schedule) all along. We said he wasn't going to play. He chose to say something else. That has nothing to do with me. My stance hasn't changed at all. It's not going to change. Certainly when he's healthy and ready to play he's a heck of a player. But we don't think he is (ready) right now, and we're following a timetable.”

• Mike Miller - Miller could be out as long as five weeks after injuring his right calf on Saturday. An MRI will provide some definitive details, but Flip Saunders' quote after the game was "He might've popped it."

• Jameer Nelson(notes) – Nelson had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee on Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks. 

• Mehmet Okur(notes) - Okur has missed the past three games with flu-like symptoms, although the team has confirmed that he does not have H1N1. Look for updates on Monday in advance of the Jazz's matchup with the Thunder on Tuesday.

• Shaquille O'Neal(notes) - Shaq has missed five consecutive games because of a shoulder injury and his return date remains uncertain. The Cavs are off until Wednesday, so we may see him return to practice in the interim. 

• Chris Paul – Paul's timeframe for a return from a sprained ankle, suffered on November 13, is a bit murky, but general expectations are that he'll miss between two and four weeks. With the team only playing five times in the next 15 days, they'll be able to bring him along a bit more cautiously.

• Tayshaun Prince(notes) – Prince has yet to begin contract drills in practice and remains sidelined indefinitely. 

• Michael Redd - The Bucks are hoping to have Redd back sometime this week and possibly as early as Monday or Wednesday. 

• Marreese Speights(notes) - Speights' MCL injury is expected to keep him sidelined until sometime in January.

• Tyrus Thomas(notes) - Thomas had surgery for a broken arm on November 7 and is expected to return sometime in mid-December.

Click here to submit questions.

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If you've invested in the Indianapolis offense this season, Sunday was a terrible day. Miserable. It might have been the worst day of your fantasy year.

That's not to say that you lost your Week 11 matchup, of course. The Colts' skill position players all delivered acceptable lines in the win against the Ravens. Peyton Manning(notes) threw for 299 yards, Dallas Clark(notes) and Joseph Addai(notes) each scored touchdowns and Reggie Wayne(notes) finished with seven receptions for 89 yards. 

But we also moved a few steps closer to the nightmare scenario pictured above: Manning on the sidelines with a headset in Week 16.

Indianapolis is now 10-0 and the remaining schedule is relatively friendly. After Cincinnati's unexpected loss to Oakland, no other AFC team is better than 7-3. Don't be surprised if Indy manages to lock up home field advantage throughout the playoffs by Week 15, prior to your fantasy Super Bowl.

Traditionally, when the Colts clinch everything there is to clinch, they go to the Jim Sorgi(notes) formation. Manning gets a series in order to preserve the consecutive games streak, then he grabs a clipboard. Indianapolis has a long history of giving limited snaps to key starters in the final weeks of the regular season.

Perhaps the Colts will manage their resources differently if an undefeated season is on the line, but history says you need to plan for benchings. If Manning is your starter in a deep league, Sorgi isn't a crazy add right now. The 41 percent-owned Donald Brown(notes) could be an end-game monster, too.

Fourth Quarter

• San Diego decisively won the battle for first place in the AFC West, crushing the Broncos in Denver, 32-3. The Chargers rushed for 203 net yards, 73 of which belonged to LaDainian Tomlinson(notes). If Denver would have been more competitive, LT might have reached triple-digits.

• Chris Simms(notes) started for the Broncos, but he was pulled early following a fumble and a pair of sacks. He was replaced by an injured Kyle Orton(notes), who obviously didn't do anything noteworthy. Brandon Marshall(notes) had a quiet day statistically (3-26), but he had a fairly noisy day on the field. He had several unkind words for Knowshon Moreno(notes) following a goal line fumble in the first half, then he yelled at his quarterback after a late incompletion.

• You don't want to own him, but Bruce Gradkowski(notes) directed an Oakland win over the Bengals. (Predicted by Larry Beil on Fantasy Football Live). Note the protection on this late 29-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy(notes). One of the 'Kowskis was involved in every point for the Raiders, as Grad- threw for two TDs and Jani- kicked a pair of field goals.

• Leading by 17 points with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Patriots threw a deep sideline route to Randy Moss(notes), looking for another score against the Jets. So yeah, those teams respect each other. The afternoon began poorly for Mark Sanchez(notes) (see below) and it didn't improve significantly. Sanchez finished with five turnovers for the second time this season. Wes Welker(notes) had an insane PPR day, catching 15 passes for 192 yards. He also carried once for 11 yards. It's no easy trick to reach 20 fantasy points in standard formats without a touchdown, but Welker did it. 

• Let's recap the key Week 11 injuries here, so you don't have to go digging: Kurt Warner(notes) and Ben Roethlisberger(notes) may have suffered concussions. Ben says he's fine. … Matthew Stafford(notes) injured his non-throwing shoulder before tossing the game-winning TD pass against Cleveland; X-rays were negative. … Ladell Betts(notes) has a torn MCL and Clinton Portis(notes) won't be available in Week 12. Rock Cartwright(notes) is the appropriate add. … Marshawn Lynch(notes) didn't return after injuring his left shoulder in the first half at Jacksonville. … Brandon Jacobs(notes) took a helmet to his right knee in the second half of the OT win against Atlanta. He reportedly could have returned to the game (though he didn't). 

Posted at 10:20 pm ET

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Third Quarter

Kurt Warner suffered a head/neck injury late in the second half at St. Louis, after Oshiomogho Atogwe(notes) drove him face-first to the turf. Warner went to the locker room ahead of his teammates. Matt Leinart(notes) has taken over at quarterback for the Cardinals.

Arizona led 21-3 at half, so Warner seems unlikely to return. He gave his fantasy owners 203 yards and two TDs prior to the injury. It's not the day you necessarily expected, but not a complete disaster.

• At halftime in New England, the Patriots had 221 net passing yards and the Jets had just six. It's not Mark Sanchez's best day so far. He was 2-for-9 with no touchdowns and two interceptions at half. Wes Welker has eight receptions for 139 yards after two quarters. Randy Moss caught a 4-yard TD with Darrelle Revis(notes) looking on.

• If you started Bernard Scott(notes), Larry Johnson(notes) or Brian Leonard(notes) in Week 11, just skip to the next bullet. This will make you ill:

Carson Palmer(notes), TD vulture.

• Knowshon Moreno's goal line fumble sure looked like it may have been a goal line touchdown, but none of the replay angles were conclusive. (And I'm heavily biased, due to Moreno ownership).

• Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) each carried 12 times for the Giants in their overtime victory over Atlanta. Neither back reached 40 yards, but Jacobs visited the end zone for just the third time this year. He suffered a knee injury, but reportedly downplayed its severity following the game. Eli Manning(notes) delivered a terrific fantasy line in a game that really should not have been so close: 25-for-39, 383 yards, three TDs. 

• Here's an early candidate for quote of the day, via Jim Schwartz: "(Stafford)'s best play was avoiding four team doctors on the sideline." X-rays on Matthew Stafford's left shoulder were reportedly negative, but additional tests will obviously follow.

• Awful news here for the Packers defense: Aaron Kampman(notes) and Al Harris(notes) both reportedly suffered torn ACLs in Green Bay's win over San Francisco. Those two are almost certainly out for the year. 

Posted at 6:45 pm ET

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Second Quarter

It may have been a short day for Brett Favre(notes), but he was obscenely productive.

Minnesota destroyed Seattle, 35-9, as Favre completed 22 of 25 pass attempts for 213 yards and four TDs. That 88 percent completion rate was a career high for the 40-year-old. (It was presumably a career high for any 40-year-old). Favre connected with four different receivers for touchdowns. There were "M-V-P" chants. There was childlike enthusiasm. There was gunslinging.

Sidney Rice(notes) caught a 7-yard TD from Favre in the third quarter, then added a 34-yard score in the fourth on a ball thrown by Tarvaris Jackson(notes). Rice handled most of the heavy lifting on the second touchdown, picking up 26 yards after the catch. Highlight here. The Vikes should get another layup victory next week when they host Chicago.

• New Orleans remains one game ahead of Minnesota in the battle for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs after mauling Tampa Bay, 38-7. Drew Brees(notes) threw three touchdown passes, per his usual, connecting twice with Robert Meachem(notes). The Saints' backfield situation continues to be an unpredictable theater of pain, at least for Pierre Thomas(notes) owners. PT again had an edge over Mike Bell(notes) in rushing yardage (92 to 75), but Bell took the goal line carries, breaking the plane twice.

• Matthew Stafford authored a spectacular finish to the Browns-Lions tilt, throwing a game-winning 1-yard TD pass to Brandon Pettigrew(notes) with no time on the clock. Stafford was in obvious pain after hurting his non-throwing shoulder on the previous play. He was driven to the turf by 305-pound CJ Mosley(notes) after a desperation last-second heave, then got up clutching his left shoulder. An interference penalty on the Browns kept the game from ending, however, allowing Stafford to throw his fifth touchdown and his 422nd passing yard.

• Incredibly enough, Brady Quinn(notes) nearly kept pace with Stafford statistically. Quinn went 21-for-33 for 304 yards and four TDs. Without checking, I'm just going to assume that those are career highs in yards and touchdowns. 

• Ray Rice(notes) owners, today you simply got Harbaughed. The Ravens had a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 12:08 remaining in the fourth quarter against Indy…and Rice got nothin'. On first down, Joe Flacco(notes) carried for no gain. Then on second down, Willis Mcgahee(notes) plowed into Gary Brackett(notes) for no gain. On third down, McGahee was stuffed again. Billy Cundiff(notes) then kicked his fifth field goal.

Bah. McGahee had an ugly day, fumbling once and getting stonewalled at the goal line twice. Rice finished with 135 total yards on 27 touches (including seven receptions). 

• After passing for 398 yards and three TDs, Ben Roethlisberger took a knee to the helmet in overtime at Kansas City. Charlie Batch(notes) took over for the Steelers; a drive soon stalled. We don't yet know the nature or severity of Roethlisberger's injury. You'll get a Fourth Quarter update.

• Michael Crabtree(notes) scored his first NFL touchdown on a 38-yard toss from Alex Smith. The Niners nearly overcame a 20-point halftime deficit against Green bay, as Smith connected with the usual suspects in the fourth quarter (Vernon Davis(notes), Frank Gore(notes)). 

• If you're among the few fantasy owners who are still starting Terrell Owens(notes), today you were rewarded for your loyalty. Of course you probably entered the week at 2-8, so it hardly matters. TO finished with a vintage line: nine catches, 197 yards, one touchdown. Owens gained 98 of his yards on this gem.

Posted at 5:30 pm ET 

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First Quarter

Everyone expected a shootout between the Browns and Lions, right?

Great, because that's exactly what we're getting. Cleveland leads Detroit at half, 27-24.

Brady Quinn and Matthew Stafford have combined for 469 passing yards and six touchdowns; those two entered the week with just seven TD passes between them, total. Quinn should have actually had another touchdown pass, but Chris Jennings(notes) whiffed on a ball that hit him in the hands.

Kevin Smith(notes) and Mohamed Massaquoi(notes) have already reached triple-digits in receiving yards, and Calvin Johnson(notes) is threatening with 96. Johnson nearly brought down the goal posts by himself with an emphatic crossbar dunk following a 75-yard score.

It's not really a shock to see Megatron make a big play, but this might be the strangest thing you'll see all day:

Not one, but two long passing TDs for Cleveland. Those weren't short dump-offs that went the distance, either. They were legitimate deep balls off play-action, beautifully thrown by Quinn. Here's the video evidence via NFL.com.

Just…weird. Through ten weeks, the Browns had averaged only 8.7 points per game and the Lions had averaged 15.9.

• Brutal news for Ladell Betts and his owners: Betts is done for the day with a knee injury. Dallas linebacker Bradie James(notes) rolled over Betts' legs on a first quarter tackle, following a short gain. Rock Cartwright took over for the 'Skins.

• The Colts held yet another passing clinic on their opening drive at Baltimore. Peyton Manning took a vicious hit from a blitzing Ray Lewis(notes) on an early third-and-9, but he still delivered a 15-yard strike to Reggie Wayne. Two plays later, a Manning pump fake allowed Pierre Garcon(notes) to get deep for a gain of 66. And then Dallas Clark's one-handed TD catch was just ridiculous. Video here.

• Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman(notes) did an outstanding job avoiding pressure on his 18-yard first quarter TD pass to Michael Clayton(notes). Highlight here. Byron Leftwich(notes) would have been sacked three times on that play.

• When we tell you that Jason Snelling(notes) walked into the end zone on his second quarter touchdown in New York, understand that we mean it literally. He walked. Snelling's line gave him a massive running lane; the Giants defense was owned. 

• Greg Jennings(notes) made an outstanding cut on his 64-yard touchdown reception, causing a pair of San Francisco defensive backs to collide. Aaron Rodgers(notes) wasn't sacked by the Niners in the first half (a rare occurrence); light pressure on the QB clearly helps Jennings in a big way.

• If you weren't convinced that Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles(notes) had big-play speed, check the tape. He's facing a terrible matchup in Week 11 against the NFL's best run defense (Pittsburgh), but he nonetheless found a way to help those who started him. 

• Marshawn Lynch was carted to the Bills' locker room with a left shoulder injury of as-yet unknown severity. Fred Jackson(notes) is obviously the handcuff there.

• There was another Dallas-Washington bullet, but Roy Williams dropped it.

Posted at 2:55 pm ET 

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Early injury notes: Michael Turner(notes), Jerious Norwood(notes) and Reggie Bush(notes) are INACTIVE; Roddy White(notes), Antonio Bryant(notes) and Bernard Berrian(notes) are ACTIVE. In all likelihood, Chris Simms will start at quarterback for Denver.

A few key defensive absences: Albert Haynesworth(notes), Antonio Pierce(notes), Antoine Winfield(notes), Troy Polamalu(notes), Nate Clements(notes) and Sedrick Ellis(notes) are INACTIVE.

Posted at 12:30 pm ET

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Pregame

Welcome to Handcuff Week, everyone. We salute those who are starting some combination of Ladell Betts, LeSean McCoy(notes), Bernard Scott, Jason Snelling and/or Justin Forsett(notes).

For pregame updates, please join us in the chat window over at Fantasy Football Live, beginning at noon ET. We already know that Reggie Bush (knee) is reportedly out, Kyle Orton (ankle) needs a "medical miracle" in order to face the Chargers, and Steve Slaton(notes) (not Ryan Moats(notes)) will start at running back for the Texans on Monday night.

A few links while you wait for games to kick: Week 11 position ranks, NFL Skinny, Fantasy Freak Show podcast, Rest-of-season ranks, Flames/Lames.

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Photos via Getty Images (Seahawks fan, Favre), US Presswire (Quinn, Clark) and AP Images (Warner).

Each week the Noise will guide desperate, deep-thinking owners into the dark corners of the waiver wire to mine a last-minute diamond. Turn on your helmet light and pack a pickaxe. We're digging for drop-jaw surprises owned in fewer than 10 percent or started in five percent or less of Yahoo! Plus leagues.

What a difference a year can make.

This time last season, Antonio Bryant(notes) was on the precipice of a legendary fantasy playoff run. The journeyman receiver, whose troublemaking background had burned bridges in previous stints with the Cowboys, Browns and Niners, had finally matured mentally, unlocking his beastly talents. Through Week 10 he had already accumulated three 100-yard games and pierced the invisible pool twice. Undoubtedly, he was Jeff Garcia's(notes) most reliable weapon.

But after a career year, Bryant's '09 campaign has been marred by injury. Hampered by persistent knee swelling and pain, a repercussion of August surgery, the downcast wideout has played just six games, netting a per game average nearly half of what he finished with a season ago. But after being mass dropped several weeks ago, there's still time for the popular early-round pick to salvage his season. With Josh Freeman(notes) behind center and the Tampa defense an embarrassment, he should attract ample targets.

Though not quite 100 percent, he reportedly looked good in practice this week. Head Buckaroo Raheem Morris was reportedly very pleased with his progression. From the St. Petersburg Times:

Bryant, who has missed the last two games with a lingering left knee injury that's bothered him since preseason arthroscopic surgery, returned to practice Wednesday. Though Bryant was limited, he impressed Morris.

"He came out there, ran around and looked as good as I've seen him," Morris said.

Several local and national outlets have reported Bryant will be in uniform against the Saints, an enticing matchup. The injury imp has feasted on New Orleans' secondary in recent weeks. Starting corners Jabari Greer(notes) (groin) and Tracy Porter(notes) (knee) are slated for the inactive list while cog Darren Sharper(notes), who was limited in practice all week due to a knee setback, isn't anywhere close to 100 percent.

In a non-bye week, trusting a receiver attempting to stave off the plaguing effects of a multi-week knee injury is the equivalent of risking intestinal turmoil on week-old General Tso's Chicken, but, for the gamblers in attendance, Bryant could reap a Donnie Avery(notes)-like profit. It's not completely unfathomable. Keep in mind, even with all mostly hands healthy, the Saints have surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points to wideouts since Week 6.

For the 45 percent-owned (five percent-started) Bryant, Week 11 could springboard the receiver into another difference-making playoff run.

Week 11 Fearless Forecast: 4 receptions, 58 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 11 fantasy points

Who is your Week 11 Shocker Special (10% owned, 5% started or less)? Post your pick with projection below?

SILENCE THE NOISE CHALLENGE

Each week one lucky aspiring fantasy prognosticator is chosen to go toe-to-toe against the Noise. If you want to be a guest "expert" submit your Week 12 flames, lames (1 QB, 3 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE for each, 16 total) and shocker special (one player at any position) along with a valid email address and your location here no later than 7 PM central time on Thursday. Oh, and please, no long dissertations to justify your picks. All that's required are your player selections and projections. Winners earn a league spot to compete against yours truly next season. Good luck!

Week 11 contestant:  Sean from South Brunswick, NJ

Flames:
QB: Jake Delhomme(notes), Car, 19-30, 250 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 5% started
RB: Fred Jackson(notes), Buf, 15 rushes, 50 yards, 20 receiving yards, 1 TD, 19%
RB: Jason Snelling(notes), Atl, 12 rushes, 60 yards, 14 receiving yards, 1 TD, 11%
RB: Ladell Betts(notes), Was, 20 rushes, 80 yards, 1 TD, 15%
WR: Chris Chambers(notes), KC, 7 catches, 140 yards, 2 TDs, 11%
WR: Davone Bess(notes), Mia, 5 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD, 1%
WR: Steve Breaston(notes), Ari, 4 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD, 42%
TE: Zach Miller, Oak, 4 catches, 45 yards, 1 TD, 21%

Lames:
QB: Tony Romo(notes), Dal, 20-36, 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 77% started
RB: Pierre Thomas(notes), NO, 10 rushes, 40 yards, 0 TDs, 76%
RB: Rashard Mendenhall(notes), Pit, 12 rushes, 50 yards, 0 TDs, 69%
RB: Thomas Jones(notes), NYJ, 20 rushes, 60 yards, 0 TDs, 76%
WR: Miles Austin(notes), Dal, 4 catches, 68 yards, 0 TDs, 83%
WR: Chad Ochocinco(notes), Cin, 5 catches, 65 yards, 0 TDs, 84%
WR: Mike Sims-Walker(notes), Jac, 5 catches, 60 yards, 0 TDs, 71%
TE: Jeremy Shockey(notes), NO, 4 catches, 40 yards, 0 TDs, 62%

Shocker Special: Matthew Stafford(notes), Det, 24-42, 260 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 3%

Week 10 results: Jo from Fond du Lac, WI

Flames (2-7): W - (Jamaal Charles(notes), Sidney Rice(notes)); L - (Joe Flacco(notes), Mike Bells, Knowshon Moreno(notes), Mike Wallace(notes), Braylon Edwards(notes), Dustin Keller(notes))

Lames (1-7): W - (Ryan Grant(notes)); L - (Donovan McNabb(notes), LT, Joseph Addai(notes), Dwayne Bowe(notes), Santonio Holmes(notes), Mike Sims-Walker, Greg Olsen(notes))

Noisers Season: Flames (26-56, 31.7%), Lames (33-38, 46.4%)

Winners: Matthew in Colden, NY, Micah in Shelbyville, TN, Brian in Colorado Springs

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Image courtesy of US Presswire

• The Knicks will not make an offer to Allen Iverson(notes), with Mike D'Antoni citing their young roster as the main reason:

“With the development of some of our young guys and with Gallo and Wilson and Toney Douglas(notes) and Eddy, we just didn't think right now we wanted to have that dominant force on the team."

It will be interesting to see what is next for AI. With neither the Heat nor the Bobcats looking like they are ready to bring him aboard, he's looking at unemployment for at least the near future. Perhaps it will take a major injury to a team's starting guard to eventually move the needle here. Or perhaps Iverson's rant after just one game with the Grizz this season will prove to be to be his ultimate undoing. Those of you that added AI in recent days can think about another player off the wire (Ersan Ilyasova(notes)? Jared Dudley(notes)?) – even if he were to sign with Miami or Charlotte, the fantasy potential won't approach what might have been in New York.

• Eddy Curry(notes) played all of 12 minutes on Wednesday, but he's already generating enough buzz to have D'Antoni bring his name up with the likes of Gallinari and Chander. So who does Curry take minutes from in the event that he's playing 25 per game? They will most likely come from Jared Jeffries(notes) first, Larry Hughes(notes) second, and Al Harrington(notes) third. I'll stop short of an endorsement – the Curry Line exists for a reason – but it'd be unwise to completely ignore a player with offensive talent in the Knicks' system, and the organization would certainly like for him to succeed. Deep-leaguers with a roster spot in play should consider a move here, particularly if they are short on bigs or need help in FG%.

• The good news for Andrew Bogut(notes) is that his back feels good. The bad news is that his leg doesn't. He's expected to miss two to four weeks with what the team is calling a strain and contusion – Bogut himself said "the ligaments are inflamed and damaged." He played well in his first nine games, averaging 16.1 points on 57-percent shooting, 9.2 boards, and 1.4 blocks in 34 minutes. Dan Gadzuric(notes) got the start in his place on Friday (15 minutes, 2 points, 3 boards, but Kurt Thomas(notes) was more effective (23 minutes, 4 points, 7 boards, 1 block) and is the preferred deep-league add while Bogut is out.

• Michael Redd(notes) missed his eighth consecutive game on Friday but is working out again and is expected to be back in the lineup by the end of a four-game road trip that starts Saturday and ends next Friday. 

• It will be interesting to see how Redd and Brandon Jennings(notes) co-exist, as Jennings' torrid run continued Friday (29 points, 3 treys, 7 assists). He's now averaged 32 points on 52-percent shooting, 3.8 threes, 4.8 boards, and 7.4 assists over the past five games. 

• Gerald Wallace(notes) topped 20 points for the second time this season on Friday and filled it up all over (22 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks). Feel free to keep them coming, G-Wall. Stephen Jackson(notes) led the team in shot attempts (13), but Wallace had 12 and Boris Diaw(notes) had 10.

• A left groin strain will keep Manu Ginobili(notes) out of action for the next seven to 10 days. Manu is also dealing with a hamstring strain and will get kid-glove treatment, even though both afflictions are considered mild. The Spurs have also been without Tony Parker(notes), who has missed the past two games with a sprained left ankle. He's day-to-day and will be a game-time decision when the Spurs face the Wizards on Saturday.

• Shawn Marion(notes), Josh Howard(notes), and Erick Dampier(notes) were all out of the lineup again on Friday. Marion's target is the Mavs' next game (Tuesday, GSW), but both Dampier and Howard are on indefinite timetables.

The team expects to know something next week in regards to Dampier, who spent time in the hospital earlier in the week after feeling light-headed in warmups and will undergo a battery of tests. Drew Gooden(notes) had another big night on the glass on Friday (9 points, 16 boards, 1 block) and has averaged 13.6 points, 13.6 boards, and 1.2 blocks in his five starts. Gooden should continue to warrant heavy rostering for as long as Damp is sidelined, and the possibility exists that it will be significant time.

• Tyreke Evans(notes) had arguably his best performance of the season on Friday (29 points, 2 threes, 7 boards, 10 assists, 1 steal, 1 block) and has been huge at shooting guard in Kevin Martin's(notes) absence. In the seven games that Martin has missed, Evans has averaged 22.7 points on 46/37/83-percent shooting, 1 three, 5.6 boards, 5.6 assists, 3 turnovers, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks in 39 minutes. Beno Udrih(notes) hasn't minded the arrangement, either, averaging 17.4 points on 55/35/91-percent shooting, 1.1 threes, and 4.6 assists in 38 minutes during the same stretch.

• Mario Chalmers(notes) exploded for 30 points (9-of-15 FG, 5-of-9 3pt, 7-of-9 FT) on a night where just 28-percent of fantasy owners started him (64% owned). You can't really hold it against anybody, as he was averaging 8.4 points on the season and just 5.8 points over the previous four games. The big game actually cleaned up his season averages pretty nicely and hopefully can spur him on to more consistent play moving forward.

• Chris Bosh(notes) and Andrea Bargnani(notes) had their way with the Heat frontcourt on Friday, combining for 53 points, 18 free throws, 22 boards, and six blocks in the 120-113 win.

• Shaquille O'Neal(notes) (shoulder) missed his fourth straight game on Friday and probably won't play on Saturday, as well.

• Troy Murphy(notes) came off the bench on Friday for the Pacers after missing six games with a back injury, and played well relative to a somewhat limited 24 minutes (12 points, 1 three, 10 boards, 2 steals). Dahntay Jones(notes) had another solid game (35 minutes, 17 points, 1 steal, 2 blocks) and it will be interesting to see if it's Brandon Rush(notes) that goes to the bench once Murph is back up to speed.

• The Sixers went small with Elton Brand(notes) again on Friday, and the line was once again stellar (38 minutes, 22 points, 6 boards, 4 steals, 4 blocks). With that said, the Sixers were outrebounded 48 to 28 in the five-point loss, so it's safe to say that they were a bit too small. Brand, Andre Iguodala(notes) (15 points, 5 boards, 9 assists), and Louis Williams(notes) (31 points, 4 threes, 5 assists, 6 steals) combined for 68 points, but nobody else on the team managed more than seven.

• Rudy Gay(notes) had his second 33-point game of the season and added two treys, 10 boards, two steals, and two blocks. In 10 games in November, Gay has averaged 22.6 points on 51-percent shooting, 0.7 threes, 6.3 boards, 1.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 39 minutes.

• Marvin Williams(notes) had a huge offensive game (29 points, 3 treys, 9 boards) just as people were really starting to wonder about him. He entered Friday having averaged 8.4 points on 39-percent shooting over his previous 10 games. He'll remain down the offensive pecking order on most nights, but it's good to know that he still has a game like this in him.

• Tracy McGrady(notes) and the Rockets have a difference of opinion regarding his state of readiness. T-Mac was ready to play Friday, while the team is still insisting that he wait to be re-evaluated after practice and a scheduled MRI on Monday. To add to the drama, some are suggesting that the Rockets are unenthusiastic about his return and others suggesting that they should be. Even if the level of tension is being overstated, don't plan on an official timetable being released until after Monday's MRI.

• The Magic pulled out a hard-fought win over the Celtics in Boston, with the close contest being decided from long-range (ORL 10-of-22, BOS 2-of-19). Rasheed Wallace(notes) missed all eight of his three-point attempts and shot 4-of-16 overall. He did have 13 boards, three steals, and a block in 34 minutes, though, as he saw extra time because of Kendrick Perkins'(notes) foul trouble (14 minutes, 5 fouls). 

• Before you bail on Jason Williams(notes) after two starts (combined 11 points on 27% shooting), keep in mind that he faced two strong defenders in Russell Westbrook(notes) and Rajon Rondo(notes). The upcoming schedule should treat him a bit better, with Toronto, Milwaukee, New York (twice), and Golden State among their next seven games.

• The Thunder sure were feeling it against the Wizards. As a team they shot 53 percent from the field, 52 percent from three, and 85 percent from the line, en route to 127 points. The usual suspects were involved, but what is most notable is that James Harden(notes) got solid run for the second consecutive game and produced (26 minutes, 25 points, 4 threes, 4 boards, 4 steals). 

• Monta Ellis(notes) was huge on Friday in a big win over the Trail Blazers. He played all 48 minutes, scored 34 points, dished 8 assists, had six steals, and blocked two shots. Anthony Randolph(notes) mixed in some good (15 points, 11 boards, 3 steals, 2 blocks) with some bad (6-of-15 shooting, 6 turnovers) in 30 minutes. His averages over the past nine games now include 13.4 points on 43-percent shooting, 8.1 boards, 1.2 steals, and 1 block in 24 minutes.

• The Blazers shot just 42 percent as a team and had a 18 assists versus 23 turnovers, and Rudy Fernandez(notes) actually turned in the team's best line of the night (38 minutes, 19 points, 3 treys, 4 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals). He saw extra time thanks in part to Andre Miller's(notes) foul trouble (19 minutes, 5 fouls), but he's been playing more – and well – since Travis Outlaw(notes) was lost to a foot injury, averaging 13.5 points on 50-percent shooting, 2.3 threes, 4 boards, and 2.8 steals in 31 minutes over the past four games.

• Chauncey Billups(notes), Arron Afflalo(notes), and J.R. Smith(notes) combined for 6-of-22 shooting (27%), dooming the Nuggets in their seven-point loss to the Clippers. The Clips got a great effort from Rasual Butler(notes) off the bench (34 minutes, 27 points, 4 threes). 

• Eric Gordon(notes) missed his seventh consecutive game on Friday but is nearing his return from a groin strain, and it could come as soon as Monday. 

• Devin Harris(notes) is pain-free and ready to roll for Saturday's matchup with the Knicks. Courtney Lee(notes) is still a few more days away from returning.

• Kevin Love's(notes) hand has been re-evaluated and it was determined that he's still roughly three weeks away from a return to action.

In this week's expanded episode, Dokken rocked the house, Behrens licked random callers and the Noise temporarily lost consciousness after the Million Dollar Sleeper applied his patented finishing move.

We were also kindly joined by Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin who forecasted a banner week for Devin Hester(notes) and repainted his sprawling Los Angeles estate Battle Red. A down week for the Texans and our next encounter with the comedian will definitely be a "Larry David moment." Punchlines about the Noise's prognostication skills are sure to flow freely (As if they didn't already).  

Click. Consume. Purge. 

Freak Show Opening Segment

Freak Show Hour 1

Freak Show Hour 2

Bonus Time!

Jeff Garlin Chat/Team Remodeling Project

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Photo via Getty Images 

Ricky Williams(notes) is clearly possessed. Probably by an ancient Hittite demigod. Williams nearly reached his age (32) in fantasy points on Thursday night in a three-touchdown performance against the Panthers. He carried 22 times for 119 yards and added two receptions for 19.

It was a dominant performance from Williams, highlighted by a 46-yard fourth quarter TD run. Video here via NFL.com. After a slight miscalculation by Carolina linebacker Jon Beason(notes), Williams legitimately outran a pair of NFL corners on his way to the goal line for his third score

Ricky is not to be benched for the foreseeable future, not with Ronnie Brown(notes) on IR. Williams was No. 6 in the Yahoo! composite running back rankings this week, and he'll likely be higher in Week 12. (And by "higher" we mean, you know, in the ranks). Miami travels to Buffalo next Sunday to face the NFL's worst run defense.

Lex Hilliard(notes) looked strong as well. He picked up 31 total yards on six touches and lost a 13-yard gain due to a penalty. If you're handcuffing Ricky – or simply looking for a desperation flex option in a giant league – Hilliard is your guy. Pat White(notes) was only a rumor on Thursday.

Let's get to the pre-practice Friday notes…

Reggie Bush(notes) has missed two days of practice due to swelling in his left knee (again), "leaving his status for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay in doubt." Uh-oh. Tampa is a great matchup for any back. Pierre Thomas(notes) is clearly a strong start, and there's a case to be made for Mike Bell(notes), too. [New Orleans Times-Picayune] 

Multiple sources consider Cedric Benson(notes) "unlikely" to play against Oakland in Week 11. According to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora, Larry Johnson(notes) "has received an ample workload in practice." LJ is obviously familiar with the Raiders, having rushed for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns against them over the course of his seven-year career. Bernard Scott(notes) won't have the Cincinnati rushing workload all to himself. [NFL.com, Cincinnati Enquirer] 

Jerious Norwood(notes) returned to practice for Atlanta on Thursday, so he becomes a running back of interest while Michael Turner(notes) (ankle) is out. Here's Jerious:

“It felt real good running today and being able to run and cut again,” Norwood said. “I’m just glad to be back on the field. We’ll have to wait until (Friday) and see what the soreness feels like or whatever it may be.” 

Norwood is much more interesting in the Week 12 home matchup with Tampa Bay. The Bucs currently have the NFC's worst run defense, allowing 4.9 yards per carry and 167.3 rushing yards per game.  [AtlantaFalcons.com]

As always, there's good Cossel to be found over at FantasyGuru.com. His coaching tape notes are an interesting read. And he'll force you to reexamine everything you thought you knew about punctuation. [Fantasy Guru]

Jerry Jones demands more Felix, citing the "special qualities" of his pet running back: "'We need to get him in situations outside, or where he has a little space, and we'll see some of that,' Jones said. 'It's not a frustrating thing. It's a tactical thing.'" MDS approves of this message. [Dallas Morning News]

The Hazean offers a special Browns/Lions edition of Desperation Plug-and-Plays, so you won't want to miss that. From what I've seen, the industry seems to be in total agreement on Detroit's defense this week. Start 'em as needed. Cleveland hasn't scored an offensive touchdown in an NFL game since Sipe-to-Newsome in '79. [The Hazean]

OK, this one's not football, but it's a great read. Please check out KC Johnson's remembrance of Ben Wilson. An important story, well told. [Chicago Tribune]

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Photo via AP Images

This week we're varying our cadence. We'll focus on situations where two Yahoo! experts strongly disagree on a player's Week 11 value. Let's play the feud…

Greg Jennings(notes) - Funston's rank 5, Pianowski's rank 23

Brandon says: Sunday’s matchup with San Francisco sets up particularly well for Jennings. The 49ers have limited opponents to just 3.3 yards per carry, the best mark in the league. The odds are against the Packers being able to pound away successfully on the ground, which means QB Aaron Rodgers(notes) should have to throw it often – it’s not surprising that the 49ers have witnessed the third-most passes attempted against them. And key for the Rodgers and Jennings connection is that San Francisco doesn’t get to the QB with much success – the Niners have the 7th-fewest sacks in the league. That goes a long ways towards explaining why they've allowed the 7th-most pass plays of 20-plus yards.

With the likelihood that Rodgers, the most sacked QB in the league, will actually be afforded some time in the pocket, expect Jennings, 6th in the league with three receptions of 40-plus yards, to be on the receiving end of some big gainers.

Scott counters: When does a bad start become a bad season? I'm at that point with Jennings, it's time to tax him. He's scored just once in his last eight starts and he doesn't have a catch of 31 yards or more since Week 3. And it's not like the Niners are giving stuff away with their secondary – over the past four weeks they've allowed just one touchdown to a wide receiver. Until the Packers fix their pass-blocking problems, the deep ball is going to suffer – and so is Jennings's worth in fantasy leagues.

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Josh Freeman(notes) - Evans' rank 12, unranked by Behrens

Brad screams: People who are slaves to brand names will immediately dismiss Freeman's high ranking as sheer lunacy. After all, the rookie, who has only logged two starts, is matched against one of the NFC's most aggressive defenses. But there are too many positives to ignore. For starters, despite completing just 50.8 percent of his passes, the former first rounder has shown considerable polish and poise. He's made difficult throws when needed. More importantly, he's making plays with his legs (27.5 rush YPG last two). When pressured he's pulled down the ball and gained appreciable yards, an important skill to possess when Gregg Williams sends the dogs.

Inspiring more optimism, the Saints' secondary is in complete disarray. Starting corners Jabari Greer(notes) and Tracy Porter(notes) are out and veteran safety Darren Sharper(notes) is nowhere close to 100 percent due to a tender knee. Throw in the return of Antonio Bryant(notes) and Tampa's gross deficiencies on defense and Freeman could be in line for his best performance yet. Of course, he'll likely make a mistake or two, but his rushing total will negate the errors. It's conceivable he could finish in range of 230-250 yards with 2-3 touchdowns.

Andy replies: We all remember the premature deification of Mark Sanchez(notes), right? Freeman has had some impressive moments, no question, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

In two starts, the rookie's completion percentage is barely at 50, he's fumbled five times (losing one) and he's thrown a pair of picks. This week Freeman faces a Saints defense that leads the NFL in interceptions. New Orleans could be without Jabari Greer, but that team has respectable depth at corner and Darren Sharper is expected to return. It's hardly an ideal setup for Freeman. There's a great deal he hasn't yet seen from NFL defenses, and Gregg Williams is about to give him a lesson. Long-term, I'm interested in Freeman – more interested than I expected to be. But starting him in fantasy against a high-pressure/high-turnover defense in a non-bye week is…well, that's Evansesque. 

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Knowshon Moreno(notes) - Behrens' rank 13, Funston's rank 33

Andy says: Moreno dominated the backfield work for Denver last week, finishing with 20 touches and 104 total yards. Correll Buckhalter(notes) had just two carries for 11 yards and he lost an early fumble. Buckhalter also missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to a knee injury. If you're expecting the Broncos to take a committee approach in Week 11 against the Chargers, then you're likely to be disappointed. 

San Diego's run defense currently ranks 23rd in the league, allowing 118.9 yards per game. The Chargers have improved statistically against the run in recent weeks, but that's had a lot to do with game situations (they went up two TDs on Philly in Week 10) and the quality of their opponents (KC in Week 7, Oakland in Week 8). They're still vulnerable. Only a Chris Simms(notes) start can possibly mess this up for Moreno.

Brandon objects: The Chargers have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to RBs this season, but only one back has reached 80 rushing yards against them this season, and San Diego has allowed 37 percent fewer fantasy points to opposing backfields than the league average over the past five weeks.

In fact, just five weeks ago, Moreno managed just 44 rushing yards on 18 carries against the Bolts. Just because he rushed for 97 yards against the Redskins last week doesn’t make him a slam-dunk start this week. There’s building sentiment, even in Denver, that Correll Buckhalter is the better back and more deserving of the favored role in the backfield platoon. And there’s sentiment around the NFL that the Broncos can’t beat you over the top with the passing game and that you defend their short passing game and load the box to stop the run – and that could be a more pronounced strategy this week if Kyle Orton(notes) doesn’t play. And I’m comfortable with my ranking for Moreno because if I’m wrong, it means Moreno went for 90 yards from scrimmage and a TD (what he did in Week 3, his best fantasy output to date). That’s not exactly what we call serious upside.

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Thomas Jones(notes) - Pianow's rank 9, Evans' rank 20

Scott says: I'm not going to trip myself up overanalyzing the Week 2 meeting with the Jets and Patriots – in the NFL, you generally don't want to look more than a month back or a month ahead.

What's not to like about the rock-solid and consistent Jones of late? He's piled up six scores in his last six games, he's had 21 carries or more in four straight games, and he's up against a New England front seven that's handing out 4.6 YPC to running backs over the last month.

The Jets know they don't want to get into a shootout with Tom Brady(notes) and the Pats – New York's path to competing here is predicated on a ball-control game, less possessions. Jones will get a heavy dose of work, and when the Jets are inside the 10-yard line, he'll get chances to score. Given how crazy backfields are in the NFL these days (time-shares, injuries), thank the fantasy football gods when you're blessed with someone this productive and reliable.

Evans thoughtfully responds: For much of the season, the 31-year-old Jones has successfully thrown Father Time the Heisman. His tremendous consistency deserves high praise. Although it appears the Jets' starter is destined to tally his fifth 100-yard effort of the season, there are several components that suggest otherwise.

Yes, New England's transition from the 3-4 to 4-3 has been rocky. Over the past five weeks the Pats have yielded 4.6 yards per carry to RBs. But at home, coming off a bitter defeat to the Colts, they will throttle the Jets. Unless Mark Sanchez can somehow channel the football ghost of Broadway Joe, Jones will face numerous overloaded boxes. Remember in Week 2, TJ totaled just 54 yards on 14 carries. Without Leon Washington(notes) this time around his workload will likely exceed 20 totes, but another underwhelming yardage total is a very real outcome.

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Photos via AP Images

• Okay, so it was just one game. Good luck convincing Elton Brand's fantasy owners to limit their exuberance after his 19 points, 11 boards, 3 steals, and 6 blocks in 42 minutes (!) against the Bobcats on Wednesday night. When you also consider that there was talk of his being moved to the bench – for Rodney Carney(notes), of all people – in the days leading up to the game, then it's pretty easy to see what the fuss is all about. Perhaps it's just coincidence, but Brand finally got the Marreese Speights(notes) treatment (getting run at center in a small lineup), and he delivered his first substantial line of the season.

So now we need to qualify things. It's unrealistic to expect Brand to see 42 minutes per game, even while Speights is sidelined, and a single game against a small Bobcats lineup isn't a true litmus test in terms of expectations going forward. Brand's fantasy owners should keep their fingers crossed and an eye on the schedule – upcoming matchups include the Grizzlies, Cavs, Wizards, Celtics, Hawks and Spurs and will be a much truer test of Brand's game (not to mention Eddie Jordan's rotation). Jordan had this to say after Wednesday's win:

People have been pushing us around. Elton and I had a couple conversations and at first I said, 'Just play hard and execute and sort of be the physical fulcrum for us, the guy that gets it done physically for us.' When you're a pro like him, there's a lot of things you can call upon to motivate you. You can summon up other experiences to get you going. Hopefully this is one of them. He's a pro, man. He's got a lot of confidence and a lot of pride.

In a somewhat related note, Samuel Dalembert's(notes) agent is continuing to look for a better situation for his client. Dalembert played 14 minutes on Wednesday (0 points, 2 boards, 0 blocks).

• The Knicks could make an offer to Allen Iverson(notes) as soon as Thursday evening, after he clears waivers at 6pm ET. It would be an ideal fit for both parties, and the speculation alone should prompt fantasy owners to grab him off the wire. The Knicks could immediately start him at point guard and would likely allow him to exert as much influence on the offense as he would see fit. Counting stats would be a-plenty and the Knicks would be free to keep their narrow focus on the coming offseason. It's not an ideal situation for other members of the Knicks from a fantasy perspective – his signing would obviously be a death knell for Chris Duhon's(notes) fantasy impact, and AI's would be taking offensive touches away from David Lee(notes), Al Harrington(notes), Wilson Chandler(notes), and Nate Robinson(notes). We should know more about the situation by late Thursday or early Friday (reuniting with Larry Brown in Charlotte seems unlikely), and the Knicks' next game is Saturday (@NJN).

• LeBron James(notes) aggravated a left wrist injury while throwing down a dunk on Wednesday night. While he was removed from the 108-91 loss early, he didn't need X-rays and the injury is not considered serious.

• Marcus Camby(notes) is day-to-day after injuring his lower back while chasing a loose ball into the seats on Tuesday. Other Clips updates if you follow the link: Eric Gordon(notes) (groin) will return early next week if all goes well; Blake Griffin(notes) (knee) could return in mid-December, but we won't know for sure before he has a scheduled MRI in late November.

• It's been tough carrying Rasheed Wallace(notes) on a fantasy roster this season. His season averages include low numbers like 21 minutes, 9.6 points, 3.4 boards and 1.5 steals-plus-blocks per game. If you've been waiting for an excuse to move on, Doc Rivers asking him to shoot fewer threes could be the push you need. Sheed's fantasy impact has been buoyed by 1.8 threes per game – thanks to a career-high 5.8 attempts – but overall he's done little to positively affect fantasy rosters. He's expendable at this point – particularly with the fact that Glen Davis'(notes) injury barely registered as a blip in regards to his impact – but keep in mind that an injury to either Kevin Garnett(notes) or Kendrick Perkins(notes) would likely bring him back to the forefront.

• James Harden(notes) hit six threes as part of his 24-point outburst on Wednesday. While I do think Harden has a great future in this league, this doesn't do much to change my conservative outlook for him in the current season. Keep in mind that his production came in a blowout loss where none of the starters from either team saw the court in the fourth quarter.

• Eddy Curry(notes) is back and "will make a difference" for the Knicks, according to Mike D'Antoni. He saw 12 minutes of action on Wednesday night, scoring 10 points and grabbing four boards. He also got an early start on his return to Curry Line form, notching three turnovers and zero assists, steals, or blocks. For complete Curry Line standings, visit busersports.com.

• Fantasy owners in h2h leagues will want to consider the schedule before rushing to the wire to grab one or more of Darren Collison(notes), Devin Brown(notes), Bobby Brown(notes), and Marcus Thornton(notes) after Thursday's matchup with the Suns. The Hornets have just two games in both Week 5 and 6, and play just six times over the next 18 days.

• Spurs updates: Manu Ginobili(notes) is out and Tony Parker(notes) is doubtful for the Spurs' matchup with the Jazz on Thursday. Ginobili, already dealing with a sore hamstring, suffered a strained left groin on Wednesday and will undergo further tests to determine the extent of the injury. George Hill(notes) will continue to see steady minutes for as long as these two players are limited.

• Mehmet Okur(notes) missed Wednesday's game with flu-like symptoms and did not travel with the team for Thursday's game in San Antonio. 

• Pau Gasol(notes) is expected to make his season debut on Thursday, although it's not a definite. Gasol is expected to immediately rejoin the starting lineup upon his return, pushing Lamar Odom(notes) back to the bench, but he'll be eased back into starters' minutes as he regains his conditioning.

• Jameer Nelson(notes) will miss the next four to six weeks after undergoing successful left knee surgery on Wednesday. Jason Williams(notes) will start at point guard for the Magic in the interim and warrants a roster addition in most formats. Williams had a tough matchup (Russell Westbrook(notes)) in his first start on Wednesday, and came away with four points on 1-of-4 shooting and five assists in 29 minutes. 

• An MRI on Chris Andersen's(notes) sore right knee showed no structural damage, and he's currently considered day-to-day with what is being called tendinitis. 

• The timetable for Tracy McGrady's(notes) return to the court remains, in a word, indefinite. 

• Andris Biedrins(notes) and Ronny Turiaf(notes) are both getting closer to a return. Biedrins will be re-evaluated on Monday and Turiaf is cautiously optimistic regarding his own progress.

• The Nets anticipate having Devin Harris(notes) back in the lineup on Saturday versus the Knicks. Harris has missed the past 10 games for the 0-12 Nets.

“My legs aren't where I would want them to be. Fatigue, I can fight through,” Harris said, claiming the groin “feels fine. No pain. There's some tightness and soreness. That’s normal because I haven't been able to do anything the last two weeks. Things I can overcome just getting out on the floor.”

Plan on Chris Douglas-Roberts'(notes) offensive output being the most affected by Harris' return. He's averaged 29 points and 22.5 shot attempts in 44 minutes over the past two games, but averaged just 7.0 points and 6.5 shot attempts in 30 minutes in the first two games of the season, alongside Harris.

• Troy Murphy(notes) rejoined the Pacers in practice on Monday and, while he's yet to return to the court, it's a good sign that he's not far from doing so. Dahntay Jones(notes) has played fantastic basketball in his absence, averaging 19 points on 50-percent shooting, 7.5 free throw attempts (76% shooting), 5.3 boards, 3.0 assists, 2.8 turnovers, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks over the past six games. Brandon Rush(notes) seems to be the most likely candidate to go to the bench when Murph is ready to rejoin the starting lineup. 

• Bucks updates: Andrew Bogut(notes) did not practice on Thursday after injuring his leg during Wednesday's game. His status for Friday is not yet known. Michael Redd(notes) has yet to participate in contract drills and is not likely to see the court in either of the Bucks' weekend games (Fri CHA, Sat @MEM). Luke Ridnour(notes) should see continue to see steady run at least until Redd is back and back up to speed.

• Shawn Marion(notes) (ankle) may take advantage of the schedule and sit again on Friday (SAC), as the team has three days off following the game.

Note: for a detailed rundown of a number of current NBA injury situations, check out Wednesday's NBA Injury Report from RotoExperts.com.

Quarterback
1. Peyton Manning(notes)
2. Drew Brees(notes)
3. Aaron Rodgers(notes)
4. Tom Brady(notes)
5. Philip Rivers(notes)
6. Matt Schaub(notes)
7. Ben Roethlisberger(notes)
8. Kurt Warner(notes)
9. Brett Favre(notes)
10. Tony Romo(notes)
11. Donovan McNabb(notes)
12. Jay Cutler(notes)
13. Carson Palmer(notes)
14. Eli Manning(notes)
15. Matt Ryan(notes)
16. David Garrard(notes)
17. Matt Hasselbeck(notes)
18. Joe Flacco(notes)
19. Alex Smith
20. Vince Young(notes)
21. Matt Cassel(notes)
22. Kyle Orton(notes)
23. Jason Campbell(notes)
24. Mark Sanchez(notes)
25. Jake Delhomme(notes)
26. Josh Freeman(notes)
27. Chad Henne(notes)
28. Matthew Stafford(notes)
29. Marc Bulger(notes)
30. Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes)
31. Kevin Kolb(notes)
32. Matt Leinart(notes)
33. Bruce Gradkowski(notes)
34. Brady Quinn(notes)
35. Daunte Culpepper(notes)
36. Trent Edwards(notes)
37. Seneca Wallace(notes)
38. JaMarcus Russell(notes)

Comments: It's been a smooth year for this position at the top end, lots of production, not a lot of injuries . . . Hard to deny Aaron Rodgers this spot based on how he's producing, but you better have a reliable backup, just in case. He's getting the tar kicked out of him weekly . . . Donovan McNabb's value probably gets a volume push if Brian Westbrook(notes) can't make it back . . . Sophomore slumps for Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, so it seems. Ryan really could use a pass-catching back to ease the pressure, while Flacco is trying to make a go of it without a legitimate No. 1 wideout.

Running Back
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Chris Johnson
3. Maurice Jones-Drew(notes)
4. Ray Rice(notes)
5. DeAngelo Williams(notes)
6. Steven Jackson
7. Thomas Jones(notes)
8. Frank Gore(notes)
9. Ricky Williams(notes)
10. Pierre Thomas(notes)
11. Joseph Addai(notes)
12. Rashard Mendenhall(notes)
13. Michael Turner(notes)
14. Cedric Benson(notes)
15. Brandon Jacobs(notes)
16. Steve Slaton(notes)
17. Ryan Grant(notes)
18. Matt Forte(notes)
19. Marion Barber(notes)
20. Tim Hightower(notes)
21. Kevin Smith(notes)
22. LaDainian Tomlinson(notes)
23. Beanie Wells(notes)
24. Marshawn Lynch(notes)
25. Knowshon Moreno(notes)
26. Reggie Bush(notes)
27. Jonathan Stewart(notes)
28. LeSean McCoy(notes)
29. Laurence Maroney(notes)
30. Ladell Betts(notes)
31. Jamaal Charles(notes)
32. Darren Sproles(notes)
33. Carnell Williams(notes)
34. Donald Brown(notes)
35. Bernard Scott(notes)
36. Justin Forsett(notes)
37. Mike Bell(notes)
38. Felix Jones(notes)
39. Jamal Lewis(notes)
40. Ahmad Bradshaw(notes)
41. Correll Buckhalter(notes)
42. Darren McFadden(notes)
43. Shonn Greene(notes)
44. Justin Fargas(notes)
45. Sammy Morris(notes)
46. Brian Westbrook
47. Clinton Portis(notes)
48. Kevin Faulk(notes)
49. Jason Snelling(notes)
50. Derrick Ward(notes)
51. Ryan Moats(notes)
52. Chester Taylor(notes)
53. Fred Jackson(notes)
54. Julius Jones(notes)
55. Tashard Choice(notes)
56. Jerious Norwood(notes)
57. Willis McGahee(notes)
58. Kolby Smith(notes)
59. Willie Parker(notes)
60. Larry Johnson(notes)
61. Louis Rankin(notes)
62. Maurice Morris(notes)
63. Michael Bush(notes)
64. Le'Ron McClain(notes)
65. Jerome Harrison(notes)
66. LenDale White(notes)
67. Glen Coffee(notes)
68. Ahman Green(notes)
69. Mewelde Moore(notes)
70. BenJarvus Green-Ellis(notes)
71. Lex Hilliard(notes)

Comments: I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on the internet, so all I can do is make a wild guess on Michael Turner and Cedric Benson. At least both teams are facing meaningful games to come, so there's an urgency to get these guys back . . . The Patriots weren't sure they trusted Laurence Maroney before the Indy loss; that critical goal-line fumble isn't going to help the cause . . . Forget fantasy for a second – the football fan in me misses Marion Barber . . . Say this for Jamal Lewis, his career lasted longer and had more juice than anyone really expected. But it's been a whimper at the end, tied to arguably the worst fantasy offense of the past two decades.

Wide Receiver
1. Larry Fitzgerald(notes)
2. Andre Johnson(notes)
3. Reggie Wayne(notes)
4. Randy Moss(notes)
5. Vincent Jackson(notes)
6. Wes Welker(notes)
7. Marques Colston(notes)
8. Roddy White(notes)
9. Sidney Rice(notes)
10. DeSean Jackson(notes)
11. Chad Ochocinco(notes)
12. Calvin Johnson(notes)
13. Hines Ward(notes)
14. Miles Austin(notes)
15. Brandon Marshall(notes)
16. Mike Sims-Walker(notes)
17. Donald Driver(notes)
18. Anquan Boldin(notes)
19. T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes)
20. Greg Jennings(notes)
21. Devin Hester(notes)
22. Steve Smith (NYG)
23. Santonio Holmes(notes)
24. Steve Smith (CAR)
25. Nate Burleson(notes)
26. Michael Crabtree(notes)
27. Percy Harvin(notes)
28. Steve Breaston(notes)
29. Braylon Edwards(notes)
30. Jeremy Maclin(notes)
31. Bernard Berrian(notes)
32. Donnie Avery(notes)
33. Jerricho Cotchery(notes)
34. Chris Chambers(notes)
35. Mike Wallace(notes)
36. Roy Williams
37. Derrick Mason(notes)
38. Santana Moss(notes)
39. Hakeem Nicks(notes)
40. Laveranues Coles(notes)
41. Robert Meachem(notes)
42. Johnny Knox(notes)
43. Kevin Walter(notes)
44. Austin Collie(notes)
45. Malcom Floyd(notes)
46. Mario Manningham(notes)
47. Pierre Garcon(notes)
48. Davone Bess(notes)
49. Torry Holt(notes)
50. James Jones(notes)
51. Eddie Royal(notes)
52. Devery Henderson(notes)
53. Nate Washington(notes)
54. Earl Bennett(notes)
55. Mohamed Massaquoi(notes)
56. Antonio Bryant(notes)
57. Terrell Owens(notes)
58. Lance Moore(notes)
59. Mark Clayton(notes)
60. Dwayne Bowe(notes)
61. Lee Evans(notes)
62. Jacoby Jones(notes)
63. Greg Camarillo(notes)
64. Lance Long(notes)
65. Michael Jenkins(notes)
66. Josh Morgan(notes)
67. Chaz Schilens(notes)
68. Brandon Gibson(notes)
69. Patrick Crayton(notes)
70. Anthony Gonzalez(notes)
71. Ted Ginn Jr.(notes)
72. Andre Caldwell(notes)

Comments: The Mike Sims-Walker touchdown in Jersey last week brings a fantasy lesson along for the ride – while it's important to consider the shutdown corners on the other side, teams don't always dedicate their best corner on the other team's best receiver. MSW's score came against Lito Sheppard(notes) . . .Miles Austin is starting to get more safety help slanted in his direction, and for all of his juice as a YAC machine, he's struggled with drops . . . I'm sick of waiting on Kevin Walter but I might have to start him on one important team this week. Ack . . . It was interesting to see Steve Smith's two-score game come on a day where he only saw four targets. Carolina still wants to hide Jake Delhomme as much as possible . . . Chris Chambers, relevant again. Things change fast in this crazy numbers racket, don't they?

Tight End
1. Dallas Clark(notes)
2. Antonio Gates(notes)
3. Vernon Davis(notes)
4. Brent Celek(notes)
5. Tony Gonzalez(notes)
6. Heath Miller(notes)
7. Greg Olsen(notes)
8. Jason Witten(notes)
9. Jeremy Shockey(notes)
10. Kellen Winslow(notes)
11. Visanthe Shiancoe(notes)
12. Todd Heap(notes)
13. Benjamin Watson(notes)
14. John Carlson(notes)
15. Zach Miller
16. Dustin Keller(notes)
17. Kevin Boss(notes)
18. Fred Davis(notes)
19. Tony Scheffler(notes)
20. Jermichael Finley(notes)
21. Brandon Pettigrew(notes)
22. Bo Scaife(notes)
23. Marcedes Lewis(notes)
24. Chris Cooley(notes)
25. Spencer Havner(notes)
26. Ben Patrick(notes)
27. Donald Lee(notes)
28. Joel Dreessen(notes)
29. Anthony Fasano(notes)
30. Sean Ryan(notes)
31. Randy McMichael(notes)

Comments: I was skeptical that Kellen Winslow could keep his fantasy value with rookie Josh Freeman, but K2 has emphatically proven me wrong over the last two weeks . . . Brent Celek is a below-average blocker, but he's the most trusted target the Eagles have working between the numbers . . . Dustin Keller's catch rate hovers under 50 percent, which is partly a comment on Mark Sanchez and partly a comment on Keller.

Defense
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Dallas Cowboys
7. Arizona Cardinals
8. Denver Broncos
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. New York Giants
11. New England Patriots
12. Green Bay Packers
13. San Francisco 49ers
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. New York Jets
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Houston Texans
18. Washington Redskins
19. San Diego Chargers
20. Buffalo Bills
21. Tennessee Titans
22. Seattle Seahawks
23. Atlanta Falcons
24. Chicago Bears
25. Oakland Raiders
26. Carolina Panthers
27. Kansas City Chiefs
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. St. Louis Rams
31. Detroit Lions
32. Cleveland Browns

Comments: Kudos to our readers, who were hip to the Bengals rise all along. I admit I expected the Antwan Odom(notes) loss to affect them far more than it has . . . The Jaguars pass rush couldn't find the opposing pocket with a GPS system . . . It's a fun time to have the Arizona defense, facing a cupcake schedule over the next six weeks.

Kicker
1. Ryan Longwell(notes)
2. Nate Kaeding(notes)
3. David Akers(notes)
4. Stephen Gostkowski(notes)
5. Mason Crosby(notes)
6. Lawrence Tynes(notes)
7. Nick Folk(notes)
8. John Carney(notes)
9. Jay Feely(notes)
10. Neil Rackers(notes)
11. Shayne Graham(notes)
12. Dan Carpenter(notes)
13. Kris Brown(notes)
14. Rob Bironas(notes)
15. Jeff Reed(notes)
16. Robbie Gould(notes)
17. Billy Cundiff(notes)
18. Matt Stover(notes)
19. Jason Elam(notes)
20. Matt Prater(notes)
21. Joe Nedney(notes)
22. Josh Scobee(notes)
23. Shaun Suisham(notes)
24. Olindo Mare(notes)
25. John Kasay(notes)
26. Ryan Succop(notes)
27. Connor Barth(notes)
28. Josh Brown(notes)
29. Rian Lindell(notes)
30. Jason Hanson(notes)
31. Sebastian Janikowski(notes)
32. Phil Dawson(notes)

REMINDER: The deadline to make trades in public leagues is Friday, November 20. After that date, you won't be able to get Smoot On A Boat to deal Beanie Wells(notes), even if he finally agrees that TJ Houshmandzadeh(notes) is fair compensation. Act now! 

Larry Johnson(notes) practiced with the Bengals for the first time on Wednesday. He'll reportedly be active on Sunday if Cedric Benson(notes) (hip) can't go, though Bernard Scott(notes) and Brian Leonard(notes) are expected to get more touches. Benson reportedly did not dress for Thursday's practice.

Everyone seems to be using the word "guarded" to describe Benson's reaction to the LJ signing, but really, his comments seem reasonable and harmless:

Benson was guarded in his first comments since Johnson joined the team. He said that he realizes that football can be more of a business than a game.

"I didn't know I was supposed to be jumping out of my seat or anything. I really have no feelings about it," Benson said. "They made a move they felt they needed to do, and that's fine with me. It's not going to affect me in any kind of way. Whatever happens from here on, I can guarantee you I'll definitely be making the best of it.

"In most cases you hold your fate in your own hands. I'm not letting up in any aspect of what I'm doing. I would imagine that I would continue to be the first guy, and if not, I'll make it that way."

That seems OK. Nothing to see there. Unless of course LJ finds the end zone against the Raiders, which isn't all that far-fetched. If that happens, we'll need to reevaluate Cedric's mood.

One more semi-interesting note regarding Benson: He apparently first felt pain related to his injury in the Baltimore game (Week 9), during a 34-carry performance. The injury did not actually occur in Week 10. Recall that the Bengals only made a modest two-year investment in Cedric, so it's entirely possible that they're not worried about the long-term impact of his ridiculous workload. [Cincinnati Enquirer]

Kyle Orton(notes) apparently tore ligaments in his left ankle, but he "adamantly" wants to start against San Diego. Those of us who own Denver skill position players adamantly do not want to see Chris Simms(notes) throwing footballs again. Please don't compare this year's ankle injury to last year's. Said Orton, "Last year was so tough because it was pushing off and that was my back leg, so that was tough. This will present a different challenge, I'm sure, but we'll see if I can play through it." [Associated Press]

Following the Dick Jauron firing in Buffalo, we've seen a few reports like this: "The Buffalo Bills intend to do a comprehensive search for a new head coach and will consider all options – even mega-coaches such as Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher – according to team and league sources." First of all, you have to love the term "mega-coach." Makes you think of this masterpiece. "It rises." Secondly, this is all just public relations, and it seems like a cruel thing to do to the fan base. [Buffalo News]

More Bills: Terrell Owens(notes) couldn't wait to kick Trent Edwards(notes) to the curb. He gives Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) a full endorsement: "I think Ryan, No. 1, is a veteran. He has a lot more experience. There are some situations where he'll be able to buy time with that experience. … Obviously he was 2-1 before the bye week when he was in there. Personally I felt like it was his job to lose. But again, there are things that are out of our control." [Again, Buffalo News]

LeSean McCoy(notes) recently told reporters, "I never really expected to have to play a big role like this," which can't possibly be true, given Brian Westbrook's(notes) injury history. There's still no timetable on Westbrook's return or recovery, but he's reportedly received "the green light to continue his career, after suffering two concussions within a 21-day span." [Philadelphia Daily News]

It's not exactly new, but Pro Football Weekly's more recent Whispers column has a long shelf life and it's loaded with interesting nuggets. Here's a sample platter: "It's more likely than ever that Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin(notes) will not be back with the team in 2010. … How good is Niners ILB Patrick Willis(notes)? Just ask Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, who said Titans RB Chris Johnson would have had three more touchdowns in Tennessee's Week 9 win over San Francisco if not for Willis being the only one on the field who could catch him. … Word is the Seahawks really like recently acquired RB Louis Rankin(notes), who looked instantly impressive returning kickoffs (three for 82 yards) in the Week 9 win over Detroit. 'They still want to see him in the run game,' said one team insider." There's plenty more. That PFW feature is always solid. Hit the link. [Pro Football Weekly]

Is it too early to think about next year's ADPs? Perhaps. But they're discussing Ray Rice's(notes) 2010 draft position over at the Cafe. Feel free to offer an opinion. If we're drafting today, the first three picks are fairly obvious (Peterson, Johnson, MJD in whatever order). Does Rice follow? Or is it Turner, then Rice. And what do we do with Mendenhall? Please discuss. Your input is critical to the day-to-day operations of this blog. [Fantasy Football Cafe] 

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Photo via US Presswire

More Noise: Choose Your Own LT Adventure

FLAMES (Started in 60 percent or under of Y! Plus leagues)

Josh Freeman(notes), TB, QB (Noise QB Rank: 11, Start: 12-plus team leagues, 2% started)

Matchup: vs. NO

Scoreboards haven't spontaneously exploded in the rookie's presence, but in just two starts he's accomplished more than quarterbacks in destitute pigskin lands Oakland, Cleveland and Fitzpatrick Heights. Though he's completed just 50.8 percent of his attempts, Freeman has exhibited a fearless attitude. His smooth mechanics and astute pocket awareness point to Pro Bowl caliber seasons ahead. Over the past two weeks he's averaged a respectable 14.3 points per game in standard formats, netting 200.5 passing and 27.5 rushing yards per game with four touchdowns. That output could rise this week against a New Orleans defense minus starting corners Tracy Porter(notes) and Jabari Greer(notes). Their absence combined with Tampa's defensive inefficiencies and the expected return of Antonio Bryant(notes) suggest Freeman could be leaned on heavily. The Saints have allowed 249.8 passing yards and five touchdowns to gunslingers since Week 6. A Shocker Special worthy performance just outside the QB top 10 is fathomable.

Fearless Forecast: 19-33, 217 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 24 rushing yards, 19 fantasy points

Kevin Smith(notes), Det, RB (Noise RB Rank: 12, Start: All Leagues, 60% started)

Matchup: vs. Cle

The Browns are a disgrace to all canine species, even yappy teacup yorkies. On the season, no team has been run on more than Cleveland. Enemy rushers have pounded the interior an average of 31.1 times per game through nine weeks. On those carries, they've caged the Chihuahuas netting 180.8 total yards per game and 13 total touchdowns. Only Buffalo's opposition has had more success. For The Director, the Lions' pliable offensive line has cramped his scoring style – he hasn't crossed the chalk since Week 4. He also hasn't eclipsed the century mark in six straight. But because Matthew Stafford(notes) may actually have oodles of time to connect with Calvin Johnson(notes) downfield, Smith should see a few wide lanes to jet through. Consider him must start material in all formats. 

Fearless Forecast: 17 carries, 73 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 15 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 14 fantasy points

Beanie Wells(notes), Ari, RB (Noise RB Rank: 16, Start: All Leagues, 40% started)

Matchup: at StL

Wells is a rhinoceros dressed in medieval armor driving a battering ram. The rookie's ferocious running style and growing confidence have opened the eyes of many in Fantasyland. The former Buckeye has earned increased reps in recent weeks, which he's excelled with. Since Week 6 he's averaged 69.8 total yards per game and totaled three touchdowns. Tim Hightower(notes) will still rack most touches inside the 5, but it's clear Ken Whisenhunt is committed to establishing a hardnosed power running game. Wells should again net roughly 14-17 touches this week in St. Louis. The repulsive Rams have surrendered 4.8 yards per carry, 179.8 total yards per game and seven scores to rushers over the past five weeks, equal to the second-most fantasy points allowed. Expect another marquee effort.

Fearless Forecast: 16 carries, 81 rushing yards, 1 reception, 6 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 14 fantasy points

Steve Slaton(notes), Hou, RB (Noise RB Rank: 15, Start: All Leagues, 37% started)

Matchup: vs. Ten

Reading between the lines it's very apparent Gary Kubiak wants Slaton to reestablish his position as the team's best back. Over the bye week, The Slasher worked extensively to solve his menacing case of fumblitis watching video of Tiki Barber(notes), who conquered the affliction several years ago. Earlier this week, Arian Foster(notes) was promoted from the practice squad and is expected to get reps alongside Slaton, Ryan Moats(notes) and Chris Brown. Obviously, Houston's backfield is crowded, but the incumbent's diligence will be rewarded. Assuming Bud Adams' cretaceous-aged "birds" aren't a distraction; expect the former Mountaineer to tote roughly 60 percent of the workload with much success. The Titans have yielded a ridiculous 7.9 yards per carry, 187.3 total yards per game and five scores to rushers over the past five weeks, equal to the fifth-most fantasy points allowed. Your chances of buying low are rapidly shrinking.

Fearless Forecast: 13 carries, 44 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 27 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 13 fantasy points

Steve Breaston(notes), Ari, WR (Noise WR Rank: 22, Start: All Leagues, 58% started)

Matchup: at StL

In terms of recent production, the top-heavy Breaston is the Katherine Heigl of fantasy wideouts. Quietly over the past five weeks he's splashed pay-dirt four times averaging 6.2 targets, 4.6 receptions and 60.4 yards per game, the 11th-best output at his position. Kurt Warner(notes) has threaded footballs through pinholes of late. Given the accommodating matchup against his old club, the Sultan of Stubble should have little trouble spreading the love to Larry Fitzgerald(notes), Anquan Boldin(notes) and Breaston. Because offenses have pounded the Rams between the hashmarks, only four receivers have eclipsed the 70-yard mark against them since Week 6. But despite the Cardinals' advancing ground game, they're still a pass-first team. Expect the recipient of Warner's 199th career TD pass to again post sneaky good numbers.

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 66 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 13 fantasy points

Lee Evans(notes), Buf, WR (Noise WR Rank: 21, Start: All Leagues, 34% started)

Matchup: at Jac

For Terrell Owens(notes) supporters, the phrase "getting Fitzpatricked" is the real-life equivalent of probing-by-cattle-prod. However, for Evans backers, the phrase has a more positive meaning. The inconsistent wideout has done some of his finest work this season with the backup behind center. From Weeks 6-8, the combo connected for 11 receptions for 172 yards and two scores (22 targets). With Skeletor (Dick Jauron) no longer a threat to Eternia, new head coach Perry Fewell has made it clear he wants to feature the Fred Jackson(notes)-led Wildcat more often. Despite the Bills' presumed shift to a more ground-centered style, Evans should still pay an appreciable dividend this week in Jacksonville. The Jags have allowed five TDs and four 70-yard-plus performances to receivers over the past five weeks.

Fearless Forecast: 4 receptions, 57 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 11 fantasy points

Donnie Avery(notes), StL, WR (Noise WR Rank: 25, Start: All WR3 Leagues, 14% started)

Matchup: vs. Ari

In the Rams' surprisingly competitive clash with New Orleans last week, Avery was an unforeseen fantasy stud totaling 67 yards and two touchdowns. Finally healthy, the fleet-footed wideout should continue his recent run of success. For the most part, Arizona's secondary has been rocky this season. Cards corners have conceded the seventh-most fantasy points to WRs. 'Zona is an aggressive bunch who relishes ramping up pressure on the pocket. Under normal circumstances, Marc Bulger(notes) would be swallowed whole by the blitz, but the Rams' offensive line has made significant strides in pass protection in recent weeks. Last week against New Orleans, the QB was sacked just twice. If the Rams can continue to hold their blocks, Avery's chances of a repeat performance are better than you think

Fearless Forecast: 4 receptions, 51 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 11 fantasy points

Kellen Winslow(notes), TB, TE (Noise TE Rank: 6, Start: All Leagues, 60% started)

Matchup: vs. NO

Striving to "be the best, plain and simple," Winslow has flourished with an inexperienced quarterback at the wheel. Over the past two weeks the former motorcycle stuntman has attracted 16 targets, catching 11 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown, his best two-game stretch this season. Another banner effort could be on tap against a stiff Saints unit. Through nine weeks, no oversized target has scored on New Orleans. But as Brent Celek(notes) (8-104 Week 2) and Tony Gonzalez(notes) (6-89 Week 8) proved earlier this year, talented tight ends who are heavily involved in their team's gameplan can pierce Gregg Williams' unit. Anticipate another double-digit point performance from the budding Winslow. 

Fearless Forecast: 6 receptions, 74 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 13 fantasy points

LAMES (Started at or over 60 percent of Y! Plus leagues)

Philip Rivers(notes), SD, QB (Noise QB Rank: 12, Bench: 8-10 team leagues, 87% started)

Matchup: at Den

This week the raging Rivers calms. San Diego's slinger has played brilliantly in recent weeks, threading the needle with incredible precision. But on-field accuracy hasn't necessarily translated to giant fantasy gains. Since Week 6 he ranks 10th in points per game at his position, averaging 246.2 yards per game with 10 touchdowns. In his last meeting with Denver five weeks ago, he notched a mediocre 274 yards and a touchdown. This time around, the conclusion could be blander. After dropping three straight, the Broncos are desperate to regain supremacy in the AFC West. The Chargers will likely lean on LT early to set up play-action, but if the ground game stalls, San Diego could struggle vertically. The Broncos' high-pressure blitz scheme may also hinder Rivers' statistical performance. Only sit Rivers if you have dependable alternatives, but the tea leaves suggest a vanilla effort. Denver has yielded just 218.8 passing yards per game in its past five contests.

Fearless Forecast: 23-32, 248 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, 14 fantasy points

Thomas Jones(notes), NYJ, RB (Noise RB Rank: 20, NO BENCH, 88% started)

Matchup: at NE

Aging with the grace of Andie MacDowell (She's really 51?), Jones has greatly exceeded his Round 4 draft day value, especially of late. Over his past five contests, the 31-year-old has averaged 5.3 yards per carry, 139.5 total yards per game and scored three times, good for the sixth-best output among rushers. New England has been somewhat friendly to RBs in recent weeks, surrendering 4.6 yards per carry since Week 6. But despite giving up occasional big runs, only two rushers, Ray Rice(notes) and Chris Johnson, have surpassed the 90-yard mark against them. Physically, Jones recently declared he "feels like a rookie." Running behind one of the league's best offensive lines can have that effect. But absent a consistent vertical attack from the Jets, New England will likely suffocate the veteran in Foxboro. Week 2 against the intradivisional foe, Jones totaled just 54 yards on 14 carries.

Fearless Forecast: 21 carries, 89 rushing yards, 1 reception, 4 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 9 fantasy points

Matt Forte(notes), Chi, RB (Noise RB Rank: 22, Bench: 8-10 team leagues, 91% started)

Matchup: vs. Phi

Chicago's ineffectiveness pounding the pigskin is, in Bears fans' eyes, a bigger crisis than the terrifying Eggo shortage that has gripped the nation (What will Mrs. Butterworth do?). Forte's situation is sticky, to say the least. Evident in last week's game in San Fran, the Bears' offensive line is a sieve. Forte finished with a pathetic 41 yards on 20 carries. Fortunately, the former Tulane star saved face with his versatility, catching eight passes for 120 yards. When provided space he's been assertive, racking significant yardage in the passing game. More of the same should be expected this week against Philly. The Eagles, humiliated by LT last week in San Diego, are looking to regain their edge. Over the past five weeks, they've allowed just 3.8 yards per carry to backs, but five touchdowns. Forte will again be an asset as a receiver, making him indispensable in PPR leagues, but another marginal effort in standard formats is on the horizon.

Fearless Forecast: 18 carries, 57 rushing yards, 5 reception, 36 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 9 fantasy points

Ryan Grant(notes), GB, RB (Noise RB Rank: 23, Bench: 8-10 team leagues, 81% started)

Matchup: vs. SF

In the land of artery clogging dairy products, Grant has curdled. Though he's averaged a healthy 4.4 yards per carry average over the past five weeks, he's found the end zone just twice since Week 3. Suffice it to say, the Packers' offensive line has limited his fantasy potential. Against the Niners' formidable front seven, the rusher could again tally sour numbers. Since Week 6, San Fran has surrendered a mere 3.5 yards per carry, 124 total yards per game and four scores to backs. If Aaron Rodgers(notes) is clicking in the passing game early, don't be surprised if Mike McCarthy shies away from the run. Grant is one of the few remaining workhorses still kicking in an era of split backfields. But even with a steady 20-carry diet, he's only proven trustworthy against loose defenses.

Fearless Forecast: 20 carries, 83 rushing yards, 1 receptions, 5 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 8 fantasy points

Mike Sims-Walker(notes), Jac, WR (Noise WR Rank: 26, NO BENCH, 83% started)

Matchup: vs. Buf

The Skywalker Show may be deceased, but the Jacksonville upstart is still an Internet sensation. That is, in virtual pigskin circles. Staving off the deadly Darrelle Disease last week in New York, Sims-Walker cracked eggs on the faces of fantasy pundits totaling 49 yards and a touchdown. You'd think we learned our lesson, but the Bills aren't exactly the friendliest of matchups. Glancing at the numbers, most football fans would surmise Buffalo's struggles stopping the run have artificially enhanced its secondary's stoutness. But that's not entirely the case. Safety Jairus Byrd(notes) has been magnificent, totaling seven interceptions this season. Due to Maurice Jones-Drew's(notes) presence, the Jags will focus on the run, stymieing MSW's chances for a noteworthy fantasy day. Keep in mind, the Bills have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to wideouts since Week 6. 

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 64 receiving yards, 0 touchdown, 6 fantasy points

Greg Jennings(notes), GB, WR (Noise WR Rank: 27, Bench: NO BENCH, 81% started)

Matchup: vs. SF

For those who invested fat coin in Jennings, it's been a frustrating year. Outplayed by ageless teammate Donald Driver(notes), the popular early round pick ranks just 28th among wideouts in overall production. Now bothered by a knee contusion, his value could decline further this week against the Niners. San Fran has occasionally been dissected vertically this year (i.e. Roddy White(notes) Week 5), but the Niners have generally defended the pass well. Over the past five weeks, the Gold Panners have yielded just one touchdown and two 70-yard receiver performances, equal to the seventh-fewest fantasy points allowed. Considering Jennings has netted the 36th-best ppg mark since Week 6, Driver may once again overshadow him. 

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 59 receiving yards, 0 touchdown, 5 fantasy points

Percy Harvin(notes), Min, WR (Noise WR Rank: 38, Bench: 8-12 team leagues, 65% started)

Matchup: vs. Sea

It's perplexing why the majority of fantasy owners continue to support Harvin as an every week start. It's understandable if your league scores favorably for return yards, but in standard formats he's more of the stream-type. Since Week 6, he hasn't registered top 40 numbers. Vikes' fans have clamored for Harvin to see more action, but Brad Childress remains committed to a limited workload. The rookie, who's battled through a shoulder injury, migraine headaches and an unknown sickness, hasn't exactly been healthy. On paper, Harvin's matchup with the Hawks is very enticing. Seattle has conceded the second-most fantasy points to wideouts in their past five contests. But Harvin's limited looks combined with Brett Favre's(notes) mancrush on Sidney Rice(notes) could again push the youngster into the background. Expect another snoozer. 

Fearless Forecast: 3 receptions, 47 receiving yards, 0 touchdown, 4 fantasy points

Jason Witten(notes), Dal, TE (Noise TE Rank: 11, Bench: 8-10 team leagues, 83% started)

Matchup: vs. Wash

Because Dallas' ground game has grinded to a halt, Witten, who's grossly underachieved this season, could again remain trapped in the box. The enlarged target humbly admitted earlier this week, the ‘Boys must get the rushing attack back on track, even if it costs him looks. When featured prominently, Witten has done what he's always done, catch everything in sight. But due to the aforementioned ground troubles and Tony Romo's(notes) increased dependability on Roy Williams and Miles Austin(notes), he's become an auxiliary option. On the season he ranks just 17th at his position in points per game. Toss in Washington's No. 4 ranking against tight ends this season, and Witten's star is bound to fade once again. 

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 44 receiving yards, 0 touchdown, 4 fantasy points

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Images courtesy of US Presswire

Teams are back to work and there's plenty of important news to discuss, so settle in.

• Ronnie Brown(notes) landed on injured reserve Wednesday – that's it for his season. Obviously Ricky Williams(notes) gets a major boost from the news, but there's a broader angle to consider here – what becomes of the Dolphins Wildcat package, which basically used Brown as the triggerman? Scribble down the name Lex Hilliard(notes) as a possible deep sleeper; he's expected to get his first carries of the year Thursday night at Carolina. And look for more Pat White(notes) involvement in coming weeks. [Miami Herald]

• The Raiders are finally making a chance at quarterback – Bruce Gradkowski(notes) will start Sunday against Cincinnati and head coach Tom Cable says the plan is for Gradkowski to keep the job for the remainder of the season. You know all about JaMarcus Russell's(notes) lost season, so there's little need to elaborate on that. [Associated Press]

• Clinton Portis(notes) (post concussion) is considered "very doubtful" for Week 11 according to Jim Zorn, so get ready for more Ladell Betts(notes) against the Cowboys. As for Chris Cooley(notes) (ankle), check back early next week – he's scheduled to see an ankle specialist on Monday. [Washington Post]

• Julius Jones(notes) (lung) has already been counted out for Week 11's trip to Minnesota, but he has a shot at returning next week. Justin Forsett(notes) gets the tap to start against the Vikings, with Louis Rankin(notes) the change-of-pace option. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

• It will be interesting to see how the Giants handle their backfield down the stretch now that Danny Ware(notes) is healthy. Ware is the best blocker of the Giants running backs, which means he could easily take away third-down work from Ahmad Bradshaw(notes). Running lanes should be available for someone this weekend, as Big Blue goes up against a struggling Atlanta front seven. [New York Daily News]

• Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) will start for the Bills at Jacksonville, if that matters to you, but the move is not considered permanent. The Bills are also expected to run a few Wildcat snaps. It's going to be an ugly 2009 finish here, but perhaps a better day is coming soon – the team is going to talk to Mike Shanahan about its head coaching position. [BuffaloBills.com]

• DeAngelo Williams(notes) (knee) skipped Wednesday's Carolina practice while Jonathan Stewart(notes) (Achilles) was a full participant; this might not mean that much as teams generally don't do a lot the day before a game (John Fox said Williams was "just resting). Both running backs are officially listed as questionable for Thursday's home game with Miami, but it looks like both will go (just check back before kickoff to be sure). [Charlotte Observer]

• Kyle Orton(notes) (ankle) is hoping to start Sunday's divisional showdown with the Chargers but he's still playing catch-up – he wasn't available for Wednesday's early practice session. "I'm going to do everything I can to be on the field," Orton said. Chris Simms(notes) is the fallback for the desperate Broncos. [Denver Post]

• The other cleat finally dropped with Steven Hauschka(notes) - the Ravens have kicked him to the curb (wide left). Billy Cundiff(notes) takes over. Baltimore hosts the undefeated Colts on Sunday. [Baltimore Sun]

Follow the Noise on Twitter. Your questions, commments and verbal jabs are strongly encouraged.

For LaDainian Tomlinson(notes), unlike oldies but still goodies Ricky Williams(notes) and Thomas Jones(notes), age has been a sorry traveling companion.

General deterioration and a long history of exhaustive workloads haven't been kind to the future Canton honoree. Nagging injuries are more frequent. Sluggish gains, once the exception, are now the norm. And weekly appearances in the statistical top 10 are a rarity.

Based on the 30-year-old's career-low 3.3 yards per carry average, it's clear the dominator has become the dominated. As a result, Vizio sales have plummeted, powder blue No. 21 jersey sales have stalled and owner ambivalence directed toward the popular first-round pick has increased.

But last week against a supposedly staunch Eagles frontline the emptying sands of the hour glass temporarily ceased. Philly, which had surrendered just 3.6 yards per carry to rushers over its previous five games entering the week, was gashed by the revitalized rusher for 96 yards and two scores, the second of which featured vintage explosion (Highlights here). For a day at least, the former fantasy king once again donned a jeweled crown.

Week 10's LT revival raises an interesting dilemma for the fantasy masses. With the trade deadline looming in several leagues, his owners and seekers are presented with the proverbial fork in the road, which raises the inevitable question: To trade or not to trade?

Below are perspectives from both sides of the LT ledger:

LT Buyers/Holders

Overview: This is a group comprised predominately of players whose playoff aspirations are hanging by a precarious thread. Most, hovering at or near .500, believe they are one marquee player away from creeping into the playoffs. By acquiring LT, they're hopeful their team's "last stand" will be slightly more successful than George Armstrong Custer's.

Purchase Plank: LT covers his body in Billy Idol's Age-Defying Wrinkle Cream (Seriously, at 53, the 80s rocker still looks 35), stiff-arming the eroding effects of Father Time. His soft immediate schedule brightens an otherwise gloomy long-term outlook. Though this week's matchup at Denver is uninspiring, his Week 12 and 13 clashes with KC and Cleveland respectively are very enticing. The Chiefs and Browns have yielded a combined 4.7 yards per carry, 170.2 total yards per game and 1.3 scores to rushers this season. Both rank in the top seven in fantasy points allowed to RBs. Buying on the bear never sounded so good.

Inspirational Quotes: From the San Diego Union-Tribune...

True as that may be, Turner also proclaimed, "We've got to continue to run the ball better."

Turner said yesterday he remains a believer Tomlinson is a viable runner, who simply needs more room to do so.

"It's not even fair to get into that evaluation," Turner said. "When I look at our tapes the last four weeks, when we've given him the opportunity to run, when we've had holes, LT has had good runs. He's had excellent runs. We just need to keep working to get him creases, to get him some running room."

"LT is going to get better looks in the running game," Turner said. "I think he'll have a good second half of the season."

Goal: Slip into the playoffs and pray Tomlinson can overcome difficult matchups at Dallas and home versus Cincinnati to prolong their virtual seasons.

LT Sellers

Overview: This is a group composed mostly of original investors. Peeved they shelled out top dollar for marginal production back in August, they're willing to unload the ancient back for a more dependable producer, though at a slashed price. In order to dress up the once-cherished brand name, they've sought the advice of Eva Longoria on how to appropriately deceive buyers with bright red lipstick, Stiletto heels and pushup bras.

Selling Point: The long-term consequences of not dealing LT are rather harsh. In Weeks 14 and 15, the Chargers back faces two defenses, Dallas and Cincinnati, which have mauled backs for most of the season. Combined, the ‘Boys and Bengals have surrendered a mere five touchdowns, 4.0 yards per carry and 83.9 rushing yards per game in 18 contests. Each ranks in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to RBs (Dal: 9th, Cin: 5th). Combine that with concerns over the Bolts' horrendous run-blocking and emphasis on Philip Rivers'(notes) arm, and the urge to sell is insatiable. 

Inspirational Quotes:  From Yahoo!'s own Michael Silver...

Tomlinson undoubtedly hopes that Sunday can be a springboard for a strong second half of the season, a successful playoff run and a chance to continue his career in San Diego until he decides he's ready to step away. But the man is a realist – the Chargers seriously considered releasing him after last season before bringing him back with a restructured (but not reduced) contract, and there's no guarantee he'll return in 2010.

After the previous Sunday's stirring victory at Giants Stadium, Tomlinson sounded like a veteran who knew the finish line was near. "I've been through a lot in my career; it's hard work," Tomlinson told the Union-Tribune. "I don't want to say I'm coming to the end. But I don't know if I'll ever be in this stadium again. You cherish certain moments. That's one I'll remember forever."

Goal: Salvage whatever profit possible before the inevitable slide back into mediocrity occurs during the most critical time of the year.

Bottom line: A strong argument could be made for LT on either side of the ledger. Taking a specific stance is dependent on your team's current situation.

Though century-mark performances are unlikely, he should produce roughly 80-90 total yards with multiple scores leading up to fantasy's second season against the Chiefs and Chihuahuas. Conversely, his efforts at Dallas and versus Cincinnati during Rounds 1 and 2 will likely eliminate owners from championship contention, a cold reality.

As for this week, the expecting papa will likely be trampled by a Denver team determined to establish supremacy in the AFC West. On defense, the Broncos have played bend-don't-break football in recent weeks. Since Week 6, they've yielded only two rushing scores, but conceded 4.6 yards per carry and 165.5 total yards per game to tugboats. Due to the Chargers' inefficiencies in run-blocking, Elvis Dumervil(notes) and his 3-4 compadres should be able to plug ground gaps with minimal restriction.

In his first encounter with his intradivision nemesis, LT totaled 100 yards, but failed to puncture the end-zone. Numbers in the rematch won't be much different.

Week 11 Fearless Forecast (Lame): 20 carries, 73 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 13 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 8 fantasy points

If presented with the scenario above, what LT adventure do you choose: Buy/Hold or Sell? What's your Week 11 Fearless Forecast for the five-time Pro Bowl pick? In Billy Idol's massive catalogue of hits – and it is massive – what's your favorite tune (Noise: "Eyes Without a Face" by a mile)? Is Eva Longoria really that hot? Discuss below.

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No byes this week, so no excuses. Today we're only accepting complaints from people who own Michael Turner(notes) (high ankle sprain), Ronnie Brown(notes) (foot/ankle) and Cedric Benson(notes) (hip).

It's not as if Brian Westbrook(notes) (concussion), Julius Jones(notes) (lung) or Dwayne Bowe(notes) (unwanted pounds) were carrying your fantasy team anyway.

Please enjoy the preliminary Week 11 ranks, free of charge…

Quarterbacks

While the rest of us continue to debate a failed fourth-and-2 decision, New England is getting ready to eviscerate New York, a team that was perhaps a bit too impressed with itself earlier this year. You'll recall that Wes Welker(notes) was injured and unavailable in Week 2, when the Jets beat the Pats 16-9. Tom Brady(notes) now has the old band back together. It's Kerry Rhodes'(notes) turn to be embarrassed. … If you're not already benching Jay Cutler(notes) for disciplinary reasons following the five-pick performance at San Francisco, then consider sitting him simply because of the matchup with Philly. Cutler is facing a defense that ranks second in the NFL in sacks (29) and third in interceptions (15); he's protected by an offensive line that's comprised of two holograms, two inflatable dolls and an Orlando Pace(notes)-shaped piñata. … According to the Denver Post, there's reason to believe Kyle Orton(notes) (ankle) will be available in Week 11: "The Broncos hope that with a week of treatment and a few yards of tape, Orton will play against the Chargers." If he can't go, all Broncos receive Simms-related deductions.

Running Backs

Maurice Jones-Drew(notes)'s apology was not at all satisfying. However, he has an opportunity to offer proper compensation in Week 11. He'll face a Buffalo defense that's allowed the most rushing yards per game (173.0) and per carry (5.1), as well as the most rushing TDs (14). If he takes another knee, a class action suit follows. … With Ronnie Brown sidelined, Ricky Williams(notes) is an obvious start in the Thursday night matchup at Carolina. But who picks up Ricky's usual workload? Miami runs the ball an average of 33.7 times per game; Williams hasn't received 30 carries since 2003, when he was 26. Expect third-stringer Lex Hilliard(notes) to get his first touches. … Nothing changed in Arizona's running game last week, but everyone suddenly noticed that Tim Hightower(notes) and Beanie Wells(notes) have been splitting the workload. This has been the case since Arizona's Week 4 bye. Wells gets more carries, Hightower handles the pass-catching. It's a nice arrangement. It doesn't matter who starts; both backs will see the field on the opening series if things go according to plan. Wells gets a rankings edge this week because it should be a run-out-the-clock finish against St. Louis.

Steven Jackson continues to have a ridiculously productive season, considering the circumstances. He's averaging 4.8 yards per carry despite being surrounded by ineptitude. The Rams' offense averages just 303.9 yards per game; Jackson himself averages 127.3 total yards per contest. … Per Marvin Lewis, the Larry Johnson(notes) signing should have "zero effect on Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott(notes) or Brian Leonard(notes)." Great news if you're starting Leonard in a 24-team PPR. Benson looks like a game-time decision in an outstanding matchup with Oakland. If he were at full strength, he'd be 15 spots higher in the ranks. … Jason Snelling(notes) will be a popular waiver add for Week 11, but he's expected to split carries with Jerious Norwood(notes), assuming Michael Turner can't go (and assuming Norwood can). If we get positive practice reports on Norwood, he'll move into the Buckhalter/Moats neighborhood above. Atlanta will host Tampa Bay in Week 12, and the Bucs have NFC's worst run defense (167.3 YPG). You'll want Norwood there.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

This week's rematch between Randy Moss(notes) and Jets corner Darrelle Revis(notes) should be fairly entertaining. In Week 2, Revis seemed to score a decisive victory, holding Moss to four catches for 24 yards. But Randy declined to credit Revis specifically, which seemed to irritate the Pro Bowl corner. Let's try to settle this thing honorably. … Anquan Boldin(notes) still has just one touchdown this season, but he appears to have recovered from the ankle issue. He finally delivered a 100-yard effort in Week 10 and the upcoming schedule is friendly. … In Week 10, for the first time in five games, Miles Austin(notes) failed to score a touchdown. If his owners feel like complaining, they can just talk amongst themselves. No one's interested. It was a rough week for the Dallas offense, but Austin still led the team in targets (nine). There's no issue. … While we're talking targets, TJ Houshmandzadeh(notes) led everyone last week with 17, catching nine passes for 165 yards. After 10 weeks, he's the sixth-most heavily targeted receiver in the NFL. … That Greg Olsen(notes) rank is really about the opponent, not the player. The Eagles have allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends. 

Programming Note: Target Practice takes a one-week hiatus while we frantically thoughtfully complete various baseball assignments. Thank you for your continued support. 

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Photo via US Presswire

We're coming out of the kitchen at a different time this week, so please microwave liberally. Here's my take on Week 10.

• It's been two days since Bill Belichick's controversial call and the battle lines have been drawn. Some feel Belichick is a shrewd genius with the guts of a burglar; others insist he's an egomaniac who fritted away a game the Patriots were likely to win. Old school on one side, new school on the other side.

I'm not convinced either call in the fourth down position is the clear-cut "right" call – I can see a solid case for both sides. My gut leans ever so slightly to punting in that spot, but I don't blame Belichick for playing his hand as he did. I admire his guts, and as a football writer and a fan of the league, I appreciate that he's given us such a meaty story to dissect and discuss.

From a fantasy perspective, we can learn from Belichick's MO. Don't play for the friendliest loss. Go for what you consider to be the most plausible win.

The sports world is filled with managers and coaches who are conventional and conservative to a fault. The save rule in baseball determines how most managers handle their bullpens. Spineless coaches often punt in the fourth quarter when trailing, even as the game might be within reach with aggressive play. Some decision makers seem to be hung up on making the least controversial decision in a tight spot. Forget playing for the win, the focus shifts to "playing not to be hammered by the media (and public) after the game."

I see the same risk-averse concepts seeping into a lot of our fantasy sports, and while that might be the best way to play it in a non-competitive group, I know from experience that you need to be aggressive if you want to win a strong league. Some owners are afraid to trade. Some owners won't bench a slumping player because he was an early pick. Some owners would rather let 4-5 rules of thumb dictate their lineup decisions rather than get their hands dirty.

Fantasy glory does not come to the Dick Jaurons of the world, the guys who punt while a game is still winnable. Don't be afraid of how a loss is going to feel afterwards. Identify the most logical path to a victory and trust your instincts.

• I'd like a mulligan on the Bengals defense – I thought this unit was in big trouble when sack master Antwan Odom(notes) got hurt but it hasn't missed a beat. Leon Hall(notes) and Johnathan Joseph(notes) are turning into a dynamite pair of corners, and this unit plays with an intelligence and swagger. When you stroll into Heinz Field and limit an outstanding Pittsburgh offense to just 12 points, you've got my attention. Take a bow, Marvin Lewis and Mike Zimmer.

Fantasy owners, sit back and enjoy the ride, the Cincinnati schedule is a blast with four cupcakes over the next six weeks (Raiders, Browns, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, Chiefs).

• I've been in Michael Turner's(notes) corner for most of the season but one thing that would help Matt Ryan(notes) a bunch is an additional back who's dynamic as a receiver (Jerious Norwood(notes) doesn't qualify while he's hurt). I'd like to see Jason Snelling(notes) catch at least four balls against the Giants this week.

• For all of Sean Payton's offensive genius, there might be a little of the designer ego in there, a need to be cute as he calls the plays and divvies up the touches. Said a different way, I think Pierre Thomas(notes) is going to drive us crazy all year.

• I've run out of adjectives and comparisons for this pathetic Browns offense. Who matches up with these guys? Can you think of a comparable group from the last 10 years? I feel bad for Mohamed Massaquoi(notes), who could be a fantasy staple with a different club. He doesn't have a chance here.

• Chris Simms(notes) has the pedigree, I'll grant you that, but what else do other teams keep seeing in this guy? Does he impress in the interview room? Is he sharp as a tack when analyzing film? I don't see anything I like from Simms on the field.

• It's the wrong year to have Chris Johnson on zero teams (it was nothing intentional, just how it fell for the most part). Welcome to my world.

• Andy Reid doesn't understand field position equity and I guess he never will. If you're not up against the end of the half or faced with a scenario where three points wins for you, it's almost never correct to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal at the 1.

• Jay Cutler(notes) clearly has that problem that Brett Favre(notes) has faced for much of his career – a howitzer of an arm and a little too much confidence in it. Favre's career was saved by Mike Holmgren's teachings; it remains to be seen if Cutler can find the right mentor and if he'll be receptive to coaching, and perhaps a mechanical overhaul, at this stage of his career.

• Josh Freeman(notes) has a long way to go as a quarterback, but I like his poise, I like his athleticism. He has a chance to be something. He certainly doesn't look overwhelmed out there. He's quickly established a rapport with Kellen Winslow(notes), too.

• You can tell a lot about an offense by noting what it does on third down – the best clubs convert around 45 percent of the time. Indy currently leads the way at 50 percent, followed by the Dolphins (surprise), Saints, Patriots and Vikings. Your bottom five stacks up this way: Chiefs (20 percent, yuck), Browns, Raiders, Bills, 49ers. Three inconsistent offenses that are stuck in the middle: Cowboys (39.8 percent), Eagles (36.1 percent), Cardinals (33.0 percent).

• Connor Barth(notes) nailed three 50-plus field goals against the Dolphins last week and it's a shame no one got a piece of it.

• The numbers were fairly pedestrian but nonetheless I thought Matthew Stafford(notes) played significantly better last week at Minnesota, and it was encouraging to see Calvin Johnson(notes) engaged early and often. Johnson and Kevin Smith(notes) have been massive fantasy busts this year, but a little payback should be in order this week against Cleveland (albeit the Browns defense isn't anywhere near as bad as the Browns offense).

• Marion Barber(notes) hasn't topped 53 yards rushing since Week 2 and he's only got one TD in his last five starts. He's averaging 13 carries per game and the Cowboys basically shelved him for the final 45 minutes in Green Bay because his fractured thumb was bothering him. What a shame; when Barber is right, he's one of my favorite backs to watch. I don't see how we can start him with any confidence right now.

• RIP, Ken Ober. Coincidence or not, MTV has pretty much sucked since your show left the airwaves.

• The Chiefs have known about the pending Dwayne Bowe(notes) PED suspension for some time, and now it's out in the public. Bowe gets a four-game holiday, Chris Chambers(notes) gets reinvented as a fantasy No. 3 receiver while Lance Long(notes) becomes a trendy sleeper in deep groups. Bowe will miss the following four-game slate: Pittsburgh, at San Diego, Denver, Buffalo. [Associated Press]

• It could be a very sad endgame for Brian Westbrook(notes) - he's headed to a concussion specialist and there's no guarantees with him going forward. Then again, you also hope he gets off the field while his facilities are still intact. This news obviously pushes LeSean McCoy(notes) into flex consideration but it also makes Philadelphia even more of a pass-reliant team than before. [Adam Schefter on Twitter]

• The Dick Jauron era in Buffalo, how was it for you? The embattled Bills coach got the ax on Tuesday after a 24-33 run; his teams went 7-9 in each of his three complete seasons. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell steps in to replace him. Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) was expected to get the start at Jacksonville this week, not sure if that changes with the new direction. More to come on this story. [Jason LaCanfora on Twitter]

• Ken Whisenhunt likes the rotation he has going in his backfield and will keep Tim Hightower(notes) as the starter, with Beanie Wells(notes) the No. 2 option. Both backs look like strong plays against the Rams this week. [Arizona Republic]

• It's finally a done deal - Larry Johnson(notes) has joined the Bengals, signing for the league minimum (I guess Bam Morris wasn't available). It remains to be seen how Johnson will be used, and if the club is telling us the truth when it says it's not concerned about Cedric Benson's(notes) hip. As for Benson's reaction to the move, no worries - he's putting a positive spin on the transaction. "I don't see it as any type of threat," Benson said. "It's great to have the guy come in." [Bengals.com]

• DeAngelo Williams(notes) (knee) isn't on the injury report for the Panthers and apparently should be good to go for Thursday's matchup against Miami. Steve Smith (ribs) has been practicing as well. Jonathan Stewart(notes) (Achilles) was rested Tuesday, but he's been playing through this injury for a while and obviously it didn't hold him back against Atlanta last week. [Darin Gantt on Twitter]

• Donald Brown(notes) suffered a sore back against the Patriots, which is why he didn't get too many snaps in the second half. Surprisingly, the post-game discussion of this game has centered around other stuff. [Colts.com]

• Remember when a 300-yard passing game used to be something that tagged along with a lopsided loss? The path to stats, and victories, appears to be changing. [Pro Football Reference]

• I don't agree with everything Joe Posnanski writes here, but nonetheless it's far and away the best analysis I've read on the Bill Belichick decision. [JoePosnanski.com]

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Photo courtesy US Presswire

• Desperate times call for desperate measures, at least that has to be the line of thinking for the Bobcats, who have dealt Raja Bell(notes) and Vladimir Radmanovic(notes) for Stephen Jackson and Acie Law(notes). When you consider who is comfortably at the bottom of this list, it makes the move seem a bit less outlandish from a big picture perspective. Think about it – the Bobcats have averaged almost a dozen points less than the seventh-worst scoring team in the league, and over 29 points less than the league-leading Warriors! It may sound counter-intuitive, but Jackson should help them improve their league-worst shooting percentage (39%). His own number won't be much above that mark, but starters like Gerald Wallace(notes) (35%), Boris Diaw(notes) (45%), and Raymond Felton(notes) (36%) all will benefit from the added offensive threat from an efficiency standpoint, although Jackson's presence cuts into their offensive volume. Considering how anemic the offense has been to this point, I'm inclined to view this as a positive for at least Wallace and Diaw. On the downside, Felton will lose at least some of his distribution responsibilities, and D.J. Augustin's(notes) role becomes even more limited. The proverbial "big if": if Jackson can play at least somewhat within himself, then he could actually help this team.

Of course, we're handing out universal upgrades in Oakland, although the usual qualifier about specifics applies (as in, good luck prognosticating Nellie's whims). Everyone should be "feeling" better with Jackson out of the picture, and his usage will be spread throughout the team. Monta Ellis(notes) becomes the true offensive alpha dog and is looking at a real opportunity to excel. Bell figures to join the starting five here in very short order and, as a career 41-percent shooter from long-range, should find plenty of success in the Warriors free-flowing system. If you need threes, go get him now. Anthony Morrow(notes), Corey Maggette(notes), and Stephen Curry(notes) will see more time and usage as a result of the trade and Kelenna Azubuike's(notes) injury. And Radmanovic, who is of little use in most scenarios, could actually emerge as a Nellie favorite, since he's tall (6-foot-10) and can knock down a three (career 38%). He should at least get a chance to show something in the short-term, as the team is still without Andris Biedrins(notes) and Ronny Turiaf(notes). Deep-leaguers will want to use a speculative add here, in the event that the shots fall early for VladRad and he finds himself in Nellie's good graces. Anthony Randolph(notes) owners should continue to have no expectations of consistency. 

• A team source has confirmed that Chris Paul's(notes) ankle has no structural damage, and we're expected to have more details about his recovery and a projected timeframe sometime on Monday.

• Kobe Bryant(notes) aggravated a groin injury Sunday, an injury originally suffered on Nov. 8. Although he says that he won't miss any time, it's worth noting and monitoring.

• The ink is still drying on Jamaal Tinsley's(notes) contract, and the Grizzlies have told Allen Iverson(notes) that they want word of his future "within a couple of days." Reports are that Iverson has had no contact with the team since he left 10 days ago to deal with a personal matter, and an anonymous source – allegedly close to Iverson – said it's doubtful that he will return to Memphis. For Mike Conley(notes) owners, Tinsley's presence is disconcerting, although certainly less so than having AI around.

• Perhaps Shaquille O'Neal's(notes) absence on Saturday was a bit more than precautionary, after all. He's considered doubtful for Tuesday's game against Golden State, although the matchup and that it's the first game of two sets of back-to-backs lends itself to sitting the big guy, anyway.

• Kevin Love(notes) is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Friday. He'll have his hand X-rayed, and an updated timetable should come shortly thereafter.

Note: Early baseball planning is dominating the day, but the NBA Skinny will return next Monday in it's usual time and place. For a litany of pickup options and more status updates, see the Week 4 Dashboard.

For approximately 56 minutes of game time, the Patriots controlled their Sunday night matchup against Indianapolis. They led 34-21 with 4:12 remaining in the fourth quarter following Stephen Gostkowski's(notes) 36-yard field goal. 

And then a strange alliance formed between Colts quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Manning directed a pair of touchdown drives, the second of which was set up by an odd decision from Belichick.

Faced with a fourth-and-2 at the New England 28 with 2:08 on the clock, Belichick decided to go for a first down…which no one does, ever. If his team would have punted and done it reasonably well, Indianapolis would have needed to cover perhaps 70-75 yards in their final possession.

Instead, after Tom Brady's(notes) pass to Kevin Faulk(notes) resulted in only a 1-yard gain, the Patriots gave the ball to Manning at the 29, just outside the red zone. Peyton completed a 15-yard pass to Reggie Wayne(notes), then handed off to Joseph Addai(notes) for 13. At that point, with the ball at the goal line, the Colts began running time off the clock. Manning eventually hit Wayne for a 1-yard score (beautiful catch) and Matt Stover's(notes) extra point was good, leaving the Pats with a one-point deficit and not nearly enough time.

Belichick was his usual robotic self after the loss:

“If we could make that play, we could win the game,” Belichick said. “That was a yard I was confident we could get.”

In fact, it was a yard he nearly did get, but Faulk didn't cleanly possess the football initially on the reception. Video here. Belichick has always coached as if kicking was the coward's path, so his decision isn't really that stunning. But it certainly wasn't traditional, nor successful. His defense could have erased the mess, but it wilted in the final minutes.

Indianapolis moves to 9-0, setting up the nightmare scenario for fantasy owners who've invested in the Colts. There's now a fair chance that Indy will wrap up playoff home field advantage by Week 16, which would likely lead to limited playing time for Manning, Wayne, Addai and Dallas Clark(notes) in championship week. 

While we worry, let's review a few early injury updates. If you're Larry Johnson(notes), this is going to read like a help-wanted section…

Ronnie Brown(notes) sprained his ankle in the third quarter against the Bucs and didn't return. With Miami scheduled to play on Thursday night in Week 11, his availability is in serious doubt: "But, in all likelihood, it will keep him out of Miami's next game Thursday at Carolina. 'Obviously, I can't really talk about it right now,' Brown said. 'We've still got to do some tests and see what happens. We did some X-rays. I don't think it's too bad.'" If you've got Ricky Williams(notes) on the roster, you can't sit him in the week ahead. [Miami Herald]

Phil Sheridan isn't offering much hope to those who own Brian Westbrook(notes) (concussion): "If the Eagles truly did take every precaution before allowing Westbrook to return to action 21 days after being knocked cold at Washington, then they will have to err on the side of extreme caution now. Westbrook should be placed on injured reserve, ending his season."

This from coach Andy Reid: "In these types of situations, football is secondary." Philly would seem to be a potential landing spot for one of the brand-name free agents (LJ, Edge), or perhaps one of the off-brands (Dominic, Duckett). [Philadelphia Inquirer]

We aren't likely to learn much about Michael Turner's(notes) ankle injury until Monday afternoon. There's no obvious reason to expect him to shake it off, though. His foot was in a boot after the Falcons' loss to Carolina. These were his postgame comments, when asked if the team told him the extent of the injury: "They wouldn't say [anything] right now," Turner said. "I'm just going to keep an open mind. It's an ankle sprain. We'll take it from there and just do what we can do."

Jerious Norwood(notes) (hip) picked a bad time to have a multi-week injury; Jason Snelling(notes) is presently the only handcuff for Turner. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

In addition to the broken rib, Seattle running back Julius Jones(notes) was reportedly dealing with bleeding in one of his lungs, which of course sounds awful. Justin Forsett(notes) should be rostered as soon as possible; he ran for 123 yards in the Week 10 loss to Arizona. Forsett has also caught ten passes over the past two weeks. [Adam Schefter via Twitter]

Cedric Benson(notes) left the Bengals' win over the Steelers in the second quarter due to a hip injury, but he's optimistic about his recovery: "Benson said after the game that he hopes to be ready for next Sunday’s game at Oakland." Bernard Scott(notes) is the back-up, but of all the Week 10 running back injuries, Benson's sounds the least severe.  [Cincinnati Enquirer]

There were only three Ds on this week's Rams Report Card! Not too shabby. They're this close to an honor roll bumper sticker. [St. Louis Post Dispatch]

Kyle Orton(notes) revealed little about his ankle injury following the Broncos' Week 10 loss: "It’s a tough sport and it happens," Orton said. "You have to try to play through it. I was hoping to come back out and I wasn’t able to. Hopefully I’ll be ready to go next week." Chris Simms(notes) was a mess in relief (3-for-13, INT, 7.5 passer rating); Denver faces San Diego next week in a clash of deeply flawed 6-3 teams. [Colorado Springs Gazette]

The Steelers could be without Troy Polamalu(notes) (knee) for "at least a few games," according to early speculation: "Steelers coach Mike Tomlin revealed little about Polamalu's injury, saying only that he was off at the hospital for an MRI. It's encouraging that the players acted as if the injury wasn't season-ending; ordinarily, they aren't deceitful enough to hide the truth. Then again, the players might not have known how significant Polamalu's problem is." [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Bonus coverage of the Belichick call: Pro Football Weekly points out that New England punter Chris Hanson(notes) has not exactly been putting on a clinic this year (39.6 yard average, 55-yard long). Also, at least one simulation of the end-game scenario gave a slight edge to "go for it" over "punt." Still, the more important real-life non-simulation seemed to favor the kick.

Updated at 9:25 and 10:45 am ET

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Photo via AP Images 

Four-game teams: ATL, CHA, CLE, DET, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, NOR, OKC, ORL, POR, TOR

Three-game teams: BOS, CHI, DAL, DEN, GSW, LAC, LAL, MEM, NJN, NYK, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, UTH, WAS

Two-game teams: MIN

Also see: Basketball Monster's ease rankings and Rotowire's value meter

Pickups/Plug-ins

• Carl Landry(notes) - Landry has averaged 15.4 points on 61-percent shooting, 5 boards, 0.6 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 85-percent foul shooting over the past seven games, and that includes Friday night's stinker (2 points, 1-of-6 shooting). Houston has arguably the best schedule of the week (PHO, @MIN, @ATL, SAC) and Landry remains the team's premier offensive threat off the bench.

• Kirk Hinrich(notes) - Saturday night was an indication of Hinrich's potential when shots actually fall for him (19 points, 2 threes, 4 boards, 7 assists). As mentioned last week, the playing time isn't going anywhere and he won't shoot 38 percent all season. Week 4: @SAC, @LAL, @DEN

• Anthony Morrow(notes) - Kelenna Azubuike(notes) is expected to be out for at least a little while, meaning Morrow's playing time is relatively safe for now. He's struggled to find his shot thus far as a starter - while you should expect that to be temporary, the Warriors do have some tough upcoming matchups. Week 4: @CLE, @BOS, POR

• Beno Udrih(notes) - Udrih is starting, playing plenty, and delivering good numbers while Kevin Martin's(notes) hand heals. Exclusive, in-depth analysis: he shouldn't be unrostered in two-thirds of Yahoo! leagues. Week 4: CHI, @DAL, @HOU

• Matt Barnes(notes) - Barnes' versatility has proved invaluable for the Magic during their struggles with injuries and has translated to the box score; he's averaged 11.6 points, 1 three, 8.3 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks in his seven starts. Rashard Lewis(notes) is back, but he'll rejoin the lineup at power forward, leaving Barnes to handle the other forward spot. Week 4: CHA, OKC, @BOS, @TOR.

• Rudy Fernandez(notes) - Travis Outlaw's(notes) injury should open up a bit more consistent playing time for Rudy, who has yet to find a groove this season. This might be a good time to get back on board if you were high on him entering the season. Week 4: @ATL, DET, @GSW, MIN

• Andres Nocioni(notes) - there isn't a lot of upside or downside from Nocioni's numbers over the past five games (30 minutes, 13.8 points, 1.6 threes, 4.8 boards, 1 steal), but they play just fine as they are. Week 4: CHI, @DAL, @HOU

• Thabo Sefolosha(notes) - the Thunder don't need Sefolosha to score, but he's been doing a bit of everything else in recent games (33 minutes, 6.7 points, 0.8 threes, 6 boards, 2.2 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.2 blocks over the past six). It's getting harder to argue that he's not rosterable in standard leagues given his recent defensive production. Week 4: @MIA, @ORL, WAS, @LAL

• Udonis Haslem(notes) - Haslem's monster game on Saturday (28 points, 12 boards) was his fifth double-double of the season as a reserve, a role he's taken to well. He's posted big-man averages that include 12.4 points on 50-percent shooting, and 9.7 boards in 31 minutes; he's low-volume just about everywhere else, however (0.9 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 0.1 steals, 0.3 blocks). Week 4: OKC, @ATL, @TOR, NOR

• Ben Wallace(notes) - Wallace needs to be handled with care, thanks to 3.3 points and 47-percent foul shooting, but there aren't a lot of good reasons to leave 9.2 boards, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks on the wire. Although he'll have some matchup issues along the way, the numbers seem less flukey with each passing game. Week 4: @LAL, @POR, @UTH, @PHO

• Jared Dudley(notes) - Dudley has carved out a significant reserve role for the Suns and reasonable production in fun-and-gun has followed. Over the past six games, he's averaged 12.2 points on 53-percent shooting, 2.5 threes (on 58% shooting), 3.5 boards, and 1.5 steals in 23 minutes per game. The deeper the league, the more sense it makes to roster Dudley. Week 4: @HOU, @NOR, DET

• Chuck Hayes(notes) - while big-time overall numbers all season clearly aren't in the cards for Hayes, an exceptional Week 3 schedule (PHO, @MIN, @ATL, SAC) makes him a solid add for defensive stats at the very least. 

• Brandon Rush(notes) - Rush's numbers are starting to come around, as he's averaged 2 threes, 6.8 boards, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks over the past four games. He's still struggled with his shot overall (37% FG) but at least they are starting to fall from long-range (38% 3PT). Grab him in advance of the Pacers' solid four-game slate (@NJN, NYK, CLE, @CHA). 

• Toney Douglas(notes) - he's not going to solve the Knicks' point guard woes, but Douglas can (and has) provided scoring punch off the bench. In 26 minutes over the past four games, he's averaged 18.8 points on 55-percent shooting, 2.3 points, and 1 steal. Week 4: @IND, @NJN, BOS

• J.J. Hickson(notes) - the Cavs appear comfortable with Hickson in the starting lineup, and the feeling is mutual. While he doesn't project to compile many defensive stats, he's totaled 38 points over the past two games and the Cavs' Week 4 schedule is a good one (GSW, @WAS, @IND, PHI).

• Raja Bell(notes) - need some threes? Bell has been making plenty (1.8 per game on 38% shooting) and the Bobcats are looking at a favorable four-game week (@ORL, @PHI, @MIL, IND).

• Will Bynum(notes) - Bynum will play consistency for as long as Richard Hamilton(notes) remains sidelined. Over the past six games, he's averaged 14.5 points on 48-percent shooting, 0.5 threes, 4 boards, 4.7 assists, and 0.8 steals in 29 minutes. Week 4: @LAL, @POR, UTH, @PHO

• Darren Collison(notes) - Chris Paul(notes) could be out up to a month, meaning that Collison will start and play plenty in the interim. Look for some assists and steals with low-volume offense. And while the Hornets have four games in Week 4, they have just four combined games in Weeks 5 and 6. Week 3: LAC, PHO, ATL, @MIA

• Anthony Parker(notes) - Parker hasn't exactly been tearing it up, but he's been good for threes (2.2 per game, 60% shooting) and steals (1.3 per game) and the Cavs' Week 4 schedule is a thing of beauty (GSW, @WAS, @IND, PHI).

Status Updates

• Chris Paul's ankle injury could sideline him for up to a month, and he's out a few weeks at minimum.

• Nothing is certain, but the Lakers hope to have Pau Gasol(notes) back in practice (and, subsequently, the lineup) sometime during the coming week. 

• Antawn Jamison's(notes) shoulder has healed, but he missed Saturday night's game with flu-like symptoms. He's now expected to make his season debut on Wednesday.

• Eric Gordon(notes) is expected to be out at least another week due to a strained left groin. Rasual Butler(notes) will continue to start in his place. 

• Michael Redd(notes) hopes to return to the lineup sometime this week, and Sunday and/or Tuesday practices could determine if that becomes a reality. 

• Marreese Speights(notes) has a partial tear in his left MCL and will miss the next six to eight weeks of action. First and foremost, it will be interesting to see if this leaves Eddie Jordan no choice but to put Elton Brand(notes) in a better position to succeed (as the center in a small lineup and in the lineup for more than 27 minutes per game). In general, Brand, Samuel Dalembert(notes), and Jason Smith(notes) will play more as a result of the injury.

• Josh Howard(notes) had enough trouble during and after a three-game stint in the lineup that he's now out again, and the timeframe is indefinite. 

• Shaquille O'Neal(notes) was not in the lineup on Saturday because of a shoulder strain, but the Cavs also called the move a preventative measure, with two sets of back-to-backs in the coming week. Don't be surprised if a healthy O'Neal gets another planned day off at some point during the week.

• Jermaine O'Neal(notes) (hip) did not play Saturday and is day-to-day in advance of the Heat's next game, Tuesday against Oklahoma City.

• A pair of Nets groin updates: Devin Harris(notes) has been ramping up his activities, but nothing definite has been determined in terms of a return date ... Courtney Lee(notes) is targeting Tuesday for a return.

• Troy Murphy(notes) has now been day-to-day with a back injury for the past week or so - the team's next game is Tuesday (@NJN).

• Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince(notes) remain out indefinitely.

Click here to submit questions. Tune in. We'll fix everything…

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That's Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew(notes) pictured above, ruining your fantasy week near the end of a 123-yard rushing performance.

The Jaguars trailed the Jets 22-21 late in the fourth quarter, but they had the ball at New York's 10-yard line. A field goal from that distance is basically a layup. The game clock was at 1:48. The Jets were without timeouts. Jones-Drew took the handoff from quarterback David Garrard(notes) and ran up the middle…where he was met with no resistance whatsoever.

New York's defense moved at half-speed, conceding the touchdown. The Jets were in an odd game-management situation in which they needed Jacksonville to score quickly, having no other way to stop the clock. Rather than accommodate them, Jones-Drew took a knee at the 1-yard line, declining the TD. You'll find the highlight here beginning at the 1:45 mark.

Jets corners Darrelle Revis(notes) and Lito Sheppard(notes) did everything possible to allow MJD to score, short of actually carrying him over the goal line on their shoulders. By kneeling at the one, Jones-Drew allowed the Jaguars to run the clock down to the final tick and then kick a 21-yard field goal.

"Brilliant!" said the announcers.

"Brilliant!" said the five people who actually cheer for the Jaguars.

"[EXPLETIVE]!" said those of us who needed six more points from MJD.

It was essentially the Brian Westbrook(notes) play all over again. In 2007, Westbrook cruelly took a knee against Dallas in Week 15, guaranteeing a 10-6 win for the Eagles and a loss for thousands of fantasy owners.

The NFL rules committee needs to take a strong stand against that sort of deliberate non-scoring. Urgently. Tonight, if possible. It might be a smart tactical play in real-life, but it's a disaster in the imaginary game. Players should be severely fined. Not suspended, obviously, because that just punishes the fantasy owner again.

To his credit, Jones-Drew understands the damage he's done:

"Sorry to my fantasy owners," Jones-Drew deadpanned. "I apologize. I had myself today. It was a tough call, but whatever it takes to get the victory, that’s what counts."

If he's serious about earning forgiveness, four touchdowns against the Bills next week might be a nice start.

Fourth Quarter

• Let there be no doubt: Beanie Wells(notes) is a more dangerous runner than Tim Hightower(notes). The rookie carried 16 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle. The second score was really of the highest quality, as Wells bounced off multiple defenders, spinning into the end zone. Video here. Both Wells and Hightower should be useful down the stretch, as Arizona has an absurdly easy schedule in the most important weeks of the fantasy year. The Cards face the Lions and Rams in Weeks 15 and 16.

• After 45 minutes of game time, the Packers and Cowboys finally remembered that you're expected to do more than commit penalties (22 total) and allow sacks (nine). Green Bay led 3-0 after three quarters, eventually winning 17-7. Aaron Rodgers(notes) saved his fantasy day with a 1-yard rushing score and a 2-yard fourth quarter TD pass to Spencer Havner(notes). Jordy Nelson(notes) was denied a touchdown by inches; can't believe he didn't get that score on review.

• Darren McFadden(notes) was a useless distraction in his return from the knee injury, finishing with four catches for 11 yards. Michael Bush(notes) had most of the rushing yards for the Raiders (14-for-119) while Justin Fargas(notes) took the touchdown (10-41-1). JaMarcus Russell(notes) was benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski(notes), who was predictably unhelpful (4-for-8, two INTs). 

• Jamaal Charles(notes) had an 18-to-9 edge in carries over Kolby Smith(notes) and a 103-to-12 edge in rushing yards. Charles also added four receptions in the Chiefs' 16-10 win. He's the guy to own, if you're investing in the KC backfield.  

• Brian Westbrook suffered another concussion, complicating his situation going forward. That's two concussions within a month. The Eagles fell behind 14-0 early in the second quarter on Sunday, so they completely abandoned the run per their usual. Donovan McNabb(notes) passed 55 times for 450 yards and two TDs in the loss to San Diego.

• The early word on Cedric Benson's(notes) hip injury is encouraging. He reportedly believes that he'll be OK for Week 11. Rookie Bernard Scott(notes) is the handcuff.

• It was just a miserable week for injuries, particularly among the running backs. Michael Turner(notes) will have an MRI on Monday to help determine the nature of his ankle issue. The current fear is that it's a high ankle sprain. Jason Snelling(notes) was serviceable in relief, picking up 93 total yards on 21 touches, but he's no Burner.

• In Miami, Ronnie Brown(notes) also suffered an ankle injury of as-yet unknown severity. Brown's postgame take wasn't too scary…

"We took X-rays. We’ll wait to see what happens," Brown said. "I don’t think it’s too bad."

…but don't expect solid answers until later in the week.

• Yup, another RB injury: Julius Jones(notes) reportedly has a broken rib. Justin Forsett(notes) was fantastic in Jones' absence, gaining 149 total yards on 23 touches. He's an obvious add for Week 11 and beyond. 

Posted at 8:45 pm ET

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Third Quarter

• With Larry Johnson(notes) on the scrap heap, Jamaal Charles is attempting to call dibs on the Chiefs' starting running back job. Let's hope Coach Haley is listening. Charles had most of the first half carries for Kansas City (9-for-51) and he scored his team's only TD. Check the clip of his 44-yard run. There's no catching Charles when he gets a step on your defense (at least not if your defense is Oakland).  

KC gets Buffalo and Cleveland in Weeks 14 and 15, so various Chiefs could prove helpful in the fantasy playoffs. 

• Julius Jones checked out of the Seattle-Arizona game in the first quarter with a chest injury, and Justin Forsett has been extremely useful in his absence. At halftime, Forsett has 79 total yards on 12 touches and he's rushed for an 11-yard TD. Jones is hardly the biggest name to suffer an injury in Week 10 – see below for details on Benson, Turner and Brown – but his replacement is talented and widely available.

• It's a pitcher's duel in Green Bay, where the Packers lead the Cowboys 3-0 at half. Roy Williams had a costly fumble; no one else has anything.

• The Panthers' running game was dominant again on Sunday (185 net yards, two TDs), but they lost Pro Bowl left tackle Jordan Gross(notes) to a broken ankle. He's likely done for the year. You can find free agent help at many positions, but left tackle isn't one of them. This is a massive loss for the Carolina offense.

• One more piece of Panthers news: Steve Smith returned following his back/rib injury. He has a history of making discomfort appear life-threatening. 

• LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) is showing signs of life at home against a tough Philly defense. Late in the third quarter, he's delivering a fantasy line that's straight out of 2005: 15 carries, 81 yards, two TDs. 

• We failed to give Washington's spectacular fake field goal proper recognition earlier today. Highlight here. That's a thing of beauty, straight from some SEC playbook. And that was a legitimately nice throw by Hunter the punter. 

Posted at 6:30 pm ET

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Second Quarter

• Chris Johnson has piled up highlights all year, most of them on long scoring plays. But the most impressive yard he's picked up this season was gained in the fourth quarter against the Bills. He lowered his head and flattened both Paul Posluszny(notes) and Bryan Scott(notes), then bounced outside and crossed the goal line to give his team a 24-17 lead. (Take that Penn State). Watch the clip here.

Johnson finished with 132 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards and two TDs. Just another day by his standards. He's now on a 1,940 rushing yard pace. 

• Devin Thomas(notes) made the '09 Broncos look like the '08 Broncos on his 27-yard third down reception late in the fourth quarter. He broke no fewer than four tackles, setting up Ladell Betts'(notes) 1-yard TD. Chris Simms(notes) was a mess in relief of the injured Kyle Orton(notes) (ankle). Simms went 3-for-13, he was sacked three times and he threw one pick. You asked for it, Woody Paige, and you got it.

• The Falcons may just have a kicker problem. Jason Elam(notes) badly missed a 34-yard attempt that would have given Atlanta a 22-21 lead over Carolina in the fourth quarter. Recall that Elam also had a pair of ugly misses against the Saints in Week 8.

• Ben Roethlisberger(notes) nearly had another improvised big play to Mike Wallace(notes), but Ben just missed his rookie receiver in the end zone in the fourth quarter. Santonio Holmes(notes) was open on the play, but he couldn't get his QB's attention. The Grahams ultimately beat the Reeds, 18-12. Cincinnati's defense is absolutely for real. That group limited Rashard Mendenhall(notes) to 36 rushing yards and held Roethlisberger to 174 through the air. 

• Josh Freeman(notes) nearly led the Bucs to another improbable win, thanks in part to a crazy decision by Miami's Chad Henne(notes). He threw a brutal pick in his own territory late in the fourth quarter, ahead 22-16. Tampa Bay's Carnell Williams(notes) scored a touchdown to give the Bucs a temporary lead, but the Dolphins managed to put together a game-winning drive in the final 1:10. Dan Carpenter(notes) gets credit for the final three points. 

Ronnie Brown was limping badly after suffering an ankle injury in the third quarter. Sunday has been a rough day for marquee backs. (See below). Ricky Williams(notes) received a season-high 20 carries. Based on Brown's on-field reaction to the injury, it would be a surprise if he played next week at Carolina.

• St. Louis was quite a bit more competitive than anyone imagined, challenging New Orleans until Marc Bulger's(notes) final pass fell incomplete. Donnie Avery(notes) caught a pair of TDs for the Rams; Steven Jackson finished with 176 total yards and one score. Marques Colston(notes) is going to repeat as Dud of the Week at wide receiver, thanks to this play (which might just cost me a win). 

• Brett Favre(notes) finished with 344 passing yards in the Vikes' 27-10 win over Detroit. Every-week fantasy starter Sidney Rice(notes) collected 201 of those yards on seven catches. Harvin, Shiancoe and Berrian grabbed the crumbs. Adrian Peterson caught two more balls, giving him 21 receptions for the year. That's a career high.  

• Maurice Jones-Drew pulled a Westbrook-style kneel down inside the final two minutes in New York, apparently following his coach's instructions. The Jets had no timeouts; they couldn't stop the clock as seconds ticked away. Josh Scobee(notes) kicked a layup game-winner as time expired. Some of us could have used those six points, MJD. Not cool.

Posted at 5:05 pm ET

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Injured running back alert (also known as a "Larry Johnson employment alert"): Cedric Benson is out with a hip injury, after carrying seven times for 22 yards against the NFL's top run defense. Rookie Bernard Scott has taken over for Cincinnati. Also, Atlanta's Michael Turner is reportedly done for the day due to an ankle sprain. He carried nine times for 111 yards before checking out. Jason Snelling is getting all the carries for the Falcons; he scored a 1-yard TD in the second quarter.

Updated at 3:10 pm ET

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First Quarter

• Just when we started to worry about Knowshon Moreno's(notes) workload, he got the call repeatedly on Denver's first series. Moreno began the game with a 28-yard run, his longest of the year. Three plays later, Kyle Orton went downfield – REPEAT: KYLE ORTON WENT DOWNFIELD – to Brandon Marshall(notes), who was completely alone. Video here, via NFL.com. That might be the easiest 40-yard score you'll see all year. Correll Buckhalter(notes) rotated into the backfield on Denver's second possession, losing a fumble on his second carry. Washington failed to convert the turnover into anything useful, though.

Incredibly enough, the 'Skins allowed Marshall to run free again with 3:35 on the clock in the first quarter. Orton connected with No. 15 for arguably the easiest 75-yard score in NFL history. More video. The DBs were barely in the frame. Denver could have had another long passing TD in the second quarter, too, but Orton badly overthrew Eddie Royal(notes). (And the agony continues for Royal owners). Orton later limped off the field at the end of the first half with an ankle injury; Chris Simms has taken over in the third quarter.

• Steve Smith has a pair of first half touchdowns for the Panthers, and he missed a third by inches. He took a knee to the back and/or ribs on the second TD, however, and was in obvious pain. He's questionable to return. Still, congrats to those who trusted Jake Delhomme(notes) enough to roll with Smith. 

• The Bills scored a touchdown out of the WildFred formation, as Fred Jackson(notes) hit Lee Evans(notes) with a beautifully thrown pass for a 27-yard TD. Sweet playcall; excellent work by Jackson selling the run. But five minutes later, Tennessee tied the game at 7-7 when Chris Johnson easily broke the plane from 28 yards away, coasting at the end of the run. Buffalo linebacker Paul Posluszny took an angle that would have been appropriate for LenDale White(notes), but not CJ.

• Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu(notes) is out for the remainder of the day after suffering an early tweaking of the left knee against Cincinnati. It's a huge loss for the Steelers' D, obviously. Perhaps they can give tackling machine Jeff Reed(notes) a look at safety. Check out the glide-by from Reed on Bernard Scott's 96-yard return TD.

• Mike Sims-Walker(notes) 1, Fantasy Gurus 0. Many of us were frightened by Sims-Walker's matchup today (and by David Garrard's year-to-date performance on the road). But MSW has two catches for 40 yards and a score at half. Maurice Jones-Drew has his usual long rushing score for Jacksonville, a 33-yarder in the first quarter. He also erased a blitzing Kerry Rhodes(notes) to setup Garrard's easy 11-yard TD.

• Marc Bulger's first quarter interception was shameful. Never had a chance. The safety had it all the way, no question. He could have signaled for a fair catch. However, the Rams are impressively hanging with New Orleans. Steven Jackson has an even 100 rushing yards at half with a 1-yard TD. S-Jax is having an absolutely heroic season.

• Adrian Peterson is having the huge day we all expected (111 total yards at half). His 22-yard rushing TD was…well, it was a play that only he can make. Check the tape; note the way he tosses DE Jason Hunter(notes) aside behind the line of scrimmage. That's just cruel. Peterson has a pair of first half fumbles, however. The first was somewhat fluky – he was tossing the ball to a receiver on a reverse – but the second was more traditional, as the football was poked out from behind. 

Posted at 2:45 pm ET

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Early injury updates: DeAngelo Williams(notes) (knee), Ladell Betts (ankle/foot), Roddy White(notes) (knee), Bernard Berrian(notes) (hamstring) and Terrell Owens(notes) (hip) are all reportedly ACTIVE. Antonio Bryant(notes) (knee) and Lance Moore(notes) (ankle) are INACTIVE.

Scott Pianowski will tweet today's action, by the way. You're encouraged to follow along. 

Posted at 11:50 am ET

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Pregame

Welcome to Mismatch Week, everyone. If you'd like to propose a Rams-win or Lions-win scenario, please share it with the group in comments. And if that seems too difficult, then maybe tell us how Washington can possibly defeat Denver. Or give us the roadmap to victory for Cleveland against Baltimore. 

Those who are in desperate need of last-minute fantasy advice should watch Fantasy Football Live beginning at noon ET. You're also invited to follow Sunday Scene throughout the day for biased observations and analysis. 

A few links for your pleasure/distraction: Week 10 Position Ranks, NFL Skinny, Fantasy Freak Show, Shuffle Up & Deal, Flames/Lames. 

Stay classy, Minnesota.

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Photos via Getty Images (Vikes fan, Jones-Drew), US Presswire (Marshall) and AP Images (Johnson, Charles)

• Things have gone from bad to worse for Chris Paul(notes) in the span of a few days. First, he had to deal with the potential reality of Rajon Rondo's(notes) (alleged) assertion that he'd never win a ring. Then his frustration was amplified by the team's removal of Byron Scott without consulting him or asking for his thoughts on the move. Professional frustration is one thing, but physical pain is entirely another. Paul was carried off the court on Saturday after sustaining a severely sprained left ankle - an official timeline has yet to be released, but the injury could sideline him for up to two weeks. Clearly this is terrible news for all involved parties, but if there is any silver lining for fantasy owners, it's the timing. Although the Hornets do play four times in Week 4, it's followed by back-to-back two-game schedules in Weeks 5 and 6, so the actual number of games off will at least be somewhat limited. At this point, all you can do is get him on your bench and keep an eye out for a concrete update.

There's no silver lining for the Hornets in general, who now must go through the initial stages of the adjustment process with their new coach while their floor general is sidelined. Darren Collison(notes) makes sense as an immediate pickup as he fills in for Paul, with an eye on Week 4 - he'll play plenty and the schedule looks good (LAC, PHO, ATL, @MIA). With four combined games in Weeks 5 and 6, however, there's only potential beyond Week 4 if Paul is very slow to return. Collison had 18 points, two assists, and two steals in 26 minutes on Friday, his first extended playing time of the season. 

• Josh Howard(notes) could be out "a week or a month" according to Mark Cuban in an effort to allow his left ankle to heal completely (read: he's out indefinitely). Howard's first attempted comeback was short-lived, as he was limping in the second of the Mavs' back-to-back games on Wednesday and was then inactive on Friday. Rodrigue Beaubois(notes) made his second start of the season on Friday (15 minutes, 9 points, 1 three, 1 assist) and will combine with Jason Terry(notes) and Jose Juan Barea(notes) to absorb the excess minutes. The temptation will certainly be there to drop Howard outright, but in standard leagues I'd suggest waiting for the first status update. Any additional setbacks would likely justify a drop, at least in h2h leagues.

• Michael Redd(notes) is making progress in his return from a left knee strain and could be back as soon as next week. Redd said that team practice on Sunday and/or Tuesday would ultimately determine his availability.

• Deron Williams(notes) was not with the Jazz Friday at Philadelphia - and likely won't be Saturday at Cleveland - as he deals with the health of his daughter. Williams had this to say in a statement: 

"(Thursday), one of my daughters underwent a procedure in the hospital to address some health concerns. There are still unanswered questions and the doctors have been running more in-depth tests throughout (Friday). My daughter's health is very important to my wife and I and it is important I remain in Salt Lake City as we monitor the situation. We both appreciate the support of the fans, the Jazz organization and my teammates. I will return to the court as soon as possible."

The team has three days off after Saturday's matchup, and we are likely to get an update on the situation during that time, in advance of Wednesday's home again versus the Raptors. Rookie Eric Maynor(notes) filled in admirably for Deron on Friday, notching a double-double (13 points, 11 assists) in 36 minutes.

• Jamaal Tinsley(notes) is expected to sign with the Grizzlies on Saturday, perhaps a sign that the team does not expect Allen Iverson(notes) to return (and that they've also been underwhelmed by Mike Conley's(notes) play). One thing is for sure, the signing leads to more questions and not answers.

• Click here for your daily dose of "As the Warriors Turn." Today's installment features speculation that Don Nelson could step down as head coach "as early as next week" and collect his paycheck in a consultant role, reiterates how untradeable Stephen Jackson(notes) is, and speculates that Nellie wants Monta Ellis(notes) gone as much as Jackson.

Saturday status updates:

• Both Tim Duncan(notes) (ankle) and Tony Parker(notes) (ankle) remain questionable for the Spurs ... Courtney Lee(notes) (groin) is out ... Troy Murphy(notes) (back) is not expected to return against the Celtics and T.J. Ford(notes) (back) is doubtful ... Both Richard Hamilton(notes) (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince(notes) (back) remain out indefinitely ... Wizards updates: Antawn Jamison(notes) (shoulder) is expected to make his season debut, Mike Miller(notes) (shoulder) could return, and Randy Foye(notes) (ankle) is out.

Each week the Noise will guide desperate, deep-thinking owners into the dark corners of the waiver wire to mine a last-minute diamond. Turn on your helmet light and pack a pickaxe. We're digging for drop-jaw surprises owned in less than 10 percent or started in five percent or less of Yahoo! Plus leagues.

With the exception of Dwayne Bowe(notes), Kansas City has been a post-apocalyptic wasteland for the fantasy masses. Matt Cassel(notes) has grossly underachieved. Larry Johnson(notes), still lingering in football purgatory, was only valuable in leagues that scored for vitriolic Tweets. It seems point reserves have been controlled by rogue motorcycle gangs with an affinity for leather, Mohawks, sawed-off shotguns and Tina Turner.  

Todd Haley's inaugural season in KC has been rocky, to say the least. The rookie head coach's high-powered spread-oriented offense imported from Arizona simply hasn't taken hold. Without a suitable offensive line, the humiliating running attack so often associated with previous Chiefs teams has also been nonexistent. Not fearful of the run, defenses have keyed the pass with considerable success. As a result, Haley's club has only bested Cleveland and Oakland in total offense averaging a pathetic 257.8 total yards per game.

But with the Chiefs' Negative Nancy searching for employment, things are looking up for the offense, especially the rushing attack, at least temporarily. Whenever Oakland is in town supressing optimisim is difficult.

Though Jamaal Charles(notes) has performed admirably when provided opportunities his chances have been limited. It appears Haley is dedicated to a committee approach - good news for Kolby Smith(notes).

For owners in desperation mode, the former Louisville standout could be a waivers diamond-in-the-rough this week. Since Week 5, the rancid Raiders have surrendered 5.2 yards per carry 199.3 total yards per game and seven scores to rushers equal to the most fantasy points allowed. Charles will likely net approximately 10-12 touches, but Smith's role could expand. Fully recuperated from a devastating knee injury last year, the third-year rusher, according to Haley, is on brink of seizing No. 1 duties. From the KC Star:

"He's worked really hard, so I wouldn't put it past him. I'm still trying to keep it within reason and not have the expectations too high and understand what the situation is. But I would say Kolby is the type of guy who could surprise you."

Surprise indeed.

Because Smith is the better interior runner, he will likely be used in goal-line sets and packages. Due to Oakland's defensive shortcomings, his odds of splashing pay-dirt are substantial, though his yardage contributions could be smallish. Still LJ's 119 total yard effort against the Raiders Week 2 offers encouragement for the 13-percent owned (two percent-started) Smith and Charles to post respectable flex numbers in 12-team and deeper leagues.

Week 10 Fearless Forecast: 12 carries, 53 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 10 receiving yards, 1 touchdown

Who is your Week 10 Shocker Special (10% owned or less)? Post your pick with projection below?

SILENCE THE NOISE CHALLENGE

Each week one lucky aspiring fantasy prognosticator is chosen to go toe-to-toe against the Noise. If you want to be a guest "expert" submit your Week 10 flames, lames (1 QB, 3 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE for each, 16 total) and shocker special (one player at any position) along with a valid email address and your location here no later than 7 PM central time on Thursday. Oh, and please, no long dissertations to justify your picks. All that's required are your player selections and projections. Winners earn a league spot to compete against yours truly next season. Good luck!

Week 10 contestant:  Jo from Fond du Lac, WI

Flames:
QB: Joe Flacco(notes), Bal, 22-30, 280 passing yards, 2 TDs, 10 rushing yds, 38% started
RB: Jamaal Charles, KC, 12 rushes, 70 yards, 4 receptions, 40 yards, 2 TDs, 44%
RB: Mike Bell(notes), NO, 12 rushes, 80 yards, 1 TD, 21%
RB: Knowshon Moreno(notes), Den, 14 rushes, 75 yards, 2 receptions, 30 yards, 1 TD, 36%
WR: Mike Wallace(notes), Pit, 6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD, 35%
WR: Sidney Rice(notes), Min, 4 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD, 53%
WR: Braylon Edwards(notes), NYJ, 5 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD, 32%
TE: Dustin Keller(notes), NYJ, 4 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD, 15%

Lames:
QB: Donovan McNabb(notes), Phi, 18-32, 210 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, FL, 75%
RB: Ryan Grant(notes), GB, 15 rushes, 60 yards, 1 catch, 8 yards, 0 TDs, 85%
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson(notes), SD, 14 rushes, 50 yards, 1 catch, 5 yards, 0 TDs, 75%
RB: Joseph Addai(notes), Ind, 12 rushes, 50 yards, 4 catches, 30 yards, 0 TDs, 89%
WR: Dwayne Bowe, KC, 5 catches, 60 yards, 0 TDs, 70%
WR: Santonio Holmes(notes), Pit, 3 catches, 40 yards, 0 TDs, 67%
WR: Mike Sims-Walker(notes), Jac, 2 catches, 25 yards, 0 TDs, 82%
TE: Greg Olsen(notes), Chi, 4 catches, 50 yards, 0 TD, 68%

Shocker Special: Sam Aiken(notes), NE, 4 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD, 2%

Week 9 results: Brian from Colorado Springs

Flames (5-4): W - (Alex Smith, Joseph Addai, Devery Henderson(notes), Santonio Holmes, Devin Hester(notes)); L - (Felix Jones(notes), Brandon Jacobs(notes), Fred Davis(notes), Dantrell Savage(notes) (Shocker))

Lames (5-3): W - (Joe Flacco, Steve Slaton(notes), Roddy White(notes), Mario Manningham(notes), Benjamin Watson(notes)); L - (Matt Forte(notes), Ray Rice(notes), Miles Austin(notes))

Noisers Season: Flames (24-49, 32.9%), Lames (32-31, 50.8%)

Winners: Matthew in Colden, NY, Micah in Shelbyville, TN, Brian in Colorado Springs

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Image courtesy of Getty

Another disturbing episode of the Yahoo! Fantasy Freak Show is complete, thanks to the efforts of the radio giants at The Score WSCR-AM 670 in Chicago. We discussed all the Week 10 matchups, answered many questions (approximately 80 of them about Mike Sims-Walker(notes)) and Brad revealed icky things about himself that you will not be able to un-hear.

Please enjoy!

Freak Show, Part 1

Freak Show, Part 2

Freak Show, penalty time

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Photo via Getty Images 

Thursday night's 10-6 loss to the Niners was uncommonly ugly, even by the standards of the 2009 Bears. It was weapons-grade ugly. Ten-penalty ugly. McNown ugly. It was…well, it was really very ugly.

Jay Cutler(notes) has thrown 15 interceptions in five road games this season. Sure, blame for a few of the picks can be shared with Bears receivers, but still: 15 in five games. There's no way to diminish that achievement. Thursday's game-ending turnover was particularly disturbing. Earl Bennett(notes) is probably still standing in the end zone uncovered, wondering why he can't get a look.

Professional that he is, Cutler has apologized to his teammates. It may not be the last time he asks for forgiveness this season, as the Bears still have Philadelphia, Baltimore and Minnesota (twice) on the schedule. Sid Luckman's 52-year-old team record for interceptions may yet fall. 

But let us speak no more of Bears…

DeAngelo Williams(notes) is dealing with a knee issue of unknown severity. The knee is reportedly "tweaked," which of course can mean many different things (some of them pleasant, others less so). Williams did not practice on Friday – never a great sign – and he'll be listed as questionable for the matchup with Atlanta. He also sat out practice on Wednesday, but was a limited participant on Thursday. Clearly this is a situation to monitor; Jonathan Stewart(notes) clearly gets a bump in value. [Charlotte Observer]

Brian Westbrook(notes) (head, ankle) returned to a full practice with the first-teamers, so expect him to start for Philadelphia at San Diego in Week 10. You'll recall that the last time the Eagles headed west to face a defense that couldn't stop the run (at OAK, Week 6), they gave their running backs just 11 total carries. Donovan McNabb(notes) threw 46 passes in a losing effort. So you never really know what you'll get from Andy Reid (other than odd clock management). LeSean McCoy(notes) could still have flex value this week, because Westbrook still hasn't carried more than 13 times in any game this season. Also worth noting: Eagles LT Jason Peters(notes) (ankle) isn't yet practicing. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Not to be outdone, the Chargers also have a few injured '06 fantasy stars returning to the practice field: LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) (hip) practiced on Thursday, as did Antonio Gates(notes) (foot). The Eagles have allowed the second-most fantasy points to tight ends this season; perhaps Gates will finally return to the end zone. [San Diego Union-Tribune]

The membership of the Fantasy Roundtable (or at least a quorum) has gathered to discuss sleepers and busts for Week 10. When this group assembles, markets move. Bow to their greatness indeed. Please give them your full attention. [Razzball] 

Greg Cosell had much to say about Josh Freeman's(notes) first NFL start in his weekly review of the coaching tape. Here's a sample:

Freeman has a low delivery point for a tall man. His throwing angle makes him smaller than his 6-5 1/2 height. He also drops the ball too low, near his waist – historically, you don’t see QBs change their deliveries much (like a Philip Rivers(notes)). … Freeman showed the ability to throw on the run, excellent throw to Winslow for 17 yds off designed movement to his left – good tactic by the Bucs, Freeman comfortable on the move and the read is simple and defined. … Freeman needs work on his footwork on his drop, very choppy with no rhythm. This is the kind of thing that always surprises me: What have the Bucs been teaching him over the last 3-4 months?

There's lots more. Click the link. Cosell is always a fine read. [FantasyGuru.com]

Don't worry, Terrell Owens(notes) owners. This just in from the Billboard: "Just left the Bills' practice and Terrell Owens is participating for the first time this week. Apparently his sore hip is feeling better. He was running around and catching passes like he was never hurt." It sounds like T.O. will be ready to handle his usual three-catch workload. [Buffalo News]

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Photo via US Presswire 

Every Friday during the NFL season we'll review the Yahoo! weekly position ranks. If an expert breaks from the herd, they'll be asked to show their work. We try to focus on names near the start/sit line in public leagues. Let's play the feud…

Darren Sproles(notes) - Funston rank 25, composite rank 32

There’s a reason the Eagles have allowed the second-most fantasy PPG to tight ends and the 12th-most receiving yards to running backs: those are effective ways to counter a blitz-heavy defense. The Chargers offense is the not-so-proud owner of the worst yards-per-carry mark in the league (3.1) and the Eagles’ hole-plugging, blitz-happy approach has limited their opponents’ running game to just 3.6 YPC. Put those hands together and you have a pretty bleak outlook for LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) on Sunday. But the Chargers could opt to use the dump pass heavily like it did in Week 2 against Baltimore, when they threw to RBs 12 times, including nine times to Sproles (who has the third-best fantasy receiving production among RBs this season). I like Sproles’ prospects this week as that quick outlet option for QB Philip Rivers(notes), but we may also see Sproles pick up a half dozen carries or so as Tomlinson is dealing with a bruised hip that, although not serious, would give head coach Norv Turner a nice excuse to mitigate the workload of a 30-year-old back who's averaged exactly 3.0 YPC in his past 78 carries. -Funston

Tim Hightower(notes) - Behrens rank 28, composite 18

My colleagues are apparently ranking for PPR purposes this week, which is...well, that's not the way I approach things. If you're arranging players for standard scoring formats, there should be very little separation between Hightower and Beanie Wells(notes). Over the past five games, since the Cardinals' Week 4 bye, Wells has 54 carries to Hightower's 46 and he's outgained him on a per-carry basis, 4.2 to 3.8. Wells is simply the more dangerous ball carrier. (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C). 

Yes, Hightower has 40 receptions this year (20 of them in two games), but when he posts a significant catch total, it's a sign that things are not going well:

Hightower's two best receiving games, with 12 against the 49ers and eight last week against the Panthers, came in losses. Asked whether he wanted Hightower averaging double-digit receptions, coach Ken Whisenhunt said, "Not particularly."

I'm willing to give Hightower a slight edge over Wells in Week 10, because he's in charge of scoring 1-yard touchdowns. But he does not belong 15-18 spots ahead of Beanie, wherever you rank 'em. -AB

Braylon Edwards(notes) - Evans rank 14, composite 24

This week, Banana Hands Braylon will cover his hands with a sticky balm. Since coming over to the Jets in Week 5, Edwards has been a prototype boom/bust commodity. Twice he’s torched the Dolphins but in his other two matchups against Buffalo and Oakland, the end result was far less desirable. Jacksonville has performed inadequately across the board on defense over the past several weeks, surrendering numerous explosive plays via ground and air. Since the Jags will likely stack the line of scrimmage in an attempt to stuff the running game, Mark Sanchez(notes) will be forced airborne, enhancing Edwards’ scoring opportunities. With Jerricho Cotchery(notes) likely rusty after nursing a tender hamstring for the past several weeks, Edwards should be lined up in the crosshairs a minimum of 7-9 times. Also keep in mind the Jags have allowed the second-most fantasy points to wideouts over the past five weeks. -Noise

Jonathan Stewart(notes) - Pianowski rank 29, composite 20

Put on your handicapping fedora as we consider Stewart this week. If you think the Panthers can take down Atlanta here, that's good for Stewart – he's averaging 78.7 rushing yards and 5.4 YPC in Carolina's victories this year. But if you're like me and think Atlanta rebounds here, that's not so good for Stew – he's only getting 29.6 yards per loss this year, at 3.4 YPC.

Now the quality of Stewart's play probably drives the team result more than the other way around, but when you're considering a backup runner as a possible fantasy option, game flow and opportunity are things you need to be mindful of. And let's also consider that DeAngelo Williams(notes) has been magnetic over the last month, and that could eventually lead to a shift in the backfield timeshare. When we last saw the duo, Williams was running through the Saints (21-149) while Stewart was stumbling out of the blocks (13-24). Add it all up and I'm not convinced Stewart will get enough work to be a major difference maker this week. -Pianow

Steve Smith (CAR) - Funston rank 5, composite 16

I can’t quite understand my colleagues’ lukewarm reception for Smith this week. He’s facing an Atlanta defense that has allowed the most pass plays of 20-plus yards this season (31), a secondary that Smith has victimized to the tune of 132 YPG in his past three meetings – including 131 yards in Week 2. And the Falcons really can’t afford to give Smith extra attention considering how well the Panthers are running the ball – Carolina RBs have averaged 62% more fantasy PPG than the league average over the past five weeks. Admittedly, Smith has been a rollercoaster ride this season, but he’s delivered a reception of at least 40 yards in each of the past three games, and he could very well extend that streak this week with a couple play-action aided bombs. I’m banking on a repeat century mark performance from Smith in this divisional rematch. -BFun

Calvin Johnson(notes) - Behrens rank 7, composite 17

Megatron is one of the best buy-lows in our game right now. (I just sold low in one of my leagues, for must-win/bye week reasons. This sickens me). Johnson has battled a knee injury, true, but he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He's also about to face a Vikings defense that will be without Antoine Winfield(notes), and it's overwhelmingly likely that Detroit will need to take to the air. Johnson has thrived with sketchier quarterbacks than Matthew Stafford(notes), so don't let his presence be the reason you decide to bench one of the NFL's elite talents. He caught eight passes for 133 yards in his last start prior to the knee injury. The rapport with Stafford is just fine. Johnson's targets are still there (nine last week); the stats will follow. -AB

Dallas defense - Pianowski rank 4, composite 8

While there's a lot of luck tied to scoring at fantasy defense, the prudent way to find points at this position is to follow the sacks. And with that in mind, let's head to Green Bay, where Aaron Rodgers(notes) and the Packers offense have handed out 37 dropdowns, far and away the most in the league. Sure, Rodgers does a lot of good things when he actually gets rid of the ball, but on some snaps it looks like he's willing to wait as long as it takes for the rush to arrive; the mediocre Tampa Bay defense got him six times last week (after scoring just 11 sacks in its previous seven games).

The Dallas defense led the NFL in sacks last year and it's come on nicely in 2009 after a slow start; the Pokes have collected 20 sacks and 11 takeaways over their last six games. Paging DeMarcus Ware(notes), there's an Aaron Rodgers waiting for you about seven yards past the line of scrimmage. -Pianow

Laurence Maroney(notes) - Evans rank 33, composite 23

Offensive fireworks will likely fill the air in Indy, but Maroney isn’t a trustworthy option. Tom Brady(notes) should have little difficulty stretching the field against the Colts’ green secondary, but that won’t necessarily benefit Maroney. Yes, the former Minnesota standout has undergone a career revival of sorts, but he still remains entrenched in a loose timeshare. That combined with New England’s affinity to pass inside the red zone and the fact Indy’s surrendered the 11th-fewest fantasy points to rushers over the past five weeks, and Maroney is flex-only material. Though he doesn’t earn my endorsement for standard leagues, he’s still a top-flight start in formats that don’t penalize harshly for poor hula-hooping. -Noise

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Photos via US Presswire 

• The struggling Hornets have parted ways with Byron Scott. The team has been average on offense and surprisingly bad on defense. While some have attributed the slow start to Scott's no longer being able to motivate the team, David West(notes) told reporters today that there were "philosophical differences" between Scott and some of the players. Current GM and former assistant Jeff Bower will take over as the team's head coach, and he's largely responsible for assembling the current roster. There's not a depth of talent to be mined here, but fantasy owners can at least hope that the switch allows Chris Paul(notes), West, and Emeka Okafor(notes) to maximize their talents. A few key quotes from the press conference:

Bower: Bower said rather than Scott's up-tempo approach on offense, he would prefer to see "steady pace with flow to the game," a better transition from offense to defense.

Bower: "What I'm not going to do is turn away from things that have been successful." 

West: "I think we got to the point to where things we were doing just weren't effective."

• There are only two games on tap for Thursday, and the only notable status updates involve the Lakers' frontcourt. Although he's probably not out until Christmas, Pau Gasol's(notes) timetable remains indefinite. Andrew Bynum(notes) is expected to be back in the lineup for their matchup with the Suns.

• If you thought it couldn't get any worse in Oakland, then click here.

• What to do with Elton Brand(notes)... In a nutshell, the Princeton offense works best when their is only one post player on the floor, and the 76ers currently start two (Brand and Samuel Dalembert(notes)). The Princeton offense necessitates that you have a three-point shooter (or three) on the floor to spread things out for cutting players and the single post option - Jason Kapono(notes) is the sole long-range sniper on the team, and he runs with the second unit. When Marresse Speights is on the floor, it's often in a small lineup where he is the single "big" and Kapono is also involved. To me, it's a no-brainer that the starters are struggling, particulary relative to the team's second unit. What is Eddie Jordan's take?

"When you deal with the starting lineup, that can be a sensitive issue among the players. I don't want to touch a nerve right there right now. Look, are there reasons or are there some reasons for me to warrant to change the starting lineup? Yeah, because our second group has been playing very well. I like the way Marreese has been playing, I like the way Jason Smith(notes) has been playing ... but does that warrant me to change the starting lineup? No, not right now."

Okay, Eddie. More food for thought: take a look at the top two units here, note the singular difference in personnel, and then the marked difference in both offensive and defensive efficiency. While it's true that we're not dealing with large sample sizes, I'm not sure how he can say that a change in the starting lineup isn't already warranted... Brand will continue to post poor numbers for at least as long as there is no shake-up in the rotation. If Jordan makes the obvious switch, then Brand has significantly more hope for a turnaround, and that's magnified if Brand is occasionally allowed to be the single "big" in the lineup, as it's almost exclusively been Speights in that role to this point.

• Al Jefferson(notes) will miss the Timberwolves' next two games because of an illness in his family. Some combination of Ryan Hollins(notes), Oleksiy Pecherov(notes), and Nathan Jawai(notes) will absorb the surplus minutes against the Mavs (Friday) and Grizzlies (Saturday).

• The Knicks' backcourt is in a state of flux. Chris Duhon(notes) can't buy a bucket (25% FG, 22% 3PT) and his ability to positively (or noticeably) affect a game is in serious question. Toney Douglas(notes) has averaged 20 points and three treys over the past three games, including a start and 36 minutes on Wednesday, but the fact that he's also totaled three assists and six turnovers in those games doesn't bode well for his leading the offense. Larry Hughes(notes) is still Larry Hughes, but he at least impacts a game and has logged a 32:14 assist-to-turnover ratio to date. Nate Robinson(notes) could return Friday, but next week is a safer bet, and he's the likeliest candidate to relieve Duhon of his point guard duties, assuming he can't snap out of his current funk. The Knicks play just twice over the next eight days, although they are both favorable matchups (GSW, @IND).  

Notes from Wednesday's games: 

• It was the first real test for Josh Howard's(notes) ankle - the second of back-to-back games - and he didn't exactly pass with flying colors. He was limping on the court after 19 minutes (and 2-of-11 shooting), was subsequently pulled, and did not return. Rick Carlisle had the following comment:

"We'll evaluate it and treat it accordingly. He's had some soreness. It's no secret. There's going to be times when there's soreness, and we have to get him out of the game."

Howard also added that his ankle had swelled and that "cutting and stuff was killing me." While it's not known exactly how far Howard is from 100 percent, fantasy owners should clealry expect a bumpy ride for at least the next few weeks and be aware of his status on a game-by-game basis. The Mavericks play three more sets of back-to-backs before December 1.

• What Erick Dampier(notes) giveth, Erick Dampier taketh away. He recorded just one point, four boards, and no blocks against the Spurs after averaging 9.8 points, 12 boards, and 2.8 blocks in his previous six games. 

• Richard Jefferson</