Fantasy Football

Whether it's torn, sprained, broken or just needs to be taped, Injuries to Watch will keep you up to date on injuries around the NFL and how they'll affect your fantasy football team.

Quarterback

• Tony Romo, Cowboys - Romo was limited in practice on Wednesday with a sore back but will definitely play on Thursday.

• Kyle Orton, Broncos - Orton is slowed by an ankle injury but will play Thursday night.

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Cut-N-Go is Fantasy Football FanHouse's weekday roundup of the NFL news with fantasy football impact.

Have you wondered at all what's been going on with Jerome Harrison? He started bursting onto the scene in Week 3 as he ran for 52 yards on 16 carries. He followed that up in Week 4 by breaking the century mark -- rumbling for 121 on 29 carries. Harrison was beginning to look like a valuable fantasy running back.

Then over the next four weeks he averaged a little over five carries per game and 18.25 yards per game. Since Week 8 he hasn't touched the ball at all, even appearing on the inactive list last week. Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that Harrison and Eric Mangini had a sit-down to air out the differences. Things may be better now.

It's Thanksgiving, and that means one thing for football fans everywhere: we're going to be subjected to the Lions on television either before, during or after gorging ourselves with turkey and the fixings. For once, the Lions' franchise has real hope on the horizon, but Thanksgiving 2009 is really, really bad timing for them to display their skills to the nation. Matt Snyder and Tom Herrera discuss this, play some musical backfields, give you the "Starting Six-Pack" and leave you with a parting shot. It's all here in the fantasy football podcast. Take a listen after the jump.

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Everyone loves fantasy football sleepers, but they change depending on league size and availability. We're here each and every week to give you a look at good plays for all types of leagues.

We featured Beanie Wells last week, and he came through with 85 yards and a touchdown. Considering his great fantasy playoff schedule, he should be owned in every league and started most, if not all, weeks. Make sure to check your waiver wire and pick up Wells, especially if you have a bruised back like Brian Westbrook or Ahmad Bradshaw still on your team.

We're coming at you with another shortened sleeper column this week. Breeze through it, and enjoy your holidays in a safe manner.

It's no secret that kicker is the most fickle and unpredictable position in fantasy sports. Even the most seemingly sure-fire starters can throw up a terrible stat-line due to exterior variables (like Nick Folk last week, though he did miss a field goal).

Still, we have to plow forward and the best we can do is judge the stats in front of us or hope to find a high-scoring affair. In Week 12, we have a doozy of a Monday Night Football game with serious shootout potential. So we'll roll with those two kickers atop the rankings.

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Given my two week streak of relative bricks on the No. 1 picks -- last week with the Bengals and two weeks ago with the Saints -- we need a rebirth of sorts. Hence, we look to the Eagles and their cupcake against the league's fourth-worst offense in terms of total yards per game, the Redskins. The Eagles rank third in the league in interceptions (16) and second in sacks (30), so coupled with no Portis, no Betts, and three offensive linemen on the injured reserve, the Skins are in trouble. Look for the Eagles to pad those sacks and interceptions a little more, as this could get ugly.

The next two spots go to the usual suspects, the teams who play the Browns and Lions, respectively. While Cincinnati and Green Bay typically fall around the low teens in our defense rankings, they are certainly solid enough to dominate these two lousy offenses. The Lions look to be playing without both Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson, so the old Turkey Day tradition will likely be a feast only for Green Bay (again).

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Welcome back, Mr. Clark. It's been a while, but by no means did you ever fall off the radar. It's been a sweet and dandy type season for Dallas Clark. And during a week devoted to feasting, that's exactly what he's gonna do against the Texans. All Clark did was rope in 14 catches for 119 yards the last time he faced the Texans. Of course, the game plan will change, but the results won't ... start Clark with a confident smirk.

The rest of the usual suspects are back as the top options again this week. Vernon Davis responded from his bad week a few weeks back with a monster day at Green Bay. I'm banking that Kellen Winslow follows suit this week and responds like only a soldier can after his stinker last weekend. He draws a Falcons defense that just allowed Kevin Boss to shred them last week. What's not to like? As for the rest of the ranks...

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The top five WR list includes three old stalwarts and the two biggest breakouts of the 2009 campaign.

A few people took a gamble on the potential of Sidney Rice near the end of their drafts. Heck, I've been holding on to him for two years in a dynasty league hoping he'd one day fulfill that potential. That day finally arrived this year, as Rice has emerged as a near WR1 and a must-start every week.

Conversely, Mike Sims-Walker came out of nowhere to emerge as the best pickup at the position this year by far. Those that frequent our chats know the love we have for MS-Dub, and that love parade continues this week.

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Marion Barber came into the season regarded as a definite starter in all fantasy leagues. Though owners likely nabbed him in the second round, he has still be a pretty sizable bust in all formats. Coming off a 99-yard performance against Washington is good, though the lost fumble and lack of a touchdown might still make owners reluctant to trust him on Thanksgiving.

Worry not, my friends. Barber gets to face a porous Raiders run defense that ranks 30th in the NFL in rushing in terms of yardage. They have also given up an NFL-high 16 rushing touchdowns. Expect Barber to get nasty on Thanksgiving afternoon, even if you're napping from the tryptophan.

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The grueling grind of the season is beginning to take its toll on a number of QBs, as several starters have suffered injuries and could potentially miss this week's game. I've tried to factor each injury into these rankings, but we'll likely need a few updates once we have a clearer picture on the health of Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner for Sunday's games, and Kyle Orton and Matthew Stafford for Thursday's games (though I'm almost certain Stafford won't play).

1. Aaron Rodgers, GB at DET
2. Brett Favre, MIN vs. CHI
3. Tom Brady, NE at NO
4. Kurt Warner, ARI at TEN
5. Matt Schaub, HOU vs. IND

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