Morning Football Update: No progress for McFadden
Anyone seen a "dream team" lately? Green uniforms with wings on the helmets, lots of underachievers, fell to 3-5 after losing to the Bears at home last night ... sounds familiar, right? Anyway, if you see a group of guys fitting that description, please tell them that their hometown fans are really pissed. Thanks.
On to the news:
- Raiders RB Darren McFadden wasn't at Monday's walkthrough practice, and his chances for playing Thursday against the Chargers don't look good. Multiple reports indicate that McFadden is unlikely to play, with one noting that he hasn't started running yet due to hs sprained foot. Plan to be without McFadden again.
- Speaking of the Raiders, Sunday's benching of WR Darrius Heyward-Bey is still a mystery. Head coach Hue Jackson says it wasn't a big deal, and was more about the sets the team was using than anything else. I have no idea what will happen with DHB this week, but I'd keep him on my roster for now if I had the bench space, and hope that Week 9 was just a brain cramp by Jackson. Preseason sleeper Jacoby Ford looks like an interesting free-agent pickup after catching five passes for 105 yards and a TD against the Broncos.
- Chargers RB Ryan Mathews (groin) was limited in Monday's practice, but the team hopes to get him back on Thursday. Mathews was a gametime decision on Sunday, and was seen on the field stretching before the game, so his return seems very possible.
- Browns RB Peyton Hillis (hamstring) has already been ruled out for Week 10. Since Montario Hardesty (calf) won't play either, can you consider starting Chris Ogbonayya against a bad Rams' run defense? I'll give the same answer I did last week: Only if your alternatives are really shaky.
- Cowboys WR Miles Austin is expected to miss the next 2-4 weeks due to his latest hamstring injury. Laurent Robinson will start in Austin's place, and since Tony Romo has been throwing to Robinson quite a bit, he's a terrific free-agent pickup this week.
- The Cowboys might get RB Felix Jones (ankle) back this week after a three-game absence. If Jones does return, I really think the best he can hope for is a timeshare (and probably the short end of it) with DeMarco Murray. Murray is pretty clearly a better runner than Jones.
- Why did I wait this long to get to Frank Gore? Because the X-rays on his sprained ankle were negative, and it looks like he'll play Sunday against the Giants.
- The Lions have brought back RB Kevin Smith. That doesn't mean you should pick up Smith, but it probably means he's extra insurance for Jahvid Best (concussion), who doesn't seem likely to return in Week 10.
- Bills PK Rian Lindell hurt his shoulder on Sunday, and will probably miss 4-6 weeks. Expect the Bills to have a new kicker by today or tomorrow.
- Jets RB Shonn Greene suffered a head injury on Sunday, but has reportedly passed his concussion tests and will play this week.
- It's Tamme Time again in Indianapolis. With Dallas Clark possibly suffering a season-ending leg injury, Jacob Tamme takes over as the Colts' starting tight end. You might remember Tamme as the guy who took the fantasy world by storm in 2010 with 67 receptions and four touchdowns after Clark got hurt. You might also remember that Tamme had a pretty good quarterback throwing to him last year, and doesn't now. Check Clark's disappointing stats for what that might mean, and temper your expectations for Tamme. He's not a high-priority free-agent pickup.
- The Redskins are apparently sticking with QB John Beck, which will result in Beck sticking with RB Roy Helu as his safety valve. Helu, who caught 14 passes for 105 yards against the 49ers, appears to be a big-time PPR weapon, and should start in all formats.
- The Cardinals aren't yet sure if QB Kevin Kolb (turf toe) will play against the Eagles.
- Bears WR Earl Bennett caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown last night in his first action since Week 2. More importantly, Bennett appeared to be the only wideout that Jay Cutler really trusts (the rest of them looked awful). Add Bennett if you can, especially in PPR leagues.
- The Bengals expect TE Jermaine Gresham (hamstring) to return to practice on Wednesday.
- I think the fans in my adopted hometown of Charlotte need to worry about more important things than who stands and who sits during a game.
- "Encouraging signs" for Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) and WR Hakeem Nicks (hamstring)? I'll take that, though Nicks seems like a much better bet than Bradshaw to play this week.
- Plan to be in wait-and-see mode again on Texans WR Andre Johnson (hamstring).
- Sam Bradford's ankle might be an issue again this week for the Rams, who also lost WR Greg Salas for the season with a broken leg. Austin Pettis caught four passes for 43 yards in Salas' slot role after the injury, and could be worth adding in deep PPR leagues.
- The Titans think eight-man fronts were the main reason why RB Chris Johnson had only nine yards in the second half against the Bengals. This week, CJ2K and the Titans visit the Panthers and their 27th-ranked rushing defense. Have you kept the faith?
- Joel Beall will be in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 3 p.m. ET, and I'll make my usual appearance at the same time on Thursday. Send in your questions!
See you back here Friday morning.
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