Here are the injuries fantasy owners should be monitoring this week:

Week 8 BYES: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Oakland, NY Jets, and Tampa Bay

QB

Matthew Stafford (knee)
Sam Bradford (ankle)
Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral)
Matt Ryan (ankle/foot)

RB

Beanie Wells (knee)
Jahvid Best (concussion)
Tim Hightower (ACL - out for season)
Willis McGahee (hand, out 1-2)
Mark Ingram (heel)
Peyton Hillis (hamstring)
Felix Jones (ankle)
Brandon Jacobs (knee)
Earnest Graham (Achilles - out for season)
Darren McFadden (foot)
Joseph Addai (hamstring)
Cedric Benson (suspension)

WR

Santana Moss (hand, out 5-7 weeks)
Mohamed Massaquoi (concussion)
Hines Ward (ankle)
Percy Harvin (ribs)
Danario Alexander (hamstring)
Andre Johnson (hamstring)

TE

Ben Watson (concussion)
Antonio Gates (foot)

Here are the Week 7 NFL injuries we are monitoring this week:

BREAKING: Marshawn Lynch (out - hurt himself in warmups)

QB

Sam Bradford (out)
Jason Campbell (out)
Carson Palmer/Kyle Boller (GTD)
Rex Grossman (Benched)
Tarvaris Jackson (out)

RB

Jahvid Best (out-concussion)
LeGarrette Blount (out)
Joseph Addai (active-hamstring)
Daniel Thomas (active)
Tim Hightower (active)
Peyton Hillis (out)
Felix Jones (out)

WR

Lee Evans (out)
Andre Johnson (out)
Demaryius Thomas (active)
Vincent Jackson (active)
Julio Jones (out)

TE

Antonio Gates (active)
Greg Olsen (active)
Jimmy Graham (active)
Zach Miller (out)
Chris Cooley (out)

K

Sebastian Janikowski (out)

Here's the regular Friday rundown on where you can find fantasy assistance over the weekend:

• Tweet the FOXSports.com fantasy team. I'm at @jhalpin37, and you can also contact Ryan Fowler (@FOXSportsFowler), Joel Beall (@FOXSportsBeall) and Mike Harmon (@SwollenDome).
• Post a message on the Facebook pages for Harmon, Fowler and me.
• Listen to FOX Fantasy Freaks Harmon, Peter Burns and Nate Lundy, on FOX Sports Radio Sunday from 9 a.m. until noon ET. You can also tweet those guys (@FantasyFreaks).
• Chat with Fowler, Beall and me on FOXSports.com Sunday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. I'll be in the 11 a.m. slot this week.

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On to the news:

• After practicing on Monday and Wednesday, Chargers TE Antonio Gates rested his injured foot on Thursday. However, the team says the day off was part of the plan, and Gates remains on track to return this week against the Jets. If Gates is active, you should play him unless your backup is pretty good (I have Gates and Kellen Winslow, and I'm not sure what I'll do). Since Jets-Chargers is an early game, you'll know Gates' status in plenty of time to make a decision.
• A report surfaced Thursday that Lions RB Jahvid Best might miss the rest of the season due to a concussion. The Lions disputed the report, but Best certainly appears unlikely to play this week. The Detroit Free Press quotes RB Maurice Morris as saying Best hasn't been at meetings because "they kind of want him to stay away from the noise and lights," and that doesn't sound promising. However, you shouldn't count Best out yet, as nobody really has any idea when his symptoms will go away.
• Don't forget your byes. The Bills, Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Eagles and 49ers are off this week.
• Browns RB Peyton Hillis hasn't practiced yet this week due to his pulled hamstring, but he hasn't been ruled out for Week 7. Hillis is considered day-to-day, but I wouldn't count on him this week. That makes Montario Hardesty an option, but not a great one against the Seahawks' solid run defense. There's more detail here if you're interested.
• Bucs RB LeGarrette Blount (knee) will probably miss his second straight game on Sunday, meaning that Earnest Graham should be in line for another solid game. Head coach Raheem Morris said Thursday that Graham and Kregg Lumpkin "are probably going to split the load," but I don't believe him. Graham is the guy.
• Falcons WR Julio Jones (hamstring) hasn't practiced this week after missing last week's game against the Panthers. The team hopes he can play, but I'll believe it when I see it. We might be tracking toward gametime decision territory here.
• For those of you thinking ahead, Bengals RB Cedric Benson will serve a one-game suspension in Week 8. If you have a roster spot doing nothing, pick up Bernard Scott now and beat the rush.
• You might have heard some rumblings about Texans WR Andre Johnson returning this week, but it's probably not going to happen. On a related note, I've got Jacoby Jones starting in one league.
• Rams QB Sam Bradford (ankle) hasn't practiced all week and might not practice today, but he still might play Sunday in Dallas. With kickoff at 4:15 p.m. ET, you might not want to take the risk. You also might want to make sure you start the Dallas DST, or pick them up if they're still available, which is the case in about 22 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.
• It looks like Charlie Whitehurst will start at QB in place of Tarvaris Jackson (strained pectoral muscle) for the Seahawks this week. Our WhatIfSports projection has Whitehurst pegged for 259 yards and a score, perhaps because it sees the Seahawks playing from behind. Sometimes, bye weeks call for desperate measures. I'd rather start Whitehurst than Carson Palmer.
• FYI, Palmer hasn't officially been named as the Raiders' starter, but he's likely to be.
• Broncos' offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said Thursday that WR Demaryius Thomas will be worked into the lineup and then they'll "see how he's doing conditioning-wise." If you grabbed Thomas as a speculative play, don't expect too much from him this week, and don't quit on him if he has a quiet game. If he's going to help you, it might take a little while.
• Cardinals TE Todd Heap hasn't practiced this week, and his status for Sunday is TBD.
• Wondering why the Panthers' backs aren't running as often? Read this, and don't expect things to change very much.
• RB Joseph Addai (hamstring) still isn't practicing for the Colts, and isn't likely to play Sunday.
• Saints TE Jimmy Graham missed Thursday's practice due to a sore ankle, but it doesn't sound serious. Graham should be his usual studly self on Sunday night.
• Don't read too much into the news about LaDainian Tomlinson starting for the Jets against the Chargers. Shonn Greene is still Gang Green's lead back.
• Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall was limited in Thursday's practice after injuring his knee. Don't panic, but keep an eye on this one.
• Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said that his playcalling won't change with John Beck under center. In four full games, Rex Grossman averaged 36 pass attempts and 247 yards. This week's opponent, the Panthers, are 11th in the NFL with 219 passing yards allowed per game, but that's partly because teams haven't thrown at them very much - they're allowing a league-worst 8.5 yards per attempt. If you're looking for a QB flier this week, Beck isn't the worst idea in the world.

See you back here Tuesday morning.

Many believed it was a cruel prank from the gridiron gods. Surely, no team, not even the Raiders, would be foolish enough to fork over two (TWO?!?!) possible first-round picks for the services of Carson Palmer. Yet as the reality of the ridiculous compensation for the disgruntled quarterback set in, a new question arose: what fantasy worth does the former field general of the Bengals possess?

In the short-term, very little, as Oakland appears to be going with Kyle Boller under center against Kansas City this Sunday. The move gives Palmer this week, followed by the bye, to become acclimated with the Oakland offense.

Yet the Raiders’ second-half slate is far from arduous, as Hue Jackson’s squad faces susceptible secondaries against Denver, Minnesota, Miami and Green Bay. Despite owning one of the better backs in the league in Darren McFadden, the Silver-and-Black prefer to attack from the air, providing a platform for Palmer to post solid passing numbers. Oakland also has a deep WR corps, giving the necessary targets for the former Heisman winner to find fantasy fruition.

However, don’t expect Palmer to revert to his glory days of 2006. When we last saw the USC product, he was tossing 20 passes to the wrong team in 2010, third-most in the NFL last season. The velocity on his throws was absent, and Palmer appeared timid and downright scared in the pocket at times.

Perhaps a change of scenery is all Palmer needs to rejuvenate into of the league’s proficient passers. For now, view Palmer as a fantasy backup. He probably won’t merit starter status in the fantasy forum until Week 11, but in deeper leagues or two-QB formats, picking up Palmer is a gamble worth the risk.

Dear NFL: Please don't make us watch the Miami Dolphins again this season. If you'd be kind enough to black out all their home and road games, football fans everywhere will appreciate it. Thanks.

On to the news:

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• Raiders QB Jason Campbell hopes to be out for only six weeks with his broken collarbone, but that sounds optimistic, and if Campbell has been your second quarterback, you can cut him. Kyle Boller is the new starter, but the Raiders are rumored to be after Bengals holdout Carson Palmer. If you need to grab and start Boller due to a bye-week issue, don't expect much, and don't get too attached to him.
• Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan says he won't decide between QBs Rex Grossman and John Beck until Wednesday. Grossman was picked off four times against the Eagles on Sunday, and while the team's fans are obviously fed up with him already, that doesn't necessarily mean Shanahan is. It's hard to counsel adding Beck as a free agent tonight unless you already own Grossman and need to hedge your bets.
• The Vikings will also announce their QB decision on Wednesday after benching Donovan McNabb for rookie Christian Ponder on Sunday night. If all three of these teams choose to go with their new signal callers, I'd rank them Beck, Boller, Ponder for fantasy purposes.
• Don't forget your byes this week. The Bills, Bengals, Patriots, Giants, Eagles and 49ers are off. The running back position will be missing some big names in Week 7.
• Lions RB Jahvid Best suffered a concussion against the 49ers on Sunday, and his Week 7 status is up in the air. If you own Best, there's nothing to do except wait, and scout the free-agent wire if your backups are on byes this week.
• Cowboys RB Felix Jones is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain. After Jones got hurt on Sunday, rookie DeMarco Murray (10 carries, 32 yards) got the bulk of the workload. Murray hasn't looked great, and his offensive line won't give him a lot of room to run, but he's not a bad free-agent target if you need to fill a hole. He'll be busy, and that's half the battle. Also, he does get to face the Rams' league-worst rushing defense (163 yards per game) this week.
• Don't count on an Andre Johnson appearance against the Titans in Week 7.
• The Rams' acquisition of WR Brandon Lloyd from the Broncos pretty much makes their other wideouts useless for fantasy owners, unless you want to take a shot at slot man Greg Salas in a PPR league. It should help QB Sam Bradford, though Bradford's status for Week 7 is in question due to a high ankle sprain. Assuming that Bradford can play, he's an interesting fantasy bet for the rest of the season. He's got a shiny new receiver, and plays in a pass-heavy offense.
• On the Broncos' side of the trade, injury-plagued Demaryius Thomas becomes an interesting fantasy free-agent option, as he's scheduled to make his 2011 debut this week. Thomas is very talented, and should be pretty good if he can stay on the field. Eric Decker is already owned in most leagues, and should get a healthy number of targets from new QB Tim Tebow.
• The severity of Peyton Hillis' hamstring injury is TBD, but I'd pick up Montario Hardesty if I could. The Hillis/Browns relationship gets weirder all the time, with head coach Pat Shurmur sounding uneasy when he talks about the guy (watch this video and see if you agree), and trade rumors surfacing.
• Will Chargers TE Antonio Gates return to action this week. Maybe, but he did practice Monday. The San Diego Union-Tribune story at the link reports that RBs Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert are ready to go after suffering injuries in Week 5.
• Redskins TE Chris Cooley will have surgery on his fractured left index finger and be out for awhile. Fred Davis had six catches for 95 yards against the Eagles, and once again looks to be a strong fantasy option.
• It doesn't sound like Seahawks QB Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral muscle) will be ready to go this week. If you're looking for a DST, the Browns at home against Charlie Whitehurst sounds good.
• More guys whose status is unclear for Week 7: Bucs RB LeGarrette Blount and Falcons WR Julio Jones, It's only Tuesday, so we'll just need to stay tuned.
• This article makes it sound like the Chiefs won't be shy about giving Jackie Battle plenty of carries this week. He's not still available in your league, right?
• The Bills are making C.J. Spiller a receiver due to a rash of injuries, and he caught five passes on Sunday. Spiller will still qualify at running back in most leagues, and this move could improve his PPR value. Don't run out and grab Spiller, but see how he does in Week 8.
• Joel Beall will be in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 3 p.m. ET. Stop by and ask him lots of questions, OK?

See you back here Friday morning.

Here are some NFL injuries with fantasy impact we will be monitoring heading into Week 7:

Byes: Buffalo, Cincinnati, New England, NY Giants, Philadelphia, and San Francisco 

QB

Jason Campbell (collarbone)
Matt Schaub (hip)
Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral)

RB

Peyton Hillis (hamstring)
Felix Jones (ankle, out Week 7)
Jahvid Best (concussion)
Tim Hightower (shoulder)
Joseph Addai (hamstring)
LeGarrette Blount (knee)
Ryan Mathews (calf)
Mike Tolbert (calf)

WR

Andre Johnson (hamstring)
Eddie Royal (groin)
Julio Jones (hamstring)
Lee Evans (ankle)
Mike Williams (SEA - concussion)

TE

Antonio Gates (foot)
Chris Cooley (hand)

Good morning fantasy owners! Here are the Week 6 NFL injuries we are monitoring this morning:

QB

Matt Schaub - probable (shoulder)

RB

Joseph Addai - out (hamstring)
Daniel Thomas - questionable (hamstring)
Danny Woodhead - questionable (ankle)
BenJarvus Green-Elllis - questionable (toe)
Ben Tate - probable
Brandon Jacobs - out
Mewelde Moore - out
Tim Hightower - active (shoulder)
LeGarrette Blount - out (knee)

WR

Greg Jennings - active (groin)
Andre Johnson - out (hamstring)
Lee Evans - out (ankle)
Braylon Edwards - out
Julio Jones - out
Josh Morgan - out
Donald Jones - out
Mike Sims-Walker - out

TE

DEF

Shawne Merriman - out (Achilles)
Deangelo Hall - questionable
Joe Haden - doubtful

Here's the usual Friday rundown on where you can find fantasy assistance over the weekend:

• Tweet the FOXSports.com fantasy team. I'm at @jhalpin37, and you can also contact Ryan Fowler (@FOXSportsFowler), Joel Beall (@FOXSportsBeall) and Mike Harmon (@SwollenDome).
• Post a message on the Facebook pages for Harmon, Fowler and me.
• Listen to FOX Fantasy Freaks Harmon, Peter Burns and Nate Lundy, on FOX Sports Radio Sunday from 9 a.m. until noon ET. You can also tweet those guys (@FantasyFreaks).
• Chat with Fowler, Beall and me on FOXSports.com Sunday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

On to the news:

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performances over the last 10
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• Rashard Mendenhall's owners should get ready to start him again this week after he missed Week 5 due to a hamstring injury. Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said Thursday that Mendenhall is "ready to go and everything will be back to normal," but also noted that they "don't want to get him re-injured so it won't be an overload situation," according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Let's roughly translate Arians' statements to mean 15 carries for Mendenhall, with a possible early departure if the Steelers blow out the Jaguars. I'd still play him, and I'd still bench Ike Redman. The P-G article suggests that Jonathan Dwyer is out of the mix, so don't get the urge to start him based on last week's big game.
• The Bucs are planning to start Earnest Graham in place of the injured LeGarrette Blount this week, and if you own Graham, get him in there against the Saints. Most reports have Blount out 1-2 weeks with his knee injury, but one Tampa radio station reported Thursday that he'll miss several weeks. Stay tuned, and don't drop Blount yet.
• Remember your byes. The Cardinals, Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Seahawks and Titans are off this week.
• Falcons WR Julio Jones (hamstring) will not play Sunday against the Panthers. Harry Douglas will start in Jones' place, and is an interesting free-agent target.
• Giants RB Brandon Jacobs (knee) missed another practice on Thursday, and is looking like a no-go for Sunday's game against the Bills.
• Andre Johnson's owners should remember that he's out again this week. This article suggests that the Texans will keep trying to work Jacoby Jones into the passing game. Don't give up on Jones because of last week's bad outing, or because the Texans traded for Derrick Mason this week.
• This week's visitor to Revis Island is likely to be Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall. Plan accordingly, even if Marshall says he's going to "play like a monster."
• If you own any Cowboys, their important injuries seem to be non-factors at this point. Look for WR Miles Austin to return to action this week, and for WR Dez Bryant and RB Felix Jones to be back at full strength or close to it. Even Tony Romo's rib seems to be getting better.
• With RB Joseph Addai likely to miss Sunday's game due to a hamstring injury, the Indianapolis Star reports that Delone Carter and Donald Brown are expected to split carries.
• Patriots RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis missed Thursday's practice with a toe injury. There's no indication that the injury is serious, but if Green-Ellis misses practice today, Stevan Ridley will become a strong play this week.
• Are you in a deep enough league to care that Bills WR Donald Jones (ankle) will miss Sunday's game? Stevie Johnson and David Nelson should be busy for the Bills, but I'm not buying into the Naaman Roosevelt sleeper hype just yet.
• Bengals RB Bernard Scott isn't a big fantasy factor yet, but he has been getting more work lately.
• My super-duper sleeper this week is Panthers' WR Legedu Naanee. Did you know he's been targeted 19 times in the last two games?
• Reminder: Chargers TE Antonio Gates is targeting a Week 7 return. I'll have an update on his status here on Tuesday morning.
• Rams RB Steven Jackson says he's back at full strength after struggling through a quad injury for a few weeks. Jackson appears to be a shaky start against the Packers' strong run defense, but maybe I'm too skeptical about his health. If Jackson is effective, struggling QB Sam Bradford could benefit.
• Redskins RB Tim Hightower (shoulder) was limited in practice for a second straight day on Thursday. I've got Ryan Torain starting for one of my teams this week, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. Don't screw me, Mike Shanahan.

See you back here Tuesday morning.

I'll spare you the lengthy discussions and elaborate statistical displays in this post. My "Lineup Calls" pieces and the endless parade of radio barking opportunities will dazzle you with impassioned speeches for or against a player along with the requisite bells and whistles.

Let's just get to the heart of the matter and mine for gold.

QB

Tim Tebow, DEN - At times, you wish you could chuck him into the Flex spot or as a RB2. There will be some maddening moments along the way, but he's likely to rush for 40+ every week & assumes the Cam Newton-like goal-line role.

Andy Dalton, CIN - Dalton and A.J. Green are on a roll with Indy coming into Cincinnati. Indy choked away a huge lead to Kansas City in Week 5 by allowing four TDs to Matt Cassel.

Matt Cassel, KC - Speaking of Cassel, the Chiefs are on a Bye. The rise of Steve Breaston (worthy of a roster add) as a strong complement to Dwayne Bowe has me intrigued.

RB

Jackie Battle, KC - New leaked about Battle's possible rise to first chair toward the end of the practice week. He then topped 100 yards to create separation from Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster.

Earnest Graham, TB - LeGarrette Blount sustained a knee injury in Sunday's beatdown by the 49ers. Graham is also dealing with injuries of his own, but is the more likely back to play at home against the Saints. He's a fantastic receiver, so owners can expect solid returns in PPR leagues.

Delone Carter/Donald Brown - Carter scored a touchdown, but Brown ran well in Week 6 while spelling Joseph Addai. Addai appears unlikely to go this week at a minimum.

WR

Victor Cruz, NYG - Cruz has been a beast for three consecutive weeks. He shouldn't be on the wire anymore.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, OAK - I'll be the first to admit that I was among many wondering if/when Heyward-Bey would ever take a step forward. In Heyward-Bey's third year, you're finally seeing Jason Campbell (waiver worthy as well) throw the ball downfield with regularity to take advantage of his speed options.

Doug Baldwin, SEA - Baldwin has been fantastic in three of the Seahawks' first five games, taking full advantage of opportunities presented because of injuries to Sidney Rice and Mike Williams. It's tough to trust him with the Jackson/Whitehurst tandem at work, but he's definitely roster-worthy in standard leagues.

Harry Douglas, ATL - Julio Jones might be out of action for Week 6 in a huge spot for the Falcons. Douglas would step into the starting lineup.

TE

Ben Watson, CLE - Watson comes out of the Bye in a strong spot against the Raiders.

----------------------------------------------

I'll be back with additional waiver support as we round out the practice week. We'll put on our helmets and dig deep.

I can't remember the last time I saw a quarterback under more pressure than Jay Cutler was in the Bears' 24-13 loss to the Lions last night. The Bears should replace their offensive line with five tackling dummies and see if they can do a better job.

Don't forget your byes this week. The Cardinals, Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Seahawks and Titans are all off in Week 6.

On to the news:

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performances over the last 10
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• Cowboys WR Miles Austin, who missed the last two games due to a hamstring injury, appears on track to return this week against the sketchy Patriots' pass defense. Prepare to activate Austin, who could have a huge day.
• The Broncos haven't yet named their starting quarterback for Week 7, but it's expected to be Tim Tebow. Tebow isn't much of a passer, but his running ability alone makes him rosterable as a QB2 with matchup starter potential. The bet here is that Brady Quinn will make some starts for the Broncos before the end of the season. Head coach John Fox and Tebow don't seem like a good, long-term match.
• Antonio Gates owners, your long wait might be almost over. The Chargers' star tight end is targeting a Week 7 return from his foot injury.
• Speaking of the Chargers, the bye week comes at a great time, as RBs Ryan Mathews (calf) and Mike Tolbert (concussion) are both expected to be ready for Week 7. The case might not have been the same for this week.
• Bucs RB LeGarrette Blount (knee) is very iffy for Week 6. If you own Blount, or need a back due to the bye, Earnest Graham could be a nice short-term pickup.
• Speaking of free-agent running backs, you saw that Kansas City's Jackie Battle ran for 119 yards on Sunday, right? Grab Battle if you can, even though he has a bye this week.
• Colts RB Joseph Addai had an MRI on his injured hamstring Monday, and his status for Week 7 is uncertain.
• Texans LB Mario Williams is done for the season due to a torn pectoral muscle. The Texans also expect to be without WR Andre Johnson (hamstring) for at least two more games.
• The Falcons haven't offered any detail yet on the status of rookie WR Julio Jones (hamstring), who left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter. Stay tuned.
• Seahawks QB Tarvaris Jackson strained a pectoral muscle against the Giants on Sunday, and won't throw until next week. Until then, we'll probably have no idea about his Week 7 status.
• With 49ers WR Josh Morgan probably done for the season due to a broken leg, Michael Crabtree looks like a buy in fantasy right now. After Vernon Davis, who else are they going to throw to? Ted Ginn? Come on.
• Redskins RB Tim Hightower says that his injured shoulder won't keep him out this week against the Eagles. But will he start, and how much will he have to share the carries with Ryan Torain? Here's Mike Shanahan: "I’m going to play the best players and we’ll see how these guys do." Damn you, Shanahan.
• The Titans say they're going to fix their running game during the bye week. As someone who owns Chris Johnson on multiple teams, I'd like to thank the Titans for focusing their attention on this important matter.
• Remember that Matt Moore is the Dolphins' new starting quarterback. Owners of the Jets' defense should benefit from that this week.
• Look for the Browns to give a bit more playing time to WR Greg Little and TE Evan Moore. If one of them should be a free-agent target this week, it's Moore.
• WR Lee Evans (ankle) might return this week for the Ravens. He's not much of a fantasy option, at least for now.
• Three widely available wide receivers ranked among the top five in targets during Week 5. Arizona's Early Doucet (17) was first, Oakland's Darrius Heyward-Bey (12) was second, and Tennessee's Damian Williams (11) tied for third. Doucet and Williams have byes this week, but if you're looking for receiver depth, that trio is a nice place to start.
• Joel Beall will be in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 3 p.m. ET. Stop by and ask him some questions, OK?

See you back here Friday morning.