Baltimore Ravens
When the Ravens signed Tommy Polley over the off season to replace Ed Hartwell most people saw it as a move in the wrong direction. While with the Rams Polley had one productive campaign and then was lost in the "Mike Martz shuffle". Polley along with the rest of the Rams LB corps seemed to play tentatively and lacked the physical mentality of the leagues better linebackers. Polley is a different player this year in a more aggressive scheme and playing for a coaching staff that expects its linebackers to bust some heads. Polley isn't Ray Lewis but he is a very solid linebacker and will be productive over the next 4-5 weeks while Lewis recovers. The only problem here is that Lewis will likely return somewhere around week 13 which means we can't count on Polley for our playoffs. That said, the report on Lewis says "at least 4-6 weeks". If the Ravens continue to struggle and are out of contention they may not be in a hurry to plug him back in. Worry about winning now and address week 13 when it gets here. Pluck Polley off waivers and ride the wave until it crashes... The Ravens hope to have Ed Reed back in the lineup for week 9. Reed has been a fantasy bust thus far but with Lewis out he could get a little boost in the tackle column. It's also worth consideration that the Ravens D as a unit is getting more comfortable in their new scheme and are starting to make a few big plays. Maybe Reed will pick it up for the stretch run.

Buffalo Bills
Keep an eye on out for word on the injury to FS Troy Vincent who left Sunday's game holding his arm/shoulder. It appeared to be a potentially serious injury and he was in obvious pain as he came off the field. The Bills are on a bye this week so we may not hear much about it and there is always the chance it was no more than a stinger. If Vincent were to miss any action it would allow big hitter Coy Wire to get back on the field. Wire isn't the prototype FS and is far better suited for the SS role but he has a knack for producing decent tackle numbers when playing full time. Wire went 3-1-0 in about half a game of action against the Patriots... London Fletcher's dismal 1-1-0 was his worst output of the season by far and maybe the worst of his career. Don't read too much into it however as it was purely a fluke and he isn't injured or benched. 

Carolina Panthers
The good news for Carolina is that Dan Morgan made it through the game against Minnesota without hurting his already sore shoulder any further. The bad news for fantasy owners is now we have another guy who is going to be on the injury report every week and will be a risky play despite the high potential. Morgan's weak tackle numbers against Minnesota weren't necessarily due to the injury. Don't overlook the fact that Mewelde Moore was the Vikings leading rusher with all of 9 carries for 30 yards. There wasn't a lot of opportunity and Morgan did contribute a sack in the game. The question I have is how will he hold up over the next few weeks against running teams like the Bucks, Bears, Jets, Bills and Falcons (especially once they get Duckett back). Morgan is expected to play the rest of the year with a harness that will be slightly limiting but he will have an opportunity to be very productive if the shoulder holds up. Those of us who picked up Will Witherspoon shouldn't be in too big a hurry to unload him just yet. Morgan will keep playing but it's still too early to tell how much the injury is going to effect his production. We should know a lot more after week 9. 

Cleveland Browns
Week 8 was yet another low in the Chris Crocker rollercoaster season, but at least this time the reason is easy to pinpoint. Crocker was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. He had an MRI on the injury early in the week but as of late Tuesday there is no word on the results. Crocker says he expects to play in week 9. His inconsistency is a big problem and the injury status is another negative but he's due for another big game and this week's match up against the Steelers is a strong one.  

Dallas Cowboys
The coaching staff had been working Scott Fujita into a bigger role over the past month but they won't have to worry about it any longer. Al Singleton broke his collar bone on Sunday and was placed on IR Tuesday. Fujita recorded his first sack as a Cowboy in week 8 and will step into the starting role when Dallas returns from their bye. A proven pass rusher, Fujita is a good fit at OLB in a 3-4 and could be a worthy pickup for fantasy owners in leagues with scoring that leans hard on sacks. The ripple effect of the injury may help rookie Kevin Burnett to get on the field for a few plays other than special teams where he had previously been making his only contribution. 

Detroit Lions
The frustration continues for those of us dynasty owners who are waiting patiently for Teddy Lehman to finally get back on the field full time. The opportunity may finally be there with Earl Holmes listed as questionable for week 9 and off seeing specialists about his injured wrist. The problem is Holmes is sharing taxi fare with Lehman who is having his sprained foot evaluated further. Both are questionable and likely will not go against Minnesota. Boss Bailey is also banged up but not much is being said about what ails him. He left Sunday's game late in the third quarter with an "undisclosed" injury. No news is usually good news on the injury front but it is very note worthy that the Lions signed street free agent Nate Wayne this week. The move alone suggests there are major concerns with someone. If neither Holmes nor Lehman can go this week Wali Rainer would likely get the call at MLB... Don't wait any longer to pick up James Hall if he's still available in your league. He's been healthy for 2 games this year and has a sack in each of them. After leaving in week 2 with a groin injury Hall missed 3 games then played in week 7 despite being listed as questionable. In week 8 he was removed from the injury report and returned to his full time role with a strong 6-0-1 outing. Just as a reminder, Hall finished last season with 11.5 sacks... Even with the return of Hall the Lions are still banged up along the DL. Anchor Shaun Rogers missed week 8 with a sore knee and is questionable again for week 9. Rookie Shaun Cody made his first NFL start in place of Rogers and played well recording 3 tackles and a forced fumble. Cody will likely make his second start in week 9 and is a player to keep an eye on, especially for dynasty owners. DE Corey Redding was also banged up against Chicago when he left the game with a shoulder injury. There have been no updates on his condition and again no news is usually good news... One player who was conspicuously absent from the week 8 box score is Kalimba Edwards. After a strong stretch in relief of Hall, Edwards was dinged in week 6 and has hardly shown up in the box scores since. He was not on the week 8 injury report, was active for the game and recovered a fumble but failed to make a tackle. It's baffling that the Lions coaching staff doesn't get Edwards who is arguably their best pass rusher, on the field more.

Houston Texans
Week 8 saw the Texans get their first win over a bad Cleveland team but it also marks the return of DE Gary Walker from the shoulder injury that had sidelined him since week 2. Walker was a surprise addition to the lineup not to mention a huge boost for the defense. He has struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons but remains one of the few players with the ability to overcome the limitations of the 3-4 scheme to put up decent fantasy numbers. With a mark of 3-4-2 in week 8 Walker is now tied for the team lead in sacks. That doesn't say much for the rest of the team does it? at any rate, Walker isn't a stud that you need to snatch up in any hurry but he can be a solid contributor for owners in large leagues or owners with a ton of injuries... DaShon Polk on the other hand, is a guy you probably shouldn't wait too long on if you have need at LB. The pickings are getting slim at this stage of the season and Polk has proven he can produce solid tackle numbers. He's averaged 6-3-0 over his three games of action and led the club in tackles Sunday in just his second start. When Kailee Wong was lost it was expected that Morlon Greenwood would step up large but that hasn't happened. Instead Polk seems to be picking up right where Wong left off. The Texans are horrible so both of these guys are likely to post quality and consistent tackle numbers the rest of the way but it's looking like Greenwood may still end up playing second fiddle... The time has come to strongly consider cutting ties with SS C.C. Brown. As I mentioned last week he is healthy and has returned to the starting lineup but I learned late in the week that Brown is no longer playing in the nickel package at all. The coaching staff has determined that Jason Simmons is the better option in coverage and he has replaced Brown in passing situations. Simmons is 12-3-0 over the past two games including a 7-2-0 mark in week 8. I don't know that he is worth picking up at this point however. He and Brown could take turns being the more productive depending on how each game unfolds. The best bet may be to stay away from this mess all together.       

Jacksonville Jaguars
Jamie Winborn has now been with the Jags for a few weeks and the coaching staff believes he is ready to begin contributing. They have yet to make it clear just what his role will be but have made it clear that they plan to start getting him on the field. Rumor has it the club is looking to see if Winborn can be an improvement over Akinola Ayodele. This news likely has little fantasy value for this season but it's never too early to start scouting for the future... Jacksonville may be missing half of their stellar tandem at DT this week as Marcus Stroud is expected to be listed as questionable with a foot injury. He was in a walking boot on Monday and will have to make a lot of improvement to play in week 9... The Jags face off against Houston this week so be sure to start Reggie Hayward and John Henderson. Houston has allowed a league leading 37 sacks on the year. If you find yourself in a bind it might even be worth while to give DE Paul Spicer a shot in this one.

Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs may go into week 9 crippled at the corner positions. Both starter Patrick Surtain and nickel corner Dexter McCleon are very questionable with knee and groin issues respectively. After returning from suspension Eric Warfield reclaimed the starting job opposite Surtain but he is also is dinged. Warfield however is expected to play through his hip pointer. If Surtain and/or McCleon sit out they would be replaced by second year man Benny Sapp and Dewayne Washington. William Bartee was moved to safety earlier this season but could also be a factor for the nickel duties. The moral of this story, start those Oakland receivers this week.

Green Bay Packers
Strong safety Mark Roman is a very average player by NFL standards but he may be a guy worth consideration in fantasy circles the rest of the way. The Packers are on the edge of the abyss and in serious danger of falling in. The defense has actually played OK thus far but if this club continues it's slide it won't be long before the players begin going through the motions each week. It seems to happen to a couple of clubs every year and generally speaking these defenses become a feeding ground for us fantasy vultures. Roman's has 15 solo stops over the past two games and match ups against the Steelers and Falcons in the next two weeks. Looking a little further down the road, during our playoffs (weeks 13-17) the Packers will face the Bears twice, Ravens, Lions and Seahawks.      

Miami Dolphins
For the first time in his brief career young Channing Crowder managed to top Zach Thomas in the week 8 box score. Could this be the first sign that a changing of the guard is in motion? Maybe, but don't expect it to happen over night. Thomas just turned 32 and though he has a lot of NFL miles on him, is still among the best linebackers in the game. That said, Crowder has 16 solo stops over the last 3 weeks (at least 5 in each game) which is the best string of production from any other linebacker over the past 10 years with Thomas in the lineup... Jason Taylor continues to play through a painful foot injury and it shows in his production. He has yet to record a sack since injuring the foot in week 6 going just 7-5-0 over the past three games. Maimi's remaining schedule includes only two teams (Buffalo and the Jets) who are in the lower half of the league in sacks allowed. Considering this and the fact that the injury is likely to bother him the rest of the season, if you have been counting on Taylor it is probably a good idea to start working on plan B.    

Minnesota Vikings
No team is closer to implosion than the Vikings as week 9 approaches. Not only have they been dismal but the situation has now deteriorated to the point that players are criticizing the coaching staff publicly. Antoine Winfield blasted the defensive play calling in the loss to Carolina saying they failed to call the defenses the team had practiced all week, left Steve Smith in single coverage all day and failed to make adjustments during the game. Are there odds in Las Vegas on what week the coaching staff will be fired? The staff has completely lost this team. Fantasy owners with Vikings players on either side of the ball may as well dump them and cut your losses. Minnesota is dead last in the league with 9 sacks despite the presence of Kevin Williams and Lance Johnstone who each reached double digits last season. Out of desperation they are trying to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in mid season and that isn't working either. The only defender worthy of roster consideration at this point is Sam Cowart and even he has done nothing special averaging just 6-1-0 over the past 4 games.  

New England Patriots
The return of Tedy Bruschi headlined the Patriots week 8 win over Buffalo but Bruschi didn't make all that big an impact in the box scores. What is very interesting is the ripple effect caused by his return. Former OLB Mike Vrabel remained at ILB and led the club in tackles with a 9-5-1 mark while Chad Brown was inactive and Monty Beisel played very sparingly. Moving Vrabel inside opened up a starting spot for Rosevelt Colvin who the club had wanted to get on the field more anyway. With the positive results they saw, chances are nothing will change heading into week 9. The question now becomes is Vrabel the man to have or will Bruschi become a fantasy factor over the next couple of weeks? Bruschi was picked up in all 6 of the IDP leagues I participate in but keep in mind that his career high is just 79 solo tackles. If you picked him up thinking you got a stud you will be disappointed. Bruschi will likely provide you with solid depth or maybe a #3 starter. If you didn't get Bruschi you may want to consider Vrabel. He's racked up 8 or more solo stops in 3 of the Patriots last 4 games and appears to have found a new home on the inside.  

New Orleans Saints
When the Saints announced late last week that Courtney Watson would be benched for disciplinary reasons they left us to guess who would get the start at MLB. The most obvious choice would have been rookie Alfred Fincher but the coaches threw us a curve and went with over the hill veteran Ronald McKinnon instead. McKinnon responded with a solid 7 tackle performance in the box scores but reminded us that he is indeed over the hill. Miami backs carried the ball a whopping 40 times in the game and a real good MLB would have had a huge game. Instead the two starting safeties also racked up 7 solo stops each. No one in the organization has said much about the situation leaving us to again assume we will see Watson back in the lineup this week... Rookie safety Josh Bullocks will likely continue to start despite the return of both Dwight Smith and Mel Mitchell. Bullocks made the most of his opportunity playing very well for the past two games and likely has laid claim to the job on a permanent basis. In two starts Bullocks has 13 solo stops which is plenty to land him on the short list for pickups this week.  

New York Giants
Don't over react to the whopping 1-1-0 put up by Gibril Wilson in week 8. There is nothing wrong and he should be back to form come week 9 unless of course the G-Men can put a thumping on the Niners like they did Washington last week when the Skins were held to under 150 yards of total offense. Wilson simply didn't have many opportunities as no one in a Washington uniform could get past Antonio Pierce. Wilson should rebound a little this week but then the Niners aren't exactly a power house offense and will be starting #3 QB Cody Pickett in the game so don't set your expectations too high. 

Oakland Raiders
After the rash of injuries to the Raiders secondary last week the club was forced to do some shuffling. It was initially reported that corner Renaldo Hill would step in at strong safety for Derrick Gibson but instead Jarrod Cooper got the call. The Raiders continue to use what is essentially a nickel package as their base defense with Hill, Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington working as corners while Cooper and Stewart Schewigert work as the safeties. Cooper basically assumed the role that Gibson had been playing which is almost like an extra linebacker rather than a safety. The result was that both Cooper and Hill ended up with 6 solo stops on the day. Basically nothing has changed in the scheme and the Raiders have simply plugged Cooper into Gibson's role and Washington into Woodson's. As it stands now Cooper may prove to be just as productive as Gibson had been which would certainly make him worthy of a roster spot in most leagues. 

Philadelphia Eagles
Injuries at DE are taking their toll on the Eagles. Jerome McDougle is already on IR and now the week 8 loss to Denver may have cost Philly the services of Jevon Kearse and ND Kalu for a game or two. Kearse is day to day with a very sore shoulder that has been diagnosed as a sprained AC joint while Kalu is also day to day with a rotator cuff injury. Both are very sore and in danger of missing at least one game. If either of them sit out look for Darwin Walker to slip outside and rookie Mike Patterson to move back into the starting lineup. Should both starters be sidelined either veteran Juqua Thomas or rookie Trent Cole would be pressed into action. Tackle Sam Rayburn is also banged up though he is expected to be active... The secondary also took a beating as both starting corners and SS Michael Lewis were knocked out of the game. Lewis left after a hard collision and may have suffered a concussion. There has been no further report on the injury as of early Wednesday. If he misses time look for impressive rookie Sean Considine to get the call. Lito Sheppard went into week 8 with a sore knee and aggravated the injury. He sat out the second half and is in serious danger of missing week 9. Roderick Hood would replace him. The news is a little better for Sheldon Brown who played through a hip pointer much of the game and will likely be able to go this week.   

San Diego Chargers
The Bolts may be without a couple of defensive starters this week. SS Terrence Kiel missed much of the week 8 contest with a calf injury and is expected to be questionable for week 9. He will likely miss practice most of the week and may try to go on Thursday or Friday. Kiel was replaced by Clinton Hart who would likely step in and start this Sunday if Kiel can't go... The other starter who could miss is ILB Randall Godfrey who left the team on Tuesday to be with his family after his sister was found shot in her car at the scene of an accident. Our condolences go out to the Godfrey family for their loss. If he doesn't play Matt Wilhelm would get the call. 

Seattle Seahawks
Starting WLB D.D. Lewis has been out of practice this week with a sore knee and is expected to be questionable on the injury report. He has been working in running situations and giving way to Leroy Hill on passing downs so chances are if Lewis sits Hill will play full time. Considering this weeks opponent is the pass happy Cardinals, Chances are Hill will see the vast majority of the action even if Lewis is available. 

Washington Redskins
There are a couple of interesting notes to come out of the Skins week 8 debacle. DT Cornelius Griffin started but lasted only 2 plays before aggravating his hip injury and sitting the rest of the game. He is very questionable for week 9 and should be avoided unless there is word to the contrary late in the week... It looks like the Skins may finally have settled on a starter at SS. This position has been somewhat of a revolving door all season mostly due to injuries but in week 8 all three candidates were healthy and active yet is was Ryan Clark who got the call and led the club with a monster game that included 11 solo tackles and a pick. Don't count on that kind of production from him on a regular basis but Clark does have a history of quality production dating back to the second half of last season when he was very strong. Washington will will be looking for revenge against a battered Eagles squad this week.   

That does it for the week 9 edition. Best of luck to everyone this weekend and...

Just Win Baby!

Our main weekly ranking that come out on Thursday are driven strictly by our projections which don't allow for such considerations as confidence in a particular projection or the difficulty in predicting such things as fumble recoveries etc. This cheat sheet is not projections driven and takes into consideration everything I know about a all the players. Players with a * are risky due to injuries and those with a ** may move up due to injuries to other players. Keep in mind that this is usually done prior to the release of the Wednesday injury report.