NOTE: This column is a living document and will be updated throughout the morning. Major changes to the content will be in red. Check back often for additions as gameday inactives are announced and lineup / depth chart changes are reported. I'll also be retweeting those reports with quick bits of analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter.
EARLY GAMES
Arizona at Philadelphia
The Cardinals are at full strength today. Philadelphia has been an up and down matchup this year, but they're at home coming out of a bye week. Daryl Washington was a disappointment last month and the Cardinals' tackle opportunity has been below average, but I think Washington is safe to trust in your lineups one more week.
Mychal Kendricks is back this week. Bradley Fletcher practiced fully and will play through a pectoral injury. Patrick Chung will continue to start and play full time with Earl Wolff still missing time with a knee injury. Brandon Graham saw more snaps last week, but not yet enough to have fantasy value in any scoring system.
Chicago at Minnesota
Major Wright is questionable after a late week hamstring injury. If he cannot go, Craig Steltz would start and could be a desperation flyer against the Adrian Peterson matchup. Lance Briggs remains out another week, but the Bears are reportedly getting both Stephen Paea and Jay Ratliff back at defensive tackle. Watch Ratliff's snap count and mobility closely. He could be a nice late season add for those in DT-required leagues.
Audie Cole gets another start today and is a strong fantasy play with a favorable matchup against Chicago. Andrew Sendejo fully practiced with a foot injury and will continue to see full time snaps at safety, but corner Josh Robinson is out today with a chest injury.
Jacksonville at Cleveland
The Jaguars are healthy. Will Blackmon is back this week; how much he'll rotate with Dwayne Gratz isn't known. Paul Posluszny is the only sure IDP value here, with Johnathan Cyprien and Geno Hayes and Jason Babin considerations in deeper leagues only.
Darius Eubanks will start next to D'Qwell Jackson, with both Craig Robertson and Tank Carder out. The Jaguars have been a better matchup in recent weeks, but Eubanks is a desperation flyer only with the bye weeks behind us. I think T.J. Ward has better upside.
Miami at New York Jets
Dmitri Patterson remains out for Miami. Both Cameron Wake and Dannell Ellerbe are off the injury report. Wake's matchup isn't favorable today, so consider sitting him if you've got other top ten options available to you.
There was some concern about Antonio Cromartie's availability, but he was able to get through a limited practice Friday. He's a game-time decision. Other than a strong front line in tackle-heavy leagues, there's been too much inconsistency in the back seven to trust any Jet in fantasy leagues. The matchup isn't great today either. Consider Demario Davis a low ceiling LB3/LB4.
New England at Houston
I was surprised to see Brandon Spikes practicing fully after he struggled to finish last week. The linebacker group is a question this week, after the Patriots benched Dont'a Hightower against Denver and used Dane Fletcher in nearly every package. Jamie Collins was also more involved. The Texans are a different matchup and don't have nearly as much speed outside the tackles. I expect we'll see a committee approach until Hightower or Fletcher declare themselves the better player. Spikes is a risky LB3 today, but I'd avoid the rest of this group. Steve Gregory could be back today, so those who have spot-started Duron Harmon will want to watch the inactive list closely.
All three Houston inside backers are expected to play today. Darryl Sharpton and Joe Mays will start with Jeff Tarpinian possibly getting a handful of snaps. Sharpton is the only one with fantasy value barring an injury given the base spread offense New England will run.
Tampa Bay at Carolina
Darrelle Revis was more optimistic than expected on Friday, but still a game time decision at best today. Mason Foster has been cleared to return from his concussion and will be back in the lineup. The matchup is strong enough to consider using him, but there's a wide range of expectation with the injuries in the Carolina running back rotation.
Charles Johnson is out again this week. That will be two full weeks of rest and rehabilitation for Johnson. Hopefully, that will have him returning stronger and sooner than Cameron Wake did with a similar injury. It's also possible that Johnson's injury is higher grade. We'll know more after next week's practice report.
Tennessee at Indianapolis
It was clear last week that the Titans do not view Colin McCarthy as more than a injury replacement. Moise Fokou didn't play quite every snap, but McCarthy played none. Fokou is off the injury report and returns to his every down role with Akeem Ayers.
The Colts rotated Pat Angerer and Kelvin Sheppard last week. Though they split snaps evenly, there wasn't a clear platoon. There also was nothing of note in local writer reports about the situation and neither player is on the injury list this week. It's hard to trust Angerer this week with his home stat crew, the up and down Tennessee matchup and the possible rotation.
LATE GAMES
Atlanta at Buffalo
Sean Weatherspoon was limited in practice all week with shoulder and knee injuries but is expected to play. Whether he's limited enough to give Joplo Bartu another look at nickel snaps is unknown. I'd avoid Weatherspoon today.
Kyle Williams was added to the injury report with a back injury after not practicing on Friday. Be careful before rolling with Da'Norris Searcy today. The Falcons have enough receivers to use a spread set again, but there's no guarantee Searcy will see enough snaps to have value.
Cincinnati at San Diego
Vontaze Burfict injured an ankle during practice on Friday and is questionable. Beat writers had no new information after Saturday's walkthrough and there was no indication that Burfict missed the team flight to San Diego. I think he's probably 80-20 to play, but make sure you've got a hedge in case pregame warmups don't go well for him. It's not been confirmed, but the locker room talk from Vincent Rey early this week strongly suggested that Rey Maualuga would return to the base defense at middle linebacker today. I expect we'll see Rey in subpackages and he'll get the call outside if Burfict cannot play. But be wary of all the Cincinnati linebackers today until the inactive list is released.
Jarret Johnson may try to play through a broken hand. The Chargers have been using Reggie Walker more at outside linebacker, however, and could use a rotation today. There are also reports that Melvin Ingram III could be on the verge of returning this year after a preseason ACL tear.
Denver at Kansas City
The Broncos defense will get Champ Bailey back today, though he may not yet be ready to play full time. That will put Chris Harris back into a slot corner role, but he's been very productive there in the past. Derek Wolfe isn't likely to play today after suffering seizure-like symptoms after Friday's practice.
Justin Houston is reportedly week-to-week with his elbow injury, but it has the feel of a multi-week situation with ligament and muscle damage. Prepare to be without him for most, if not all, of the fantasy playoffs, but hold until you're sure he's not available for Week 14. Tamba Hali's ankle injury was less worrisome and he's expected to play today.
St. Louis at San Francisco
T.J. McDonald returned to the Rams' secondary as a starter over Darian Stewart but missed most of this week's practice with a shin injury. He's questionable and could be in a rotation if he's active. Trumaine Johnson is cleared to play after last week's concussion and will continue to start for Cortland Finnegan (IR).
The Niners have a handful of starters listed as questionable, but all are expected to play. Aldon Smith is still sitting on some base defensive snaps for Dan Skuta, but he's getting enough of his usual high leverage snaps to be trustworthy in all leagues again.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
New York Giants at Washington
I thought last week's matchup would be better for Jon Beason, but the volume didn't improve his stat line. There's just too much good competition outside the tackle box for tackles right now and Beason doesn't have the foot speed to get his share. With Corey Webster still out, Antrel Rolle and Terrell Thomas should again both be strong plays. Jason Pierre-Paul will sit with a shoulder injury this week and don't be surprised if his absence stretches into a multi-week situation.
Washington is healthy. With the favorable home stat crew and the potential of a high number of rushing attempts faced, this is one of the higher ceiling matchups for London Fletcher this year.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
New Orleans at Seattle
The Saints are finally healthy on defense. It will be interesting to see how they use their safeties against a Seattle team that doesn't spread the field frequently. Roman Harper is most at risk of losing snaps, but the Saints have found ways to get all three safeties on the field for more than 40 snaps in most games. I think all three are startable in leagues that use at least 20 safeties, but there are low floor worries with each despite the strong matchup.
With Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner out, Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane will be tested by Drew Brees. Maxwell has been getting most of the extra snaps thus far, but both should see at least 50 snaps against the New Orleans spread. Consider both as high upside CB2 options this week.
Best of luck in your fantasy games this weekend. Reading the Defense returns on Tuesday. Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking news and analysis during the games today.
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