Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys: Absent from practice all week with the exception of a light load on Friday, Barber is one of the biggest question marks of the week with the fantasy football play-offs well under way. Can anyone risk Barber be limited by his pinky toe and calf injuries? Probably not especially when fill-in RB Tashard Choice was so effective last week, and the Boys face a stiff New York Giants rush defense.
Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers: Neither Will Carroll or Stephania Bell, the two most prominent fantasy football injury voices in the media, believe Gore will start in a cross-country game against the good Miami Dolphins rush defense. While Gore is a game time decision, I wouldn't risk him being limited in the game even if he is not on the inactive list for the 1:00 PM tilt. (Man, that can bite me in the backside. I am already hesitating on that advice.)
Dominic Rhodes & Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts: Addai hasn't practiced all week, and the Colts face the putrid Lions defense. I wouldn't risk Addai sitting the game or getting limited carries. However, I would start Dominic Rhodes because I expect him to carry the load, to be a factor in the passing game and he faces the Lions. I said the Lions part already, didn't I?
Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions: With QB Dan Orlovsky under center, the Lions passing game should rebound to NFL levels. Expect a decent game for WR Calvin Johnson. This will also have the added benefit of making Smith relevent again. As long as he is active, Smith could provide a sneaky 100 yards and a TD as a Flex/RB2.
Jerricho Cotchery & Laverneus Coles, New York Jets: Am I the only one sensing a WR explosion of "good" stats from the Jets the week following consecutive losses where the Jets made the passing game an after afterthought?
Click through to read the full versions of Will Carroll's Last Minute Med Check and Stephania Bell's Injury Blog.