The Giants have a lot to be thankful for, or so we thought. At 10-1 they are at the top of the NFC standings and a virtual lock to make the playoffs already. Their Week 13 opponents, the Washington Redskins, have fallen three games behind in the loss column and would need a miracle to catch Big Blue.
Things are going so well in the Big Apple, New York isn't even really concerned that they could be without their top two offensive weapons against the Redskins. Plaxico Burress is already out, but the details as to why are still in flux. It seems unlikely that Brandon Jacobs will give it a go, considering New York's place in the standings and the big picture down the road.
Jacobs was also out last week in Arizona. His sprained knee is also causing him to be a huge question mark vs. the Redskins. And to make matters even worse, now his backup, Ahmad Bradshaw, is missing practice time with a sprained neck he suffered against the Cardinals.
Bradshaw, however, has called his injury not that bad and vowed to get onto the practice field before the end of the week. Jacobs, on the other hand, is keeping his status close to the vest because of the controversy created last week when he called himself probable and then missed the game.
"The last time we did that we were under investigation," Jacobs said. "So I'm not going to say I'm probable. I will line up and go see how it feels. I'm taking it day by day."
Jacobs and Bradshaw should both be able to return to the practice field shortly and if that happens, they should both be active in Week 13. We expect that scenario and give Bradshaw a 90 percent chance of playing and Jacobs an 80 percent shot.
Running Backs
Clinton Portis, Washington: The Redskins aren't without injuries of their own for their Week 13 meeting against the division-leading Giants. Portis could be seen on the sidelines numerous times during his 143-yard ground performance against the Seahawks last week grimacing and writhing on the ground in pain. Of course, minutes later, he could be seen running over and through Seattle defenders.
And that is pretty much what you can expect from Portis over the rest of the season. Still missing from practice, something tells us the NFL's leader in rushing yards will be just fine for perhaps the Redskins biggest game of the season. Coach Jim Zorn even said Portis is feeling better than he had before last week's game.
Fantasy Take: Don't expect Portis to practice much going forward but expect he'll be in the starting lineup and expect big things. He gets a 90 percent chance of starting and is a must-start against the G-men.
Willie Parker, Pittsburgh: Parker was obviously hampered in last Thursday's win over the Bengals as he rushed for just 37 yards on 14 carries. He re-aggravated his left knee problem and missed most of the second half. As the Steelers prepare for the Patriots in Week 13, Parker had yet to practice as of Wednesday.
Thursday brought good news as Parker did get back in action in a limited capacity, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Still, afterwards he called himself day-to-day with the injury. When asked if practicing is a good sign that he'll play against New England, Parker admitted that it was.
Fantasy Take: Mewelde Moore is ready to start for Parker should he not be able to go. But the fact he practiced Thursday makes us believe he'll at least start the game Sunday. We give him a 60 percent chance of starting and a healthy Parker is a must-start. He won't be 100 percent, however, but that still makes him worth starting in most Fantasy formats.
Steven Jackson, St. Louis: Jackson has missed four of the past five games with this current thigh injury and the Rams have suffered without him. The good news for Fantasy owners is that Jackson was back at practice on Wednesday and took almost half the team's snaps, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Rams coach Jim Haslett is still not convinced just yet that he'll be ready to play against Miami. Haslett wants to see more out of Jackson before the practice week is over if he hopes to start against the Dolphins. "Hopefully, there's not a setback. On Friday, we'll do short-yardage and goal-line (drills), and he should be OK," Haslett said.
Fantasy Take: We give Jackson a 70 percent chance of getting back in action vs. the Fish. For now you can go ahead and treat him as a must-start in Week 13 but continue to monitor the situation as the week progresses.
Reggie Bush, New Orleans: If you listen to Bush, it's pretty clear he'll be on the field on Sunday against Tampa Bay. Problem is, you listened to him last week and got burned.
"Oh yeah, I'm definitely a go this week.” Bush said after practicing in a limited capacity Wednesday. "I know I said that last week, but it's definitely a go this week. I felt good today ... I felt great. It's the best it's felt."
Fantasy Take: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice ... Saints coach Sean Payton said he thinks Bush is playing against the Bucs, too, so we'll believe them. We give Bush an 85 percent chance of playing in the game. Still, you might consider leaving him on your bench for a week to see if he's fully recovered, especially if the guys you've been using in his absence have done well.
Tight Ends
Kellen Winslow, Cleveland: Winslow is still being limited in practice with the same shoulder injury that has caused him to make just four catches for 51 yards over the last two weeks.
Cleveland plays against the Colts in Week 13 and the Browns are switching back to original starting quarterback Derek Anderson as Brady Quinn is out for the year.
Fantasy Take: Winslow is only averaging 45.9 receiving yards per game this season but the switch back to Anderson could jump start him in a way. We give him a 90 percent chance of playing vs. Indy and suggest starting him across the board in hopes the pass-catch duo can restore some of last season's glory.
Todd Heap, Baltimore: Not much is known about what is bothering Heap other than he's dealing with an illness. He couldn't practice Wednesday with this mysterious illness but until we find out what exactly he's dealing with there is no way of knowing whether he'll be fine or if he'll be out a while.
Fantasy Take: Something tells us that Heap will be fine for Sunday's game at Cincinnati. The problem is, take away a two-touchdown performance in Week 10, and Heap hasn't been worth owning in Fantasy this season. He's the 27th best tight end in terms of receiving yards and he's just an emergency option at Cincy even if he's 100 percent.
Quarterbacks
Marc Bulger, St. Louis: Bulger went down in Sunday's loss to Chicago and suffered a concussion. The resulting Trent Green experiment was not a positive one and the Rams need Bulger back desperately. Fortunately, after taking nearly all the snaps with the first team in Wednesday's practice, Bulger appears fine to start Sunday against Miami.
Fantasy Take: If you listen to Bulger, he gives himself a 99 percent chance to start in Week 13, reports the Post-Dispatch. We believe he'll play but don't recommend him in Fantasy. Why would we? He and the Rams have been horrific all year.
David Garrard, Jacksonville: Garrard injured his ribs and back in last week's game against the Minnesota Vikings and has been limited in practice this week leading up to Sunday's clash at Houston.
There has been absolutely no indication that Garrard is in jeopardy of missing Week 13, however, and we expect him to be starting for the Jaguars on Sunday.
Fantasy Take: Garrard gets a 95 percent chance of starting against the Texans. He threw for 317 yards against the Vikings last week but did have two interceptions to just one touchdown. That said, Garrard is still worthy of a start in deeper Fantasy leagues as a high-end No. 2 signal caller.
Wide Receivers
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati: Cincinnati plays against Baltimore in Week 13 and that already puts owners of Houshmandzadeh at a disadvantage as the Ravens are one the league's best pass defenses.
Housh had been limited in practice this week but on Thursday was unable to step on the field. That is bad news after he caught just four balls for 20 yards in last week's game at Pittsburgh.
Fantasy Take: This back issue could pop up at any time and he'll likely be a game-time decision. We expect Housh, the NFL's third-leading receiver, will be able to start against the Ravens but not being 100 percent you shouldn't expect huge numbers out of him.
Eddie Royal, Denver: The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Royal was held out of practice on Wednesday because of a toe injury. Royal was seen in full pads but could not ultimately participate.
Royal hasn't been particularly useful in Fantasy over the last two weeks for Denver. He's got just six catches for 48 yards over that span and is three weeks removed from a six-catch 164-yard performance against the Browns.
Fantasy Take: Royal has also been hampered by an ankle injury all year and has played through. We expect him to be on the field Sunday at the Jets and give him an 85 percent chance at being active. Royal remains a decent No. 3 receiver in Fantasy if he is able to play against New York.
Mark Bradley, Kansas City: Bradley is dealing with a calf injury that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday, reports the Kansas City Star. However, Bradley didn't practice on Wednesday of last week, either. By Friday he was ready to play and we expect a similar scenario in Week 13 at Oakland.
Fantasy Take: If Bradley sees the practice field before the weekend, he'll be fine for Sunday. We give him a 95 percent chance of starting against the Raiders surprisingly tough pass defense. He's alternated weeks with a touchdown recently and since he scored last week that means he's scheduled to miss out on the end zone in Week 13. That makes him a low-end option in Fantasy against the Raiders.
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